Seethala Pini Bindu Lyrics by Victor Rathnayake

Cold dewdrops, drop by drop, resting on the night stars,
her eyes, wet, give off a glow…..
sweet dreams of love drawn up, honeyed wine lingering on the lips,
my thoughts and her longings flow together…..

The blossoming moon’s pollen drifting, this lane, o fragrant goddess,
my darling, your heart’s wish and mine flow as one….
the songs that rose in this night linger, alone, in the ear,
o dream-vine, that you would stay lingering here with me….

You will linger on the night’s bed, you will sit to keep me company,
forever, the loneliness in my heart drifts away….
the love-songs you once sang to me, gone mute, linger in both our hearts,
come close to me once more, o swan-vine…..

A gentle, luminous classic love song, soaked in the imagery of a cold, star-dewed night. It opens on dewdrops resting on the night stars and the beloved’s eyes wet and glowing; sweet love-dreams rise like honeyed wine lingering on the lips, and my thoughts and her longings flow together. Two people’s inner worlds merging is the whole feeling of the song.

The middle drifts through moonlight and fragrance. Moon-pollen floats along this lane, which he calls a fragrant goddess; his heart’s wish and hers flow as one; and the night’s songs linger alone in the ear. He addresses her tenderly as a dream-vine (sihina lathaave), wishing she would simply stay here beside him.

The close is a quiet plea for return. He imagines her lingering on the night’s bed, sitting to keep him company, and the loneliness drifting from his heart; the love-songs she once sang, now gone mute, still live in both their hearts. And the last call, come close to me once more, o swan-vine (hansa lathaave). Sung by Dr. Victor Rathnayake to words by Kumaradasa Saputhanthri, it is a tender, moonlit classic about two hearts flowing into one on a cold, star-lit night, and the longing for a loved one to stay, or to come back.