'On the Indo-Portuguese of Ceylon': a translation of a Hugo Schuchardt Manuscript.

This paper consists of two parts, my introduction and the translation of the nineteenth-century Hugo Schuchardt Manuscript, 'Zum Indoportugiesischen von Ceylon' on Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole. This manuscript forms part of the Hugo Schuchardt Collection at the University of Graz, Austria. (1) It was written in German and consists of Schuchardt's essay on Ceylon Portuguese (here translated by Professor Theodora Bynon), and includes two Ceylon Portuguese songs (here translated by myself) which give an insight into the creole community.

SRI LANKA PORTUGUESE CREOLE

Portuguese interaction with the Sri Lankans (1505-1658) led to the evolution of a contact language, Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole. It has been grouped together with the other Portuguese-based creoles, called Indo-ortuguese, that once flourished in coastal India. Pidgins and creoles are languages that evolve when people who do not speak each other's mother-tongue come into contact. Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole was the solution to the problem of intercommunication when the Portuguese and Sri Lankans came into contact. Portuguese-based creoles are the oldest creoles based on a European language and are therefore particularly important. Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole has been particularly robust. It has survived for about five centuries. After the Portuguese era creole developed in contact with Sinhala and Tamil (the indigenous languages), and Dutch and English (the languages of the two colonial powers that followed the Portuguese). It is still spoken on the island, mainly in the Eastern Province (Batticaloa and Trincomalee), and in the North-Western Province (Puttalam). Although there is religious literature in Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole, it is rare to find secular literature which reflects the culture of the creole community, the burghers (descendants of the Portuguese and Dutch), such as is included in the Schuchardt Manuscript.

HUGO SCHUCHARDT

Hugo Schuchardt (1842-1927), the undisputed father of pidgin and creole linguistics, was a Romance linguist. He was the first linguist to realise the significance of creole linguistics to general linguistics. He held three university positions: private docent at Leipzig (1870-73), Professor at Halle (1873-76) and Graz (1876-1900). He retired early, at the age of fifty-eight, and devoted the last twenty-seven years of his life solely to research.

Schuchardt was a student of August Schleicher whose Stammbaum ('genealogical tree model for the inter-relationship of Indo-European languages') theory made him a leading linguist in the nineteenth century. He, together with Johannes Schmidt, another of Schleicher's students, developed the Wellentheorie ('theory of waves of linguistic innovations such as sound changes that spread over a given area from dialect to dialect, or in a language contact situation, from language to language'). Schuchardt's interest in contact languages (pidgins and creoles) seems to have emanated from this work.

Schuchardt had not travelled extensively but he collected examples of pidgins and creoles from his correspondence with professional ethnologists, linguists, colonial administrators, missionaries, diplomats, military men, adventurous travellers and journalists. The bibliography of the Festschrift to celebrate Schuchardt's eightieth birthday contains 770 items. Schuchardt's correspondence includes more than 10,000 letters in response to linguistic information requested by him.

He wrote in his mother tongue, German, and also in French, Latin and Hungarian. His works are a rich source of information and an insight into many areas of creole linguistics. Holm states that Schuchardt's major work was on the Portuguese-based creoles. (2) Schuchardt published works on Sao Tomee, (3) Annobon, (4) Senegal, (5) Cape Verde, (6) Principe, (7) Indo-Portuguese (8) and Malayo-Portuguese. (9)

Professor Theodora Bynon (a German, and formerly Professor of Linguistics, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) has translated the German in Schuchardt's manuscript. I have translated the two Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole songs into Standard Portuguese and English. It is not possible to present a perfect translation for several reasons: the absence of adequate dictionaries of Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole, the dynamic nature of a creole, and the time that has elapsed since the recording of the lyrics. I have consulted Callaway, (10) Dalgado, (11) Fox (12) and Smith (13) in translating these verses. They represent an oral tradition, and wherever there is ambiguity, I have intepreted them according to my knowledge of Sri Lankan culture (see Figure 1 for a page of the original Schuchardt manuscript). The grammatical structure of Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole (SLPC) is distinct from that of Standard Portuguese (SP). For example, the verb has been reduced to a single form; tense-mood-aspect markers (lo, te, ja) indicate the future, present and past tenses; that is, lo leva (SLPC): levarae (SP) 'he will carry'; te folga (SLPC): folgam (SP) 'they rejoice'; ja olha (SLPC): olhei (SP) 'I saw'.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Most words in creole have Portuguese etyma but some do not. For example, venkel (<Dutch) 'workshop'; conde (<Sinhala/Tamil) 'a low knot of hair tied at the back of the head' or 'hair'; mainato (<Malayalam) 'washerman'; Sin' (< English-Saint). Sinhala (S) has borrowed Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole (SLPC) words and some are illustrated in the Schuchardt manuscript, for example nona (SLPC): nona (S) 'lady'; hora (SLPC): horava (S) 'hour'; rosa (SLPC): rosa (S) 'pink'; cidade (SLPC): sidadiya (S) 'city'; sinyo (SLPC): sinno (S) 'sir'; funila (SLPC): punilaya (S) 'funnel'; cozinha (SLPC): kussiya (S) 'kitchen'. Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole has been the medium through which Sinhala borrowed Portuguese words. Dalgado considers Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole to be the most important Asian Portuguese Creole due to its vitality and due to the number of Portuguese words borrowed by Sinhala. (14)

The first song has thirty-six verses and the second has twenty verses. The theme of the first song is love and the theme of the second is alcoholism. In the first song the heroine is pink-complexioned which indicates her

