Ayi Tharahen

Why so angry, my proud one,
running away and leaving me here?
running away and leaving me?
why so angry?

Patient one, do not be enraged,
be calm and composed;
there is no anger when I look into your eyes,
they rest in a serene grace,
made up of your own natural gentleness,
enough, dear friend, of this agitation,
enough of the trouble, my companion

Why so angry?

From my joking, they turned red, the eyes
of the gentle lady;
take her right hand, my lord,
and beg her forgiveness;
there is no reconciled glance in her eyes,
a strong anger still lives in her heart,
a strong anger still remains

Why so angry?

A charming, light-hearted song from the old Sinhala nurthi (musical theatre) tradition, a lovers’ quarrel set to music. The whole song is a man calling after a proud one who has stormed off: why so angry, running away and leaving me here? It is playful and pleading at once, the sound of someone who knows he is in trouble.

He tries gentle flattery to coax her out of it. Patient one, do not be enraged, be calm; there is no real anger, he insists, when he looks into her eyes, which rest in a serene grace made of her own natural gentleness. Enough of this agitation, dear friend, he says, half-teasing, half-hoping the compliment will melt the sulk.

The last verse admits the fault and the fix. It was his joking that turned the gentle lady’s eyes red with anger; so, addressing himself almost as a character on stage, he says, take her right hand, my lord, and beg forgiveness. And honestly, he notes, there is still no reconciling look in her eyes, a strong anger still lives in her heart. Sung by Lakshman Wijesekara with a new arrangement by Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe, from lawyer John de Silva’s classic Ratnavali nurthi, it is a witty, affectionate period piece about trying, and not quite managing, to make up after a silly quarrel.