The story of le pantoum

le pantoum
partout dans le monde
ancienne voix

***
Ancient voice in royal discourse
Melaka, Venice of the East
Of diplomacy, of metaphors
Full of wit, of candor, of bliss

Melaka, Venice of the East
A land of grace and dignity
Full of wit, of candor, of bliss
Such was high society

A land of grace and dignity
The pantun, survived at all cost
Such was high society
Even when all was lost

The pantun, survived at all cost
Travelled across the oceans
Even when all was lost
Its brilliance par excellence

Travelled across the oceans
Ancient voice in royal discourse
Its brilliance par excellence
Of diplomacy, of metaphors

Melaka, all is not lost. 

***

le pantoum
éclat par excellence
un souvenir

Melaka, Venise de l'Orient

by ninotaziz

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For dversepoets


This is a case of trying too hard I think. But it does cover the story of the pantoum in metaphor.

As Samuel Peralta illustrated in his article in August last year, the pantoum originated from the Malay world's pantun berkait (chained pantun). The first two lines of each stanza are generally a metaphor. Here I attempted to tell the story of what the 15th century Melaka Sultanate in the Malay Peninsula lost, its sovereignity in 1511, but the pantun went on to travel the world.

The verses in French further illustrate the story of pantoum which found a new home in France in the 18th century.

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From the legendary Malay Hikayat Malim Deman, there is an old royal lullaby composed entirely of pantun berkait, and it must be among the earliest of its forms. It is called Tetak Seranting. Here, I attach a shorter pantun on romantic love - which has always been a popular theme.

Nasi lemak buah bidara
Sayang selasih hamba lurutkan
Buang emak buang saudara
Kerana kasih saya turutkan

For love, I would abandon all else

- Ancient Malay pantun