European (burgher) origin. Conde is a Sri Lankan hairstyle where the hair is tied in a knot on the head, as indicated by Schuchardt. However, conde also denotes hair. In this song it is used for hair and not for the hairstyle. The mainato ('washerman') performs a purification role and is an important guest at Sri Lankan marriage ceremonies. Clothes are washed by a distinct caste, henawansaya 'hena caste' in Sri Lanka. They are also known as dhobies (an Anglo-Indian word) in Sri Lanka. A white cloth is presented to the bride by the bridegroom during the marriage ceremony. On the morning after the wedding night the washerman/washerwoman takes the white cloth stained with blood and vouches for the bride's virginity. The relatives celebrate by playing the rabana (a Sri Lankan drum played by several people simultaneously). The dhoby also plays a part when a girl attains puberty. He/she is given the clothes that the girl wore at the time of puberty as they are considered to be impure. He/she bathes the girl in order to cleanse her after the first menstruation ceases. Therefore, the Portuguese word lavadeiro ('washerman') is not used in the context of the Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole song in the Schuchardt manuscript. The Malayalam word mainato ('washerman'), indicates the link between Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole and the Indo-Portuguese of the Malabar Coast. Coral, found abundantly in Sri Lanka, is used metaphorically for the heroine's lips.

In the second song, the Dutch word venkel ('workshop') indicates the Dutch influence on the Portuguese Creole-speaking community. The Portuguese descendants practised the trades of their forefathers such as carpentry and shoemaking. They rarely aspired to acquire other professional skills. Therefore the second song depicts a typical Portuguese burgher who runs a workshop and tells of the effects of alcoholism on his work and life. Schuchardt interprets Samater as 'a cyclone perhaps from Sumatra', and this implies that the songs are from the east coast of Sri Lanka which receives the winds from South East Asia.

The Portuguese and English translations of the Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole texts from Matthew are from the Portuguese and English versions of the New Testament which would have been available to the missionaries who translated them into the creole. (15)

Because of the brevity of the two songs in the Schuchardt manuscript they only provide a limited insight into the culture of the burghers. By contrast the Nevill manuscript, another nineteenth-century manuscript of Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole folk verses, with 1,045 verses, gives a much broader perspective of the community. (16) Some lines and themes in the two manuscripts are similar, so a comparison of the two should provide an avenue for further research.

A TRANSLATION OF THE SCHUCHARDT MANUSCRIPT (17)

Of all the varieties of Indo-Portuguese, that of Ceylon has until recently been the only one for which printed texts were available; even the existence of other varieties was scarcely known to European scholars. Thus for E. Teza, who was the first to have examined scientifically a Portuguese Creole (in fact Ceylon Portuguese), in 1872, and for F. A. Coelho, the terms 'Ceylon Portuguese' and 'Indo-Portuguese' had not yet been differentiated, although Coelho quotes a passage according to which 'o indo-portuguez e mais ou menos entendido por todas a costa da India'. (18) Since the literature in Ceylon-Portuguese is relatively large, it is on this variety that a comprehensive description of Indo-Portuguese will have to be based. I will not myself attempt it until I am able to fill this one serious gap in my collection of creole data. I have not yet been able to see the grammatical and lexicological writings of Berrenger, Fox, and Callaway which date from the first quarter of the present century. Numerous Indo-Portuguese words, taken mostly I am told from the vocabulary of Callaway, can be found however in the seventh edition of the Portuguese Dictionary by A. de Moraes Silva 'melhorada e muito accrescentada com grande numero de termos novos usados no Brasil e no portuguez da India'. (19) Most of what has been printed in Ceylon Portuguese is listed in Callaway; (20) they lack, however:

* livro de oracaos usado ne greyas de Wesleyanos ne ilha de Ceylon. (21)

* Cantigas e louvors per servicos-missionario traducido per o lingoa portugueza qui tem papiado ne Ceylon. (22)

* Religios-moralische Monatsschrift. (23)

* Newstead's Cantigas have repeatedly been edited; mine is the sixth edition: Cantigas per adoracao publico, em lingua portuguesa de Ceylon. (24)

* The first translation of the Gospel According to St Matthew by Robert Newstead entitled Evangelho forma de Santo Mattheos, (25) which, according to Callaway appears to have become rather rare; my copy lacks the title page. (26) It is in small quarto (a smaller format than the octavo of the New Testaments of 1826 and 1852). The extent and way in which the language of the three editions differs may be illustrated by an example (Matthew v. 13-18):

1819 MANUSCRIPT

13. Vossotros tem o sal de o terra, mas si o sal ja perdi aquel-su sabor, aquel com que lo ser salgado? aquel despois nunca vale nada, senao per fica pinchado fora, e per fica massado baixo da pes de gente.

1826 MANUSCRIPT

13. Vossotros tem o sal de a terra; mas si o sal ja perdi seu sabor, aquel com que lo ser salgado? aquel despois nunca valia nada, senao pera fica pinchado fora, e massado baixo os pes de gente.

1852 MANUSCRIPT

13. Vossotros tem o sal de terra, mas si o sal ja perde sua sabor, aquel com que lo ser salgado? aquel despois nunca vale nada, senao per fica pinchado fora e massado baso de pes de gentes.

Portuguese (O NOVO TESTAMENTO)

13. Vos sois o sal da terra; pois se o sal se esvaecer, com que se salgaia? para nada mais presta, senao para se lancar fora, e dos homens se pisar.

ENGLISH (THE HOLY BIBLE)

13. Yee are the salt of the earth: But if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it bee salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foote of man.

