Hamid Jabbar (1)

The Song of Subjugated Country

translated by A. Rahim Jabbar

dead mountains
with dying fog
you are meditating
forgetting yourself

dead hills
with dying valley
that you decapitate
carelessly

dead rivers
with dying seas
that you poison
whilst dancing stupendously

dead islands
with dying forests
for sale cheaply
day in day out

dead oils
with dying refineries
that you distill
o so much dollar

dead lands
with dying soils
that you parcel into lots
capriciously

dying country
with deadly mafia
what are you
in your own land?

mister mountain
is confused alone
mister hill
is sick alone
mister river
is miserable alone
mister island
is raving deliriously alone
mister oil
is dropped dead alone
mister land
is nervous alone
mister country
is horrified alone
and who are you mister
in your own country ?

oh, you are dying
in your own country
oh, you are dead
dying alone!
and left is the madame
to survive alone!

oh, madame fog
what to bandage
oh madame valley
what to arrange
oh madame sea
what to embrace
oh madame refinery
what to compose
oh madame oil field
what to pity
oh madame subjugated one
who would liberate you?

oh independence, oh independence
oh independence, my children
sure, you would be truly independent?
listen please listen
oh mister
it is not meditating
oh madame
it is decapitating
oh mister
it is not poisoning
oh madame
it is selling cheaply
oh mister
it is not distilling
oh madame
it is not land parceling
oh mister
do not forget
oh madame
do not be capricious
oh mister
do not dominate alone
oh madame
do not heap dollar so greedily
in order that we truly
be independent oh independent

o becoming independent my children
becoming truly independent
listen please listen
oh misters oh madames
to love with true love
although it is indescribably painful
to clear the path to paradise
here on this earth
on this heart
and in the hereafter later
living not ended in death
long live independence !

Jakarta, 28th October 1985 - Kualalumpur, 28th March 1986

Nyanyian Negeri Jajahan


gunung mati
berkabut mati
bertapa tuan
berlupa diri

bukit mati
berlembah mati
dipenggal tuan
tak peduli

sungai mati
berlaut mati
dituba tuan
mabuk menari

pulau mati
berimba mati
diobral tuan
setiap hari

minyak mati
berkilang mati
disuling tuan
dollar sekali

tanah mati
berladang mati
dikapling tuan
sesuka hati
negeri mati
bermafia mati
siapa tuan
di negeri sendiri?

tuan gunung
bingung sendiri
tuan bukit
sakit sendiri
tuan sungai
sangsai sendiri
tuan pulau
meracau seandiri
tuan minyak
terhenyak sendiri
tuan tanah
resah sendiri
tuan negeri
ngeri sendiri
tuan siapa
di negeri sendiri?

ah tuan mati
di negeri sendiri!
ah mati tuan
mati sendiri!
tinggal puan
tinggal sendiri!

o puan kabut
apa nak dibalut?
o puan lembah
apa nak digubah?
o puan laut
apa nak dipagut?
o puan rimba
apa nak dikata?
o puan kilang
apa nak dikarang?
o puan ladang
apa nak disayang?
o puan jajahan
siapa nak memerdekakan?!

merdeka o merdeka!
o merdeka nak
nak merdeka benar
dengarlah dengar
wahai tuan
bukanlah tapa
wahai puan
bukanlah penggal
wahai tuan
bukanlah tuba
wahai puan
bukanlah obral
wahai tuan
bukanlah suling
wahai puan
bukanlah kapling
wahai tuan
janganlah lupa
wahai puan
jangan takpeduli
wahai tuan
jangan kuasa sendiri
wahai puan
jangan dollar sekali
agar kita benar
merdeka o merdeka!

o merdeka nak
nak merdeka benar
dengarlah dengar
tuan-tuan o puan-puan
cinta benar cinta
biar nyeri tak terperi
meneruka surga
di bumi ini
di hati ini
di akhirat nanti
hidup tak mati-mati
merdeka!

Jakarta, 28 Oktober 1985 - Kualalumpur, 28 Maret 1986