Imatges de pàgina
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දිව්රරඟ විසකුනන් තොපකින් නිලියනස්නට:

සොමි ගුණ බමට හිමි නිති දසදෙස තැ කොඳ නැති සේ. Lord, spread thy gentle virtues on all sides like the (scent of)

the wild jasmine, in order that the dancing maid of thy renown may troll on Pundit's tongues, like unto an arena for dancing.

When certain words (in a sentence) are placed in a certain order, and another set of words intended to be put in apposition to the former, are not placed in the same order, erudite Pundits have considered this objectionable, and have termed the offence e, Disorder.

සිය හ පියනම වූ රි දුසිරි විසිනට :

කසුන් කලදෝ මේවන්දෙවියෝ සතෙලවත්වා.

May the Gold, Silver, and Cloud-coloured Gods pour blessings upon Giridoo, Siri, and Visi, whose husbands are the aforesaid Gods. *

Where a piece of composition, in allusion to an incident, is not upon the face of it sufficiently explicit (and therefore obscure) the defect is called

stalk; but by compounding it with

!, Obscurity—e. g.

the very, and adding a verb such

Now, the

as දීපන් gire; we obtain පිත්ත - මදිපන් Give the very talk. word 8 being uttered at once, conveys a low vulgar meaning, having reference to the posteriors of a person. 2, Es

is one

single term for Pundits; but, as in English, there being two syllables, they, separately, convey two low and undignified meanings -- poisonousdecrepid persons. 3, is a correct word meaning to dance; but it has also another signification, to die.

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In the order of words in the above sentence, "Gold, Silver, and Cloudcoloured Gods,” stand for Brahma, Siva, and Krishna respectively. The words put in apposition to them are 'Giridoo, Siri, and Visi," or (in more conversant phraseology) Parwatee, Lakshamee, and Sara wnee. This is incorrect; because in the order in which the Goddesses are named, it is to be apprehended that Parwate is the wife of Brahma; Lakshamee the wife of Siva; and Saraswatee the wife of Krishna: but, if the Goddesses were (as they ought to have been) named in the following order "Visi, Giridoo and Siri "-i. e. Saraswatee, Parwatee and Lakshamee, their husbands wou d respectively be (in the order in which the poet has given them) Brahma, Siva, and Krishna.

ලේ වන් සමුදුරෙන් උලැඟියෙවරහදෙරනත.

The boar buoyed up the earth from the bloody ocean." This is obscure for want of an expression such as g

d, "bloody by reason of the general destruction of serpents," literally, altogether destroyed serpent's blood.

If words (as in the following example) are improperly put (i. e. where praise is due dispraise is expressed); the defect is called 2, Unpropitious.

EXAMPLE.

ඒතට දිය දේවා රිවිරා උරාකට මැන

May the sun, like unto a gem in the neck of the serpent-like Rahu, give thee victory. †

When an abstruse or obscure expression which has a hidden meaning, occurs in a sentence, (as in the following example), the defect is called ÷6ɩð, Ámbiloquy.

EXAMPLE.

දෙව්බරඩ
අයෙත් පස් විසිවාර කනතා

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May the God of Half-half-twelve eyes protect thee for fivetwenty years. Instead of May the God of three eyes (Siva) protect thee for five-times twenty (or 100) years.' ‡

*This is in allusion to one of the incarnations of Vishnu as a boar, in which form he destroyed innumerable serpents-a warfare which produced blood." See Appendix C. paper on Rhetoric.

a sea of

Here the expression is said to be improper, because the sun is spoken of in undignified terms, when, considering that his blessing is invoked, he should have been alluded to in terms of praise. The expression" like unto a gem in the neck of the serpent-like Rahu" is undignified, since the sun and planet Rahu are said to be at enmity; and therefore to invoke the blessing of the former, by naming him in connection with his enemy, creates an improper sensation in the mind.

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"Half-half-twelve eyes" is an obscure expression; for it may mean either "twelve half eyes," or "twelve (of 4) quarter eyes," or (of of 12=-) three eyes: which last is the meaning of the writer. So likewise, “ Five-twenty years" may mean five-and-twenty”—twenty-five years; or "twenty times five" equal to one hundred years: which last is meant by the writer.

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It is highly objectionable to place words in discordant genders, or numbers; or to compare one object to another which either exceeds, or diminishes that which is compared.

EXAMPLE.

සිසිසේහස කමෙන් විමලඹර යතලමෙන් :

රිවිලක දෝසොබනේ නහළව් බොලෙහිමිහරෙන්The moon is like unto a goose,—the serene sky (vacuum) like unto ponds;-the fire-fly glitters like the sun-the soldier by reason of his veneration for his lord, is like unto a dog. The Poet who will attend to the above (instruction) will be renowned in society. It is (however) desirable that (in composition) he should avoid the defects (aforesaid), and be guided by the usage of ancient teachers: and moreover, versify by a strict attention to Syllabic Instants, Prosody, Rhymes† and Yavehan. ‡

End of the eleventh Chapter. §.

