Poems by Sri Lankans about life, nature, love, hate, war and many more……
Don’t cry me a river,
When I’m gone…
as you
stare at the patterns
that my presence
has left….
“Laugh!”
It’s my wish for,
You are not gone…
Let your laughter roam
in it’s angelic form…
Sing me a song
to soothe my soul…
Close your eyes
Yet
open your heart
Don’t fall!
Point out a star
Or two for me,
Never fret
that you failed
to get me
The moon….
Don’t
Cry me a river
Don’t cry
at all..
But
LAUGH ME A SKY
where
my soul can roam….
– Phusathi Liyanaarachchi
Second by second hour by hour
Time passes the life
We smile we talk we walk together
In our faded mild life
Shaded eyes gleam with wonderful dreams
Enlightened the sorrowful naked tears
Still the thoughts pounding from a dry dead heart
Whispers the echo of lively dreams
Of enchanted love
Time passes by laughing at us
We are the passengers of life followed by the time
with wonderful dreams
With shameless hearts beautiful smiles
and feelings with dark memories
We walk among the pathway of the life with the enemies ….. Alive
Our life…………….enemies are alive
– Vindhya Ariyapperuma
(An English translation of Prof. Wimal Dissanayake’s poem, “තාත්තාගේ මරණය” (Thāththāge Maranaya) which was originally written in Sinhala)
Just as groping in the darkness
in search of a precious gem,
the doctor was looking for a drop of breath
left in father’s body.
With frightened eyes we peered at the scene
in utter stillness
My heart, restlessly moving
hither and thither
like a soft bud caught in a
whirlpool of wind
As motionless as a mountain
in bantering excitement
Dumbfounded like a stone,
quite motionless
Slowly,
the doctor raised his hand
and took a shaken look at the bystanders
who were around the bed
with eyes floating in a rivulet of tears
We waited earnestly
until a silver lining would appear,
as the doctor laboriously tried to watch us
with a haunting expression in his face
He failed,
and immediately turned his head towards the floor
The sky ached in vociferous thunder
while rains of tears welled out of eyes
and fell down on the floor
Pacifying the dark vibes
appeared the pale decorations
like a soothing balm!
– Prof. Wimal Dissanayake
– Translated by: Indunil Madhusankha
The Moon slowly shedding it’s light
Waning grey clouds, hiding its might.
A red glow, rising, heralding morn
As I rise from bed, to another day born.
Listless and weary, from yesterday’s rest
My mind ajar, body dulled, by being not at best.
A candle lit, facing East, trying with zest
And, prayers offered, no, not my best.
Lonely and forlorn, my lot today
Yet, endure the day, I must, without delay.
As shadows lengthen and daylight fades
Swift to its close, this day, with darkening shades.
I pray Thee O! Lord, Thy comfort I seek
This night, abide with me, my earnest plea….
– Chris Defonseka
මට මතක
පොඩි දවස්වල
එක දිගට
මල් පිපුණු
මහ ඉඩම
සිටුවා පපුව උඩ
කොන්ක්‍රීට් කණු
කඩා සහෝදරකමේ දම්වැල්
මීටර ගණනට
සීයලාගේ සොහොන් මැද්දෙන්
වෙන්කළ
මහ ඉඩම
නිල් දිය ඉනූ
මහ ළිඳ
දඬු මුගුරු පාවෙන-බොරදිය
මල කා දිරන
කප්පිය -පනිට්ටුව
තේජස් මහ ගෙදර
සමතලා වුණු බිම
මහ පොලොව බදාගෙන
වැවෙයි රට තණකොළ
යළි මල් නොපිපෙනා බිම
තුඹස් පමණක්ය
උනුන් පරයා නැගෙන….
– සමන් විජේසූරිය(ගොල්ගොතාවේ සීපද කාව්‍ය සංග්‍රහයෙනි)
When I first met you
I booked a room in your space
Together, we were a heavenly match…
Green valleys, with flowing waters
Yet, sometimes, impediments blocked our path…
But we were never afraid
Our love and togetherness, conquered all…
Two score years now gone by
Never noticed the passage of time
Especially, with you beside by my side…
Another year soon to be
I am, this time, leasing my room,
In your space, for the rest of my life…
– Chris Defonseka
He was a Man in his youth
Covered His Manhood
With a musty piece of Cloth
Dangling hair with mud and dust
Darkened skin with so many scars
As He strolls sheepishly on the road
Came to a standstill
Bent over a muddy pot-hole on the road
Greedily drank the muddy water
And quenched his thrust
He looks so despondent
In a dismay I thought
Once He would have been somebody’s Son
Surrounded with so many Loved Ones
Now he belongs to non
Lonely under the Burning Sun…
-Tiny W. Sahabandu
The Love between two,
Seal with a Band of Gold,
To be secure & strong,
With the blessings of all,
The instant symbol of a marriage,
Is the Ring…
Begining or end hard to find,
Right or wrong within the ring will be pardon,
Even if it’s right out of the Ring will be harden,
It’s a thorn on a finger,
For a pair, who is always in anger,
For those who hold Love in their Hearts,
Till death they do part,
It’s the same Blessed thing,
The Gloden Wedding Ring…
-Tiny W. Sahabandu
– Chandana Sirimalwatte
On the Dial of a Clock
The Struck of a Second
Is just not a Second
It’s already stolen our Lives by a second
So silently it’s passes unseen
The Cry of a Birth
Soon turn to a lament of the Death
A Youthful Laughter
Smoothly flows to a cries of an Older
No halt, nor Return
Goes Faster than the Wind
Quicker than the mind
What it takes is the Lives of Yours & Mine
– Tiny .W.Sahabandu