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Sri Lankan Proverbs

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known from the beginning of British colonial rule until 1972 as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia near south-east India.

Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest. Its documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of pre-historic human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years.Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II.

A diverse and multicultural country, Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnic groups, and languages. In addition to the majority Sinhalese, it is home to large groups of Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils, Moors, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. More on Sri Lanka from Wikipedia

Several languages are spoken in Sri Lanka within the Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Austronesian families. Sri Lanka accords official status to Sinhala and Tamil. The languages spoken on the island nation are deeply influenced by the languages of neighbouring India, the Maldives and Malaysia. Arab settlers and the colonial powers of Portugal, the Netherlands and Britain have also influenced the development of modern languages in Sri Lanka.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a large suburb of Colombo city and the official capital of Sri Lanka.

Mother Sri Lanka is the national anthem of Sri Lanka.

The English translation of the lyrics:
Thou Mother Lanka,
Oh Mother Lanka we salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!
Plenteous in prosperity, Thou,
Beauteous in grace and love,
Laden with grain and luscious fruit,
And fragrant flowers of radiant hue,
Giver of life and all good things,
Our land of joy and victory,
Receive our grateful praise sublime, we worship, worship Thee.
Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!

Thou gavest us Knowledge and Truth,
Thou art our strength and inward faith,
Our light divine and sentient being,
Breath of life and liberation.
Grant us, bondage free, inspiration.
Inspire us for ever.
Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!

In wisdom and strength renewed,
Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
In love enfolded, a mighty nation
Marching onward, all as one,
Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom, we worship, worship Thee
Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!


Sayings of Sri Lankan origin

Desire never stops, it increases even after satisfaction.

If the devil is your godfather you will be welcome in hell.

An enemy’s punishment is his envy.

Faith in medicine makes it effective.

If the cow gives milk as a healthy food, why ask whether she is black or white?

You cannot justify a crime by saying its very small crime.

He who has studied himself is his own master.

You would do better to be someone’s victim rather than someone’s certainty.

Only the cure you believe in cures.

Don’t count on the chicken before they hatch.

Tell the defect to get more quantity.

Sin is sin whether big or small.

You can buy everything, except a father and a mother.

The bird that flies from branch to branch will end up getting drenched.

When the mother dies the father becomes an uncle.

Our shadow will follow us.

Use the small fish as bait to catch the bigger fish.

Wisdom can be found travelling.

For he who has the time even the jungle is a paradise.

A good husband might have a bad wife, and a bad wife might have a good husband.

The one who teaches is the giver of eyes.

If you have driven a vehicle in Moratumulla, you can drive in any road in Sri Lanka.

It’s the rain that fills the rivers not the dew.

Adversity makes a man wise, not rich.

A good tongue is a good weapon.

Don’t believe everything you hear, and don’t tell everything you believe

The more one has, the more one wants.

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known from the beginning of British colonial rule until 1972 as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia near south-east India.

Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest. Its documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of pre-historic human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years.Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II.

A diverse and multicultural country, Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnic groups, and languages. In addition to the majority Sinhalese, it is home to large groups of Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils, Moors, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. More on Sri Lanka from Wikipedia

Several languages are spoken in Sri Lanka within the Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Austronesian families. Sri Lanka accords official status to Sinhala and Tamil. The languages spoken on the island nation are deeply influenced by the languages of neighbouring India, the Maldives and Malaysia. Arab settlers and the colonial powers of Portugal, the Netherlands and Britain have also influenced the development of modern languages in Sri Lanka.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a large suburb of Colombo city and the official capital of Sri Lanka.

Mother Sri Lanka is the national anthem of Sri Lanka.

The English translation of the lyrics:
Thou Mother Lanka,
Oh Mother Lanka we salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!
Plenteous in prosperity, Thou,
Beauteous in grace and love,
Laden with grain and luscious fruit,
And fragrant flowers of radiant hue,
Giver of life and all good things,
Our land of joy and victory,
Receive our grateful praise sublime, we worship, worship Thee.
Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!

Thou gavest us Knowledge and Truth,
Thou art our strength and inward faith,
Our light divine and sentient being,
Breath of life and liberation.
Grant us, bondage free, inspiration.
Inspire us for ever.
Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!

In wisdom and strength renewed,
Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
In love enfolded, a mighty nation
Marching onward, all as one,
Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom, we worship, worship Thee
Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!