Anthony Daasan’s folk vocals anchor ‘Kadan’ from the album Naatpadu Theral 2. Lyricist Vairamuthu and composer Ramesh Vinayakam craft a bleak soundscape of rural debt.
Released: May 29, 2022
Kadan
Anthony Daasan | Vairamuthu • From “Naatpadu Theral 2”
Kadan Lyrics Meaning Anthony Daasan | Vairamuthu | Naatpadu Theral 2
Vairamuthu details loans taken for goats and cattle sheds that leave the borrower destitute. Anthony Daasan delivers lines about receiving only a hut after borrowing for livestock infrastructure.
Kolathang KaraiyoramBy the edge of the village pond,
Kurumbadu MechuvarumTending to the short-haired sheep.
Aiya Peru EnnaWhat’s your name, master?
Aiyanaru ChervaingalaAre you Aiyanaru Chervaigalar?
Kathu KadungathuThe wind’s a fierce gale,
Kannmaraikkum ChengathuA red dust storm that blinds the eyes.
Ammi ParandhuvaraIt’s a wind that sends grinding stones flying,
Aalamaram Vizhum KathuAnd knocks down the mighty banyan trees.
Indhak KathodaIn the middle of this wind,
Elandhamullu KattodaWith a bundle of jujube thorns in hand,
Andhima KalathulaIn the twilight of your years,
Aadotti AlaivadhennaWhy’re you wandering, driving these goats?
Ottu KovanameYou’ve just a loincloth on,
Oridathil NikkalaiyeAnd you don’t stay in one place.
Athuvana KattukkullaInside this desolate forest,
Aadotti AlaivadhennaWhy’re you wandering, driving these goats?
Aadotti AlaivadhennaWhy’re you wandering, driving these goats?
Aadotti AlaivadhennaWhy’re you wandering, driving these goats?
Ukkaru ThambiSit down, little brother.
Oorupatta KadhaiyirukkuThere’s a story here that a whole town knows.
Ninnabadi Nan ChonnaIf I try to tell it while standing,
Nenjuvali VandhuvidumMy heart’ll surely start to ache.
Padamedukkum PambidamIf I told the hooded cobra,
Nan Pattahadhai ChonnakkaWhat I’ve been through in life,
Padatha ChuruttividumIt’d coil up its hood in shame,
Padapadannu AzhudhuvidumAnd start weeping uncontrollably.
Padamedukkum PambidamIf I told the hooded cobra,
Nan Pattahadhai ChonnakkaWhat I’ve been through in life,
Padatha ChuruttividumIt’d coil up its hood in shame,
Padapadannu AzhudhuvidumAnd start weeping uncontrollably.
Ennakki PondattiThe very day my wife,
Ennavittu PonalooLeft this world and me,
Annaikke EmbadukkaiThat same day, my bed,
Thinnaikku VandhiruchuWas moved out to the front porch.
Naidhinnum ChothulaFrom the rice meant for the dog,
Nalanju KavalathaFour or five morsels,
Enakkum PottuvachanHe set aside for me,
Erakkamulla EmbullaMy son, who has a merciful soul.
Naidhinnum ChothulaFrom the rice meant for the dog,
Nalanju KavalathaFour or five morsels,
Enakkum PottuvachanHe set aside for me,
Erakkamulla EmbullaMy son, who has a merciful soul.
Koni ChakkodaWhile I was struggling with gunny bags,
Kudumbam Nan NadathaiyilaTrying to keep my family afloat,
Loganadhan MavarasanThat king Loganadhan,
Loanu Vangi TharennanPromised he’d get me a loan.
Aenjadhi EnnannuAsking me what my caste was,
Ezhuberu KettagaSeven different people questioned me.
Yedhedho KadhapesiThey spun all kinds of stories,
Engileesil ChirichagaAnd laughed amongst themselves in English.
Nadaiya NadakkavittuThey made me walk until I was spent,
Narambellam TheyavittuUntil my very nerves wore thin.
Commison EduthukkittuAfter taking their ‘cut’ from it,
Kadangasu KuduthagaThey finally handed over the loan money.
Avanukku AinnooramFive hundred for that man,
Ivanukku MunnooramThree hundred for this one.
Anga Anga VettalanaIf you don’t ‘grease palms’ everywhere,
Aadugutti PodadhamYour efforts’ll never bear fruit.
Kottagatta Loanu VangiI took a loan for a cattle shed,
Kudisai Katti NikkiraneBut I’m just standing here with a hut.
Kottagatta Loanu VangiI took a loan for a cattle shed,
Kudisai Katti NikkiraneBut I’m just standing here with a hut.
Aanaivanga LoanvangiI took a loan to buy an elephant,
Aaduvangi MeykkiraneBut I’m just grazing a goat I bought.
Aattukku Patta KadanThe debt I took for the goats,
Adaibadave AdirukkuIs still there, waiting to be paid.
Lanjathil Patta KadanThe debt I fell into from the bribes,
Nangatta ThoadhirukkaIs there any way for me to pay it back?
Lanjathil Patta KadanThe debt I fell into from the bribes,
Nangatta ThoadhirukkaIs there any way for me to pay it back?
Agilathai EllamThe whole world, they say,
Aadhisesan ChumakkiradhamThe serpent ‘Aadhisesan’ carries it.
Aadhisesanum ChethuWith even ‘Aadhisesan’ dead,
Aiyanaru NanjumakkenI, Aiyanaru, carry this burden now.
Kadan Music Video
Vairamuthu’s ‘Kadan’ lyrics translation maps an unbreakable cycle where small debts escalate through systemic exploitation. The goat-herder’s story exposes financial traps crushing rural livelihoods.