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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kadhal Thirudaa

From Pick Pocket · 1989

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singers
P. Jayachandran, K. S. Chithra
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Pick Pocket1989

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kaadhal thirudaaOh love thief!
Periya kaadhal thirudaaOh big love thief!
Male
Kaadhal thirudiOh female love thief!
Iniya kaadhal thirudiOh sweet love thief!
Female
Kavinjarin paattai thirudiStealing the poet's song,
Maatri puratti pottu paadaadhaeDo not twist it upside down and sing it!
Yaaro ippadi paada chonnadhuWho asked you to sing like this?
Roattil aattam poda chonnadhuWho asked you to dance on the road?
Male
Kaadhal thirudiOh female love thief!
Iniya kaadhal thirudiOh sweet love thief!
Female
Kaadhal thirudaaOh love thief!
Periya kaadhal thirudaaOh big love thief!
Male
Palli sellum naalilaeBack in school days,
Eeyadichaan copy thaanIt was just blind copy-pasting.
Solli thandhum yeralaeEven when taught, nothing entered the mind,
Onnum illae melae thaanThere is nothing inside your head!
Female
Andru vandha un gunamThat habit of yours from back then,
Indrum maaravillaiyoHas it not changed even today?
Kanni pennai paarthadhumThe moment you see a maiden girl,
Nenjil enna thollaiyoWhat trouble surges in your heart?
Male
Poottu pottu thaanBy putting lock after lock,
Pootti paakkurenI keep trying to lock it,
Pongum aasai thaan adangavillaiyaeYet this overflowing desire does not subside!
Female
Kaadhalaagi chaerndha pinbumEven after uniting in love,
Kandukkaama kambi neettum thirudaaYou thief, who slips away quietly without caring!
Rambambam bambambamRambambam bambambam!
Male
Kaadhal thirudiOh female love thief!
Iniya kaadhal thirudiOh sweet love thief!
Female
Kaadhal thirudaaOh love thief!
Periya kaadhal thirudaaOh big love thief!
Male
Kavinjarin paattai thaviraExcept the poet's song,
Maatru paattu paada theriyaadhuI do not know how to sing any alternate tune.
Kaadhal vandhaal paada thonudhuWhen love arrives, I feel like singing,
Kaaval thaandi aada thonudhuI feel like breaking all guards and dancing!
Female
Kaadhal thirudaaOh love thief!
Periya kaadhal thirudaaOh big love thief!
Male
Kaadhal thirudiOh female love thief!
Iniya kaadhal thirudiOh sweet love thief!
Female
Kanni ariyaamalaeWithout the maiden knowing,
Kannamitta kalvanaeOh thief who broke into my heart!
Ennai ariyaamalaeWithout even myself realizing,
KollaiyittadhennavoWhy did you loot me completely?
Male
Kaadhal endra ondru thaanThis thing called love,
Kettu vaanga koodumoCan it be asked for and acquired?
Kanni illai endru thaanSaying that I am no longer a maiden,
Indru solla koodumoCan that be uttered today?
Female
Endha jenmamoDestiny written down,
Ezhudhi vaithadhuFrom whichever past lifetime,
Indha naalilae ondru aanadhuHas finally united on this very day!
Male
Pillai kooda ennai polaEven the child, just like me,
Porukkiyaaga porandhu pochu thirudiWas born a rogue, oh thief!
Aiyaiya yaiyaiyoAiyaiya yaiyaiyo!
Female
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaaFemale love thief, big male love thief!
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaaFemale love thief, big male love thief!
Iruvarum aattai thirudi maattai thirudiBoth of us stole goats and stole cows,
Paattai pudichaachaaDid you catch the song now?
Paadum raagam illaamalWithout a melody to sing,
Paappa naan thaan ingae kodhikkumOh baby, I am boiling over here!
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaaFemale love thief, big male love thief!
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaaFemale love thief, big male love thief!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful duet from the movie Pick Pocket (1989) features two lovers who are pickpockets by profession. They playfully mock each other's cheeky behaviors, past school habits of copying, and tendencies to escape responsibility, while acknowledging their inescapable romantic pull toward one another. Through lighthearted banter about stealing hearts alongside stealing cattle, they celebrate their destined union and shared rogue nature.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Kannamitta kalvanae / Kollaiyittadhennavo

Compares romantic attraction to burglary and housebreaking ('Kannamitta kalvanae', 'Kollaiyittadhennavo').

Anaphora / Repetition

Kaadhal thirudaa / Periya kaadhal thirudaa

Refrain repetition of 'Kaadhal thirudaa' and 'Kaadhal thirudi' sets a rhythmic, teasing tempo.

Emoni (Second-letter rhyme)

Palli sellum naalilae / Solli thandhum yeralae

Matching second consonants across lines ('Palli' and 'Solli', 'Andru' and 'Indrum').

Did you know?

Trivia

Pick Pocket (1989) stars Sathyaraj and Radha in the lead roles as charming pickpockets. The song features music composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics written by Gangai Amaran, sung playfully by Mano and K. S. Chithra.

Keep listening

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