1819 MANUSCRIPT

14. Vossotros tem o lume de mundo, hum cidade que tem riba de hum montanha non pode ser escondido.

1826 MANUSCRIPT

14. Vossotros tem o lume de o mundo; hua cidade concertada riba de hum monte nao pode ser escondida.

1852 MANUSCRIPT

14. Vossotros tem o lume de o mundo; hum cidade concertado sobre hum monte, nao pode ser escondido.

PORTUGUESE (O NOVO TESTAMENTO)

14. Vos sois a luiz do mundo: Nao se pode esconder a cidade sobre o monte fundada.

ENGLISH (THE HOLY BIBLE)

14. Yee are the light of the world. A citie that is set on an hill, cannot be hid.

1819 MANUSCRIPT

15. Nem gentes nunca sande hum candecera e despois aquel bota baixo de hum medida, mas riba hum candelar, e aquel te da lume per tudo pessaos quem tem ne casa.

1826 MANUSCRIPT

15. Nem gente nunca cende hum candecera pera guarda de baixo hua medida, mas sobre hum candelar que aquel pode da lume per todos quem tem ne casa.

1852 MANUSCRIPT

15. Ninguem nada sande hum candecera e guarda aquel baso de hum medida, mas sobre hum candelar, que aquel pode da lume per todos quem tem ne casa.

PORTUGUESE (O NOVO TESTAMENTO)

15. Nem se accende, a candea, e se poem debaixo do alqueire, mas no candieiro, e alumia a todos quantos em casa estao.

ENGLISH (THE HOLY BIBLE)

15. Neither doe men light a candle, and put it under a bushell: but on a candlesticke, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

1819 MANUSCRIPT

16. Vossas lume desse luzi diante de gentes, que vossas bom fazeres ellotros pode olha, e glorifica per vossa Pai quem tem ne ceos.

1826 MANUSCRIPT

16. Assis vosso lume desse luzi diante de gente, que ellotros olhando vossas boas obras, pode glorifica per vosso Pai quem tem ne os ceos.

1852 MANUSCRIPT 16. Desse vossas lume assi luze diante de gentes, que ellotros olhando vossas bom obras pode glorifica per vossas pai quem tem ne ceos.

PORTUGUESE (O NOVO TESTAMENTO)

16. Assi resplandeca vossa luz diante dos homens para que vejao vossas boas obras, e glorifique ma voss Pai que esta nos ceos.

ENGLISH (THE HOLY BIBLE)

16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your father which is in heaven.

1819 MANUSCRIPT

17. Nao lembra que eu ja vai per destrui o lei ou profetas, eu nunca vi per destrui, mas per fare guarda aquel lei.

1826 MANUSCRIPT

17. Nao lembra que eu ja vi pera destrui o lei ou as prophetas: eu nunca vi pera destrui, mas pera fare feito.

1852 MANUSCRIPT

17. Nao lembra que eu ja vi per destrui o lei ou o prophetas, eu nunca vi per destrui, mas per perfeita.

PORTUGUESE (O NOVO TESTAMENTO)

17. Nao cuideis que vim a desatar a ley, ou os Profetas: nao vim a os desatar, senao a os cumprir.

ENGLISH (THE HOLY BIBLE)

17. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the lawe of the Prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.

1819 MANUSCRIPT

18. Em verdade eu te falla per vossotros, que ate que ceos e o mundo lo ser passado, nehum palavra, nem nehum lettra de o lei nada ser passado ate que tudo lo ser cabado.

1826 MANUSCRIPT

18. Porque, em verdade, eu te falla per vossotros que ate que o ceu e o mundo te passa, nem hua lettra, nem hua ponta entieramente nada ser passado de a lei ate que tudo lo ser feito.

1852 MANUSCRIPT

18. Porque per verdade eu te falla per vossotros, ateque o ceos e o mundo te passa, nem hum lettra, nem hum ponta, nada ser passado de o lei, ate que todo lo sucede.

PORTUGUESE (O NOVO TESTAMENTO)

18. Porque em verdade vos dige, que ate que nao passem o ceo e a terra, nem hum jota, nem hum til se passarae da ley, que tudo nao aconteca.

ENGLISH (THE HOLY BIBLE)

18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth passe, one iote or one title, shall in no wise passe from the law, till all be fulfilled.

It will be seen from these few verses that in the second translation [that of 1826] (which according to Mr J. H. Eaton originates with a certain Mr Blake, but according to The Bible of every Land, cited by Callaway (first edition) is, like the first translation, by R. Newstead) greater concessions are made to Portuguese alto than with the other two. I shall illustrate this with a few examples. Mr J. H. Eaton, to whom I am indebted for his detailed information sent in 1884 on Ceylon Portuguese, notes that the definite article is always o, plural os or o (o rainha 'the queen'; os rainhas 'the queens'), but also 'very frequently in ordinary conversation' o rainhas 'the queens' (this accordingly appears to be the genuine creole expression); the indefinite article is hum 'a' (contraction of huma). Now, while the 1819 version (though with many inconsistencies) and the 1852 version have o palavra 'the word', o Phariseos, o aldias 'the village', hum geracao, etc., in the 1826 version we find in their place a palavra, as Phariseos, as aldeas, hua geracas, etc. Similarly we find in the 1819 version minha pai 'my father', sua olho 'her eye', vossa senhor 'your Lord', etc, whereas in the 1852 version the gender differentiation is observed: um pai 'a father'---minha mai 'my mother'; vosso senhor 'your Lord'--vossa filha 'your daughter'. According to Mr Eaton the two respective forms (at least those which also differ in their stems: nossa 'our', vossa 'your' appear to be the only relevant ones) alternate in random fashion: meu ferro 'my iron', meu filha 'my daughter', minha chape 'my hat'.

