Paadava Paadava
From Little John · 2001
- Lyricists
- Not listed
- Singer
- Sujatha
- Music director
- Pravin Mani
- Details
- Little John2001
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Aaaahaaaaaaa…aaaaa… | (Vocalizing) |
| Female | |
| Paadava paadava alaigalai paadava | Shall I sing, shall I sing, shall I sing of the waves? |
| Paadava paadava karaigalai paadava | Shall I sing, shall I sing, shall I sing of the shores? |
| Paadalgal kodi………eeeeee…..eeeeeee… | Ten million songs... |
| Paadalgalkodi enna paadum vaanambaadi | Singing ten million songs, what will the skylark sing? |
| Poongulathin melae puyalum vilaiyaada | When a storm plays over a flower-filled pond, |
| Alaiyadikkum neeril alli enna paada.. | What can the lily sing in the crashing waters? |
| Female | |
| Mazhaiyin thuli ondru mayil iragil vizhundhaal | If a raindrop falls on a peacock's feather, |
| Thoghai mayil aadum kaatchigalum kanden | I have seen scenes of the feathered peacock dancing. |
| Mazhaiyin thuli ondru paaraigalil vizhundhaal | If a raindrop falls upon the rocks, |
| Mounamae minchum kaatchigalum kanden | I have seen scenes where only silence remains. |
| Rendu porul undu enna porul paadu | There are two outcomes, which one shall I sing of? |
| Paalaivanam engum | Across the entire desert, |
| Paalnilavu paal sindhi yaar paarthida mmm…… | When the milky moon spills its light, who is there to watch? |
| Chorus | |
| Mmmm…..mmmmm……mmmmmm…. | (Humming) |
| Female | |
| Chinna chinna kinnam ootri vaitha vannam | Colors poured into tiny bowls, |
| Thoorigaiyil serndhaal oviyangal aagum | Become paintings when they touch the paintbrush. |
| Oviyanin vannam ootri vaitha kinnam | The artist's colors poured in a bowl, |
| Paedhai kaiyil serndhaal enna nilaiyaagum | What will be their fate if they reach an innocent's hands? |
| Rendu nilai undu endha nilai paada | There are two conditions, which condition shall I sing of? |
| Rasiganillai endraal | If there are no admirers, |
| Thaamarai poo poothu yaar paarthida | Who is there to see the lotus bloom? |
| Female | |
| Paadava paadava…paadava paadava.. | Shall I sing, shall I sing... shall I sing, shall I sing... |
| Paadava… | Shall I sing... |
| Paadalgal kodi………eeeeee…..eeeeeee… | Ten million songs... |
| Paadalgalkodi enna paadum vaanambaadi | Singing ten million songs, what will the skylark sing? |
| Poongulathin melae puyalum vilaiyaada | When a storm plays over a flower-filled pond, |
| Alaiyadikkum neeril alli enna paada.. | What can the lily sing in the crashing waters? |
| Female | |
| Paadavaaaaa…….aaaa… paadava…aaaa | Shall I sing... shall I sing... |
| Chorus | |
| …………………… | ... |
ஆஆஹா
ஆஆஆஆ
(Vocalizing)
பாடவா பாடவா
அலைகளை பாடவா பாடவா
பாடவா கரைகளை பாடவா
பாடல்கள் கோடி .........................
பாடல்கள் கோடி என்ன பாடும்
வானம்பாடி பூங்குளத்தின்
மேலே புயலும் விளையாட
அலையடிக்கும் நீரில் அள்ளி
என்ன பாட
Shall I sing, shall I sing, shall I sing of the waves?
Shall I sing, shall I sing, shall I sing of the shores?
Ten million songs...
Singing ten million songs, what will the skylark sing?
When a storm plays over a flower-filled pond,
What can the lily sing in the crashing waters?
மழையின் துளி
ஒன்று மயில் இறகில்
விழுந்தால் தோகை மயில்
ஆடும் காட்சிகளும் கண்டேன்
மழையின் துளி ஒன்று பாறைகளில்
விழுந்தால் மௌனமே மிஞ்சும்
காட்சிகளும் கண்டேன் ரெண்டு
பொருள் உண்டு என்ன பொருள்
பாடு பாலை வனம் எங்கும் பால்
நிலவு பால் சிந்தி யார் பார்த்திட
ம்ம்ம்
If a raindrop falls on a peacock's feather,
I have seen scenes of the feathered peacock dancing.
If a raindrop falls upon the rocks,
I have seen scenes where only silence remains.
There are two outcomes, which one shall I sing of?
Across the entire desert,
When the milky moon spills its light, who is there to watch?
ம்ம்ம்ம் ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்
ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்
(Humming)
சின்ன சின்ன கிண்ணம்
ஊற்றி வைத்த வண்ணம்
தூரிகையில் சேர்ந்தால்
ஓவியங்கள் ஆகும் ஓவியனின்
வண்ணம் ஊற்றி வைத்த கிண்ணம்
பேதை கையில் சேர்ந்தால் என்ன
நிலையாகும் ரெண்டு நிலை உண்டு
எந்த நிலை பாட ரசிகனில்லை
என்றால் தாமரை பூ பூத்து யார்
பறித்திட
Colors poured into tiny bowls,
Become paintings when they touch the paintbrush.
