Chitra and I made this presentation of Songs and Poems on 3 June 2012, at Lentils As Anything at the Abbotsford Convent in St Heliers St, Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia. Shanaka Fernando was the Master of Ceremonies.

1. Leaders in Exile
Poems at Lentil As Anything,
Abbotsford Convent
3rd
June 2012
To order the book in Australia, please contact Michael on
mobile: 0403 412 773, or by email on:
michaelcolincooke@yahoo.com.au.
In Australia, a book will cost AUD 25.00 Postage is additional:
$11 in Australia, and $22 rest of the world. Online payments can
be made at: http://michaelcolincooke.blogspot.com/
In Sri Lanka, copies can be purchased from all major bookshops
including Vijitha Yapa Bookshop at a cost of SLR 1600.00 per
copy.
Songs of Liberation - In Remembrance of April
1971. Held at New Town Hall Colombo - 1981
Further recordings can be found at
http://www.sinhalajukebox.org/feature/vimukthigee.php

2. ud fmïnr uõfkaud fmïnr uõfka
oi uila ud l=i oerE –oi uila ud l=i oerE –
ukqIH;ajfh uyd iïm;ukqIH;ajfh uyd iïm;
f,dalhg ud cks; lrjQ –f,dalhg ud cks; lrjQ –
ohdfõ fifkyfia W,am;ohdfõ fifkyfia W,am;
ñKsuq;= ukaosr - i|¿ ;,d ke;ñKsuq;= ukaosr - i|¿ ;,d ke;
ossji¿ iqñysß - fndcqka hyka ke;ossji¿ iqñysß - fndcqka hyka ke;
mqf;la Tng oelaúh hq;= fifkyimqf;la Tng oelaúh hq;= fifkyi
wirK ud olajkafka flf,io@wirK ud olajkafka flf,io@
ksii, f,i wo wjika .ufkaksii, f,i wo wjika .ufka
fidfydka .eng Tn msúfioaoSfidfydka .eng Tn msúfioaoS
f,a lsß lr fmõ wïfï Tnygf,a lsß lr fmõ wïfï Tnyg
l< .=K ud i,lkafka flf<io@l< .=K ud i,lkafka flf<io@
fmruqK f.k ksoyi WfoidfmruqK f.k ksoyi Wfoid
keÕ+ igfka rK yçkakeÕ+ igfka rK yçka
iekfikq uek ud fmïnr uõfkaiekfikq uek ud fmïnr uõfka
Oh Lord Skanda!
The Lord god with thousand eyes to see the world
The Lord god with twelve mighty hands carrying arms
The day the sacred land was wetted with blood of the South
With no might, the god in abode behind the seven screens
The day the sacred land was bathed in blood
Did the god escape from the temple?
Burning the incense, wrapped with pure white cloths
praying and offering with their parasitic hands
Sounding ankle bells to the temple music and blowing conches
People worship at the temple grounds
at expense of their lives, the god enjoying milk rice
The lord grandly seated on the peacock chariot
-
Thinking that you were the heart in a heartless world
Thinking that you were the hope
in a hopeless world, Lord Skanda
Thinking that you were born
of the sighs of the sufferers of this world
-
Singing hymns of praises – lighting seven lamps
Three lines drawn on forehead with dots of sacred ash
Praying seven days offering seven screens
Pledging carved golden statute for a statue
What use of those prayers or their grandiose offerings Lord,
The day the poor exploited masses need you
If you are not there behind those seven screens
Or if you flee the sacred grounds
the day it’s drenched in blood?
©LionelBopage,1974

