Tarakie

Night’s darkness surfs - sleepless
A star’s brightness breaks darkness
Singing fish - your name they sing
Tarakie, it’s your voice pleasing

No, no, they aren’t sweet
those songs make ears bleed
however, they ‘re true to feel

A singing voice still calmly sleeps
in the blood-mingled, gentle breeze
why you dived into a dream - deep
in a night - the winds were extreme?

Kimbulwathpura* city’s nudity – was revealing
Beside Kimbul ela* crocodile teeth - were gleaming
Doors were opened - of those hearts, grieving
they were calmed – by your voice soothing

 

Manjula Wediwardena

Translated from Sinhala by Dilini Eriyawala

© JDS

*Kimbulwathpura – Prince Siddhartha Gauthama’s (Lord Buddha’s) birth place which is now known as Nepal

*Kimbul ela – A place called ‘Kimbula ela’ meaning ‘crocodiles canal’. Sivaram’s body was found lying in a jungle shrub with his face tied up with a piece of cloth on the following day at Kimbula-Ela junction, about 500 meters away from the high security zone where the Parliamentary Complex is located at Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte.