Katmandu - above the rice paddies

Above the rice paddies
Buddha's head turns gold.
In the tear hidden in his eyes
rain for the entire year collects.
On the plate of the plaza grains
of people are scattered, their faces pale
as milk swinging in the udder of a sacred cow.
Like in the game I played as a child I shout
"Your Majesty, the King, greetings" to Everest,
and he brushes shreds of cloud from his eyelids,
letting the wind blow away sand that stuck to his belly
and standing, for a moment, proudly on tiptoe.
It's been a while since he was reminded that
he's a mountain model in God's fashion show. By Ronny Someck Translated from Hebrew by Vivian Eden

The poet expresses his impressions on the mountain kingdom of Bhutan. It is full of paddy fields and the main religion is Buddhism. The poem is self-explanatory and the poet evocatively epitomises the life in the kingdom of Bhutan. The poem is marked for its masterly language and apt metaphors. The poem is a model in translation. -Indeewara Thilakarathne

Dark dream

Starry sky
Blowing a cold wind.
I feel like dying
Heart will break,
Breath will stop,
Everyone'll be gone,
I'll be left alone;
Here on the dark road,
In the deep dark night,
Under the twinkling stars,
I'll be left alone:
Sans heart,
Sans soul,
Sans care,
And sans Love... - T. Mannapperuma

The poem describes the mindset of a lonely person who terribly wants love and care. His world is dark and he is longing for death with a broken heart. Though simple, the poem brings out a deep philosophy that man needs companionship and that he won't live only by bread. The poem is marked for economy of expressions and it depicts the state of mind of a person in isolation. - Indeewara

Like a blossomed flower

Making the dark night a glow,
It shined,
With it's silvery rays of beams,
Pouring,
Through the trees,
Bordering the grassy meadow,
Where Jack Frost dances,
On wintry nights,
Surrounded by twinkling stars,
Like a blossomed flower,
By a dusty pavement,
The moon beamed down,
Upon the sleeping world. - Gimhani Upeksha

The poem recreates a magnificent moonlit night with its incomparable glory. It is a celebration of nature. - Indeewara

Loneliness

Each time I turn,
It's loneliness that says hello to me,
Each time I cry,
It's loneliness that comforts me,
Each time I smile,
It's loneliness that smiles back at me,
Each time I sigh,
Loneliness asks me why.

I have no answers,
I have no reasons,
I have no proof,
To say how lonely I am.

All I know, is that,
I am very lonely. - Rinza Hathy

The poet eloquently expresses a profound sense of loneliness that he feels. It seems that the poet is alone without a soul to care for him. It is only the loneliness that shares his life whether it is sorrow or happiness. The poet uses simple diction and short lines to drive home the idea of profound isolation. The poem is a plea for companionship which is an integral part of life. - Indeewara

To our year of rejoicing...

Our war concluded on 18th MAY 2009
A year has passed since then.
We are heading for our goal
Created by this victory
Breaking barriers to find peace,
Reconciliation and love.
Eighteenth of May 2009
Deserves celebration
Maybe even an annual felicitation
Each, every passing year-
To the unflinching dedication
Of our armed forces
And all those who helped them achieve this victory
Including the nation's citizens
Who refused to be cowed down by bombs of terror.
Yes, eighteenth of May 2009
Should go down in our long history
As a breakthrough
By a generation inspired by courage
To have the nation united
Despite all barriers within and without. Punyakante Wijenaike

The poet in simple diction expresses the rejoicing at the victory of the armed forces over the scourge of terrorism. The month of May and the day on which the final battle was fought at the Naththikudal lagoon, should go down in the history as a day of solidarity of all peace-loving citizens.

It should be a day of reconciliation among the people of diverse races, ethnicities who dearly held this land as their motherland. It is the day that people should salute the fallen heroes and those who lost their limbs and rendered disabled to protect the territorial integrity. As pointed out by the poet, it is a breakthrough to lay a foundation for a prosperous and proud nation which would be second to none among the nations of the world. -Indeewara Thilakarathne

It's bliss

Beyond the horizon,
Where nobody is,
Where nobody sets eyes upon,
Sensation is inexplicable,
A sense of ecstasy,
Dancing within me,
Myself pierced,
Setting fire within,
Burning non-stop
Lost in another
My identity fragmented
In another being
But it's bliss.
In the serene breeze
Locks of hair flow,
The softest of lips,
Create gentle motifs on flesh,
Not to be seen,
But felt within deep,
It's the touch of the divine
Which stifles my soul.
The world has stopped
Motion ceased everywhere,
Perfect mingling of two beings,
Melting to make one whole,
The recesses never explored,
Discovered with eyes half-closed
It's bliss: found in pierced identity - Indu Gamage

The poet eloquently portrays the bliss of love which synchronises with nature. The passionate lovers with dim faces enveloped in the world of their own. They feel nothing but themselves. For them the world seems to have stopped and everything around them are motionless. It is bliss of love. The poet brilliantly portrays the emotional state of a couple who are deeply in love. They discover hitherto unexplored territories of pleasure with half-closed eyes. -Indeewara

A fate of a doomed youth

Grey clouds filling the summer sky,
A helpless youth pleading to die,
Who has broken her heart?
Who has broken her heart?
Who has given her endless pain?
Who has faked her faithful heart?
Silent cries escaped in her heart,
Silent tears dropping from her heavy eyes...
Who could forsake her tearful eyes?
Who could betray her friendly hand?
But all alone she cries in the dark...
Grey clouds seem to cover her heart...
All alone here she cries,
Hates no one but begs to die,
Master death did not kiss her
Cause he saw her helplessness...
Yet, why he let her happiness apart?
Her tears kiss the floor, no one to wipe away...
Who is the cause for her future, so gay?
She would never tell her story to the world,
She is simply a spineless girl
Who would cry but wish the good
To the pitiless cause of her death.
Even in her death bed she'd never hate.
Blessed be her life! Blessed be her soul! - Tharanga Mannapperuma

In this poem, the poet describes a sad plight of a girl who is pleading for death. It seems that her world is covered with dark clouds and one who loved her had betrayed her trust. However, the girl would not hate him even on her death bed. The poet narrates the story generating feeling of pity for the hapless soul and the last line sums up the poet's attitude towards the girl that 'Blessed be her life! Blessed be her soul!' -Indeewara