Doa Zubir Ali

Allahyarham Zubir Ali seorang penyair dan penyanyi yang meninggalkan kita terlalu awal. Lagu beliau “Doa” antara lagu pebret isteri saya. Selama ini sang isteri tak pernah bagi cadangan lagu atau syair untuk saya terjemahkan. Tetiba dia suruh buat yang ni.

Tak dapat nafikan jauh ia lebih sedap sebagai lagu – cuba dengar dan baca al-Fatihah bagi ruh beliau:

News for Mother

Mak has been in the hospital a lot lately. That put the wife and I in a sentimental mood one evening so we put together this video. The music is Khabar Bagi Ibu by the Alleycats.  Here are the lyrics with my translation:

How are you, dear mother
Who I love so much
I have some news for you
About your future daughter-in-law

She’s an ordinary person, nothing special
But healthy and bright
And she’s going to help me
Get through my day-to-day

No need for you to worry about our love
We’ve promised to respect one another
I hope you will throw yellow rice
across the front yard of the house
To welcome the two of us home
O Mother of mine

I love her
Just like dad loves you
And she loves me
Just like you love dad

I love her
Just like dad loves you
And she loves me
Just like you love dad

Ke hadapan ibuku
Yang sangatku cintai
Dengarlah khabar ini
Tentang calon menantu

Orangnya sederhana tidak berlebihan
Tapi cergas serta pintar
Dan dia kan membantu
Dalam urusan seharian

Usahlah engkau bimbang tentang cinta kami
Kami telah berjanji akan saling menghormati
Harap ibu kan taburkan beras kunyit
Di depan halaman rumah
Menyambut kepulangan kami berdua
Oh ibu ku

Ku menyintainya
Seperti ayah menyintaimu
Dan dia menyintaiku
Seperti kau cintakan ayah

Tiadalah Jemu: Gurindam 12 Fasal 5 | Episode 25

Jika hendak mengenal orang berbangsa,

lihat kepada budi dan bahasa.

Jika hendak mengenal orang yang berbahagia,

sangat memeliharakan yang sia-sia.

Jika hendak mengenal orang mulia,

lihatlah kepada kelakuan dia.

Jika hendak mengenal orang yang berilmu,

bertanya dan belajar tiadalah jemu.

Jika hendak mengenal orang yang berakal,

di dalam dunia mengambil bekal.

Jika hendak mengenal orang yang baik perangai,

lihat pada ketika bercampur dengan orang ramai.

Hendaklah Pikir: Gurindam 12 Fasal 4 | Episode 23

“Gurindam dulu dulu jangan ponah dipotikai /
Tak tahu tanyo dulu jangan goma memanadai mandai”

Begitu kata Dato’ Hattan. Mengikut nasihat beliau, sudah saya mengkaji Gurindam 12 Raja Ali Haji dan disini mempamerkan hasilannya.  Inilah Gurindam 12 Fasal 4 serta terjemahan bahasa inggeris.

Rajawali by WS Rendra

DS Anwar Ibrahim sent out a cryptic tweet a few days ago:

He was referencing the poem Rajawali that was dedicated to him by the late WS Rendra, an Indonesian literary figure and activist who was himself a political prisoner under the Suharto regime.  The poem is here:

I have tried to render it into English. Here is my translation of WS Rendra’s Rajawali:

The Eagle

An iron cage
cannot change the eagle
into a parrot.

The eagle is the sky’s beloved
and inside the iron cage
the eagle feels sure
the sky will always be waiting.

The sky without the eagle
is expanse and freedom without a soul
seven skies, seven eagles
seven realms, seven travelers.

The eagle that soars
enters solitude
gazing down upon the world
the eagle in the iron cage
sits in meditation
arranging his life’s affairs.

Life is a coral necklace of possibilities
made from the sweat of the sun
without the eagle’s steadfast heart
our eyes look only upon illusion.

The eagle that soars
is the stalwart defender of the sky
and he will pluck out both your eyes
O, you most traitorous polluter

 

The original version can be found in the collection of WS Rendra’s poetry Balada Si Burung Merak, available here.

UPDATE:

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim READ MY TRANSLATION and declared it to be, and I quote, “fantastic”.  I do hope you appreciate the value you are getting by being able to read this blog 100% for free.

Certified "fantastic" by Anwar Ibrahim
Certified “fantastic” by Anwar Ibrahim