Wimalaratne Kumaragama:

The Bard of Vanni

By Premasara Epasinghe

A poem is a piece of creative writing in verse, especially one expressing deep feelings or noble thoughts in beautiful language, to recount an experience.

Sri Lanka can proudly boast of many outstanding poets such as Ven. Totagamuwe Sri Rahula, Ven. Vidagama Maitriya, King Parakramabahu II and Alagiyawanna Mukaveti.

In the “Colombo Yugaya” there were many illustrious poets such as Munidasa Cumaratunga, G. H. Perera, Ananda Rajakaruna, Tibetian Bhikkhu S. Mahinda, Sagara Palansuriya (Keyes), Kapila M. Seneviratne, Meemana Prematilleke, H. M. Kudaligama, P. B. Alwis Perera, John Rajadasa, Somaweera Chandrasiri, Chandraratne Manawasinghe, Mahagamasekera, Madawala S. Ratnayake to name a few out of many in the recent past.

Wimalaratne Kumaragama, the muse of remote Vanni was one of the most brilliant creative poets who shone brightly in the Colombo era. He had his own inimitable style, poetic language, influenced by Vanni culture and environment.

Kumaragama's contribution to modern Sinhala poetry was enormous. His name and Vanni were inseparable. After a brilliant academic career at Dharmaraja College, Kandy he passed his Matriculation examination in 1935 and joined the clerical service.

Birth

He was born on January 18, 1919 at Narampanawa, Pathadumbara in Pallispattuwa Korale. His father, Punchi Bandara Kumaragama was a head-master of a school. Mother was K. H. Bandara Menike. Wimalaratne was the second in a family of seven children. He had his primary education at Werapitiya school, Madolkele, Kandy from 1923-1927 and at Teldeniya and Sri Rahula Vidyalaya, Katugastota. Later he joined the Dharmaraja College.

His first appointment as a clerk was at Anuradhapura kachcheri. Possessed of a lovable personality in no time he won the heart of the officers as well as villagers.

He lost his sister when he was at Anuradhapura, in the mid 1930s. Based on her tragic death he wrote his Sanwega Vedana. He has displayed his poetic talent in his treatise on his sister.

Sihinen pawa nothelu anikekuge mana
Ganarankanda ko ada oba bolanda pana
Amaranganawan ekayata turulu una
Obagen ane evari ma karapu pina

In this verse Kumaragama expresses in a very subtle manner that his sister has joined the celestial abode.

In 1942 he passed the competitive examination and assumed duties as a Divisional Revenue Officer (DRO) and served at Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and later in Vanni, the Weu-bandi rata. It was at Vanni that Kumaragama blossomed into a creative poet. He was a lover of nature and environment. Forest was his kingdom, he loved most. He never killed an animal.

He was fond of them. In his poem Walas Dadayama he has pictured how he and his companion witnessed it from a tree top on a pleasant moon-lit night.

Pulai mamai palugas debalaka mese
Kadiya samaga sima ketawala asse
Mehi athi hema handata mage hadawata gesse
Ada handa paluwa ada wana roda mata isse

The poetic language he uses was so natural and exciting experience. The serene beauty of the forest bathing in the moonlight makes it a memorable picture in our mind.

He was a lover of animals. He lived a bachelor's life. His pet was a dog named Neela. When the little companion died, he wrote a few lines.

Miyagiya dinata dina tunakata udadi veti
Mage enda lagata vi umba duka kiyapu heti
Umbagana noyeke de situweli matuwa eti
Umbage agaya minisun siya denuku vati
Mage hadawata etuluwa huratal dawasa
Sitha niuwehiya tani jeewathayake pawasa
Ma setapena Atara kaluwara kara niwasa
Neela mala hatarata eiye sawasa

These lines amply testifies the kind heart that Kumaragama possessed.

Majority of his poems are woven round the simple lives of the Vanni people. His poem “Hapumali” and “Herath Hami”, were brilliant pieces of literature in Sinhala poetry. It depicts the true life of the Vanni villagers.

Hapumali – a pretty innocent girl from Vanni leaves the village to work as a domestic servant in a posh house in the city of Colombo. Sexually abused she became an orphan with a child. It's a moving story of a young girl. The poem consists of 100 verses. In the first four line Kumaragama describes the natural beauty of the village damsel.

Bulathin peheya leba tol peti deka rathya
Gambada nisa ege avihinsaka nethya
Ge dora siyalu meheyata kadisara athya
Dupath unath ae rupen pohasatya

Kumaragama in his poem Sundarahami depicts the fine human qualities of these simple villagers and their sense of hospitality with kindness and respect.

Pera deka nomathi muth Sundarahami visin
Mage toraturu esu heti hitawateku lesin
Gediyak kadagena gemidula tambili gasin
Piliganviya mata somnasa pirinu asin
Agantukawa ena kenekuta purudi nethi
Hithawathkamin selaku yutukamaya siti
Ohu vetha mudalakin makala tutiya tuti
Sihivi mage kammula ratupeheya gathi

Herathhami

In his poem Kumaragama highlights the character of Herathhami, who assists Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) to dissect dead bodies in the Vanniya area.

Aliyawetunu wewa siti Herath hami
Ma venneku uvada mama vedagath veemi
Mini kapana muth ee Herath hami
Ohu mata vada visithis gunayen demi

He was an English scholar too, who mastered English literature but never showed that he was knowledgeable in the English language. When he was serving at Kalawana as a DRO his superior officer Government Agent paid an official visit. The G.A. who had heard that his DRO was a sinhala poet, wanted to show his knowledge about English poetry and quoted an English poem and said that it was written by T.S. Elliot.

Pat came the reply, “Sir, this poem was penned by Shakespeare and not Elliot.

The Englishman was taken aback, about his knowledge of English literature. His sense of humour was an inexhaustible. He was very witty and called a spade, a spade. He was very find of composing extempore poems”.

At times, he prefers to have lunch with his juniors. One day, after a circuit Asst. Govt. Agent Kumaragama returned to Anuradhapura and was seen having lunch with some clerks.

One day while he was having lunch, a young, charming girl, a clerk casually said:

”Sir, we all know that you are a fine poet and you can recite instant extempore poems. Could you kindly, compose a similar poem about me?

”Kelle, you are still young. I will recite only two lines about you not four lines,” he said.

Nangi inna heti dekkama meseta ana ana
Matath wadiya pinkalabawa dena, mese kona

(Having observed you punching on the corner of the table; I wonder whether the corner of the table was more fortunate than me).

The lunch table crowd roared with laughter, gazing at the innocent girl. He always preferred to associate the simple villagers and farmers. Sometimes, he was so close to them, they used to divulge some of their personal problems too.Once an elderly villager came to the Anuradhapura Kachcheri and made a complaint against his old wife. As the old man, a village poet made his complaint in the form of a poem, as he knew the AGA himself was a renowned poet.

The old villager recited:

Gatte karekak, eya dennam loriya
Loriyak elavanna dan mata ne piriya
With a smile, instanly came the reply from the AGA.
Telgala grease dala langata gannin loriya
Karekata vada hodin edala yawi loriya

The old man greeted Kumaragama Disapthi Hamuduruvo and left the room.