While the edifying literature of the Wesleyans may give access to the grammar and vocabulary of Ceylon Portuguese, we lack texts which reflect the spirit and the traditions of the burghers in a purer form. For this reason the following samples of popular lyric may not be unwelcome; 'a man who knows much about these old songs' wrote them down for Mr Eaton.

Mr Eaton admits that he is not always certain of the intended meaning. The verses may well have lost, in their oral transmission, their original form. They have the characteristics of the love songs from the west coast of India; 36, 1.2 corresponds exactly with iii, 6, 1.2 from Mangalore. Mr Eaton has provided me with the tune 'Margaritta Maria, Margaritta, Margaritta Senhoras' to which this Mangalore song is said to be sung (see Figure 2).

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

He has written a temperance song to the same tune, which I will also reproduce here since it contains some interesting linguistic material and also since it may not have been printed before.

Mr Eaton has told me that he does not share the view of those who predict the demise of Ceylon Portuguese in the near future. He says that although he is now aged over fifty he finds the language still as vigorous as it was in his youth, and that it continues to be spoken by the artisan classes to the same extent. English, however, is making rapid progress, a good many workers speaking it, although rather badly, but still better than their fathers did. A larger proportion are unfamiliar with English and adhere to the old idiom (i.e. creole) with remarkable tenacity.

To what extent creole is indebted to Tamil and Sinhala remains to be investigated; the opposite influence has been demonstrated by E. Woodhouse in his treatise 'Influence of the Portuguese and Dutch languages on the Sinhalese and Tamil' (The Orientalist ...) but only as regards vocabulary.

SONG 1--UNTITLED

      SRI LANKA
  PORTUGUESE CREOLE
     [Schuchardt          STANDARD PORTUGUESE            ENGLISH
     Manuscript]            [my translation]        [my translation]

1)
Quem quer ovi            Quem quer ouvir          Who wants to hear
Hum successo de vento?   Um sucesso de vento?     A success of vanity?
Te vi hum maceo (27)     Um mancebo vem           A young man comes
Hum grande tromento!     Num grande tormento!     In a great torment!

2)
Buscando te vi           Buscando eu venho        Searching I come
De tempos passado;       De tempos passados       Of times past
Ja olha per nova,        Olhei a noiva            I saw the fiancee
Ja fica ariado!          Fiquei arido!            I was parched!

3)
Quanto annos, e tempo,   Quantos anos, e          How many years, and
                           tempos,                  times,
Ja guarda respeito!      Guardei respeito!        I guarded respect!
Ja olha per vos!         Olhei-vos!               I saw you!
Agora satisfeito!        Agora estou              Now I am satisfied!
                           satisfeito!

4)
Ja encontra per vos,     Encontrei-vos,           I met you
Ne muito allegre!        Com muita alegria!       With much joy!
Gardece (28) per vos     Agradeco-vos             I thank you
Com grande saudade!      Com grande saudade!      With great nostalgia!

5)
Amor tem hum causa       Amor e a causa           Love is the cause
Que cahi ne tentacao!    Porque cai na            That I fell into
                           tentacao!                temptation!
Primeiro ne vista        Primeiro na vista        First at sight
Segundo ne coracao       Segundo no coracao       Second in the heart

6)
Ja usa amor              Usei amor                I resorted to love
Com coracao forte;       Com um coracao forte;    With a strong heart;
Amor causador            Amor causou dor          Love caused pain
Eu casta mea morte!      Eu castigo a minha       I chastise my death!
                           morte!

7)
Vide (29) meu amor,      Porque meu amor,         Because my love,
Todo penas ja passa;     Todas as penas passei;   I passed all pains;
Agora tem basta!         Agora basta!             Now it is enough!
Meu coracao ja quebra!   Quebraste o meu          You broke my heart!
                           coracao!

8)
Amor ja da dor           Amor deu dor             Love gave pain
Ne peito nocente,        Nascida no peito         Born in the breast
Castigo de Deos          Castigo de Deus          God's punishment
Acha brandomente.        Acho-o brando.           I find soft.

9)
Amor ja da dor           Amor deu dor             Love gave pain
Que non pode supporta!   Que nao posso            That I cannot
                           suportar!                support!
Si fora peder            Se feito em pedra        If made in stone
  marma, (30)              marmore,                 marble,
Lodia (31) fende,        Daria fenderia,          It would crack, to
  rabenta!                 rebentar!                break!

10)
Eu com hum amor          Eu com um amor           I with a love
Fraco mais figueira!     Fico mais fraco!         I stay more weak!
Minha corecao            O meu coracao            My heart
Darte (32) como cera!    Derrete como cera!       Melts like wax!

11)
De amor sua causa        Por causa do seu amor    Because of your love
Per mi ja sucede!        Eu consegui!             I succeeded!
Hum dia per outro        Um dia depois do outro   One day after another
Como sal te darte.       Derrete como sal.        Melts like salt.

12)
Sober minha cama         Na minha cama            Upon my bed
Si eu descancado!        Estava descansando!      I am resting!
Com lagres (33) de       Com lagrimas de meus     With tears from my
  meu olho,                olhos,                   eyes,
Alfada (34) molhado!     A almofada esta          The cushion is wet!
                           molhada!

13)
Nontem parmi sono        Para mim nao ha sono     For me there is no
                                                    sleep
Nem parmi hum            Para mim nem descanso,   Nor for me rest,
  descanco,
Causo de amor            Por causa do amor        Because of love
Tem grande espanto.      eum grande espanto.      It is a great shock.

