- Lyricist
- Ratty Adhiththan
- Singers
- Adhiththan, MC Sai, Mathichiyam Bala
- Music director
- Steve Cliff
- Movie name
- Padaiyon
- Movie release year
- 2021
- Lyrics added on
- 7 Dec 2021
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sinthanaiyila thee parakkuthu
Thirumbiya idam koda pidikkuthu
Pagai edhuthavan padai koduthavan
Pagalavan ini vazhi vizhagidu
Sinam konda singam anunguthu
Kaalam marakkatha veera thamizharin
Padai eduthum nilam adhirudhu
Ethir padai ettu adi thavaruthu
Naan ninna malai nadantha
Padai kadanthal pori thattum
Naanga parantha idi vizhuntha
Sadhi saavin nuni yutham
Hey… santhiyila pidicha pillayar
Eduthu vakkirom mudhal adi
Sandaiyila thalai edukkira parambarai
Naanga thani vazhi
Saagatha varam yemakku
Thanthavanae thunivirukku
Vel eduthu erinjavargal
Vengai naangal maru pirappu
Chera chozha pandiya pandara
Vanniyan veera akkarayan
Adhu vazhu vandha engal annan
Adutha raavanan
Hey ethanai murai naan solluven unakku
Raththathil odhuthu raanuva thudippu
Sathiyam thayagam velgira varaikkum
Nichayam engalin vengaigal irukku
Valari eri pol varthaigal
Vagundu varuthu paarthu kol
Paruvam adaintha varthaigal
Ini pala palakkuthu paadukkul
Kadalae en kadalae
Karigala enga maranja
Vanamae en vanamae
Avan thadam thedi thirinja
Kadalae en kadalae
Karigala enga maranja
Vanamae en vanamae
Avan thadam thedi thirinja
Kulasaami oruthan irundhaan
Nilam kaakka kuruthi kodudhaan
Nadu neram nisiyil nadanthaal
Vilakkaga vidhiyil iruppaan
Aanai senai aravam purai anda
Thamizhar koottam
Kuraiyatha vegam kuruthi thaagam
Kadantha kaalam pesum
Ini neram kaalam paarthu
Padai iranga poguthu pudhusu
Idhu paattan thantha bhoomi
Nee parisalikkira namakku
Vanni kaattila rendu kaalila varupuli
Nadanthathu theriyuma
Andha naatila vandhu piranthavan endhan
Kurudhi thaagam adanguma
Kutta kutta kuniyavillai kullanari inathukulla
Koburathil irunthavanga kuppai nadu veedhiyila
Aana oona edhiri adanga thalaivan kudumpi
Vaanam varaikkum vaazhthum vananga oruvan vazhuthi
Ariyappan kadanthu vanthavan pandiyan nedu cheliyan
Andha kavirikku oru anai edhuthavan karigalvala chozhan
Angu kaakka vanniyan kaati thandhavan
Thiravidan pazhi theerka vanthavan
Ariyathukku kodi pudithavan dravidan adivaruthi
Ingu neeyum naanum thamizhan
Nadu vila vendam oruvan
Andha kaalam varaikkum irukkum
Karikaalan kathaigal nilaikkum
Kadalae en kadalae
Karigala enga maranja
Vanamae en vanamae
Avan thadam thedi thirinja
Kulasaami oruthan irundhaan
Nilam kaakka kuruthi kodudhaan
Nadu neram nisiyil nadanthaal
Vilakkaga vidhiyil iruppaan
Manam konda nerembu thudikka puli urumbuthu
Urumi melam
Paattan poottan aanda konda manpuzhuvukku
Enna venum
Vanni kaattu vengai vithaitha oru thalaivanin
Thalamurai
Naangal kalamirangiya sondhangal santhathi
Thamizhinam en uyir pera
Thootta thootta therikkira saththam ketta nadungura
Vedi muzhungura unarveguruthu thamizh inamena padai peruguthu
Pengal ayudham yendhi angalai kaatha kathaiya paadu
Thanipatta mannai petredutha manda veerar paaru
Adimai padutha pattavar padithu pattam petravar
Paditha padippu velam indri dhinamum poruppil seththavar
En naavil irukkum eetti varthaigalai neruppil theeti
Adhikaalai marana seithi kuri paarthu vitten da avi
Kurangu koottam uthavi seidhu
Kaatti koduthathu rama sethu
Vaanaram endru vadakku sonna therkku
Thamizha thiruppa kezhu
Varalaru thaan matri ezhuthu
Adaiyalathai theliva thiruttu
Thadam matriya egiri sollu
Mudi maracha parakkum pallu
Kadalae en kadalae
Karigala enga maranja
Vanamae en vanamae
Avan thadam thedi thirinja
Kulasaami oruthan irundhaan
Nilam kaakka kuruthi kodudhaan
Nadu neram nisiyil nadanthaal
Vilakkaga vidhiyil iruppaan
Hey paanan paraiyan kadamban thudiyan kudigal aadhi
Ariya parpanai vanthu pugunthan thamizh padhi padhi
Parambu malaiyil paariyin kudhirgal puyalena painthena
Parathavar kadalile padagugal edhirigal pudai suzhnthena
Thamizh illatha kulam sollatha palam
Muppattan kodai vithaga varum
Kaalam maari kadantha piragum kariya megam piranthom
