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Lyrics & meaning

Kelu Pappa Aasaiyin Kathaiyai

From Uravu Solla Oruvan · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Vijaya Bhaskar
Movie name
Uravu Solla Oruvan
Movie release year
1975
Lyrics added on
31 Jan 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Panathil aasai padhaviyil aasai
Paruva naalil kaadhalil aasai
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Alavu kuraindhaal aasaiyum vellum
Aana varaikkum podhumendrennum
Endha veettil aasaigal illai
Endha veettil aasaigal illai
Elloraiyum velluvadhillai
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Nooru kidaithaal aayiram ketkkum
Aayiram kidaithaal adhai vida ketkkum
Aasai engae mudinthathu kannae
Aasai engae mudinthathu kannae
Aandavan kooda aasaiyin pinnae
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Aasai kondathu kidaikaathendraal
Kiditha ondril aasai kolvaai nee
Nenjukku thevai nimmadhi thaanae
Nenjukku thevai nimmadhi thaanae
Nimmadhi iraivan sannadhi thaenae
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Panathil aasai padhaviyil aasai
Paruva naalil kaadhalil aasai
Kelu paapa aasaiyin kadhaiyai
Aasaiyaale veezhndhavar nilaiyai
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
Desire for money, desire for status,
and desire for love in the days of youth.
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
If kept within limits, desire can succeed,
when one is content with whatever is possible.
In which home are there no desires?
In which home are there no desires?
Yet it does not conquer everyone.
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
If it gets a hundred, it asks for a thousand;
if it gets a thousand, it asks for even more.
Where has desire ever come to an end, my dear?
Where has desire ever come to an end, my dear?
Even God is pursued with endless desires.
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
If you cannot get what you desired,
learn to love whatever you have received.
What the heart truly needs is peace of mind,
what the heart truly needs is peace of mind,
and that peace is found in the presence of God.
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
Desire for money, desire for status,
and desire for love in the days of youth.
Listen, my child, to the story of desire,
and the plight of those brought down by it.
Male
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Male
Male
Male
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kelu Paapa Aasaiyin Kadhaiyai from the 1975 film Uravu Solla Oruvan is a reflective and didactic song written by Kannadasan, set to music by Vijayabhaskar, and sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. Structured as advice delivered to a child, the song explores the double-edged nature of human desire. It warns that unbridled attachment to money, status, and romance leads to ruin, while controlled desires lead to success and contentment. Kannadasan encourages accepting whatever life offers as a path to inner tranquility, concluding that true peace is akin to the sweetness found in the presence of the Divine.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

“Panathil aasai padhaviyil aasai”

Repetition of the 'P' consonant sound at the start of adjacent words adds rhythmic cadence.

Parallelism / Hyperbole

“Nooru kidaithaal aayiram ketkkum / Aayiram kidaithaal adhai vida ketkkum”

Illustrates the escalating and insatiable nature of human greed by contrasting a hundred with a thousand.

Metaphor

“Nimmadhi iraivan sannadhi thaenae”

Compares peace of mind directly to the sweetness ('thaen') of being in the presence of God.

Did you know?

Trivia

Kannadasan was known for writing simplified philosophical gems suitable for all ages. The director used this composition in Uravu Solla Oruvan as a thematic moral compass for the movie's plot, which revolves around interpersonal relations, ambitions, and ethical choices.

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