Rasta Lyrics by Senaka Batagoda

Learning the true, right nature of civilization
and being shaped in exactly that way,
drinking in a freedom as wide as the sky,
you are always, supremely happy

With a nature that harms no one,
causing not the slightest trouble to anyone,
the short, pure locks of hair
awaken strange new thoughts

Once desire is drowned, there is no fruit left to it,
you always saw that with wisdom,
and when the whole of life has ripened,
you will not fade, even amid the pollen of fragrance

This is a quiet song in praise of a free and gentle way of living, built around the figure of the rasta, the Rastafarian who has chosen peace, nature, and simplicity. Having learned the true, decent nature of things and let himself be shaped by it, the singer says, this person drinks in a freedom as wide as the sky and is always, deeply happy.

What defines him is harmlessness. His nature is avihimsa, non-violence, causing not the smallest trouble to anyone, a value that sits at the heart of both Rastafari and Buddhism. Even his short, pure locks, his dreadlocks, are mentioned with respect, as something that awakens fresh and unusual thoughts rather than as mere style.

The last verse turns almost Buddhist. Once desire is drowned, it says, there is no fruit left to chase, and this is something the rasta always saw clearly, with wisdom. When a whole life has ripened in that way, the song promises, you will not fade or wither even surrounded by the pollen of fragrance, even amid the sweet temptations of the world. It is a gentle portrait of a life freed from craving, admired for its calm and its clarity.