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Uttama Villain album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kadhalaam Kadavul Mun

From Uttama Villain · 2015

Lyricist
Kamal Haasan
Singer
Padmalatha
Music director
Ghibran
Movie name
Uttama Villain
Movie release year
2015
Lyrics added on
23 Feb 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kadhalaam kadavul mun
Kankalaam kovilil
Thegaththin thaagamae aaraathanai aaraathanai
Kadhalaam kadavul mun
Kankalaam kovilil
Thegaththin thaagamae aaraathanai aaraathanai
Kadhalaam kadavul mun
Kankalaam kovilil
Kaamamam kadum punal
Kadanthidum padakithu
Aasaiyaa paai maram
Amainthathor padagithu
Karaiyai thedi alaiyum neram
Uyirum mezhugaao uruguthae
Veenaiyaai meettum viralgal polae
Sundi sundi enai meetti magizhnthidum
Kadhalaam
Male :Oo
Female :Kangalaam
Male :Oo
Female :Thegaththin thaagamae aaraathanai aaraathanai
Pirinthavar koodinaal
Pesavum vendumaa
Mogaththai sollida
Mozhiyum orr thadai aagumo
Isaiyin kaalam kanikkum thaalam
Pola ennudan kalakkavaa
Inbam alaiyin sigaram saerkka
Konji konji en seviyil pesidum
Kadhalaam kadavul mun
Kankalaam kovilil
Thegaththin thaagamae aaraathanai aaraathanai
Aaraathanai aaraathanai
Aaraathanai aaraathanai
Before the god of love,
In the temple of our eyes,
The body's thirst is our worship, our worship.
Before the god of love,
In the temple of our eyes,
The body's thirst is our worship, our worship.
Before the god of love,
In the temple of our eyes...
Across the wild currents of desire,
This is the boat that crosses.
With longing as its sail,
It is a boat built for this journey.
As it wanders in search of the shore,
My soul melts away like wax.
Like fingers plucking a veena (stringed instrument),
You gently play and delight in me,
This love...
Male: Ooh...
Female: In the temple of eyes...
Male: Ooh...
Female: The body's thirst is our worship, our worship.
When separated lovers meet again,
Do they even need words?
To express this passion,
Does language become an obstacle?
Like the beat that keeps time in music,
Won't you come and merge with me?
As pleasure rises to the crest of the wave,
Whispering sweet words in my ear,
Before the god of love,
In the temple of our eyes,
The body's thirst is our worship, our worship.
Our worship, our worship,
Our worship, our worship.
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kadhalaam Kadavul Mun is a sensuous and deeply poetic composition from the film Uttama Villain, penned by Kamal Haasan and set to music by Ghibran. The song metaphorically elevates physical intimacy and romantic desire into a sacred act of devotion. It equates love to God, the eyes to a temple, and physical passion to ritualistic worship (aaraathanai). Through vivid imagery of navigation and music, the lyrics depict desire as a sail navigating a tumultuous river of passion, and gentle touch as the strumming of a Veena. The song celebrates the silent communion between reunited lovers, suggesting that spoken words and language are redundant when two souls merge in harmony. The lyrical structure beautifully blends classical Tamil literary tropes with a retro 1970s musical elegance, capturing both spiritual depth and physical ecstasy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Kadhalaam kadavul mun / Kankalaam kovilil”

Compares Love directly to a deity (Kadavul) and eyes to a sacred temple (Kovil).

Extended Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Kaamamam kadum punal / Kadanthidum padakithu / Aasaiyaa paai maram”

Metaphorically frames passion as a raging river (kadum punal), desire as a sail (paai maram), and the body/relationship as a vessel navigating it.

Simile (Uvamai)

“Veenaiyaai meettum viralgal polae”

Uses the explicit comparative word 'polae' (like) to compare a lover's delicate touch to fingers plucking a Veena.

Alliteration (Monai)

“Kaamamam kadum punal / Kadanthidum padakithu”

Repetition of the initial 'Ka' sound across consecutive words ('Kaamamam', 'kadum', 'Kadanthidum').

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by Kamal Haasan himself, the song pays homage to the lush, sensuous Tamil film songs of the 1970s and 80s composed by legend Ilaiyaraaja. In the film Uttama Villain, this track reflects the vintage period aesthetic of the protagonist Manoranjan's earlier cinematic work, seamlessly blending Carnatic musical sensibilities with modern orchestral instrumentation by Ghibran.

Keep listening

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