The poem addressed by a tree to its flowers

It appears upon inspection

that a few more flowers

are due to blossem

therefore

if there are any flowers

that would voluntary wilt

raise hands just once 

before the wind arrives

[translation of "ගසක් තම මල් අමතා කී කවිය" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa] 

From the Peacock Caste

Seeing the unforgiving drought

racing and roaring in

spouting dust from mouth and nostril

breaking door and window of nest

gathering whatever hands can lay on

migratory birds do flee to the faraways

However dry the zone may be

they remain on branches dead and dying 

and none, not one of the peacock caste

to lush places fly

If there are kids without toys

at play in a garden nevertheless

swoop down instantly they will

and drop a feather or two

as per the custom of the tribe. 

[translation of "මොනර කුලයෙන්" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa] 

In a certain valley….

On either side of the river

from a long time ago 

two mountains rise

bound in love 

They cast gaze

on the other’s face

and nothing else

have they done

And yet now and then

from mountain eyes

tear drops roll

down to the river below

They burst out 

and as thin streams roll

and gather at the river,
this is apparent. 

[Translation of Ruwan Bandujeewa's "එක්තරා නිම්නයක..."]


එක්තරා නිම්නයක....


ගඟ දෙපැත්තේ
බොහෝ කල් සිට
ප්‍රේමයෙන් බැඳි
කඳු දෙකක් ඇත

උනුන් වත දෙස
බලා ඉනු මිස
මෙතෙක් කල් වෙන
වුනු දෙයක් නැත

නමුත් ඉඳ හිට
කඳු ඇසින් වට
කඳුළු කැට කැට
ගලා පහළට

සිහින් ඇළ දොළ
ලෙසින් පැන නැග
ගඟට එක්වෙනු
දකින්නට හැක ...

A ship without anchor

“For a canoe that comes to pick flowers 

to be with bullets riddled

in the middle of a reservoir

let license be granted to a lotus

among red petals a pistol to conceal.

“Instead of bringing forth separately

for common internment 

let us decree that the ocean 

must henceforth construct a plain

for a river another river to meet 

face to face.”

“Alright friend,

but tell me

of what use is the proximate sound of a lighthouse 

for a ship that has its anchor lost?” 

[translation of "නැංගුරම නැති නැවක්" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Even the Menik Ganga peed*

Two hundred breasts

when by two divided, one hundred women

the feast was splendid indeed

even the Menik Ganga** fell incontinent upon its shores

Having removed a hundred jewelled girdles, brasiers, pearl necklaces and earrings 

The mango was cut, slice by slice, even as the Goddess Pattini residence held

Even Manamperi*** peeked out hearing the whistles and joyous cheers

Submerged was the Vedahiti Kanda with the yolk of peacock eggs

Two hundred smoldering eyes

when by two divided, one hundred women

the feast was splendid indeed

even the Menik Ganga** fell incontinent upon its shores

[translation of "මැණික් ගඟටත් ඉවුරේ චූ යයි" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

*A politician threw a party to celebrate sexually abusing a hundred women — news item

** Literally, ‘River of Jewels’ which, for many Sri Lankans is the holiest river in the island, and which falls into the sea in the Southern Province, the ‘territory’ of the said politician

***Reference to Premawathi Manamperi, beauty queen of Kataragama, abducted, raped and killed by those tasked to put down an insurrection

Kundalakesi

Lifted in coiffered arrangement -- cloth wrapped tight
Princess who with red buneela petals the floor bedecked
Circled thrice in homage -- the bed where Sattuka lay
Kundalakesi of a machete's seven blows 

Grabs necklaces does Sattuka -- peddles weed does Sattuka
Law enforcement does visit the humble hut now and again
Princess who drew from Sattaka -- the whiplash sting
Flying to Welikada with a packet of rice armed 

Gamble he does -- brothels frequents too Sattaka
Princess who never complained until now
Who from the bed in consternation fell 
At the little girl's plaintive cry 'No, Thaatthe, No'

Circled thrice in homage -- the bed where Sattuka lay
Kundalakesi of a machete's seven blows 



[translation of "කුණ්ඩලකේසී " from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

A joy and a pleasure

Not to rally round 
for yet another scarecrow to make
but the the threshing floor 
of its birth to fertilize 
a joy and pleasure
surely for the straw




[translation of "සැපකි - සතුටකි " from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Faces

The river's face and mine
after a long, long time did meet

The river 
into my face peered 
scratched head with fingertips
and a sign of recognition sought,
I felt

Beloved,
having seen us
not separately
but together
a moment more tarried
took a turn and hid
the river did






[translation of "මුහුණු" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Earthworms

“O Father

why do we not go

for the Ploughing Festival?

Even the king today

will step into the paddy field..

should we not this silence break

and inform them all

how we made fertile this soil

hidden in the bowels of the earth?”

“Little one,

the blade of the mammoty

must into the dark mud cut

and of those who fertilized

and those who did not

is quite unconcerned —

so dig deeper into the dark mud

for son,

it is inadvisable 

to crawl 

to surface openness”

[translation of "ගැඩවිල්ලු" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

The sun has another reservoir emptied

Flowers from resplendent waters picked

fish and cormorants thereafter banished 

the sun this time around had emptied 

and by the wayside a reservoir laid

Upon a cheek with dismal silt marked 

a scar from a brick-maker's cut

a decaying skull 

the sign of a long dead love

There's no one, none at all

blue-clad waves to caress

just a heart lacerated 

by bottles of pest-killing poisons

Flowers from resplendent waters picked

fish and cormorants thereafter banished 

the sun this time around had emptied 

and by the wayside a reservoir laid

The sun it's eyes roll this way and that

wondering if there may come by 

an inquirer who may survey 

and the reservoir's story obtains ere the rain clouds arrive.

