Happy Birthday M. A. Nuhman | Poems Rethabile Likes
🎂 Happy Birthday, M. A. Nuhman!
Poet · Scholar · Linguist · born 10 August 1944
Today we celebrate the birthday of M. A. Nuhman — Sri Lankan Tamil poet, linguist, and academic. Here is his searing poem, “Murder of Buddha,” written in response to the deliberate burning of the Jaffna Public Library on 1 June 1981, when over 97,000 books and irreplaceable manuscripts were reduced to ash. I'll repeat that... let it be for good measure: when over 97,000 books and irreplaceable manuscripts were reduced to ash. A massive loss for future generations.
Murder of Buddha
Last night
I had a dream
Lord Buddha was shot dead
by the police,
guardians of the law.
His body lay drenched in blood
on the step
of the Jaffna Library.
Under the cover of darkness,
came the ministers.
"His name - not in our lists."
"Why did you kill him?"
they asked in anger.
"No sirs, no!
There was no mistake.
Without bumping him off
it was impossible
to harm even a fly.
Therefore.....
they stammered.
"Okay, okay!
Hide the corps"
The ministers vanished.
The men in civvies
dragged the corps
into the Library.
They heaped the books,
rare and valuable,
ninety thousand in all.
They lit the pyre
with the 'chikalokavada sutta'.
Thus the remains
Of the compassionate one
were burned to ashes
along with the 'Dhammapada'
M. A. Nuhman (b. 1944) is a Sri Lankan Tamil poet, linguist, and academic who taught at the University of Jaffna. His iconic poem “Murder of Buddha” (originally “Buddharin Padukolai”) was written in direct response to the burning of the Jaffna Public Library. He is also known for translating Palestinian resistance poetry into Tamil, work that resonated deeply with Sri Lankan Tamils facing state oppression. His poetry engages justice, memory, and the destruction of knowledge with moral clarity and quiet fury.
📖 Read more: Profile & interview • Jaffna Monitor • Books
📖 Read more: Profile & interview • Jaffna Monitor • Books
Poem source:
Jaffna Monitor
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