Ape Kathawa Lyrics by Yomal Samarakoon

At the love-stations, the resting-stops, of saṃsāra,
let us meet, and stay, without a word,
on the road where dream-dew flowers fall,
dew scatters from the tips of the leaves,
hidden at the corner of the mouth, among the tresses,
playfully…
let us meet, and stay, without a word….

Placing you up in the sky and gazing,
without even closing my eyes,
I will stay right there beside you,
with a wanton, playful glance,
and so, as our hands entwine and we walk on,
even Isurumuniya, surely,
will feel a pang of jealousy,
all because of this unblemished love….

Taking the blue rain of the month of Il,
watching for an auspicious day,
shall we tell the world our story?
why hold back any longer?
what is there to say out loud, raising the voice,
leaving room for the evil eye,
until we see the very end of saṃsāra,
let us meet, and stay, without a word….

A tender, devoted love song about a love so complete it needs no words, sung by Yomal Samarakoon. Its refrain sets the whole mood: at the love-stations of saṃsāra, the resting-stops along the long road of rebirth, let us meet and stay, without a word. The imagery is soft and dewy, dream-flowers falling, dew scattering from leaf-tips, a playful smile hidden among tresses, love as quiet, unspoken presence.

The middle lifts the beloved sky-high and turns even legend jealous. He will set her up in the sky and gaze, not even blinking, staying beside her with a wanton, playful glance; and as their hands entwine and they walk on, he says, even Isurumuniya, the famous stone-carved lovers, will feel a pang of jealousy, all because of this unblemished love. Their pure love outshines the classic image of devotion itself.

The close moves, gently, toward making it public. Taking the blue rain of the month of Il and watching for an auspicious day, he wonders, shall we tell the world our story, why hold back any longer? And yet even here he prefers quiet, leaving no room for the evil eye, and returns to the vow that holds the whole song: until we see the very end of saṃsāra, let us meet and stay, without a word. Sung by Yomal Samarakoon, composed by Tharindu Damsara to words by Shalika Dissanayake, it is a serene, worshipful love song about a bond too deep and too pure to need speaking aloud.