Welapena Tharu As Lyrics by Theekshana Anuradha

Looking softly, in secret,
at the weeping star-eyes,
then, as if you hadn’t seen, staring at the ground,
why did you pass me by?

A beauty desirable as a picture,
kindling feelings one by one,
why did you leave my compassionate heart
all alone?

Spilling collyrium across saṃsāra,
tickling the heart with wishes,
you woke my mischievous dream
and went, where, oh where?

Looking softly, in secret,
at the weeping star-eyes,
you went, staring at the ground as if you hadn’t seen,
wondering when, oh when, love will speak

To these weeping star-eyes,
you gave a loving feeling,
never, I promise, to give you sorrow,
I vow it forever…

This is a tender song about a shy, almost-missed love, told through eyes. Its title phrase, welapena tharu as, weeping star-eyes, returns again and again. The singer catches her stealing soft, secret glances at him, and then, as if she had never seen him at all, dropping her gaze to the ground and passing him by. That small, aching moment of nearly connecting is the whole song.

He describes her beauty and his bewilderment together. She is lovely as a painting, and she kindles his feelings one by one, so he cannot understand why she left his tender, compassionate heart so alone. She spilled beauty across saṃsāra, he says, tickled his heart with wishes, and woke his playful dream, only to slip away, where, oh where, did you go?

The ending turns the hurt into a quiet vow. To those same weeping star-eyes she once gave a loving feeling, and now he waits, wondering when love will finally speak out loud. He closes with a promise made for good: never, ever, will I give you sorrow. It is a gentle, hopeful love song about two shy people circling a feeling neither has quite dared to say.