Idhu varna sirama saadhi
Nadai padigal illatha maadi
Annal anbethar idhai andru uraithar kalai vadivangal vaazhi
Andha kurunji mullai marutham noithal thamizhar nilangal
Idhil vazhnthu valarnthu piranthu vanthathu thamizhanoda nilaigal
Oh… parpananin koottathila nadu veedukulla
Naangal mani adithal
Kaattukulla vanthavarai kodum puli adithathu adhai avizhpaar
Paruvam pagaiyum nadungum ethilum thamizhan iyangum
Izhantha poril edhiri en paatanukku oru paruthi
Hey.. vella vetti arasiyal ingu vedham sollum ariyar
Manthaiveli saathiyar nammai pirikka valarntha viyathigal
Kadalae en kadalae
Karigala enga maranja
Vanamae en vanamae
Avan thadam thedi thirinja
Kadalae en kadalae
Karigala enga maranja
Vanamae en vanamae
Avan thadam thedi thirinja
Kulasaami oruthan irundhaan
Nilam kaakka kuruthi kodudhaan
Nadu neram nisiyil nadanthaal
Vilakkaga vidhiyil iruppaan
Sparks of fire fly in our thoughts
Wherever we turn, victory flags are raised
The one who fought enemies, the one who gave us an army
Sun, step aside from our path now
An enraged lion roars and moves
The brave Tamils whom time will never forget
Even as armies march, the earth shakes
The opposing army stumbles back eight paces
If I stand, I am a mountain; if I walk,
An army; if I pass, sparks will fly
If we fly, thunder strikes; if it falls,
A conspiracy, a battle at the edge of death
Hey, like a clay Pillayar (Ganesha) shaped at the crossroads
We are taking our very first step
We belong to the lineage that rises tall in battle
We walk our own unique path
The boon of immortality is ours
The one who gave it gave us courage too
Those who hurled spears in battle
We are the tigers reborn
Chera, Chola, Pandya, Bandara
Vanniyan, the brave Akkaraiyan
Coming from that lineage, our elder brother
Is the next Ravanan
Hey, how many times do I have to tell you?
A soldier's pulse beats in our blood
Truly, until our motherland wins
Our tigers will surely stand strong
Like a flying valari (ancient throwing weapon), my words
Come slicing through, watch out!
Ripe, battle-ready words
Now sparkle brightly within this song
Oh ocean, my ocean
Karikala, where did you disappear?
Oh forest, my forest
I wandered searching for his footsteps
Oh ocean, my ocean
Karikala, where did you disappear?
Oh forest, my forest
I wandered searching for his footsteps
There was a guardian deity for our clan
He gave his blood to protect our land
If you walk in the dead of night
He will stand as a guiding light on the street
Ruling with armies of elephants and royal power,
The great gathering of Tamils
Unfading speed and a thirst for battle
The past speaks of it all
Biding the right time and hour now
A brand-new army is about to descend
This is the land given by our ancestors
Who are you to hand it as a gift to us?
In the Vanni forest, on two legs, a striped tiger
Walked with pride, do you know?
Born in that very land, can my
Thirst for freedom ever be quenched?
We did not bow down when beaten by jackals
Those who lived in high towers are now in the street trash
At every turn, the enemy submits to our leader's hold
Praises rise to the sky, honoring that one leader
The one who surpassed the Aryans was Pandyan Nedunchezhiyan
The one who built a dam on the Cauvery was Karikala Chola
Vanniyan protected there, while a traitor showed the way
The Dravidian came seeking revenge
Waving flags for power, the Dravidian bootlicker
Here, you and I are Tamils
We don't need anyone coming between us
It will endure until the end of time
The stories of Karikalan will live forever
Oh ocean, my ocean
Karikala, where did you disappear?
Oh forest, my forest
I wandered searching for his footsteps
There was a guardian deity for our clan
He gave his blood to protect our land
If you walk in the dead of night
He will stand as a guiding light on the street
With honorable veins throbbing, the tiger roars
The urumi drum beats loud
What does an earthworm know of the soil
That our grandfathers ruled?