3. l| foõ rcqfkal| foõ rcqfka
f,dj oel=ug fk;= oyila we;s foõ rÿfkaf,dj oel=ug fk;= oyila we;s foõ rÿfka
wú orkd w;a fÞf,dila we;s foõ rÿfkawú orkd w;a fÞf,dila we;s foõ rÿfka
reyqfKa reysfrka f;;a jQ mqo fofjd,a ìfïreyqfKa reysfrka f;;a jQ mqo fofjd,a ìfï
f;o ke; ;sr i; ueoafoa foú l=á jeØfkaf;o ke; ;sr i; ueoafoa foú l=á jeØfka
keyejQ osk mqo ìu reêfrkakeyejQ osk mqo ìu reêfrka
foúfhda mek .shdo fofjdf,kafoúfhda mek .shdo fofjdf,ka
iqÿ msrejg ojgd - i÷ka lmqre o,ajdiqÿ msrejg ojgd - i÷ka lmqre o,ajd
jevuQ mrmqgq oE;ska m~qrE foúhka hos;SjevuQ mrmqgq oE;ska m~qrE foúhka hos;S
i<U .s.sß ko oS ila y~ kxjdi<U .s.sß ko oS ila y~ kxjd
Ôú; id.sks fkdksjd foúfhda lsßms~q nqos;SÔú; id.sks fkdksjd foúfhda lsßms~q nqos;S
fmfyùS fofjdf,a keueos okkafmfyùS fofjdf,a keueos okka
uhqrdik jev we;s foúhkauhqrdik jev we;s foúhka
--
yoj; fkdue;s f,dj yoj; Tnhhsyoj; fkdue;s f,dj yoj; Tnhhs
n,dfmdfrd;a;=j fkdue;s f,djn,dfmdfrd;a;=j fkdue;s f,dj
n,dfmdfrd;a;=j Tnhhs is;=j;a l| foõ rÿfkan,dfmdfrd;a;=j Tnhhs is;=j;a l| foõ rÿfka
mSvd ú|sk ckhdf.a iqiafukamSvd ú|sk ckhdf.a iqiafuka
Tn ksu jqfka hhs is;=j;a l| foõ rÿfkaTn ksu jqfka hhs is;=j;a l| foõ rÿfka
--
.hñka ;=;s .S;sld - myka i;la o,ajd.hñka ;=;s .S;sld - myka i;la o,ajd
k<,; bß ;=kla ;nd - w¿ fmdÜgQ wekao;ak<,; bß ;=kla ;nd - w¿ fmdÜgQ wekao;a
;sr i; mq=o,d fmd<fõ i;a osk hdosks heoao;a;sr i; mq=o,d fmd<fõ i;a osk hdosks heoao;a
weUqug rka rejg rejla wem lem jQj;aweUqug rka rejg rejla wem lem jQj;a
úm;g m;a osk mSä;fhlaúm;g m;a osk mSä;fhla
;sr i; miqmi ke; foúfhla;sr i; miqmi ke; foúfhla
keyejQ úg mqo ìu reêfrkakeyejQ úg mqo ìu reêfrka
foúfhda mek h;s fofjd,a ìfukafoúfhda mek h;s fofjd,a ìfuka
Dear Mother
Mother
The treasure of humanity,
who bore me for ten months
The fountain of kindness,
Who brought me to this world
No wealth and no mansions
no fine clothes and no gourmet cuisine
How can a helpless me,
show my gratitude, mother?
When you leave me today silently to the grave
who fed me your blood turned into milk
How can I show my gratitude to you, mother?
Except to beseech you
To be lulled in your sleep
By the song of my struggle for freedom
©LionelBopage,1981

4. r;= .sks is¿j kqUhsr;= .sks is¿j kqUhs
lsisÞ fkdksfuklsisÞ fkdksfuk
r;= .sks is¿j kqUhsr;= .sks is¿j kqUhs
uf.a ohdnr ¥ mq;=fkauf.a ohdnr ¥ mq;=fka
Ø.S okkaf.a f,a uqiq l÷<e,aØ.S okkaf.a f,a uqiq l÷<e,a
Tfí iqr;a mshqfuka msiskd ÞTfí iqr;a mshqfuka msiskd Þ
ioyg fkdnisk úuqla;sfha ysreioyg fkdnisk úuqla;sfha ysre
fmros. wyfia mdhd tk Þfmros. wyfia mdhd tk Þ
,la uj yskefykq we; mq;=fka,la uj yskefykq we; mq;=fka
keÕS rK yçkakeÕS rK yçka
msìoS f,da ;,msìoS f,da ;,
r;= Oc fijfka igka josk Þr;= Oc fijfka igka josk Þ
iQrd lEfuka whqla;sfhka f;driQrd lEfuka whqla;sfhka f;dr
ksjy,a f,dalh f.dv kexfjk Þksjy,a f,dalh f.dv kexfjk Þ
,la uj yskefykq we; mq;=fka,la uj yskefykq we; mq;=fka
Red Flame
You are the eternal red flame
My dear children
The day you wipe with your palm
the blood soaked tears of the wretched
The day the eternal red sun
shines in the east
Mother Lanka will smile
The day the oppressed of world
stand and fight
under the flaming red banner
The day a free world is born
Mother Lanka will smile
©LionelBopage,1978