Ara-Liya Lyricsby

Umara Sinhawansha

Behind every breath… was your breath
Behind every tear… was your tear
Behind every sigh… was your sigh
Behind every trace of air… you were there
You were there – Ara-Liya

How much the sky must have struggled
To hold up the rising moon
And now, to hold it again
But who looks up at the sky to see you?
They all look only at the glowing moon
But who speaks of you… sky-bearer?
(As if the sky behind it never existed…)

How much the ocean must have struggled
To cradle those tiny pearls
And shape the ones you gave
But who listens to the sea and thinks of you?
They only praise the shining pearls
But who speaks of you… sea-carer?
(As if the sea behind them never existed…)

Behind every breath…
You were there – Ara-Liya…

“Ara-Liya” is a hauntingly beautiful tribute to those who stay in the background, unrecognized, but essential – especially those who love, protect, and sacrifice silently.

The metaphor of Ara-Liya (a delicate, small forest flower in Sinhala, often symbolizing grace and quiet strength) becomes a stand-in for someone whose presence is constant but unnoticed. The song draws parallels to the sky holding up the moon and the sea shaping and carrying pearls – two powerful forces whose labor is often ignored, while only the visible beauty they support is celebrated.

It’s a profound reflection on unseen emotional labor, especially the kind shown in love, caregiving, or relationships – where one person quietly supports the other, breath by breath, tear by tear, but is rarely acknowledged.

The repeated line “You were there – Ara-Liya” is not just romantic – it’s reverent. It honors someone whose quiet presence carried the weight of everything.

A powerful song about loyalty, invisibility, and the bittersweet ache of being essential yet forgotten.