Sown by the tiger of the Vanni forest, a leader's
New generation
We are the kin and heirs who stepped onto the battlefield
So that the Tamil race may rise alive
You tremble hearing the crack of bullets
Explosions roar, spirits soar, the Tamil army grows
Sing the story of women taking up arms to defend the men
Look at the fallen heroes who birthed a land of our own
Those who were enslaved, those who studied and earned degrees
Left jobless despite their learning, dying daily under burdens
The spear upon my tongue, sharpening words in fire
Early morning death news, I took aim at your spirit
A pack of monkeys helped out
And gave away the Rama Setu bridge
If the North calls us monkeys,
Oh Tamil, question them back!
Rewrite the history yourself
Reclaim your stolen identity clearly
Leap up and call out those who strayed off course
If you try to cover it up, your teeth will fly!
Oh ocean, my ocean
Karikala, where did you disappear?
Oh forest, my forest
I wandered searching for his footsteps
There was a guardian deity for our clan
He gave his blood to protect our land
If you walk in the dead of night
He will stand as a guiding light on the street
Hey, Panan, Parayan, Kadamban, and Thudiyan were the ancient tribes
The unfamiliar Brahmin entered every Tamil settlement
Like storms rushing from the granaries of Parambu hill
Like boats of coastal fishermen encircling enemies at sea
Strength unspoken by any clan without Tamil
Our great ancestor's generosity will sprout as a seed
Even as eras passed and changed, we were born like dark clouds
This Varnashrama caste order
Is like an upper floor without any stairs
Ambedkar proclaimed this back then, long live our art forms!
Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, and Neithal (ancient Tamil landscapes) are Tamil lands
Born, raised, and living in these is the true Tamil way of life
Oh, if inside the inner house of the Brahmin assembly
We ring our sacred bell
A fierce tiger tore those who invaded the forest, let them make sense of that
Seasons and enemies will tremble, the Tamil will prevail in everything
In the lost war, the enemy was just a speck before my forefather's sun
Hey, white-dhoti politics here, and Aryans chanting Vedas
Herd-caste politics are diseases bred to divide us
Oh ocean, my ocean
Karikala, where did you disappear?
Oh forest, my forest
I wandered searching for his footsteps
Oh ocean, my ocean
Karikala, where did you disappear?
Oh forest, my forest
I wandered searching for his footsteps
There was a guardian deity for our clan
He gave his blood to protect our land
If you walk in the dead of night
He will stand as a guiding light on the street
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Padaiyon is a powerful Tamil hip-hop and folk fusion anthem centered around Tamil identity, ancestral valor, historical pride, and resistance against oppression. The lyrics draw heavy inspiration from Sangam Tamil history, evoking legendary Tamil kings like Karikala Cholan, Neduncheliyan, and Paari, alongside references to the Vanni forests and the struggle for self-determination. It directly addresses political issues, caste discrimination, and anti-caste thinkers like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, asserting that Tamil culture is rooted in courage, egalitarian land traditions (Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal), and resilience against divide-and-rule tactics. The recurring chorus serves as an emotional elegy and invocation of 'Karigalan' and the guardian deity (Kulasaami), symbolizing a fallen leader and protector whose spirit continues to guide the people through times of dark struggle. Through sharp metaphoric imagery of roaring tigers, Urumi drums, and spear-like words, the song calls for historical reclamation, unity, and unwavering self-respect.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamaani / Metaphor (உவமை / உருவகம்)
“Valari eri pol varthaigal”
Compares words to thrown Valari (traditional Tamil boomerang weapon) and spears sharpened in fire ('Valari eri pol varthaigal', 'eetti varthaigalai neruppil theeti').
Monnai / Alliteration (மோனை)
“Kuraiyatha vegam kuruthi thaagam”
Repetition of initial consonant sound 'K' in 'Kuraiyatha vegam kuruthi thaagam' and 'P' in 'Paanan paraiyan kadamban thudiyan'.
Edhukai / Rhyme (எதுகை)
“Kadalae en kadalae / Karigala enga maranja”
Second-letter rhyming across lines: 'Kadalae' / 'Karigala' / 'Vanamae' and 'Sinthanaiyila' / 'Thirumbiya'.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Kadalae en kadalae”
The repeated invocation of nature elements 'Kadalae en kadalae' and 'Vanamae en vanamae' reinforces grief and epic scale.
Historical Allusion (வரலாற்றுச் சான்று)
“Andha kavirikku oru anai edhuthavan karigalvala chozhan”
References historical and literary figures like Karikala Cholan, Pandya Neduncheliyan, Vel Paari, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to ground the contemporary narrative in heritage.
Did you know?
Trivia
Padaiyon by Ratty Adhiththan, Steve Cliff, MC Sai, and Mathichiyam Bala became an independent Tamil hip-hop hit, celebrated for blending traditional Tamil Urumi folk percussion with modern rap. The lyrics heavily invoke Eelam Tamil imagery, honoring Velupillai Prabhakaran under the metaphorical name 'Karigalan' (linking him to the historic Chola monarch Karikalan), and referencing the Vanni landscape, female combatants, and Tamil national resurgence.
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