.No. 5.— 1850.] 



THE ELTJ LANGUAGE. 



313 



Literal translation. 

 Mayest thou, O noble pigeon, live long ! My friend ! by 

 reason of thy yellow-white hue and deeply red feet, like unto a 

 chank with coral plants produced from the milky ocean — like unto 

 the clear autumnal (sky) bespangled with the sun and the stars ! 

 when thou wast slowly moving in the sky, and in a delightfully 

 gentle breeze, were not (people) deceived in thee for a beautifully 

 full-blown white lily dropt from (heaven) ? Did they not 

 approach thee under a belief that thou wast a lotus-bud fallen off 

 from the celestial river ? Did they not make offerings to thee 

 under the impression that thou wast a white ray emitted from 

 Buddha's pure court ? Did not goddesses kiss thee with delight 

 under the mistaken idea that thou wast a flower from Nandene, the 

 heavenly park ? Hast thou arrived without accident in thy 

 aerial journey ? Noble friend ! To us thy sight is bliss ! 



Although many were the writings of this eminent scholar, 

 the only other work handed down to us with the sanction 

 of his own name is Moggalldyana Patipanchakd (@®3®(iB- 

 <3CB?g»€6 e3>d3o©££)3), a commentary on the Pali grammar 

 written by a pandit of the name of Moggalldyana* 

 Perakumbd Sirite 



" The character of Parakrama Bahu." 

 Although the poet has not given us his name, we yet 

 have internal evidence sufficient to justify the conclusion, 

 consistent with a tradition on the subject that the above was 

 written by the author of the last. It is true that, unlike 

 the rest of the great writer's works, this contains a great 

 admixture of the Sanskrit ; but, nevertheless, wherever the 

 language is purely Elu, it has indubitable evidence of the 

 great scholar's style, his masterly and peculiarly fine turns 

 of expression, and his originality and depth of thought. 

 From this and the Sdalihini Sandese and Paravi Sandese 

 we may select three verses written of the reigning 

 sovereign, in the same measure, with the same rhymes, and 



