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Kala Korner - by Dee Cee

Revival of classical Sinhala literature - a fine start
An interesting book, the first in a series of translations of classical Sinhalese texts planned by the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and the Central Cultural Fund reached me the other day.

The series begins with 'Selalihini Sandesa' acclaimed as the best of the 'sandesa' poems in Sinhala literature. This renowned work by the great scholar, Totagamuve Sri Rahula Thera has been admirably translated by Edmund Jayasuriya, adopting the blank-verse style.

Yet, the book is no mere translation. The author first presents a comprehensive study of Sinhalese poetry over the centuries. After the translation of the 'Kavya', there are elaborate notes covering all 108 poems.

He traces the history from the days of the Sigiri graffiti (6-13th century) and the eighth century treatise 'Siyabaslakara'. After covering the Anuradhapura period to the Kotte era, Jayasuriya discusses the 'Sandesa Kavya' beginning with Kalidasa's 'Meghaduta' where a youth imprisoned by Kuvera, the king of the Yakshas, appeals to a cloud drifting in the sky to carry the news of his imprisonment to his forlorn wife.

Although the first work used an inanimate object as courier, the Sinhalese 'sandesa' poems never followed that tradition. It was always a bird that was used as courier. Jayasuriya points out that by purpose and design, the 'sandesas' fulfilled a worldly desire like seeking the blessings of a god or some other divinity for the welfare of the king, the royal family or members of the 'sangha'. "To that extent, the purpose of the 'sandesa' was purely secular.

Yet they were not entirely devoid of religious feeling or emotion. In fact, the courier is always directed to pay homage to the Buddha in various temples on his way and such descriptions are, as a rule, touching and poignant," he says.

Comparing the Sinhala 'sandesas' with the original 'Meghaduta', he points out that secular love receives no place in the Sinhala 'sandesas'. "There are no invented plots in them nor do they embody any personal grievance. They are much more realistic as far as the main message is concerned and seem to have been prompted by existing socio-political conditions...They are unique in that none of them was composed to get a personal wish fulfilled, none carried a message of secular love, and none was pure fiction.

“All couriers carried a message having a direct bearing on some socio-political issue of public interest." He identifies four features in a 'sandesa' - a sender, a courier, a recipient, and a message. Then he goes on to present a history of 'sandesas' in Sri Lanka starting with Manavulu Sandesa written in Pali in the Polonnaruva period. Mayura Sandesa is generally accepted as the first Sinhala 'sandesa' followed by Tisara, Parevi, Selalihini, Gira, Hansa, Kokila and Savul Sandesas.

Here is just one sample of Jayasuriya's translation of Selalihini Sandesa.
The original poem reads:
Sisi vana uvana inga sunga gata heti mitina
nisi pululukula riya sakayuru tisara tana
disi rana liyev rusi yut mepurangana
asi piya helana pamanin noveti devangana
Translation:

Like golden creepers are the damsels of this city,
Of face moon-like, waist so slim as the fist could hold,
Swan-like breasts, well proportioned hips, like chariot wheels,
Differ they from goddesses,

Solely because they do blink.
The Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and Central Cultural Fund, has begun a most meaningful exercise in opening out our classical literature to a wider audience. Author Edmund Jayasuriya has given a fine start and let's hope that it will be continued without a break.

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