[translation of "ඉර මෙවර තවත් වැවක් හිස්කර" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

It must be so

For the bearing of sweet fruit
upon fraternal canopies
all the poisons mixed in soil
perhaps the niyangala roots did sip

[translation of "එහෙම වෙන්නැති" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Speechless crows

Even just now
in the Pettah
there are crow eggs
in Jam, Bo and Kottamba trees
bursting

when the young come out
are crows with response ready  
to questions they will surely ask?

Mother takes broom in beak
sets out at dawn
sweeps the roads
large compounds
and vast gardens
but however much she strives
strangely do the cruel leaves
descend on the morrow

tomorrow too 
she'll take flight
'Mother, why can't we
just go somewhere
to a small garden
of our own?"

On Malwatte Street
Father sells necklaces and rings
stainless steel
thorn-cut wings 
break off and fly
throughout the day
his soles swell come evening
as we watch
why can't we too
be like the golden oriole 
like the blue-breasted dove?

Even just now
in the Pettah
there are crow eggs
in Jam, Bo and Kottamba trees
bursting

as for the questions they will ask
are parent-crows equipped 
with ready response?

[translation of "කපුටන්ට කෝ උත්තර?" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Silk Road

In neither East nor West
of a silk-clad silk-worm 
that came along the Silk Road
there's no mention,
but why?

At the bottom of boiling pots of water
dead young worms disintegrate
the screams of the dying at scorching 
as splendid silk does rise

An orphaned baby worm
never having dreamt of silk
among the dark mulberry bushes
curls up against the cold

[translation of "සේද මාවත" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

The Aukana replica on Bauddhaloka Mawatha

In these regions resides not

an errant prince 

who his father buries alive

for refusing to reveal 

where the royal riches were kept

no, just kings who calls on sons

divides wealth as fit

In that vast conference hall

where the kala wewa ought to have been

international book fairs - exhibitions and sales - beautiful dances

passionate debates among ancient seers

of philosophies numbering sixty two

theatre - skincare — cookery demonstrations

like the five blossoms sway

Every now and then arrives someone looking for true image within a replica

tarries a moment or two seeking to detect in replica an error

someone who hasn’t seen original is by replica pleased

original and replica in identical pose remain

[Translation of Ruwan Bandujeewa's poem "බෞද්ධාලෝක මාවතේ අවුකන අනුරුව" in 'මීළඟ මීවිත' (The Next Wine)]

Residual Hills

Filling eyes with a gaze

strolling across the plains

and in solitude murmuring

are residual hills

of clouds unconcerned 

[translation of "ශේෂ කඳු" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

In the darkness

The danger spots to point

‘ere the clan could perish

a firefly voluntarily 

into a cobweb flew

The breeze an arm stretched out

to a rose bush landed a blow

‘twas the dew and not flower

that was thrown first and first to fall

The lovely dew-laden idda

milk-white in morning visitation

to the cemetery delivered,

a honey-bird to rest retired

[translation of "අන්ධකාරයේදී" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" (The next wine) by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Do you hear the sound of that laughter?

Bus goes over precipice; eight including the driver dead, 29 seriously injured — News Item

“There was no mist at the time. I was in the front part of the bus.  There were no vehicles coming from the opposite direction, but the driver for no apparent reason suddenly turned the bus towards the precipice”  — a survivor

With a shaking left hand

Nandasena

driver of sixty three dash seventeen fifteen

the day’s first gear fell

giving out a gora-gora sound

the bus came out of the depot

and began climbing the mountains

Each time he checked the road

from the side glass on the right 

he only saw his wife

whose three month’s almsgiving

was done two days before

From the rear view mirror

frequently peeped

his little boy

who drew 

Thaththa’s bus

again and again

The echo of the horn

the bell that rant near his ear

he didn’t hear

his wife’s voice came through clear

“Further up near a bend

there’s been an earth-slip

I will warn you Nande

when you get closer

What did you have for dinner

and what did our son draw yesterday

and the little girl Nande

can she now plait her hair all on her own

In the midst of a ring of mountains filled with tears

upon the grass on that yonder slope 

there’s one singular place still Nande

where we can laugh

Can you hear the sound of that laughter….”

[translation of "ඇහෙනවද ඒ සිනා සද්දේ " from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

Dry lullabies

Where’s your mother gone?

To the chena of course

The loner was already there

they say

When I heard

to the chena I ran

and saw little beads of milk

all over its trunk

Where’s your father gone?

Why, to sell the rice

No, no, I lied

to gulp kaneru seeds he went

Look! A she-elephant

Peeping through the electric fence

Where’s my baby,

with a broken voice she asks

[translation of "වියළි නැළවිලි" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

The Gardner

The princess 

to the rose garden came

and sought the gardner out

Pull out the weeds

burn them all

ordered she

Upon the small weed flowers

unnoticed 

but to an up-close gaze

The gardner stood

and saw

and heaved a heavy sigh. 

[translation of "උයන්පල්ලා" from the collection "මීළඟ මීවිත" by Ruwan Bandujeewa]

A handful of popcorn

Into the Kandy Lake
emptied I
of three bottles of gin
two and a half
the rest
for me

You, lake
must get drunk
this day

For then
can we talk

Of that moment
when for the first time
a handful of popcorn
onto your waves
she tossed.

[Translation of Ruwan Bandujeewa's poem පොරි අහුරක් (pori ahurak) in 'මීළඟ මීවිත' (The Next Wine)]