14)
Ameroso peito,           Amoroso peito,           Amorous breast,
Rigoroso corecao,        Rigoroso coracao,        Rigorous heart,
Eu ne vossa braco        Eu nos vossos bracos     I in your arms
Lo morre com affeixao.   Morarei com afeicao.     Will live with
                                                    affection.

15)
Larga todo te anda!      Largo tudo, ando!        I leave all, I go!
Vos que hora lo vi?      Viras aquela hora?       Will you see that
                                                    hour?
Minha corecao,           O meu coracao,           My heart,
Non pode suffri.         Nao pode sofrer.         Cannot suffer.

16)
Despois de toma,         Depois de tomadas,       Having taken,
Amor seu sintido         O sentido do amor        Love's feeling
Carne de meu corpo       A carne do meu corpo     My body's flesh
Ja tem bem dartido.      Tem muito a dar.         Had much to give.

17)
Despois de toma          Depois de tomadas        Having taken
Amor seu lembranca       As lembrancas de amor    Love's memories
Anoite, dedia            De noite e de dia        At night and at day
Nontem hum descanco!     Nao tenho um descanco!   I have no rest!

18)
Ai! amor! amor!          Ai! amor! amor!          Ah! love! love!
Parque vinganca da?      Porque vingaras-te?      Why avenge yourself?
Doque da vinganca        Porque vingaras-te?      Why avenge yourself
Melhor vida tira.        Melhor tirar a vida.     Better to take life.

19)
Ja toma amor             Tomei-me de amor         Love took me
Ne poco idade;           Com pouca idade;         At a young age;
Per larga mao            Largo a mao              I release the hand
Sinte piedade.           Sinto piedade.           I feel pity.

20)
Ja toma amor             O amor tomou-me          Love took me
Com grande lembranca!    Com grandes              With great memories!
                           lembrancas!
Despois de toma,         Depois de tomado,        Having taken,
Sabe tem vinganca!       Sei tem vinganca!        I know it has
                                                    vengeance!

21)
Eu ama per vos           Eu amo-vos               I love you
Com corecao forte;       Com um coracao forte;    With a strong heart;
Assi lo ama              Assim amarei             Thus I will love
Ate minha morte.         Ate a minha morte.       Until my death.

22)
Eu ja ama per vos        Eu amei-vos              I loved you
Assi verdedeiro;         Assim verdadeiramente;   Thus truly;
Minha corpo morto        Do meu corpo morto       Of my dead body
Vos ja tem herdeiro.     Vos sois herdeira.       You are heiress.

23)
Amor affeicao,           Amor afeicao,            Love affection,
Firma ate cabo!          Firme ate ao fim!        Strong until the end!
Si arma treicao,         Se ha uma traicao,       If there is a
                                                    treason,
Lo leva diabo!           O levara o diabo!        The devil will carry
                                                    it!

24)
Amor ja falla            Amor disse               Love said
Junto lo morre           Moraremos juntos         We will live together
Ja olha pobreza          Ela viu pobreza          She saw poverty
Salta ja curre!          Ela saltou e fugiu!      She jumped and ran
                                                    away!

25)
Amor ja falla            Amor disse               Love said
Junto lo morre!          Moraremos juntos!        We will live
                                                    together!
Amor non tem dodo        Amor nao e dado          Love is not given
Vida per perde           Para perder a vida       To lose life

26)
Albre curto curto,       O coqueiro muito         The very short
                           pequeno,                 coconut tree,
Coco buli agoa!          Toca a agua!             Touches the water!
Iste tempo seu amor      Agora o seu amor         Now your love
Lo leva diabo.           O diabo levara.          The devil will carry.

27)
Nem alto, nem curto,     Nem alto, nem baixo,     Neither high nor low
Honeste altura!          Honesta altura!          Honest stature!
Todos te gana            Todos gabam              Everyone praises
De vossa pustura!        A vossa postura!         Your posture!

28)
Vide hum amor            Uma vida de amor         A life of love
Todo passos ja passa!    Todos os passos          Passed all the steps!
                           passou!
Ne trajo de              No trabalho do           The work of the
  mainato (35)             lavadeiro                washerman
Ate ropa ja lava!        Ate a roupa lavou!       Until the clothes
                                                    were washed!

29)
Lo mara primera          A amarrarei primeiro     First I will tie her
Ne cavallo seu pe        Ao pe do cavalo          To the horse's foot
Lo leva per amor         Ele levara amor          He will carry love
Sem sabe vingara         Sem saber da vinganca    Without knowing of
                                                    revenge

30)
Rosto color de rosa      O rosto cor de rosa      Face colour of pink
Conde (36) chero ambri   Cabelo com cheiro de     Hair with smell of
                           ambrosia                 ambrosia
Ai, minha amor           Ai, o meu amor           Ah, my love
Hum minina gallante      Uma menina galante       A gallant girl

31)
Ai! minha amor           Ai! o meu amor           Ah! my love
Como agoa cristallino!   Como agua cristalina!    Like clear water!
Beico de coral           Labios de coral          Lips of coral
Dente risca fino!        Dente de risco fino!     Trace delicate teeth!

32)
Vos tem ne castella,     Voce esta no castelo,    You are in the
                                                    castle,
Eu tem ne cidade;        Eu estou na cidade;      I am in the city;
Quelei pode tem          Como e possivel          How is it possible
Amor firmidade?          Firmar amor?             To secure love?

