Beware how insult her
in your ignorance, accident of your birth,
goaded by the jealous fury of your own girl
who still redoents, it seems, that old flirtation.
Reproaching her forever with your dearth
you miss the loveliness of her
unfolding in perpetual renewal
of suppleness still, her generosity
in your ignorance, accident of your birth,
goaded by the jealous fury of your own girl
who still redoents, it seems, that old flirtation.
Reproaching her forever with your dearth
you miss the loveliness of her
unfolding in perpetual renewal
of suppleness still, her generosity
if you should try to take per from me
I'd launch no thousand ships to bring her back
the braggadocio of the imperial theme
the braggadocio of the imperial theme
that shielded her being now a derelict wreck.
I'd sail some paper boats that bear her name
as this one does, till you grant credit to
my confidence in a fidelity
greater than Helen's. She would not go,
being truer than a thother, sister, wife,
dearer than life.
as this one does, till you grant credit to
my confidence in a fidelity
greater than Helen's. She would not go,
being truer than a thother, sister, wife,
dearer than life.
the clerks, the merchants, and their hireling tribe
long since dispersed,
long since dispersed,
gone the protectors who, while pampering her,
lined their own coffers:
lined their own coffers:
her menfolk falter in a far country
their vigour ended,
their vigour ended,
she wanders here alone and unbefriended,
herself at last, and nothing else to offer.
herself at last, and nothing else to offer.
So do not cal 1 her slut, and alien,
names born of envy and your own misuse
names born of envy and your own misuse
that whisper how desire in secret runs.
She has known greatness, borne illustrious sons
her mind's well stored,
her mind's well stored,
her lovely nature's rich,
filled with these splendid warm surprises which,
now the distorting old connection's done,
fit her to be your mistress, and my Muse.
Yasmine Gooneratne
1st Stanza: Don't insult English because you are accidently born to a servant class, because of that you are jealous of my language repenting about your Sinhala language. But while colonized you enjoyed my language (old flirtation). By using language you have missed the loveliness of the English language. It is always evolving and new additions are found. English language in full and has generosity. This stanza gives a confrontation.
2nd stanza: This gives a challenge. If you take my language, I would send thousand ships, instead, I will write a poem in tribute to language. So, my fidelity to language will be more than Helen's. I am so much in love with my language. (In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy (Greek) also known as Helen of Sparta, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, and was a sister of Castor, Pollux, and Clytemnestra. In Greek myths, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. By marriage she was Queen of Laconia, a province within Homeric Greece, the wife of King Menelaus. Her abduction by Paris, Prince of Troy,' brought about the Trojan War. Elements of her putative biography come from classical authors such as Aristophanes, Cicero, Euripides and Homer (both The Iliad and The Odyssey).
3rd stanza: Then present state of language is brought out. (Situation in 1956) When the language act was passed in 1956 making Sinhala the official language, English language had no chance. This poem is a challenging reaction to the attack launched by the pseudo nationalists. This takes us to the post-independent political situation of Sri Lanka which attempted to depose the status of English from the current situation of dominance. The poet confronts these ideals (patriotic ideals) which insist on the importance of the vernacular. This language act signals the fall of English from its position of authority. Ignoring a language in a community is a way to invisibles a race. This means disposition and lose of identity for some. But it was the opposite of the Sinhala speaking majority who were marginalized during colonization.
Yasmine Goonarathne protests as a voice of the subaltern. As an affected one, she raises up the issue in her poetry. She is adamant about the greatness of her language defending the place and value of English language. This poem is a lover's reply which relates to a central metaphor.
Yasmine Goonarathne herself claims this poem was written out of irritation at the continual denigration of English by Sinhala writers who had no conception of its range. This was a feature of the literary context. The poetess makes an eloquent case for the English language. The narrator assumes the role of a lover who is in love with the language (woman). In reality, the narrator functions more as a lover. The richness of expression and the personal relationship of the poet with the language may not be fully acceptable to the average reader.
filled with these splendid warm surprises which,
now the distorting old connection's done,
fit her to be your mistress, and my Muse.
Yasmine Gooneratne
1st Stanza: Don't insult English because you are accidently born to a servant class, because of that you are jealous of my language repenting about your Sinhala language. But while colonized you enjoyed my language (old flirtation). By using language you have missed the loveliness of the English language. It is always evolving and new additions are found. English language in full and has generosity. This stanza gives a confrontation.
2nd stanza: This gives a challenge. If you take my language, I would send thousand ships, instead, I will write a poem in tribute to language. So, my fidelity to language will be more than Helen's. I am so much in love with my language. (In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy (Greek) also known as Helen of Sparta, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, and was a sister of Castor, Pollux, and Clytemnestra. In Greek myths, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. By marriage she was Queen of Laconia, a province within Homeric Greece, the wife of King Menelaus. Her abduction by Paris, Prince of Troy,' brought about the Trojan War. Elements of her putative biography come from classical authors such as Aristophanes, Cicero, Euripides and Homer (both The Iliad and The Odyssey).
3rd stanza: Then present state of language is brought out. (Situation in 1956) When the language act was passed in 1956 making Sinhala the official language, English language had no chance. This poem is a challenging reaction to the attack launched by the pseudo nationalists. This takes us to the post-independent political situation of Sri Lanka which attempted to depose the status of English from the current situation of dominance. The poet confronts these ideals (patriotic ideals) which insist on the importance of the vernacular. This language act signals the fall of English from its position of authority. Ignoring a language in a community is a way to invisibles a race. This means disposition and lose of identity for some. But it was the opposite of the Sinhala speaking majority who were marginalized during colonization.
Yasmine Goonarathne protests as a voice of the subaltern. As an affected one, she raises up the issue in her poetry. She is adamant about the greatness of her language defending the place and value of English language. This poem is a lover's reply which relates to a central metaphor.
Yasmine Goonarathne herself claims this poem was written out of irritation at the continual denigration of English by Sinhala writers who had no conception of its range. This was a feature of the literary context. The poetess makes an eloquent case for the English language. The narrator assumes the role of a lover who is in love with the language (woman). In reality, the narrator functions more as a lover. The richness of expression and the personal relationship of the poet with the language may not be fully acceptable to the average reader.
2 Comments
Why we cannot copy it and use for reading purposes?
ReplyDeletePlease ensure that the text of this poem is accurate. There are several typos evident in the version published here, and they take away from the full meaning of the poem.
ReplyDelete