Poignant Sinhala classic reflecting on urban change and lost love.
Song Lyrics
මේ නගරය අළුත් වෙලා
වැව් දිය රළ ගිලන් වෙලා
අත් අල්ලන් ඔහේ ඇවිද ගිය
පටු මාවත් පුළුල් වෙලා…//
එදා අප දුටු පෙම්වතුන්
වෙලා අද හොද පින්වතුන්
එදා අප දුටු පෙම්වතුන්
වෙලා අද හොද පින්වතුන්
අකුරු පොත්පත් පිරුණු අත්වල
එල්ලිලා අද පොඩි පුතුන්
මේ නගරය අළුත් වෙලා…//
පෙම් කරපු තැන් පුරුදු
වසා සුවිසල් මැදුරු
පෙම් කරපු තැන් පුරුදු
වසා සුවිසල් මැදුරු
පෙම්වතුන් අද සිරවෙලා
පාළු කුටිවල අදුරු
මේ නගරය අළුත් වෙලා….
Song Information
Song Title: මේ නගරය අළුත් වෙලා (Me Nagaraya Aluth Wela)
Artist: T.M.Jayarathne
Lyrics: Premakeerthi de Alwis
Genre: Classical / Sarala Gee
Language: Sinhala
Release Year: 1980s
Song Summary
“Me Nagaraya Aluth Wela” is a legendary masterpiece by T.M. Jayarathne that explores the bittersweet nature of time and urban development. The mood is deeply nostalgic and slightly mournful, as the narrator returns to a city that has physically transformed—narrow paths have widened and massive buildings now stand where lovers once met. It is a powerful reflection on how landscapes change while memories of past romance remain frozen in time.
Song Meaning
The song, written by the iconic Premakeerthi de Alwis, uses the modernization of a city as a metaphor for the passage of life. The “new city” (aluth wela) and “widened roads” signify progress, but for the narrator, they represent the burial of personal history. He observes that the lovers they once knew have become “virtuous elders” (pinwathun) walking with their children, highlighting the generational shift. The contrast between the free-spirited past and the present—where massive mansions cover old meeting spots and people seem “trapped” in dark, lonely rooms—highlights the isolation that often accompanies modern urban life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is the singer of Me Nagaraya Aluth Wela?
The song is performed by the renowned classical vocalist T.M. Jayarathne.
Who wrote the lyrics for this song?
The lyrics were written by the late legendary lyricist and broadcaster Premakeerthi de Alwis.
What is the central theme of the lyrics?
The central theme is the intersection of urban change and personal nostalgia, comparing a transformed city to the narrator’s lost youth and romance.
What do the “widened roads” symbolize?
The widened roads symbolize modernization and the erasure of the intimate, “narrow” paths where the narrator and his lover once walked.
What does the phrase “Vela ada hoda pinwathun” imply?
It implies that the passionate lovers of the past have aged into respectable, religious, or settled elders, illustrating the inevitable cycle of life.