33)
Vos tem ne cidade,       Voce esta na cidade      You are in the city
Eu aqui prezado!         Eu estou aqui querida!   I am here dear!
Nue (37) vossa culpa     Na vossa culpa           In your shame
Tem minha peccado!       emeu o pecado!           Is my sin!

34)
Hum peito 'margoso       Um peito amargo          A bitter breast
Hum cruel offerco        Uma cruel afeicao        A cruel affection
Hum cor'cao cruel,       Um coracao cruel,        A cruel heart,
Lo paga primeco (38)!    Pagara a promessa!       Will pay the promise!

35)
Hum firme peito,         Um peito firme,          A firm breast,
Com liel (39) coracao,   Com coracao leal,        With loyal heart,
Sempre ama firme         Sempre ama firme         Always firm love
Sem arma treicao!        Sem armar traicao!       Without armed
                                                    treason!

36)
Chuva fino, fino         Chuva fina, fina         Fine rain, fine
Riba de cozinha!         Sobre a cozinha!         On top of the
                                                    kitchen!
Vista de maceo           Vista de um mancebo      Sight of a young man
Sober hum minina!        Sobre uma menina!        On top of a girl!

SONG 2: 'MARGARITA MARIA MARGARITA'

      SRI LANKA
  PORTUGUESE CREOLE
     [Schuchardt          STANDARD PORTUGUESE            ENGLISH
     Manuscript]            [my translation]        [my translation]

1)
Curre vi irmaos, curre   Venham correr irmaos,    Come run brothers,
  vi irmaos                venham correr irmaos     come run brothers
Curre vi assina!         Venham correr acenar!    Come run beckon!
Si vos nade assina       Se voces nao tem nada    If you will have
  minha irmaos,            para acenar meus         nothing to beckon,
                           irmaos,                  my brothers,
Beberajo nao larga.      Nao largues um bebado.   Do not release a
                                                    drunkard.

2)
Batte, batte maos,       Bate, bate as maos,      Clap, clap hands,
  batte, batte maos        bate, bate as maos       clap, clap hands
Batte, batte maos, vi!   Bate, bate as maos,      Clap, clap hands,
                           vem!                     come!
Velhos te folga,         Os velhos folgam, os     The old rejoice, the
  maceos allegra,          mancebos alegram,        young men cheer,
Mininas ta sorri.        As meninas sorriem.      The girls smile.

3)
Agoa si bebe, agoa si    Se bebes agua, se        If you drink water,
  bebe                     bebes agua,              if you drink water,
Lo acha saode;           Teras saude;             You will have health;
Nade treme mao,          A mao nao tremera,       The hand will not
  nao perde resao,         nao perde a rezao,       shake, do not lose
                                                    reason,
Nao faze maldade.        Nao facas maldade.       Do not make evil.

4)
Agoa si bebe, Agoa si    Se bebes agua, se        If you drink water,
  bebe                     bebes agua               if you drink water
Lo logra ramedi!         Consegiras um remedio!   You will find a
                                                    remedy!
Cedo lo irgui,           Acordaras cedo,          You will awaken
  venkel (40) lo abri      abriras a loja           early, you will
                                                    open the workshop
Bemfeito lo servi.       Faras o servico          You will serve well.
                           bemfeito.

5)
Vinho (41) tem hum       O vinho e um traidor,    Wine is a traitor,
  treidor, minha nona      minha senhora            my lady
Vinho tem um treidor     O vinho e um traidor     Wine is a traitor
Mao pe, nao da forca     Maos e pes, nao dao      Hands and feet, do
  minha nona               forca, minha senhora     not give strength,
                                                    my lady
Boca lo da feidor!       A boca tera mau          The mouth will stink!
                           cheiro!

6)
Vinho lo engana, minha   O vinho enganara,        Wine will delude, my
  nona                     minha senhora            lady
Vinho lo engana;         O vinho enganara;        Wine will delude;
Tonto, tordoado, minha   Tonto, atordoado,        Giddy, dizzy, my lady
  nona                     minha senhora
Cabece lo vira.          A cabeca virara.         The head will turn.

7)
Camarao cuzido si        Se queres ver um         If you want to see a
  quer' olha,              camarao cozido,          boiled shrimp,
Olha per hum beberao;    Procura um bebado;       Look for a drunkard;
Quando sua olhos te      Quando seus olhos se     When his eyes open,
  abri,                    abrem,
Segundofeira             Na segunda-feira de      Monday morning!
  palmia?! (42)            manha!

8)
Quem te bebe vinho,      Quem bebe vinho, minha   Whoever drinks wine,
  minha nona,              senhora,                 my lady,
Lo trize ruino           Ficara arruinado         Will be ruined
Corpo disfayido minha    Corpo desfigurado        Disfigured body my
  nona                     minha senhora            lady
Rosto de moffino!        Rosto de um idiota!      Face of an idiot!

9)
Quem te bebe vinho,      Quem bebe vinho, minha   Whoever drinks wine,
  minha nona!              senhora!                 my lady!
Lo anda perdido          Perder-se-a              Will lose himself
Rosto lo incha; vistas   O rosto inchara; olhos   The face will swell
  lo fica,                 ficarao,                 up; eyes will be,
Torto, trucido.          Torto, torcido.          Crooked, tortuous.

10)
Que foi Sin' Louis,      Quem foi Sao Luis,       Who was Saint Louis,
  que foi Sin' Louis       quem foi Sao Luis,       who was Saint
                                                    Louis,
Quem ja arma treicao?    Quem armou traicao?      Who armed reason?
Aquel vidro de vinho,    Aquele copo de vinho,    That glass of wine,
  Sinyo,                   Senhor,                  Sir,
Valia, dous fanao!       Vale dois fana?es!       Worth two fanams!

