Hitam-hitam si tampuk
manggis
Berkulit hitam manis
٭
Kecantikan semula jadi
warna kulit agak gelap
tetap manis bercahaya
menawan dan rupawan
٭ ٭
The dark calyx of a mangosteen
One whose skin is honey-brown
٭
A natural beauty
whose dark tone of skin
emits a sweet light
demurely pretty
٭٭
Der dunkle Kelch einer Mangostan-Frucht
Jemand mit honigbrauner Haut
٭
Eine natürliche Schönheit
deren dunkle Hautfarbe
ein süßes Licht ausstrahlt
von herber Pracht
- Siti Zainon Ismail, 100 Malay Proverbs – 100 Pepatah Petitih Melayu, Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia (ITNM), Kuala Lumpur 2010, 203 pages, here: page 115
(100 Malay Proverbs is a beautiful bilingual book I found today at Frankfurt Book Fair’s Malaysian exhibition, Hall 6.1, E 916. The author who collected these proverbs, Siti Zainon Ismail, is a researcher of Malay cultural art heritage, a multi-awarded poet and an artist. She illustrated herself much of these proverbs.
And on Saturday 9th October at 3.00 pm there is at the Forum Dialog, Hall 6.1, a launch of a book about Makyung, a traditional form of dance-drama from northern Malaysia which is at least 800 years old. The book-launch is followed by a Makyung live performance).
Photo: Mangosteen Tree
