Noma Tharahawanu

Don’t be angry, I only ask after you,
we met after such a long time,
the youthful beauty is there on that
proud face of yours

Humming and buzzing,
o forest butterflies going flower to flower,
there is no hindrance to you from us,
we won’t come that way again

We two went to learn our letters together,
the butterfly-days of our lives,
lips murmuring with playful smiles,
it was a fine world of celestial maidens

Don’t be angry, I only ask after you

A gentle, wistful song about running into an old flame after many years. Don’t be angry, I only ask after you, the singer begins, disarmingly careful; we met after such a long time. He notices the youthful beauty is still there on her now proud face, time has passed, but she is still lovely, and perhaps a little distant.

The middle steps politely back, using butterflies as its image. To the forest butterflies going flower to flower, he says there is no hindrance to you from us, we won’t come that way again. It is a graceful withdrawal, an assurance that he will not intrude on her life or trouble her.

The close is warm memory. We two went to learn our letters together, childhood classmates, in the butterfly-days of our lives, lips murmuring with playful smiles, in a fine world of celestial maidens. He remembers their shared childhood fondly, without bitterness, and closes on the same gentle plea, don’t be angry, I only ask after you. Sung by Shirly Waijayantha, it is a tender, courteous song about meeting a childhood love long after, cherishing the old days while stepping back with grace.