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Enga Veettu Pillai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kankalum Kaavadi

From Enga Veettu Pillai · 1965

Lyricist
Aalangudi Somu
Singers
L. R. Eswari, Chorus
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Enga Veettu Pillai
Movie release year
1965
Lyrics added on
25 Sept 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum
Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum
Chorus :Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum
Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum
Penmaiyum aanmaiyum ondraagattum
Perinba vaasalil nindraadattum
Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum
Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum
Ullangal naeraana vazhi kaanattum
Urudhiyilae thunbam thoolaagattum
Chorus :Ullangal naeraana vazhi kaanattum
Urudhiyilae thunbam thoolaagattum
Nanmaiyae un vaazhvil thozhilaagattum
Naadellaam unnai kandu pugazh paadattum
Chorus :Naadellaam unnai kandu pugazh paadattum
Aaahhaaa..aahh…aahhaaa…
Aaahhaaa..aahh…aahhaaa…
Oohhh…oohh..aaahh…aahhh..
Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum
Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum
Mannagamellam nadhi paayattum
Maargazhi thudhi paadi kadhir saayattum
Chorus :Kadhir saayattum kadhir saayattum
Female :Enna seivom endra nilai maarattum
Unnaalae makkal ennam niraivaerattum
Chorus :Unnaalae makkal ennam niraivaerattum
Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum
Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum
Thoongiya kaalangal mudivaagattum
Tholgalilae veeram nadai podattum
Chorus :Nadai podattum veeram nadai podattum
Female :Kolgayilae anbu oli veesattum
Kozhaiyum unnaalae puli aagattum
Chorus :Kozhaiyum unnaalae puli aagattum
Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum
Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum
Penmaiyum aanmaiyum ondraagattum
Perinba vaasalil nindraadattum
Let eyes dance to lively Kavadi tunes!
Let them play ball with young men's hearts!
Chorus: Let eyes dance to lively Kavadi tunes!
Let them play ball with young men's hearts!
Let womanhood and manhood unite as one,
And dance at the doorstep of supreme happiness!
Let eyes dance to lively Kavadi tunes!
Let them play ball with young men's hearts!
Let hearts find the straight and honest path,
Let sorrow shatter to dust before determination!
Chorus: Let hearts find the straight and honest path,
Let sorrow shatter to dust before determination!
Let doing good be your life's work,
Let the whole land see you and sing your praises!
Chorus: Let the whole land see you and sing your praises!
Aahaa... Aah... Aahaa...
Aahaa... Aah... Aahaa...
Ohh... Oh... Aah... Aahh...
Let eyes dance to lively Kavadi tunes!
Let them play ball with young men's hearts!
Let rivers flow across the entire land,
Let the grain stalks bend low, singing praise in the month of Margazhi!
Chorus: Let the stalks bend low! Let the stalks bend low!
Female: Let the helpless cry of 'what can we do?' change,
Through you, let the people's dreams come true!
Chorus: Through you, let the people's dreams come true!
Let eyes dance to lively Kavadi tunes!
Let them play ball with young men's hearts!
Let the days of slumber come to an end,
Let courage stride proud upon our shoulders!
Chorus: Let courage stride! Let courage stride proud!
Female: Let love shine bright in our principles,
Through you, let even a coward become a tiger!
Chorus: Through you, let even a coward become a tiger!
Let eyes dance to lively Kavadi tunes!
Let them play ball with young men's hearts!
Let womanhood and manhood unite as one,
And dance at the doorstep of supreme happiness!
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kangalum Kaavadi Sindhaagattum is a festive, rhythmic song from the 1965 Tamil classic Enga Veettu Pillai. While formatted as a lively dance song blending romantic flirtation, it carries strong social and moral messages typical of MGR movies of that era. The song encourages righteousness, perseverance through hardships, awakening from laziness, and inspiring bravery in others.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaybu (End Rhyme)

Kangalum kaavadi sindhaagattum / Kaalayar nenjathai pandhaadattum

Almost every line ends with the suffix '-attum' (optative verb form 'let it happen'), creating a unified rhythmic cadence throughout the song.

Moonaal / Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

Penmaiyum aanmaiyum ondraagattum / Perinba vaasalil nindraadattum

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words in the same line.

Metaphor

Kozhaiyum unnaalae puli aagattum

Comparing a coward transforming into a courageous person to becoming a tiger ('puli').

Did you know?

Trivia

Enga Veettu Pillai (1965) starred M. G. Ramachandran in a legendary dual role. Although lyricist Aalangudi Somu penned this track, the iconic music of the movie was composed by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, and the song was performed primarily by L. R. Eswari and P. Susheela.

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