SRI LANKAN POETS

Gunadasa Amarasekara

Gunadasa Amarasekera is one of the most famous Sri Lankan Poets. He was born in 1929, in Yattalamatta, a remote village around 15 miles inland of Galle, Sri Lanka. Gunadasa Amarasekera is also well-known as a great novelist, essayist, short story writer, literary critic, and a social activist.

As a child, Gunadasa Amarasekera first attended the missionary school in Baddegama, and then the Mahinda College in Galle. He later moved to Colombo and entered the Nalanda College. After finishing school, he entered the University of Ceylon to study Dentistry. He graduated from there as a Dental Surgeon.

Gunadasa Amarasekara is known as a founding father of modern Sinhalese literature.

Books written by Gunadasa Amarasekara:

• Amal Bisso
• Anagarika Dharmapala Marxvaadida?
• Arunaluseren Arunodhyata
• Asak Da Kava
• Asathya Kathawak
• Bhaava Gita
• Depa Nollado
• Ekama Katava
• Ekatamen Polawata
• Gal Pilimaya saha Bol pilimaya
• Gamanaka Mula
• Gamdoren Eliyata
• Ganaduru Madiyama Dakinemi Arunalu
• Gandabba Apadanaya
• Jeevana Suwanda
• Karumakkarayo
• Kavhandayaka Kathandaraya
• Katha Pahak
• Premaye Sathya Kathawa
• Rathu Rosa Mala

SRI LANKAN POETS

Gajaman Nona

Gajaman Nona was a famous Sri Lankan poet who lived in the end of Dutch and early British rule in the south of the country. She was born on the 10th of March, 1746 in Kollpity, Sri Lanka (then Cylon). She was well-known for her ability of both writing and reciting impromptu Sinhala poetry (known in Sinhalese as “Situvankavi” or “Hitivankavi”). Although she became famous as Gajaman Nona, her real name was Dona Isabella Koraneliya.

Gajaman Nona was Fransina Jasenthu Graivo’s (mother) and Don Francisco Senaratna Kumara Perumal’s (father) second daughter. Her baptized name was Dona Isabella Koraneliya Perumal. She learned the Sinhala language from the Pandit Koratota Thero.

Gajaman Nona’s first marriage was to Thalpe Merenchegei Garadiya Arachchi. After he passed away of an accident she married Hendrick Siriwardena Wijaya Wimalasekera. He too died after few years, which left the young widow with 3 children from the 2 marriages. After her second husband’s death, she had a close poetic relationship with Elapatha Mudali, who was also a pupil of her Sinhala teacher, Koratota Thero. Although Gajaman Nona and Elapatha Mudali exchanged many romantic poems, there are no records on whether they met each other or not.

However, the early demise of the two husbands left Gajaman Nona with many difficulties, mainly financial. As she had no proper income, she wrote an appeal to Sir John D’Oyly, the Civil Servant and Cambridge Scholar and the then Fiscal Collector and Government Agent of Hambantota and Matara Districts. She reportedly wrote the appeal in 12 Sinhala verses, which resulted in a gallant response from Sir D’Oyly. He granted her an area of land (Nindagama) where she could earn a living by farming and other means.

Gajaman Nona’s passed away on the 15th of December, 1814. She was 56 years old when she died.

The statue of Gajaman Nona in Nonagama,Tangalle,Sri Lanka

An impromptu verse recited by Gajaman Nona when she was only 8 years old

“Punchi ruwan, punchi ruwan, punchi kalei

watura aran linda uda thabuwaya kalei

ata paha nodanna jadayek meka kalé

gedara yanna denawada magei punchi kalei”

English Translation:

Oh! The little golden water pot

Which I filled with water and kept on the ledge of the well

A rascal that doesn’t even know five and eight* has hidden my water pot

Would you please return my water pot so I can go home?

