Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c30.s2.1

c30.s2.1

PANNAN KATURA, the story of how in the time of King Mahā Sammata, a daughter Mat and her mother-in-law had words and wove (in rivalry). weaving
1. Long ago King Sammata had no mat for his bed; when he told his chamberlain of this, song the chamberlain spake thus to the king,—
2. “There are living in these villages, here and there, women who can plait; I will go and fetch them quickly.”
3. The chamberlain went from village to village, in search of cunning women, “By his Majesty’s orders, weave a good mat and bring (it here) to-morrow.”
4. Now there were no rushes with which to weave the king’s mat; “My Mother-in-law, let us gather and bring good rushes.
5. “Hear me, my Mother, listen kindly (to my prayer), do not stay, let us go, Mother, to cut rushes;
6. “Let us go to the field-of-rushes and seek for good rushes, let us cut the rushes quickly, Mother,
7. “Let us bring the rushes home, straightway lay them in the sun, then taking up the rushes, let us, Mother, weave a mat of them;
8. “(See the) growing beauty (of the) women gathering, neatly they bind the loosened hair upon their head; let us, Mother, take a grass-knife and go to gather (rushes) in the meadow.”
9. Polishing her teeth with powder, she smiled at her handsome husband, saying, “My Mother-in-law has gone to gather rushes in the field, see! I, too, will go to gather rushes.”
10. “‘A seven months child is in your womb, parti-coloured spots are on your breast, it will miscarry if you go to gather in the field-of-rushes, do not go,’ my husband called to me:
11. “See how the women gather and bring the rushes, (how) they have prepared them and are ready to (begin the) plaiting, (see how) the women fare on the path; do you go, Mother, I cannot go for this man’s worrying.”
12. “Let us go, elder sister, to gather rushes, already they have gone to the ran-minuvan (golden rushes) meadow.” “If I go to gather rushes, staying till afternoon, who will give milk to the baby?”
13. Then were the women ready to set out, dressed in clean white cloths: “I cannot leave my pretty babe and go.
14. “Mother, hear my loving words, do you go with our seven good friends, kind and friendly women, bringing minuvan rushes from the meadow.
15. “Anoint with oil and sandal paste and neatly bind your hair, putting oil on your face, go seek the minuvan, Mother, will you not go to cut the rushes.
16. “Take a grass-knife with you, go seek the field-of-rushes gladly, cut the rushes, split and dry them, tie them in a bundle and leave them to dry.