11)
Que foi Sin' Louis,      Quem foi Sao Luis,       Who was Saint Louis,
  que foi Sin' Louis       quem foi Sao Luis        who was Saint Louis
Vistas sarado?           Olhos fechados?          Eyes closed?
Capella de olho,         Alinho da capela,        Good order of the
  Sinhonay, (43)           pequeno Senhor,          chapel, Little Sir,
Te fica pezado!          Fica pesado!             Becomes burdensome!

12)
Que foi ne vestido       O quem estava no         Whoever was in the
  Sin' Louis               vestido de Sao Luis      clothes of Saint
                                                    Louis
Lama astanto?            Bastante lama?           Enough stain?
Ja perde balanca         Perdeu equilibrio        Lost balance when
  quando sasse,            quando saciado,          quenched,
Sasse ne recanto!        Saciado no canto!        Quenched in the
                                                    corner!

13)
Sacude bota po, Sin'     Sacode o po da bota,     Shake, dust, pour,
  Louis                    Sao Luis                 Saint Louis
Beberajo larga mao!      Bebado larga a mao!      Drunkard release the
                                                    hand!
Nemiste sigoor (44)      Nao necessita fiar       No need to spin more
  mais Sin' Louis          mais Sao Luis            Saint Louis
Nemiste dai (45) piao!   Nao necessita jogar      No need to play top!
                           piao!

14) (46)
Na minha mani, na        Na minha mania, na       In my mania, in my
  minha mani,              minha mania,             mania,
Na minha manila          Na minha mania           In my mania
Vinho ne garganto te     Deita vinho na           Pours wine down the
  vaza                     garganta                 throat
Como ne funila!          Como numa funil!         Like into a funnel!

15)
Cabece te vira,          A cabeca vira, Pequeno   The head turns,
  Sinhonay!                Senhor!                  Little Sir!
Corpo te balanca!        O corpo balanca!         The body swings!
Ovi minha pai, ovi       Ouvi meu pai, ouvi       Listen my Father,
  minha mai                minha mae                listen my Mother,
Viramento branda!        Viramento brando!        Turning soft!

16)
Minha pobre corpo        O meu pobre corpo        My poor body Little
  Sinyonay,                Pequeno Senhor,          Sir,
Rolla como barco         Rola como um barco       Rolls like a boat
Samater (47) de vinho    Quando bate numa         When hit in a storm
  quando daje,             tempestade de vinho,     of wine
Tabos fica fraco.        As tabuas ficam fraas.   The planks become
                                                    fragile.

17)
Cabece te vira,          A cabeca vira, Pequeno   The head turns,
  Sinyonay                 Senhor                   Little Sir
Corpo te balanca!        O corpo balanca!         The body swings!
Iste pobre corpo,        Este pobre corpo,        This poor body,
  Sinyonay                 Pequeno Senhor           Little Sir
Onde lo descanca?        Onde descancera?         Where will it rest?

18)
Cabece tem tonto         A cabeca esta tonta,     The head is hurting,
  Sinyonay,                Senhor                   Sir
Tem for'de sintido;      Esta sem de sentido;     It is without
                                                    feeling;
Ramedi de vinho te       Traz um remedio de       Takes a remedy from
  trize                    vinho                    wine
Hum grande perigo!       E um grande perigo!      It is a great danger!

19)
Eu de minha corpo,       O meu corpo, Pequeno     My body, Little Sir,
  Sinyonay,                Senhor,
Tem como Sucani (48)     E como um barqueiro      Is like a boatman
Quando daje sope, (49)   Quando lhe das licor,    When you give him
  te papia                 fala                     liquor,
Lingoa de Patani.        Uma lingua de trapos.    Speaks rubbish.

20)
Istama (50) enchido      O estomago e enchido     The stomach is full
  com vinho,               com vinho,               with wine,
Nao nista (51)           Nao necessita de         No need of medicine,
  mizinha,                 medicamento,
Nonpoi pompa mais,       Nao pode beber mais,     I cannot drink more,
  nonpoe pompa mais        nao pode beber mais,     I cannot drink more
Drumi ne cozinha!        Durmo na cozinha!        I sleep in the
                                                    kitchen!

(1) I am grateful to the University of Graz, Austria, for granting me permission to work on the Hugo Schuchardt manuscript.

(2) John Holm, Pidgins and Creoles (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988).

(3) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Kreolische Studien I. Ueber das Negenportugiesische von S. Thome (Westafrika)', Sitzungsberichte der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Wien, 101 (1882), 889-917. Hereafter Sitzungsberichte.

(4) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Kreolische Studien. VIII. Ueber das Negerportugiesische von Annobom', Sitzungsberichte, 116 (1888), 193-226.

(5) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Beitrage zur Kenntnis des kreolischen Romanisch II. Zum Negerportugiesischen Senegambiens', Zeitschrift fur romanische Philologie, 12 (1888), 301-12. Hereafter ZRP.

(6) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Beitrage zur Kenntnis des kreolischen Romanisch II. Zum Negerportugiesischen der Kapverden', ZRP, 12 (1888), 313-22.

(7) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Beitrage zur Kenntnis des kreolischen Romanisch II. Zum Negerportugiesischen der Ilha do Principe', ZRP, 13 (1889), 463-75.

