SONGS AND BALLADS.
The ordinary folk songs of the country are called sivupada and can be
heard sung in a drawn out melody by the peasants labouring on their
fields or watching their crops at night, by the bullock drivers as
they go with their heavy laden carts; by the elephant keepers engaged
in seeking fodder, by the boat men busy at their oars, by the women
nursing their infants, by the children as they swing under the shady
trees, and by the pilgrims on their way to some distant shrine.
For rhythmic noise women and girls sit round a large tambourine placed
on the ground and play on it notes representing jingle sounds like
the following:--
Vatta katat katat tâ
Kumbura katat katat tâ
Vatta katat kumbura katat katat katat katat tâ.
Attaka ratumal, attaka sudumal
Elimal dolimal, rênkitul mal
Rajjen tarikita rajjen tâ.
Oxen are encouraged to labour in the threshing floor by songs [23]
On, leader-ox, O ox-king, on,
In strength the grain tread out.
On, great one, yoked behind the king,
In strength the grain tread out.
This is not our threshing floor,
The Moon-god's floor it is.
This is not our threshing floor
The Sun-god's floor it is.
This is not our threshing floor,
God Ganesha's floor it is.
"On, leader ox, etc."
As high as Adam's Sacred Peak,
Heap the grain, O heap it up;
As high as Mecca's holy shrine,
Heap the grain, O heap it up;
From highest and from lowest fields,
Bring the grain and heap it up;
High as our greatest relic shrine,
O heap it up, heap it up.
"On, leader ox, etc."
The cart drivers still sing of a brave Singhalese chieftain who fell
on the battle field:--
Pun sanda sêma pâyâlâ rata meddê
Ran kendi sêma pîrâlâ pita meddê
Mâra senaga vatakaragana Yama yudde
Levke metindu ada taniyama velc medde
(Like full orb'd moon his glory shone,
his radiance filled the world
His loosen'd hair knot falling free in
smoothest threads of gold.
Mâra's host beset him--no thought was
there to yield;
To-day Lord Levke's body still holds the
lonely field. [24])
The elephant keepers strike up a rustic song to the accompaniment of
a bamboo whistle.
Etun tamayi api balamuva bolannê
Kitul tamayi api kotaninda dennê
Ratê gamêvat kitulak nedennê
Etun nisâmayi api divi nassinê.
(It is elephants that we must look after, O fellows.
From where can we get kitul for them.
No village or district supplies us with kitul.
It is owing to elephants that we lose our lives.)
The following are specimens of a river song, a sea song and a tank
song.
Malê malê oya nâmala nelâ varen
Attâ bindeyi paya burulen tiyâ varen
Mahavili ganga diyayanavâ balâ varen
Sâdukêredî oruva pedana varen.
(Brother, brother pluck that nâ flower and come.
The branch will break, step on it lightly and come.
See how Mahavili ganga's waters flow and come.
Raising shouts of thanks row your boat and come).
Tan tan tan talâ mediriyâ
Tin tin tin ti lâ mediriyâ
Ape delê mâlu
Goda edapan Yâlu
Vellê purâ mâlu.
(Tan tan tan talâ mediriyâ
Tin tin tin ti lâ mediriyâ
There is fish in our nets
Pull it to the shore, friends
The shore is full of fish.)
"Sora bora vevê sonda sonda olu nelum eti.
Êvâ nelannata sonda sonda liyô eti
Kalu karalâ sudu karalâ uyâ deti
Olu sâlê bat kannata mâlu neti.
(The Sora bora tank has fine white lotus flowers
To pluck them there are very handsome women
After cleaning and preparing, the blossoms will be cooked
But alas there are no meat curries to eat with the lotus rice).
Pilgrims on their way to Adam's Peak sing the following first verse
and as they return the second.
1. Devindu balen api vandinda
Saman devindu vandavanda
Muni siripâ api vandinda
Apê Budun api vandinda.
(To worship our Buddha, to worship His footprint, may god Saman help
us, may his might support us).
2. Devindu balen api vendô
Saman devindu vendevô
Munisiripâ api vendô
Apê budun api vendô.
(We have worshipped our Buddha;
We have worshipped his foot print;
The god Samen helped us;
His might supported us).
A mother amuses her children by pointing out the moon and asking them
to sing out Handa hamy apatat bat kanda rantetiyak diyô diyo (Mr. Moon,
do give us a golden dish to eat our rice in); or she makes them clap
their hands singing appuddi pudi puvaththâ kevum dekak devaththâ
(clap, clap, clap away with two rice cakes in your hands); or she
tickles them with the finger rhyme kandê duvayi, hakuru geneyi, tôt
kâyi, matat deyi, hankutu kutu. (Run to the hills, bring molasses,
You will eat, you will give me, hankutu kutu); or she swings them to
the jingle "Onchilli chilli chille malê, Vella digata nelli kelê;"
or she rocks them to sleep with the following lullabies:--
Umbê ammâ kirata giyâ
Kiri muttiya gangé giyâ
Ganga vatakara kokku giyâ,
Kokku evith kiri bivvâ,
Umba nâdan babô
(Your mother went to fetch milk
The milk pot went down the river
The cranes surrounded the river
The cranes came and drank the milk
You better not cry, my baby.)
Baloli loli bâloliyê
Bâla bilindu bâloliyê
Kiyamin gi neleviliyê
Sethapemi magê suratheliyê
(Darling darling little one
Darling little tender one
Sleeping songs do I sing
Sleep away my fond little one.)
Radâgedere kosattê
Eka gediyayi palagattê
Êka kanta lunu nettê
Numba nâdan doyi doyiyê.
(The jak tree at the washer's house
Bore only one fruit
There is no salt to eat with it
You better not cry, but sleep, sleep)
Vandurô indagana ambê liyannan
Vendiri indagana hâl garannan
Petiyô indagana sindu kiyannan
Tala kola pettiya, gangê duvannan.
(The monkeys are engaged in cutting up a mango
Their mates are engaged in washing the rice
Their young ones are engaged in singing songs.
The palm leaf box is drifting in the river.)
The following is a specimen of a love song.
"Galaknan peleyi mata vedunu gindarê
Vilaknan pireyi net kandulu enaserê
Malak vat pudami numba namata rubarê
Tikakkat nedda matatibunu âdarê.
(If I were a stone my passion's heat would have split me.
If I were a pond my weeping tears would have filled me.
O my darling, I shall offer a flower to your memory.
Is there nothing left of your old love for me).