“Pin madha puthun siyayak labuwath nisaru
Guna nena belen yuthu puthumaya itha garoo
Eka pun sandin duru wei lowa gana anduroo
Neka tharu rasin elesata noma weya duroo.”
Meaning
It is futile to have a hundred meritless sons.
Only a son endowed with kindness and wisdom is most honoured
Darkness in the world is dispelled by the moonlight of one moon.
Star light from numerous stars could not do likewise.
Sanath and Lucky-you wouldnt believe how delighted Iam to see this beautiful Kavi that I learnt for Sinhalese somewhere along the line and had regretfully forgotten.I recognised it the moment I saw it-however went on to read the meaning to re-establish it in my mind as the words were "strange" after all these years of disuse. What a beautiful language sinhala is-
ReplyDeleteI have already started on my journey to re-learning it though in a small way at the moment. Thankyou for a wonderful catalyst.
Thank you Lucky and Sanath for this beautiful verse. I have to confess that I don't remember it at all. Perhaps you will post some similar gems on the blog in the future. I agree with Rohini about the Sinhala language, I didn't appreciate it enough when I was learning it in school. There are some expression in Sinhala which cannot be translated adequately into English. Perhaps that is true of many languages.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to be reminded of the pearls of wisdom our fore fathers have left for us to think of and put into practise. This is one of the most valuable of them of all. Thank you for posting it Sanath and Lucky.!
ReplyDeleteZita
Thank you Lucky and Sanath. Do keep sending more of them.
ReplyDeleteI find that there is no language like the Sinhala language when you want to scold someone! You can't do it in English. Somehow it gets too polite.....but you can let fly in Sinhala!
Sriani B
Sriani,
ReplyDeleteThis is very true. My daughters do not speak the language and they are quite annoyed with me about that, but they have mastered a few good insults!
Srianee/Bunter
Sriani,
ReplyDeleteThis is very true. My daughters do not speak the language and they are quite annoyed with me about that, but they have mastered a few good insults!
Srianee/Bunter
Lucky & Sanath,
ReplyDeleteThanks for rekindling the Sinhala in our dormant minds.
I have not forgotten my Sihalese that I did in my school and at the SSC exam I did get a "Credit"-- the only one in the whole school from all streams do so & I am proud of it!!
Now wait for the down side-- there were 12 others that got Distinctions!!! We had a great teacher called Pandit D J Samaratunge.
Lucky,in your poem the version that I was taught was slightly varied second line & goes as "MANALA WE NALI DEKAK DUNNAI MALLAKATA".I suppose 'nali' meant a certain measure -- maybe it was Up Country /Southern / Baiyya Sinhala, like saying "gauwwak" for a measure of distance such as 'Satathmayak'/'Sathapumak' for a distance of a