(8) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Kreolische Studien II. Ueber das Indoportugiesische von Cochim', Sitzungsberichte, 102 (1882), 799-816; Schuchardt, 'Kreolische Studien iii. Ueber das Indoportugiesische von Diu', 103 (1883), 3-18; 'Kreolische Studien III. Ueber das Indoportugiesische von Mangalore', 105 (1883), 882-904; 'Beitrage zur Kenntnis des kreolischen Romanisch v. Allgemeineres uber das Indoportugiesische (Asioportugiesische)', ZRP, 13 (1889), 476-516; and Schuchardt, 'Beitrage zur Kenntnis des kreolischen Romanisch VI. Zum Indoportugiesischen von Mahee und Cannanore', 13 (1889), 516-24.

(9) Hugo Schuchardt, 'Kreolische Studien IX. Ueber das Malaioportugiesische von Batavia and Tugu', Sitzungsberichte, 122 (1890), 1-256.

(10) James Callaway, Vocabulary with Useful Phrases, and Familiar Dialogues in the English, Portuguese and Cingalese Languages (Colombo: Wesleyan Missionary Press, 1818).

(11) Sebastiao Rodolfo Dalgado, Dialecto Indo-Portugues de Ceylao (Lisbon: Imprensa Nacional, 1900); Glossorio Luso-Asiatico, 2 vols (Coimbra: Imprensa da Universidade, 1919-21); and Portuguese Vocables in Asiatic Languages, trans. by Anthony Xavier Soares (Baroda: Oriental Institute, 1936).

(12) William Buckley Fox, A Dictionary of the Ceylon Portuguese, Singalese and English Language (Colombo: Wesleyan Missionary Press, 1819).

(13) Ian Russell Smith, 'Sri Lanka Creole Portuguese Phonology', unpublished doctoral thesis, Cornell University, 1977.

(14) Sebastiao Rodolfo Dalgado, Influencia do Vocabulario Portugues em Linguas Asiaticas (Coimbra: Imprensa da Universidade, 1913).

(15) O Novo Testamento (Monte do Alho: Impresso por Hamblin e Seyfang, 1813); The Holy Bible (1611; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985).

(16) Hugh Nevill, Portuguese Songs, From the Collection of Manuscripts, Chiefly Sinhalese Purchased from the Executors of Hugh Nevill (London: British Library, 1904). For a translation and analysis of the verses see: Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya, 'Portuguese and English Translations of Some Indo-Portuguese Songs in the Hugh Nevill Collection', Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka, 40 (1995), 1-102; 'Indo-Portuguese Songs of Sri Lanka. The Nevill Manuscript', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 59 (1996), 253-67; and 'Hugh Nevill Collection of Indo-Portuguese Verses: Portuguese and English Translations of Oersaan and Falentine', Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka, 42 (1997), 107-211.

(17) All the following footnotes are from the original Schuchardt Manuscript.

(18) (1881), p. 32.

(19) (Lisbon: 1877).

(20) First edition, p. 32; second edition, p. 18.

(21) (Colombo: Impressado ne officio Wesleyano, 1803) [8.sup.O] (c. 12S), 57S.

(22) (Colombo: Impressado ne officina de Missao Wesleyano, 1883) [8.sup.O] (12S), 300S. Foreword by the translator, J. H. Eaton of Kandy, who had intended it in the first instance for the local congregation.

(23) (Colombo: O Bruffador-Wesleyan Mission Press), 1 (1883), in small quarto (bruffador means 'sower', 'someone who sows seeds or corn', from bruffa 'to sow' = Portuguese baruar, borrifar 'to sprinkle/spray').

(24) Robert Newstead, Missionario Wesleyano. Canta Lovoures com Entendimento--David. Seis vez impressado (Colombo: Impressado ne officio Wesleyano, 1871).

(25) (1819), 132 pp.

(26) First edition, p. 34.

(27) = mancebo; dissimilating loss of the n as in nuca (the reverse [is found] in inimingo), merger of w with b before o (as in os adeos 'the foxes', Luke 9. 58 [1853], strictly the 'jackals' = os adivos, adives).

(28) = agradecer, cf. aberca = abracar; the reverse in drumi = dormir, peroffia = perfia, trucido = torcido--both in Portuguese.

(29) Via de (German wegen 'because' contains Weg = way (English) cf. via Portuguese).

(30) As our Marmelstein 'marble'; cf. Eaton's Cantigas, p. 79, verse 2: Si pedra-marmas ja fende.

(31) Logo devia 'would have to'; which is to lo deve 'shall have to' as dever-ia is to dever-ei.

(32) = derreter.

(33) Lagir = lagrima.

(34) = almofada.

(35) 'Washerman'.

(36) Pronounced 'ko:nda:y' (English) 'knot of hair at the back of the head'.

(37) In this environment e is retained when it carries stress/emphasizes (for instance in eu nue o Christo--nue este elle quem ...?... nue namais...., mas .....); however one also sometimes finds nao tem, nontem.

(38) = promessa.

(39) !fiel?

(40) Werkstall = winkel (Dutch) 'workshop'.

(41) The reference is to the arrack made from the coconut palm.

(42) = pela manhaa.

(43) At the end-of-verse diminutive of Sinho.

(44) The swaying movement of the whipping top immediately before it comes to rest.

(45) = daje here 'to play'.

(46) From verse 14 to the end the poet has parodied a sea shanty which is sung by the people of Cochim Manila, etc.

(47) 'A violent wind', perhaps a cyclone blowing from Sumatra.

(48) Hochbootsmann 'tall ship swain' employed by Laskaric shipping folk.

(49) 'To knock off a grog'; cf. dali com ca de grog, Kreolische Studien II, 6.

(50) = estomago; cf. popular Portuguese: stamago, estagamo, estagmo.

(51) = necessitar.

SHIHAN DE SILVA JAYASURIYA

LONDON