Kuthadi Kuthadi
From Manipur Mamiyar · 1982
- Lyricist
- Gangai Amaran
- Singer
- Malaysia Vasudevan
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Manipur Mamiyar1982
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka | Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka! |
| Kuninju kuthadi sailakka | Bend down and dance, Sailakka! |
| Valaiyudha neliyudha | Is it bending, is it flexing? |
| Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha | Is the slender body growing gracefully weary? |
| Male | |
| Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka | Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka! |
| Kuninju kuthadi sailakka | Bend down and dance, Sailakka! |
| Valaiyudha neliyudha | Is it bending, is it flexing? |
| Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha | Is the slender body growing gracefully weary? |
| Male | |
| Kuthalarisi kuthi vidammma | Pound the hand-milled rice, dear woman! |
| Pacha arisi alli edamma | Scoop up the raw rice, dear woman! |
| Nimurndhu ninnu ozhaikkanum | Stand tall and labor hard! |
| Nallapadiya pozhaikkanum | Earn a honest living in a good way! |
| Male | |
| Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka | Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka! |
| Kuninju kuthadi sailakka | Bend down and dance, Sailakka! |
| Valaiyudha neliyudha | Is it bending, is it flexing? |
| Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha | Is the slender body growing gracefully weary? |
| Male | |
| Adhikaaram thimiru irundha | If you carry the arrogance of power, |
| Adhanaalae laabam illae | No true benefit will come out of it. |
| Valaiyaadha odambiruntha | If a body refuses to bend and work, |
| Odinjaalum paavamilla | There is no pity even if it breaks. |
| Male | |
| Suyama oru velaiya paaru | Mind your own work independently, |
| Tholilaalinga madhipadha paaru | Learn to respect the working class. |
| Pudhiya vachum pozhaikanum | One must make a living using wisdom, |
| Kathiya vachum pozhaikanum | One must make a living using honest toil, |
| Nithamum nedhamum | Every day and continuously, |
| Ozhaipadhaanae nee madhikanum | You must honor and value hard work. |
| Male | |
| Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka | Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka! |
| Kuninju kuthadi sailakka | Bend down and dance, Sailakka! |
| Valaiyudha neliyudha | Is it bending, is it flexing? |
| Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha | Is the slender body growing gracefully weary? |
| Male | |
| Ae….ae…ae…aaaaa…… | Hey... hey... hey... ahhhh... |
குத்தடி குத்தடி சைலக்கா
குனிஞ்சு குத்தடி சைலக்கா
வளையுதா நெளியுதா
வஞ்சி ஒடம்பு வாட்டம் எடுக்குதா
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
குத்தடி குத்தடி சைலக்கா
குனிஞ்சு குத்தடி சைலக்கா
வளையுதா நெளியுதா
வஞ்சி ஒடம்பு வாட்டம் எடுக்குதா
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
குத்தலரிசி குத்தி விடம்மா
பச்சை அரிசி அள்ளி எடம்மா
நிமிர்ந்து நின்னு ஒழைக்கணும்
நல்லபடியா பொழைக்கணும்
Pound the hand-milled rice, dear woman!
Scoop up the raw rice, dear woman!
Stand tall and labor hard!
Earn a honest living in a good way!
குத்தடி குத்தடி சைலக்கா
குனிஞ்சு குத்தடி சைலக்கா
வளையுதா நெளியுதா
வஞ்சி ஒடம்பு வாட்டம் எடுக்குதா
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
அதிகாரம் திமிரு இருந்தா
அதனாலே லாபம் இல்லே
வளையாத ஒடம்பிருந்தா
ஒடிஞ்சாலும் பாவமில்லே
If you carry the arrogance of power,
No true benefit will come out of it.
If a body refuses to bend and work,
There is no pity even if it breaks.
சுயமா ஒரு வேலைய பாரு
தொழிலாளிங்க மதிப்பத பாரு
புத்திய வச்சும் பொழைக்கணும்
கத்திய வச்சும் பொழைக்கணும்
நித்த நெதமும்
ஒழைப்பத்தானே நீ மதிக்கணும்
Mind your own work independently,
Learn to respect the working class.
One must make a living using wisdom,
One must make a living using honest toil,
Every day and continuously,
You must honor and value hard work.
குத்தடி குத்தடி சைலக்கா
குனிஞ்சு குத்தடி சைலக்கா
வளையுதா நெளியுதா
வஞ்சி ஒடம்பு வாட்டம் எடுக்குதா
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
ஏ......ஏ.....ஏ......ஆஆ........
Hey... hey... hey... ahhhh...
Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Kuninju kuthadi sailakka
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Valaiyudha neliyudha
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Kuninju kuthadi sailakka
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Valaiyudha neliyudha
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
Kuthalarisi kuthi vidammma
Pound the hand-milled rice, dear woman!
Pacha arisi alli edamma
Scoop up the raw rice, dear woman!
Nimurndhu ninnu ozhaikkanum
Stand tall and labor hard!
Nallapadiya pozhaikkanum
Earn a honest living in a good way!
Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Kuninju kuthadi sailakka
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Valaiyudha neliyudha
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
Adhikaaram thimiru irundha
If you carry the arrogance of power,
Adhanaalae laabam illae
No true benefit will come out of it.
Valaiyaadha odambiruntha
If a body refuses to bend and work,
Odinjaalum paavamilla
There is no pity even if it breaks.
Suyama oru velaiya paaru
Mind your own work independently,
Tholilaalinga madhipadha paaru
Learn to respect the working class.
Pudhiya vachum pozhaikanum
One must make a living using wisdom,
Kathiya vachum pozhaikanum
One must make a living using honest toil,
Nithamum nedhamum
Every day and continuously,
Ozhaipadhaanae nee madhikanum
You must honor and value hard work.
Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka
Dance and pound the grain, Sailakka!
Kuninju kuthadi sailakka
Bend down and dance, Sailakka!
Valaiyudha neliyudha
Is it bending, is it flexing?
Vanji odambu vaattam edukutha
Is the slender body growing gracefully weary?
Ae….ae…ae…aaaaa……
Hey... hey... hey... ahhhh...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Kuthadi Kuthadi Sailakka' is a traditional folk-style song from the 1982 movie Manipur Mamiyar, written by Gangai Amaran. Structured as a folk work-song sung during grain pounding, it combines rhythmic dance instructions with philosophical commentary on physical work and social ethics.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka / Kuninju kuthadi sailakka”
Repetition of the initial 'Ku' sound in adjacent lines to establish the rhythmic pace.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Pudhiya vachum pozhaikanum / Kathiya vachum pozhaikanum”
Matching line endings with '-ozhaikanum' emphasizing imperative social advice.
Refrain / Burden
“Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka”
The repeated core chorus ('Kuthadi kuthadi sailakka...') characteristic of traditional rural folk work-songs.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song incorporates authentic Tamil rural folk work-song rhythms ('Nellu Kuthu Pattu') historically sung by village women while manual grain-pounding to reduce the physical fatigue of hard labor.
Keep listening
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