* Referring to the five and eight precepts of Buddhism

Rainy Beach Times

Rainy Beach Times

Children playing on a beach, 

Nowhere to hide nowhere to seek, 

Using there minds to play there games,

Running In the sand on a rainy day, 

It dose not matter if the sun doesn't shine, 
If the wind blows hard and the sands not dry, 
There having fun so that's just fine, 
Playing on a beach at two, three, and five, 

With sand in there shoes and between there toes, 
And wind swept hair and soggy clothes,
They feel no cold only time for fun
The moaning starts when they wet there bum, 

It must look like desert to someone so young, 
Who's two foot high and full of fun, 
What an adventure it must be, 
Playing in the sand and feeling free, 

I can't remember ever being that high, 
But we all must have though's of rainy beach times, 
So as I stand here now alone on the beach, 
Watching them play no hide and seek, 
Spending this moment through children's eyes, 
As they have there adventure and a rainy beach times. 

SRI LANKAN POETS

Arisen Ahubudu

Alasuri Arisen Ahubudu was one of the best known poets in Sri Lanka. He was born on March 18, 1920, in Malalagama, Koggala, Sri Lanka. His given name was Devundara Deva-manimendraAryasena Ashubodha; but later on he changed it to Arisen Ahubudu due to his passion for the Sinhala language. His parents were Thoronis Deva-manimendra (father) and Laisohami Wathugedara(mother). He also was a famous writer, scholar, orator, playwright, Sinhala lyricist, author and a teacher in Sri Lanka. Arisen Ahubudu passed away at the age of 92, on May 26, 2011 at 2.09pm.

In 1927, Arisen Ahubudu entered the Kataluwa Government School. He left it in 1934, and entered the Habaradoowa Abhayadana College in 1935. In 1939, he entered the Nittambuwa Teachers Training College, and left it as a Trained Teacher in 1942.

In 1984, the Sri Lankan Government awarded Arisen Ahubudu the title “Kalasuri”. He was also one of the prominent members of Hela Havula, a famous Sinhala literary association founded by Munidasa Kumaratunga in 1941 to promote the Sinhala language.

Arisen Ahubudu was a specialist of Sinhala language. Before his death people from all around the country used to come to him when they faced a problem with the usage of the Sinhala language. He led and participated in many researches about the birth and the evolution of the Sinhalese language. He was also a specialist in giving definitions to Sinhala words. Ahubudu refused the hypothesis of Sinhala, being born as a mixture of Sanskrit and Pāli, and claimed that Sinhala is one of the oldest – if not the oldest – languages in the world.

Books written by Arisen Ahubudu:

• Aduwa – In honor of his friend, Jayantha Weerasekara
• Asammataya Raja Vima – A short story collection
• Atu Aga Dili Vana Mal
• Dam Rasa Dehara
• Hadiya – Poems about his grandmother
• Hansa Wannama
• Hela Derana Vaga – History of Sri Lanka
• Kanda Dev Upatha
• Kavu Maga – “How to” guide for writing poems
• Koggala Pavata – About Koggala (The Sri Lankan Village)
• Lanka Gam Nam Vahara
• Mangala Kinkini – A song collection
• Rasa Nidasuna
• Redee Rekawa – The story of destroying the dam of “Ganthala” lake
• Seth Wathura – Songs written to worship gods
• Siyapatha – A collection of advisory poems

Books about Arisen Ahubudu:

• Arisen Ahubudu Harasaraniya (1989)
• Pobayana Thunu Ruwana (2006)

Introduction to Sri Lankan Poems!

Sri Lanka Poems presents you a collection of poems written by many novice and experienced Sri Lankan poets. It features poems written under topics such as life, nature, love, hate, war and many more…You can also find information about the most prominent Sri Lankan poets on Sri Lanka poems. The descriptions about the poets include the life stories, accomplishments and the most recognized work by each poet. You can find information about almost every famous Sinhala, English and TamilSri Lankan poet.Sri Lanka, which is also known as the “Pearl of the Indian ocean” (Poetic Indeed), is a place where people from many cultures live together in harmony. And Sri Lankans are well-known around the world for their hospitality.By going through the poems by Sri Lankans on many topics, you will get the chance to look in to the world through their eyes…