Sa’eda Buang
1. BIOGRAPHY
2. CRITICAL INTRODUCTION
3. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
4. SELECTED POEMS
Malang, senda & citra [Misfortune, Comedy & Image]
Pustakaku dalam remang senja [My Reading Room in Twilight]
SELECTED POEMS
Malang, senda & citra
Jika kutahu air di hulu ‘kan pasang
tidak kutojah deburan kencang
jika kutahu air di hilir ‘kan surut
tidak kususur berlarut-larut
jika kutahu waktu ‘kan hilang
tidak kulalai berangan-angan
jika kutahu tingginya keinginan
tidak kuukur dengan ranting tulang
jika kutahu…
Aduhai, Lebai Malang!
Ke hulu lepas, ke hilir kalas!
Malang Lebai malang memanjang
Kesalnya
tradisi ini diulang-ulang
bagi yang memperkecil konsep masa
bagi yang fakir mengukur tenaga & prasarana
bagi yang alpa mentaakul cita & raga
lalu langkah salah semua kerana strategi tidakpunya
bagi yang rakus menghitung laba
itukah inti semangat modernisasi & inovasi
atau tingkah membuta tuli?
Malang bukan malang pusaka
ampuh tidaknya bayangan citra
jika putih kata diri, putihlah bangsa
jika hitam kata diri, hitamlah budaya
jika nyah kata diri, hilanglah petaka
di lapik-lapik zaman, menunggu kealpaan & kendungan
lalu bentan semula
Kini 7 keturunan 7 lapis makrifat
malang Lebai bukannya senda
renunglah budi, budaya & agama
agar ihsan pada sesame
menitik air pada yang kalis
hingga lekuk berpancaguna
bukan meremeh kedungan kita
yang gigih mengutip bertih di pasir kaca
by Sa’eda Buang
from Singapore Press Holdings (2005)
Misfortune, Comedy & Image
If I had known the waters upstream would rise
I would not have pierced the crashing surge
if I had known the waters downstream would fall
I would not have traced them endlessly
if I had known time would slip away
I would not have lingered in daydream
if I had known the height of desire
I would not have measured it with a twig of bone
if I had known…
Ah, Lebai Malang!
Upstream it slips free, downstream it snags!
Poor Lebai, his misfortune stretches on
Such regret—
this tradition repeated again & again
for those belittling the concept of time
for those impoverished in gauging energy & infrastructure
for those heedless in reasoning through aspiration & soul
& so every step falters for lack of strategy
for those greedy in counting profit
is this the core spirit of modernisation & innovation
or merely blind action?
Misfortune is not inherited fate
nor the shadow of an image a force
if the self calls itself white, the nation becomes white
if the self calls itself black, the culture becomes black
if the self casts it from itself, disaster disappears
into the layered strata of time, lying in wait through heedlessness & enclosure
only to flare open again
Now seven generations deep, seven layers of makrifat
Lebai’s misfortune is no jest
reflect on virtue, culture & faith
so that ihsan may flow among us
until water begins to bead on what resists
until grooves form, serving many uses
not to belittle what we carry within
like the relentless gathering of puffed grains from glassy sand
