Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ganavaangale Vaango

From Rathna Kumar · 1949

Lyricist
Papanasam Sivan
Singers
P. U. Chinnappa, P. Bhanumathi
Music directors
G. Ramanathan, C. R. Subbaraman
Details
Rathna Kumar1949

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Ganavaangalae vaangoWelcome, respected gentlemen!
Kandu kalithu pongoWatch, enjoy, and then depart.
Ganavaangalae vaangoWelcome, respected gentlemen!
Kandu kalithu pongoWatch, enjoy, and then depart.
Female
Nam aattangal paarthu magizhndhuDelight in watching our dances,
Panam eduthu thaangoAnd please hand over some money.
Nam aattangal paarthu magizhndhuDelight in watching our dances,
Panam eduthu thaangoAnd please hand over some money.
Ganavaangalae vaangoWelcome, respected gentlemen!
Kandu kalithu pongoWatch, enjoy, and then depart.
Male
Paambai eduthadhai kaattiduvomWe shall display the caught snake,
Female
Poo naagamum kon daattiduvomWe shall celebrate with the flower cobra.
Male
Nalla paambai eduthadhai kaattiduvomWe shall show you the good cobra we caught,
Female
Poo naagamum kon daattiduvomWe shall celebrate with the flower cobra.
Female
Sennira naagamum kaattiduvomWe shall also display the red-colored cobra,
Semponnudan kaasum podungaoSo toss us coins along with pure gold!
Sennira naagamum kaattiduvomWe shall display the red-colored cobra,
Semponnudan kaasum podungaoSo toss us coins along with pure gold!
Male
Ganavaangalae vaangoWelcome, respected gentlemen!
Kandu kalithu pongoWatch, enjoy, and then depart.
Ganavaangalae vaangoWelcome, respected gentlemen!
Kandu kalithu pongoWatch, enjoy, and then depart.
Male
Vaanuyarndha peru valli maa malaiyilOn the sky-high great mountain of Valli,
Vaazhn dhirundhom naamaeWe once lived ourselves.
Angu maanudan mazhuvum kondaThere, seeing Lord Shiva who holds the deer and battle-axe,
Eesan vara kando dhungi vandhomWe stepped aside reverently as He arrived.
Female
AamYes!
Male
Thaenum paalum abishaegam kolWe went to the mountain of the Lord of Palani,
Pazhani aandavan malai sendromWho receives holy baths of milk and honey.
Angu kaanum kaavadiyum sangu naadhamumThere we saw the Kaavadi, heard the sound of conch shells,
Aragaraa enum oliyumAnd the echoing chants of 'Hara Hara'!
Female
Aam haamYes, indeed!
Male
Kaadhai thulaikkavae sendhamizhagathiyarAs it filled our ears, we came to the Podhigai mountain,
Podhiyamalaiyil vandhomHome of Agathiyar, master of pure Tamil.
Female
AamaamYes, yes!
Male
Odhidum pala kodu noigalThe severe diseases spoken of,
Odidumpadiyae seiyumWe can make them run away!
Pachilai yundu vaergalu munduWe have herbs and medicinal roots,
Vaendiya nalla marundhugal unduWe have all the good medicines you require.
Female
Undu… undu… undu… undu…We have them... have them... have them... have them...
Female
Vaango aattam paarthittu pongoCome, watch the performance and then depart.
Vaango aattam paarthittu pongoCome, watch the performance and then depart.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This street-performance song features nomadic healers and entertainers inviting noble gentlemen ('Ganavaangalae') to gather and watch their snake-charming and dance acts in exchange for monetary rewards. The performers entice the crowd by promising to display various species of cobras, including the prized 'poo naagam' (spotted cobra) and 'sennira naagam' (red-hued cobra). Beyond entertainment, the performers recount their mythical lineage and travels across sacred mountains of Tamil Nadu—from Valli's mountain where Lord Shiva roams, to Palani, the revered abode of Lord Murugan echoed with conch shells and devotional 'Hara Hara' chants, and finally to Podhigai mountain, the home of Sage Agathiyar and classic Tamil heritage. They boast of possessing secret forest herbs and roots capable of curing dread diseases, blending entertainment, spiritual folklore, and traditional street medicine salesmanship into a lively performance.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (Rhyming end words)

Ganavaangalae vaango / Kandu kalithu pongo / Panam eduthu thaango

The lines end with rhythmic, rhyming verbal suffixes (-aango, -ongo) creating a catchy street-barker musical cadence.

Sollani / Anaphora (Repetition)

Undu… undu… undu… undu…

The word 'undu' (we have/exists) is repeated rapidly to emphatically convince the audience of the vast collection of medicinal remedies available.

Ethugai (Second letter agreement)

Sennira naagamum kaattiduvom / Semponnudan kaasum podungao

The second letter 'n' in Sennira matches with 'm' in Semponnudan (both short 'e' nasalized syllables), providing phonetic harmony.

Alliteration

Kandu kalithu pongo

Repetition of the hard 'K' sound ('Kandu', 'kalithu') enhances the rhythmic flow of the line.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Rathna Kumar' (1949) was a high-budget Tamil film starring P. U. Chinnappa and P. Bhanumathi. The lyrics were penned by the legendary Carnatic composer Papanasam Sivan. Although Sivan was primarily known for classical devotional compositions, he frequently used folk song patterns like snake-charmer routines to weave sacred geographic lore (Palani, Podhigai mountain) into popular cinema entertainment.

Keep listening

More from Rathna Kumar