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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kadugalavu

From Kadugu · 2017

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singer
Haricharan
Music director
S. N. Arunagiri
Movie name
Kadugu
Movie release year
2017
Lyrics added on
11 Mar 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Size-il andha vaanam perusu
Kanna moodikittaa sirusaagum
Size-il indha vaazhkkai sirusu
Kanna moodumvara perusaagum
Malaichaa unakku malaidhaan
Uli eduthaa adhuvum silaidhaan
Ilai nuniyil paniyum azhagu
Adhukkulaiyum adangum ulagu
Aiyaiyaiyo bhoomikku
Nee oru kadugu
Aiyaiyaiyo saamikku
Bhoomiyae kadugu
Size-il andha vaanam perusu
Kanna moodikittaa sirusaagum
Size-il indha vaazhkkai sirusu
Kanna moodumvara perusaagum
Aanoda thuliyaa
Pennoda valiyaa
Vandhaayae
Dhoorathil irukkum
Vaasathai thurathi
Ponaayae
Ellamae pudhusa
Kannukku parisaa
Paarthaayae
Parisa pirichu
Rusichu rasichu
Theerthaayae
Thudi thudikkira nenju
Adhukkulla
Oru kanavu thekki
Padapadakkira rekkai
Adha virichu
Pudhu bhoomiya nokki
Paraparakkira kaaththil
Puriyaama
Oru panjappola
Aduaduththadhu enna
Theriyaama
Nee payanam pora
Sogam ellaam perusudhaan
Sirikka therinjaa ellaam kadugalavu
Sirikka therinjaa ellaam kadugalavu
Size-il andha vaanam perusu
Kanna moodikittaa sirusaagum
Size-il indha vaazhkkai sirusu
Kanna moodumvara perusaagum
Malaichaa unakku malaidhaan
Uli eduthaa adhuvum silaidhaan
Ilai nuniyil paniyum azhagu
Adhukkulaiyum adangum ulagu
Aiyaiyaiyo bhoomikku
Nee oru kadugu
Aiyaiyaiyo saamikku
Bhoomiyae kadugu
In size, that sky is huge;
if you close your eyes, it becomes small.
In size, this life is small;
until you close your eyes for good, it keeps growing big.
If you are daunted, it is just a mountain;
if you pick up a chisel, even that becomes a sculpture.
The dew on the tip of a leaf is beautiful;
even inside it, the whole world fits.
Oh my, to this Earth,
you are just a mustard seed.
Oh my, to God,
the Earth itself is just a mustard seed!
In size, that sky is huge;
if you close your eyes, it becomes small.
In size, this life is small;
until you close your eyes for good, it keeps growing big.
As a drop from a man,
through the pain of a woman,
you arrived into this world.
Chasing a fragrance
calling from far away,
you set off on your way.
Finding everything new,
like a gift for your eyes,
you looked at it all.
Unwrapping that gift,
savoring and enjoying every bit,
you lived it to the fullest.
With a beating heart,
gathering inside
a well of dreams,
with fluttering wings,
spreading them wide
toward a brand new land,
in the swirling wind,
without fully understanding,
just like a wisp of cotton,
what lies ahead next,
without knowing,
you journey along.
Every sorrow feels so big,
but if you know how to smile, it is only the size of a mustard seed.
If you know how to smile, it is only the size of a mustard seed.
In size, that sky is huge;
if you close your eyes, it becomes small.
In size, this life is small;
until you close your eyes for good, it keeps growing big.
If you are daunted, it is just a mountain;
if you pick up a chisel, even that becomes a sculpture.
The dew on the tip of a leaf is beautiful;
even inside it, the whole world fits.
Oh my, to this Earth,
you are just a mustard seed.
Oh my, to God,
the Earth itself is just a mustard seed!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The title track 'Kadugu' (Mustard Seed) offers a profound philosophical reflection on perception, human existence, and perspective. The lyrics contrast grand scale with microscopic insignificance, highlighting how the vast sky shrinks when we close our eyes, whereas human life—though fleeting and small—feels immense until death. By employing the metaphor of a mustard seed ('Kadugu'), Madhan Karky reminds us that human beings are minuscule in the cosmic scale, and even planet Earth is merely a mustard seed in the vast universe. Despite this existential smallness, the song encourages a resilient mindset. Obstacles seem like intimidating mountains only until we take action like a sculptor carving a statue. Life's anxieties and overwhelming sorrows can be rendered insignificant if one learns to smile and appreciate the beauty around them, just like seeing an entire world reflected in a single drop of dew.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor & Scale Anthesis

“Aiyaiyaiyo bhoomikku / Nee oru kadugu”

Compares human scale to a mustard seed relative to Earth, and Earth to a mustard seed relative to the Creator/Cosmos.

Ezhukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Malaichaa unakku malaidhaan / Uli eduthaa adhuvum silaidhaan”

The second consonant sound 'la' matches across consecutive lines ('Malaichaa' and 'Uli').

Simile (Upamai)

“Oru panjappola”

Compares the unpredictable trajectory of human life to cotton floating helplessly in the wind.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

“Kanna moodikittaa sirusaagum / Kanna moodumvara perusaagum”

Matching end sounds ('sirusaagum' / 'perusaagum').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song serves as the thematic backbone of the film 'Kadugu' (2017), directed by cinematographer-turned-director Vijay Milton. Lyricist Madhan Karky used simple, colloquial Tamil terms combined with profound philosophical imagery to capture the essence of how small individuals are in the grand scheme of society.

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