Deeply moving tribute exploring motherhood and maternal neglect.
Song Lyrics
බඩගිනි වෙලා ගොඩවුන කල පුතුගේ ගෙට
මා යකිනියක ලෙස පෙනුනයි ලේලියට…
දරු සෙනෙහසින් ඇඟලේ පෙරලුනි කිරට
අම්මද බිරිඳද ලොකු වැඩියෙන් උඹට
සඳවට රන් තරු කැකුළු පිපේවා
හිරුට වලාකුළු සළු පැළඳේවා
පොළොවෙහි මිණි මුතු..කැට බිහිවේවා…
පුතෙකුට අම්මගෙ…අගය දැනේවා…
ගඟුලට ඇති බර… දිය වැලි නේදෝ
කතරට ඇති හර… සුදු වැලි නේදෝ…
ලදකට ඇති හැඩ… යහගුණ නේදෝ
මවකට ඇති සැප…. දරු සැප නේදෝ…
ලදකට ඇති හැඩ… යහගුණ නේදෝ
මවකට ඇති සැප…. දරු සැප නේදෝ…
ගින්නක් නැති කල.. දුමක් කොයින්දෝ…
පින්නක් නැති කල… තෙතක් කොයින්දෝ..
වහලක් නැති කල.. ගෙයක් කොයින්දෝ..
අම්මෙකු නැති කල… දැයක් කොයින්දෝ..
වහලක් නැති කල.. ගෙයක් කොයින්දෝ..
අම්මෙකු නැති කල… දැයක් කොයින්දෝ..
සඳවට රන් තරු කැකුළු පිපේවා
හිරුට වලාකුළු සළු පැළඳේවා
පොළොවෙහි මිණි මුතු කැට බිහිවේවා…
පුතෙකුට අම්මගෙ…අගය දැනේවා…
Song Information
Song Title: සඳවට රන් තරු (Sandawata Ran Tharu)
Artist: C. T. Fernando
Lyrics: Karunaratne Abeysekera
Genre: Classical Sinhala Pop / Oldies
Language: Sinhala
Release Year: 1960s (Classic)
Song Summary
“Sandawata Ran Tharu” is a profound and emotionally resonant masterpiece that captures the bittersweet reality of a mother’s selfless love versus a son’s potential neglect. The mood is one of quiet dignity and sorrowful reflection, portraying a mother who finds herself unwelcome in the home of the child she once nourished. It depicts the internal conflict of a parent who continues to wish for the world’s prosperity and beauty, even while feeling discarded, hoping only that her son will eventually understand the immense value of a mother.
Song Meaning
The song functions as a poignant social commentary on family values and the biological sacrifice of motherhood. The lyrics analyze the transition of a mother’s blood into milk (kirata peruluni), a metaphor for the literal and metaphorical life-giving sacrifices made for her child. Themes of structural necessity and natural law are central; Karunaratne Abeysekera uses elemental analogies—such as a house needing a roof and a river needing sand—to argue that a nation (dayak) cannot exist without the foundation of a mother. By juxtaposing the beauty of nature (“stars around the moon”) with the harshness of being treated like an “ogress” (yakiniyaka) by a daughter-in-law, the track captures the essence of maternal grace in the face of emotional hardship.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the title “Sandawata Ran Tharu” signify?
The title translates to “Golden Stars Around the Moon,” serving as a blessing for universal harmony and beauty even amidst personal pain.
How does the song describe the importance of a mother to a nation?
The lyrics state that just as a house cannot exist without a roof, a nation or civilization (dayak) cannot exist without the nurturing presence of a mother.
What is the significance of the “blood to milk” metaphor?
It highlights the physical sacrifice of motherhood, reminding the child that their very life was sustained by the mother’s own body and essence.
Who wrote the lyrics for this classic track?
The song was penned by the legendary Karunaratne Abeysekera, who was a pioneer in creating songs with deep philosophical and emotional layers.