- Lyricist
- B. A. Chidambaranathan
- Singers
- S. Janaki, Chandrabose
- Music director
- Shyam
- Movie name
- Pancha Kalyani
- Movie release year
- 1979
- Lyrics added on
- 11 Feb 2022
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
……………………….
Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Chorus :Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Female :Thottathellaam ini thulangumadi
Thunbamellaam vittu vilagumadi
Chorus :Thottathellaam ini thulangumadi
Thunbamellaam vittu vilagumadi
Female :Jaathi bedhaminnu yaarum vanthu sonnaa
Inge thallungadi…
Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Chorus :Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
………………….
Paavangala manushanellaam
Gangaiyilae kazhuvuraan andha
Chorus :…………….
Male :Andha padupaavi manushan azhukkai
Ingae vanthu thovaikkirom
Paavangala manushanellaam
Gangaiyilae kazhuvuraan andha
Andha padupaavi manushan azhukkai
Ingae vanthu thovaikkirom
Ingae vanthu thovaikkirom
Kaiyirukku…Chorus :Aahaa ahhaa
Male :Kaalirukku…Chorus :Ohoo ohhhoo
Chorus :Kaiyirukku kaalirukku
Uruthiyaana manasiruku
Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Chorus :Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Thuniya velukka therinja namakku
Manasa velukka theriyalla
Chorus :………..
Female :Ingae kodumai senju vaazhum manithan
Kutta velukka theriyalle
Theruvil vittu vaikka mudiyalla
Thuniya velukka therinja namakku
Manasa velukka theriyalla
Ingae kodumai senju vaazhum manithan
Kutta velukka theriyalle
Theruvil vittu vaikka mudiyalla
Kaiyirukku…Chorus :Ohoo ohhhoo
Female :Kaalirukku…Chorus :Aahaa ahhaa
Chorus :Kaiyirukku kaalirukku
Uruthiyaana manasiruku
Male Chorus :Ozhachu vaazha vazhiyirukku
Oruthan thayavu namakku ethukku…
Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Chorus :Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Female :Thottathellaam ini thulangumadi
Thunbamellaam vittu vilagumadi
Chorus :Thottathellaam ini thulangumadi
Thunbamellaam vittu vilagumadi
Female :Jaathi bedhaminnu yaarum vanthu sonnaa
Inge thallungadi…
Jaathi bedhaminnu yaarum vanthu sonnaa
Inge thallungadi…
Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
Chorus :Rasa vanthaandi rosamulla
Rasa vanthaandi
....................
The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Chorus: The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Female: Everything we touch will now shine bright, my dear girl!
All sorrows will vanish and leave us, my dear!
Chorus: Everything we touch will now shine bright, my dear girl!
All sorrows will vanish and leave us, my dear!
Female: If anyone comes and talks about caste discrimination,
Push them away from here...
The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Chorus: The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
...................
All mankind washes away their sins
In the holy Ganges river, but that...
Chorus: ............
Male: But the dirt of that sinful human being,
We come here to wash and cleanse!
All mankind washes away their sins
In the holy Ganges river, but that...
The dirt of that sinful human being,
We come here to wash and cleanse!
We come here to wash and cleanse!
We have hands... Chorus: Aaha ahha
Male: We have legs... Chorus: Oho ohho
Chorus: We have hands, we have legs,
And we have a strong, determined heart!
The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Chorus: The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
We know how to wash and whiten clothes,
But we don't know how to cleanse the heart!
Chorus: .........
Female: The man who lives here committing cruelties,
We don't know how to wash away his flaws,
Nor can we leave him out on the street!
We know how to wash and whiten clothes,
But we don't know how to cleanse the heart!
The man who lives here committing cruelties,
We don't know how to wash away his flaws,
Nor can we leave him out on the street!
We have hands... Chorus: Oho ohho
Female: We have legs... Chorus: Aaha ahha
Chorus: We have hands, we have legs,
And we have a strong, determined heart!
Male Chorus: There is a way to live through hard work,
Why do we need anyone else's favor?
The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Chorus: The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Female: Everything we touch will now shine bright, my dear girl!
All sorrows will vanish and leave us, my dear!
Chorus: Everything we touch will now shine bright, my dear girl!
All sorrows will vanish and leave us, my dear!
Female: If anyone comes and talks about caste discrimination,
Push them away from here...
If anyone comes and talks about caste discrimination,
Push them away from here...
The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Chorus: The king has arrived, the proud one!
The king has arrived!
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Male
Female
Female
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Rasa Vanthaandi' from the film Pancha Kalyani (1979) is a social critique and celebration of self-respect, hard work, and equality among working-class folk (specifically washerfolk/dhobis). It portrays a community celebrating dignity of labor and rejecting social evils such as caste discrimination and hypocrisy. The lyrics juxtapose the washing of physical clothes with the inability of society to wash clean the corrupt human mind and moral filth.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Thottathellaam ini thulangumadi / Thunbamellaam vittu vilagumadi”
Rhyming of the second character across adjacent lines, such as 'Thottathellaam' and 'Thunbamellaam'.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Thuniya velukka therinja namakku, Manasa velukka theriyalla”
Using the act of washing dirty clothes as a metaphor for cleaning moral corruptions and human sins.
Anaphora (Repetition)
“Kaiyirukku kaalirukku, Uruthiyaana manasiruku”
Repetition of phrase structure emphasizing physical strength and self-reliance ('Kaiyirukku', 'Kaalirukku').
Did you know?
Trivia
Pancha Kalyani (1979) was directed by M. A. Kaja and featured music composed by Shyam. The song delivers a strong social message against caste divisions and promotes self-reliance through dignity of labor.
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