Mariye

Maria, on your white face
shone a radiance, and love,
and the son’s smile spoke
of peace, and of love, to the world //

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas is shining,
in our hearts, in our hearts, gladness is spoken,
lovely, lovely, everything looks, on every side,
the festival, the festival bell is ringing

Maria, on your white face
shone a radiance, and love,
and the son’s smile spoke
of peace, and of love, to the world

Long ago, long ago, on a Christmas night,
a shining, shining comet-star, that night,
rising, rising and lighting up the cattle-shed, that night,
the night that God became a man, that Christmas night

Maria, on your white face
shone a radiance, and love,
and the son’s smile spoke
of peace, and of love, to the world //

A warm Sinhala Christmas carol, sung by Rookantha Goonatillake with Marita, centred on the Madonna and child. Maria, it says, on your white face shone a radiance and love, and the smile of the son, the infant Jesus, spoke of peace and love to the whole world. The image is the serene, glowing crèche, tender and full of light.

The refrain is pure festive joy: Christmas, Christmas is shining, gladness is spoken in every heart, everything looks lovely on every side, and the festival bell rings. It captures the shared, communal happiness of the season, the whole world lit up and celebrating together.

The last verse returns to the first Christmas night. Long ago, a shining comet-star rose and lit up the cattle-shed, on the night that God became a man. It names the heart of the feast, the Incarnation, in the simplest, most wondering words. Sung by Rookantha Goonatillake and Marita, it is a gentle, joyful carol about the Nativity, the mother and child, and the peace and love that Christmas brings into the world.