416 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL, XVIII. 
Threshing-floor Song, 
1. The strength of refuge in Buddha, 
The strength of refuge in Dharmma, 
The strength of refuge in the Sangha — 
In these three refuges is the strength of the threshing floor i 
2. Where the sun god appears ^ 
There will remain no dew drops, 
Where the moon god appears 
There will remain no darkness, 
3. Where the great tuskers are tied up 
There will remain no tree stumps, 
Where all the gods appear 
There will be no mishaps, 
4. At the time of sowing paddy and seed paddy. 
When it waxes parrot green. 
Turning in the water to the right degree — 
When the seed is just maturing in the ear, 
5. Turning in the water to the level of the balk, 
And having offered milk at the milk-entering time, 
The ears bending towards the East — 
At the time the paddy ripens, 
6. Having found out a good hour and reaped the paddy, 
Having chosen a good place for the threshing-floor, 
Having found out a good hour and weeded it. 
And drawn creepers round the floor, 
7. Having in a circle scraped the threshing-floor, 
Having made and put the sheaves together into ketakandu, 
And gathered into watamalu all around, 
And having purified the threshing-floor, 
§c63, reaped ; this word is used euphemistically to avoid the harsher 
term 355e3), cut. 
' Cf\ J. P. Lewis, Journal, C.B.R.A.S., vol. VIII., p. 312 ; and H. CP. Bell, 
vol. VIII., p. 4:8, for references to a " guard cord." Such do not appear 
to be actually used. • 
^ " And put together into Itetakandu^'" i,e.^ arranged the sheaves in 
cocks previous to stacking in regular watamalu. 
» Watamalu, These are the stacks in which the paddy is arranged ready 
for threshing. They are ring-shaped, with a central space big enough for 
a man to stand in ; the paddy is arranged with the ears pointing inwards. 
10 Purified." This refers to cow-dunging the floor and sprinkling it 
with milk " made of sandalwood ground with cocoanut milk. 
