Suraidi Sipan (b. 1950)
1. BIOGRAPHY
2. CRITICAL INTRODUCTION
3. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
4. SELECTED POEMS
Nyanyi puisi [The Song of Poetry]
Ballada lewat senja [An Evening Ballad]
Dimana kau sukmaku [Where Are You, My Soul]
Di sini di benua sendiri [Here in its Own Land]
5. SELECTED VIDEOS
SELECTED POEMS
Nyanyi puisi
Aku mahu berpuisi
kerana di Afrika ada kebuluran
seorang ibu menggendong anak dalam buruan
di samping berdiri perajurit tua tersenyum perit
menghidu asap senapang dari satu peperangan
dan dari longgokan pesawatpesawat using
ada bayangbayang berserakan
menyusuri kepulan debudebu bahang
menyanyi lagu kebebasan.Aku mahu berpuisi
kerana baru semalam
dari kamar kecil Camp David
ada masih sempat menguntum senyum
mengunyah buah tamar
dari Iskandariah dan Baitulmakdis
bila esok tugunya
akan tersemat pada dada
Gurun Sinai Tebing Barat
dan
di utara Tel Aviv ada pesta berdarah
buminya masih sendiri
badai api membakar hangus
meragut rakus tubuhtubuh kerdil
dan di antara runtuhan temboktembok mati
ada anak kecil bersama mesiu
bersiul lagu kedamaian penuh rindu.Aku mahu berpuisi
kerana hari ini bukan penentu
yang membuat aku sendiri
dari pengertian hidup ini
bila bakal esok semuanya tidak lagi peduli
pada segala peristiwa ini
dan
aku mahu terus berpuisi dan berpuisi
biarpun bumi mati sepi.
by Suraidi Sipan
from Debudebu jalanan (1984)
The Song of Poesy
I will write poesy
because in Africa they are starving
a mother cradles her child in her arms as a fugitive
nearby stands an old soldier grimacing
the rifle smoke bites his nostrils from another war
and from the loads of obsolete bombers
are scattered shadows
adjoining the mounds of scorched earth
singing the song of freedom.I will write poesy
because only yesterday
from the privy of Camp David
there was time for a bouquet of smiles
while chewing on a date
from Alexandra and Jerusalem
when tomorrow its monument
is nailed to the breast of
the desert of Sinai, the West Bank,
and
to the north of Tel Aviv is a bloodbath
the land will still be alone
the storm of fire burning everything to a cinder
voraciously consuming the dwarfed bodies
and in between the rubble of razed walls
is a little child among the spent ammunition
humming the tune of peace he pines.I will write poesy
because today will not be the day
that makes me oblivious
to understanding the world out there
if tomorrow comes and no one longer cares
about all these happenings
then
I will write and continue to write poesy
Even until the world stops turning.
by Suraidi Sipan
translated from the Malay by Nur Diyanah Razali
from Debudebu jalanan (1984)