The artist's colors poured in a bowl,
What will be their fate if they reach an innocent's hands?
There are two conditions, which condition shall I sing of?
If there are no admirers,
Who is there to see the lotus bloom?
பாடவா பாடவா
பாடவா பாடவா பாடவா
பாடல்கள் கோடி .........................
பாடல்கள் கோடி என்ன பாடும்
வானம்பாடி பூங்குளத்தின் மேலே
புயலும் விளையாட அலையடிக்கும்
நீரில் அள்ளி என்ன பாட
Shall I sing, shall I sing... shall I sing, shall I sing...
Shall I sing...
Ten million songs...
Singing ten million songs, what will the skylark sing?
When a storm plays over a flower-filled pond,
What can the lily sing in the crashing waters?
பாடவா .........ஆஆ
பாடவா .... ஆஆ
Shall I sing... shall I sing...
.....................................
...
Aaaahaaaaaaa…aaaaa…
(Vocalizing)
Paadava paadava alaigalai paadava
Shall I sing, shall I sing, shall I sing of the waves?
Paadava paadava karaigalai paadava
Shall I sing, shall I sing, shall I sing of the shores?
Paadalgal kodi………eeeeee…..eeeeeee…
Ten million songs...
Paadalgalkodi enna paadum vaanambaadi
Singing ten million songs, what will the skylark sing?
Poongulathin melae puyalum vilaiyaada
When a storm plays over a flower-filled pond,
Alaiyadikkum neeril alli enna paada..
What can the lily sing in the crashing waters?
Mazhaiyin thuli ondru mayil iragil vizhundhaal
If a raindrop falls on a peacock's feather,
Thoghai mayil aadum kaatchigalum kanden
I have seen scenes of the feathered peacock dancing.
Mazhaiyin thuli ondru paaraigalil vizhundhaal
If a raindrop falls upon the rocks,
Mounamae minchum kaatchigalum kanden
I have seen scenes where only silence remains.
Rendu porul undu enna porul paadu
There are two outcomes, which one shall I sing of?
Paalaivanam engum
Across the entire desert,
Paalnilavu paal sindhi yaar paarthida mmm……
When the milky moon spills its light, who is there to watch?
Mmmm…..mmmmm……mmmmmm….
(Humming)
Chinna chinna kinnam ootri vaitha vannam
Colors poured into tiny bowls,
Thoorigaiyil serndhaal oviyangal aagum
Become paintings when they touch the paintbrush.
Oviyanin vannam ootri vaitha kinnam
The artist's colors poured in a bowl,
Paedhai kaiyil serndhaal enna nilaiyaagum
What will be their fate if they reach an innocent's hands?
Rendu nilai undu endha nilai paada
There are two conditions, which condition shall I sing of?
Rasiganillai endraal
If there are no admirers,
Thaamarai poo poothu yaar paarthida
Who is there to see the lotus bloom?
Paadava paadava…paadava paadava..
Shall I sing, shall I sing... shall I sing, shall I sing...
Paadava…
Shall I sing...
Paadalgal kodi………eeeeee…..eeeeeee…
Ten million songs...
Paadalgalkodi enna paadum vaanambaadi
Singing ten million songs, what will the skylark sing?
Poongulathin melae puyalum vilaiyaada
When a storm plays over a flower-filled pond,
Alaiyadikkum neeril alli enna paada..
What can the lily sing in the crashing waters?
Paadavaaaaa…….aaaa… paadava…aaaa
Shall I sing... shall I sing...
……………………
...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Paadava Paadava is a deeply philosophical song from the movie Little John (2001). The lyrics reflect on the purpose of art, beauty, and expression when there is no audience or recipient to appreciate them. Using vivid imagery from nature—such as skylarks, lotus flowers, desert moonlight, and peacocks—the singer questions whether creation holds value without an appreciative soul.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Repetition
“Paadava paadava alaigalai paadava”
The repetitive query 'Paadava' (Shall I sing) sets a rhythmic, searching tone asking whether expression is worthwhile.
Antithesis / Contrast
“Mazhaiyin thuli ondru mayil iragil vizhundhaal... Mazhaiyin thuli ondru paaraigalil vizhundhaal”
Contrasts the reaction of a peacock dancing to rain with a barren rock receiving rain silently, symbolizing how different subjects respond to inspiration.
Rhetorical Question
“Thaamarai poo poothu yaar paarthida”
Poses a question about the lotus blooming unnoticed to highlight the futility of unobserved beauty.
Did you know?
Trivia
Little John (2001) was an ambitious trilingual film shot simultaneously in Tamil, Hindi, and English, directed by veteran filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao and starring American actor Bentley Mitchum alongside Jyothika. The soundtrack was composed by Pravin Mani.
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