A journal of art + literature engaging with nature, culture, the environment & ecology

Kupu-Kupu (Malay)

Kamaria Buang, Singapore

Setelah benih itu kau tinggalkan

Tuhanmu menjaganya

Setelah waktu beralih sudah

Tuhanmu menjaganya

Setelah menghadapi parubahan

Tuhanmu menjaganya

Setelah rumahnya kau siapkan

Tuhan tetap menjaganya

Setelah lama mengurung diri

Kau intai malam dan siang

Waktumu melihat duniamu

Kau cuba berteman kejora

Waktumu menuntut kebebasan

Kau cuba merumpun senyuman

Pada kembang serata taman

Pada mentari mencari kehangatan

Dengan gemilang sayap kau kembangkan

Kau mencari kepuasan

Dan masa semakin menghilang

Dan akhir lembali kepangkuan

 

Tiger Butterfly

After the egg was laid you left

God protects it

After time shifts by

God protects it

After it evolves

God protects it

After you built it a house

God still protects it

After a long hibernation

You spy night and day

Your time to see your world

You try to befriend the morning star

Your time to demand freedom

You try to gather smiles

For the flowers blooming in the park

To the sunlight seeking warmth

With the glorious wings you spread

You seeking contentment

Fluttering around for direction

Inhabiting the transparency of time

At last to the ground you fall

 

Translated into English by Pasidah Rahmat

Kamaria Binte Buang is a full-time housewife by day and a sewing instructor for The People’s Association (PA) at various Resident and Community Centres. An avid poet, she writes primarily in the Malay Language. Her poetry was first published in 2005 by Berita Minggu. To date, 100 of her poems have been published by Berita Minggu. In the Anugrah Persuratan 2009, Kamaria was awarded in the poetry category with her piece entitled, Anak Tertangga Kelantan Lane, which was included into the MOE Malay A-level literature textbook Bergitulah Kata-kata and Sandalku Milikmu (2015). Her first book, Tanah Di Sini, Aku Bersemadi (poetry) was published in 2015. She is a member of ASAS ‘50, a literary community of Malay Language writers.

Pasidah Rahmat is a Senior Officer in DBS Bank. Her first Malay short story was published in Berita Harian in 1983. After marriage, she left the literary world and only returned in 2016, where she was shortlisted as one of the 35 participants for Mencari Kristal, a short story competition organised by Berita Harian and the National Arts Council. She has written more than 20 short stories and about 20 poems, mainly in Malay, which have been published in newspapers and several anthologies. Currently, she has once again been shortlisted for Mencari Kristal 2019. She is a member of ASAS ‘50, a literary community of Malay Language writers.

Sunflowers

Odocoileus virginianus