Though I’ve been here in Kuching over a year now, I’ve barely been outside of the city. Partly because of that, I had the impression that all the “real” nature was to be found far into the uplands. So I was very pleasantly surprised when I visited Semenggoh just a half an hour’s drive from […]
Tag Archives: bahasa melayu
Hidupnya Insan
My favorite definition of poetry is “Compact Emotion”. So when I found that my translations are mulitiplying the word count at least three or five times, I knew right there I’m losing something. This is the last of the lyrical pieces on the “Pelita Hidup” album, and for me it was the hardest. I think I’ll go back to nursery rhymes after this; it’s more at my level. Anyone know where to get lyrics for “Bangau O Bangau”?
More Nasyid Translations
Continuing on with English translations from Hijjaz’s wonderful Pelita Hidup album, here is the next in the series, Kala Subuh:
Mata Hati
Hijjaz – Mata Hati Pandangan mata selalu menipu Pandangan akal selalu tersalah Pandangan nafsu selalu melulu Pandangan hati itu yang hakiki Kalau hati itu bersih The vision of the eye always lies The vision of the intellect always errs The vision of the ego always strays The vision of the heart will be true If […]
Malay Contributions to English, pt 2
With the war in mind, here is the next installment: Amok, usually seen as “run amok”. It tends to be used in English to mean out of control, but the dictionary meaning is the same in English as it is in Malay: In a frenzy to kill; in a violent rage; bloodlust; berserk Let’s use […]