The dark calyx of a mangosteen

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