* In the above example, the moon, which is in the masculine gender, is compared to a goose, or a female swan; the vacuum or the sky, in the singular number, to ponds in the plural; the little fire-fly to the sun, which vastly exceeds the former in brilliancy; and the soldier to a dog, an animal whose very mention is associated in the minds of the Singhalese with feelings of contempt and ridicule; a comparison, therefore, ill-becoming a man, who very properly respects his superior,

The following remarks on Sanscrit Prosody apply equally to Singhalese Versification: Mr. Wilson says (see his Grammar p. 417.)" Rhyme is not employed in any of the older, or in the higher order of writings. It is met with in forms of a lyrical character, and of late; and in them also great inequality of metre is introduced. In the best and oldest compositions, great regularity prevails, although the metre is occasinally varied even in the same work, ”— vide Introd: ction.

Yarehan-vide explanation and examples in the Introduction.

It has been suggested to us, that this chapter which is designated The (3) Good and Evil, would bear the interpretation of Purity. There is, however, an objection to the adoption of this on our part. Grammatical Purity embraces three things: First', the Barbarous, or faults arising from a use of foreign terms. ces against the idiom of a language. Quinctilian calls, 'quæ contra legem

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Secondly, solecism, or offenAnd, thirdly, Impropriety. of, what loquendi composita."-Instit. lib. 1.

CHAPTER XII.

On Rhetoric.

64. When a resemblance is instituted between things, it is called Comparison. Of the comparates, the object from whence the comparison is drawn, is known by the term ces; and the object (in hand) to which a similitude is exhibited is called &—e. g.

Budha's

moon.

නුවන් ඉඳු රවන් ඉඳුවන් උවසව නිය

eyes are like the blue Lotus; and his face is like the

Where, as in the above example, a similitude is instituted between two objects, the comparison is named Comparison of objects.

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The following, which is an illustration of sensible by imaginary objects, is called අබූතුවම්.

cap. 5. Now, it will be perceived that the Grammarian merely treats, in this Chapter, of that which is contrary to the received and established usage of the Singhalese language. Hence the necessity for a term less general than “Purity" in order to convey the meaning of 999; which we have therefore translated Propriety.

* It is not a little remarkable, that many a canon of the Singhalese Rhetorician is nearly the same in English. As a means, therefore, whereby we may be enabled the better to illustrate the text, which is too often expressed in a style far from being diffuse, and therefore obscure. to a beginner; we shall cite such passages from Dr. Whately's excellent work on Rhetoric, as, in our opinion, are parallel to the passages in the text“Comparison (says he) is une powerful means of exciting, or heightening any emotion: viz. presenting a parallel between the case in hand, and some other that is calculated to call forth such emotion:" Whately, par: 11. chap. 2, § 4.

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Thus in Whate'y. par. 111. chap. 2. § 3,—" Of metaphors, those generally conduce most to the energy or vivacity of style we are speaking of, which illustrate an intellectual by a sensible object: *** Thus we speak of unbridled rage,'' deep-rooted prejudice. ' &c. &c. But the highest degree of energy (and to which Aristotle chiefly restricts the term) is produced by such metaphors as attribute life and action to things inanimate; and that, even when by this means the last-mentioned rule is violated, i. e. when sensible objects are illustrated by intellectual.”

ඉඳු සැව් පිරිවැටු මහමෙර ලොවද ගුම්වත:
සුගතිඳු බඳ එබඳු වී-

If the Mahamara, which is surrounded by rainbows, were to

move in the world, Budha's body would resemble it.

*

If, in a comparison, the words and their significations be respectively suitable to the object to which the similitude applies, and by which it is illustrated, and the whole sentence conveys a concurrent signification; the comparison is called සෙලෙසුවම්:

EXAMPLES.

පියවිරා වඩා කොස් ඬුපත් ගුණසියෝ:

දල පල් දුඟද සිටියේ පැල දිපියුමැය සරනින්| Although seated in a watery and muddy locality-difficult to be approached; the Lotuses, composed of stem, fibre, petals, sheath, and an increasing red colour, were defeated by her feet.

සුවට කෙමිනුල ඟි අඹ රතරැදි
තරුපුන් ඇල්යපනුයේ වමි තෙ

කොකුම්වත්:

නොමලතින් රැස් ||

That which appeases thy enemy in winter, is not a female's bosom, but the sun, which is greatly round, and of a kokum (saffron) colour, and which rises by degrees, and rests in the vacuum.

Or thus:- That which appeases thy enemy in winter, is not the sun but a female's bosom, which is greatly round, and of a kokum colour, and which rises by degrees, and rests on cloth. t

*It is said that rays having all the colours of the rainbow proceeded from Budha.

+ This may perhaps be explained by what is familiar to the English Rhetorician," explaining the metaphor by a statement of the comparison." In the first example, Lotuses is a metaphorical term; and it is explained by referring at the same time to the stem, (leg); the thread (sinews); the petals (fingers); the sheath (skin); and red-colour (a delightful hue)—qualities which resemble the component parts of the "feet." In the second example, the metaphor is such, and conveyed too in such language, that we at once perceive the likeness; and can apply the "statement of the comparison"

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