Amala Jayasekara writes poetry and songs in Sinhala and publishes them on her blog at http://amalajayasekara.simplesite.com/. A few of her songs have been recorded by various Sri Lankan artists in Australia and Sri Lanka.
This poem was written in Amala’s mother tongue, Sinhala, and was kindly also translated into English by Amala. It appears in both languages below, after a short reflection on the origins of the poem, as well as a guide to the formal aspects of this kind of Sinhala poetry.
I migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka with my family in 1994. My husband Sunil and I had worked as academics at the University of Peradeniya and lived on campus. The tranquil surroundings of Peradeniya and many aspects of the life we left behind sets the backdrop for this poem, written in Sinhala. I wrote this poem in 1997, considering the impact of migration on a child, including the sadness of leaving close relatives and friends, and the fears and worries about the new life. I sought to express these feelings through the poem, as I imagined they were experienced by my daughter, who was five years old at the time, or by any child at that age going through a similar experience.
Adhering to form (especially rhyme and rhythm) is very important in writing this style of Sinhala poetry. Each verse has 4 lines – all with the same number of beats – and the last word of each line rhymes the same. Within a verse, the last word of each line should end with a letter of the same sound. Having the same number of beats in each line, the poems are recited – when performed in real life – in different melodies.
Mother, please tell me …
A beautiful serene place
In the middle of stunning blue hills
‘Peradeniya’ – that’s where we lived
Suddenly, we are here
Why – Mother?
In a new country
With no family nor friends?
Will my little cousin, Sumudu
Sit quietly with my aunt
And cry, thinking of me?
How can I play with my friends?
When I am stuck here
In a far, faraway land?
The warmth of Grandma’s lap
The fun of play with my uncles
The love I received from all
Is gone, Mother
This sadness is unbearable
Grandpa will send me a letter soon
He will miss me the most
I just can’t stop crying,
When I think of all my little friends
That I left behind
My playful little pups
Two bouncy bundles of joy
I gave away to our friends
Two pairs of tearful eyes
Watched me leave
Somehow, knowing
It was a goodbye
All the friends you left behind
Those aunties and uncles
Don’t you think of them?
Is that why I hear
Your frequent, sad sighs?
Will kids here become my friends?
Will the teacher be kind or nasty?
Will I understand this English right?
Mother, please tell me …
I am so scared.
© Amala Jayasekara, 2018
be:longing 