Pappa Pappa Kathai Kelu
From Amma Enge · 1964
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- A. L. Ragavan
- Music director
- S. Vedhachalam
- Details
- Amma Enge1964
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Pappa pappa kadhai kelu | Little child, listen to the story |
| Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu | Listen to the story of the crow and the fox |
| Thatha paatti sonna kadhai | The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers |
| Amma appa ketta kadhai | The story heard by mothers and fathers |
| Male | |
| Pappa pappa kadhai kelu | Little child, listen to the story |
| Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu | Listen to the story of the crow and the fox |
| Thatha paatti sonna kadhai | The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers |
| Amma appa ketta kadhai | The story heard by mothers and fathers |
| Male | |
| Oorukku veliaye kadaiyiruku | Outside the village, there is a shop |
| Kadaiyilae vengaaya vadaiyirukkum | In that shop, there are onion vadais |
| Kadaiyiale vadaiya thiridikichaam | The crow stole a vadai from the shop |
| Kakka marathilae kundhikichaam | And perched high upon a tree |
| Male | |
| Kakka mookilae vadaiyiruku | With the vadai held in the crow's beak |
| Kulla nariyumae paathikichaam | A sly fox happened to spot it |
| Naekka vadaiyai vaangidavae | To cleverly snatch that vadai away |
| Nariyoru thanthiram pannikichaam | The fox devised a clever trick |
| Male | |
| Kakka paattu paadasolli | Asking the crow to sing a song |
| Kulla nariyumae kettukichaam | The sly fox requested eagerly |
| Vaaya thiranthu kakka paada | As the crow opened its mouth to sing |
| Vadaiyum keezhae vizhunthiduchaam | The vadai fell straight to the ground |
| Vizhunthatha nariyum kavvikkichaam | The fox quickly snatched what fell |
| Vaayila pottu thinnudichaam | Popped it into its mouth and ate it up |
| Male | |
| Pappa pappa kadhai kelu | Little child, listen to the story |
| Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu | Listen to the story of the crow and the fox |
| Thatha paatti sonna kadhai | The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers |
| Amma appa ketta kadhai | The story heard by mothers and fathers |
பாப்பா பாப்பா கதை கேளு
காக்கா நரியின் கதை கேளு
தாத்தா பாட்டி சொன்ன கதை
அம்மா அப்பா கேட்ட கதை
Little child, listen to the story
Listen to the story of the crow and the fox
The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers
The story heard by mothers and fathers
பாப்பா பாப்பா கதை கேளு
காக்கா நரியின் கதை கேளு
தாத்தா பாட்டி சொன்ன கதை
அம்மா அப்பா கேட்ட கதை
Little child, listen to the story
Listen to the story of the crow and the fox
The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers
The story heard by mothers and fathers
ஊருக்கு வெளியே கடையிருக்கு
கடையில வெங்காய வடையிருக்கு
கடையில வடைய திருடிக்கிச்சாம்
காக்கா மரத்திலே குந்திக்கிச்சாம்
Outside the village, there is a shop
In that shop, there are onion vadais
The crow stole a vadai from the shop
And perched high upon a tree
காக்கா மூக்கில வடையிருக்க
குள்ள நரியுமே பாத்திடுச்சாம்
நேக்கா வடையை வாங்கிடவே
நரியொரு தந்திரம் பண்ணிக்கிச்சாம்
With the vadai held in the crow's beak
A sly fox happened to spot it
To cleverly snatch that vadai away
The fox devised a clever trick
காக்கா பாட்டு பாடச்சொல்லி
குள்ள நரியுமே கேட்டுக்கிச்சாம்
வாய திறந்து காக்கா பாட
வடையும் கீழே விழுந்திடுச்சாம்
விழுந்தத நரியும் கௌவிக்கிச்சாம்
வாயில போட்டுத் தின்னுடிச்சாம்
Asking the crow to sing a song
The sly fox requested eagerly
As the crow opened its mouth to sing
The vadai fell straight to the ground
The fox quickly snatched what fell
Popped it into its mouth and ate it up
பாப்பா பாப்பா கதை கேளு
காக்கா நரியின் கதை கேளு
தாத்தா பாட்டி சொன்ன கதை
அம்மா அப்பா கேட்ட கதை
Little child, listen to the story
Listen to the story of the crow and the fox
The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers
The story heard by mothers and fathers
விசில் :
.................................
Pappa pappa kadhai kelu
Little child, listen to the story
Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu
Listen to the story of the crow and the fox
Thatha paatti sonna kadhai
The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers
Amma appa ketta kadhai
The story heard by mothers and fathers
Pappa pappa kadhai kelu
Little child, listen to the story
Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu
Listen to the story of the crow and the fox
Thatha paatti sonna kadhai
The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers
Amma appa ketta kadhai
The story heard by mothers and fathers
Oorukku veliaye kadaiyiruku
Outside the village, there is a shop
Kadaiyilae vengaaya vadaiyirukkum
In that shop, there are onion vadais
Kadaiyiale vadaiya thiridikichaam
The crow stole a vadai from the shop
Kakka marathilae kundhikichaam
And perched high upon a tree
Kakka mookilae vadaiyiruku
With the vadai held in the crow's beak
Kulla nariyumae paathikichaam
A sly fox happened to spot it
Naekka vadaiyai vaangidavae
To cleverly snatch that vadai away
Nariyoru thanthiram pannikichaam
The fox devised a clever trick
Kakka paattu paadasolli
Asking the crow to sing a song
Kulla nariyumae kettukichaam
The sly fox requested eagerly
Vaaya thiranthu kakka paada
As the crow opened its mouth to sing
Vadaiyum keezhae vizhunthiduchaam
The vadai fell straight to the ground
Vizhunthatha nariyum kavvikkichaam
The fox quickly snatched what fell
Vaayila pottu thinnudichaam
Popped it into its mouth and ate it up
Pappa pappa kadhai kelu
Little child, listen to the story
Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu
Listen to the story of the crow and the fox
Thatha paatti sonna kadhai
The story told by grandfathers and grandmothers
Amma appa ketta kadhai
The story heard by mothers and fathers
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song is a classic Tamil nursery rhyme embedded within a film track, recounting the famous moral fable of the crow and the cunning fox. A crow steals an onion vadai from a shop and perches on a tree to enjoy it. A sly fox spots the vadai and deceives the crow by asking it to sing. Intoxicated by flattery, the crow opens its beak, causing the vadai to drop down, which the fox swiftly grabs and consumes. The song serves as a simple, playful cautionary tale for children, warning them against falling for insincere flattery and cunning trickery.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Pappa pappa kadhai kelu / Kakka nariyin kadhai kelu”
Matching end sounds in consecutive lines ('kadhai kelu', 'vadaiyirukkum / kundhikichaam / paathikichaam')
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Thatha paatti sonna kadhai / Amma appa ketta kadhai”
The second consonant sound is repeated across lines to build rhythmic consistency ('Kakka' / 'Kulla', 'Thatha' / 'Amma').
Monai (Alliteration)
“Pappa pappa kadhai kelu”
Repetition of initial phonetic sounds within a line for musical rhythm ('Pappa pappa', 'Kakka marathilae').
Did you know?
Trivia
This track adapts one of India's oldest Panchatantra fables, popularized in Tamil folklore as a staple children's story. Kannadasan translated the traditional oral tale into rhythmic verse for the 1964 film 'Amma Enge', sung dynamically by A. L. Ragavan.
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