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Tééra nósa viida

Peesi takantáá ákii,
Peesi takantáá.
Máára bóórda péértu andáá
Ovii poy juntáá

Kambráám tapeyáá jeentis
Kangrera tapeyáá.
Peesi lotomáá
Nóóspa boom viida loacháá

Kii nóómi nósa tééra?
Áka Bátikalo tééra.
Kii buniitu?
Boom buniitu
Nósa Bátikalo tééra!

Káfriinha bááyla tudu
Oondi yakunsáá,
Léénsas taam nóós lobayláá.
Rábáána lodááy pééli parumpa
Violin guitar lodááy váárva pakevráá.

Magin Mario Balthazaar hails from Batticaloa, Sri Lanka (Eastern Province). He is a member of the Burgher Union of Batticaloa and a musician in its káfriinha group. He loves playing the guitar and the violin, and he is also invested in passing on the traditional káfriinha music and dance to future generations.

» More about Magin Mario Balthazaar

Translated from Sri Lanka Portuguese by Hugo C. Cardoso

Hugo C. Cardoso is a professor of linguistics at the University of Lisbon and a researcher of the Portuguese-lexified creole languages of Asia. In addition to research in several locations of India, he recently conducted an extensive and collaborative documentation of Sri Lanka Portuguese, the endangered language of the Portuguese Burgher community, spoken especially in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.

» More about Hugo C. Cardoso

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Tééra nósa viida

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