Ballad of Jala Suta

Written by Nurel Javissyarqi
Translated by Agus B. Harianto

(He has name Jala Suta, the legend said;
his birth when his both parent were wading the Sunda straits.
the wave was the witness of sacred ceremony; the sun was in the top of adult,
while the silver color of the moon, accompanied his musing.
while the stars he was picking up for lesson).

(I) The black cloud as black as the charcoal above Sunda straits;
the water was seethed, the wave hunted to brook the air,
god and goddess in the space were betrayal each other, the heaven country was unstable;
one by one of the stars were falling off incarnated becomes fire ball,
the ocean was boiling, the fishes died.
This was the hurricane that ever been forecasted, the heart of sky was cracking,
the bosom of ocean was pouring out, in the season that indistinctly of its time.

(II) It had became the certainty,
the small boat moved helter shelter felt the flaming of judgment day;
that was the only boat, safe from the disaster.

(III) Mrs. Fatimah was pregnant for nine months of yearning,
sailed with her husband, Ahmad;
be worried, thousands thunder gripped the shaking skin,
the wings of angel of death was ready to sank.

(IV) A little by a little,
Mr. Ahmad threw away the cargo of the boat;
mother Fatimah grimaced in pain, soon after that,
the rain also the whip of thunder crashed the air,
stabbed the wave to break the surge.

(V) There was some thing flied away, the white bluish of light
fell and stroke the body of the boat, together with it Jala Suta was born,
the perfect of him was accompanied by the breath’s dancing of around space.

(VI) The cloud was covering the Sunda straits,
be quickly scattered around to the edges of firmament,
the thunder was shy by baby crying,
the blindly surge was back to normal;
the rain was stop, the water was not seethed any more,
the stars shined again, that is the story.

(VII) The boat had passed the Sunda straits,
the destiny for safe had lined by God aimed to the land of Dwipa.
When the island of Java was in the upheaval of power,
be cheated each other for prestige, the rules of tradition weren’t running anymore;
the religion was just some kind of horrible tale,
in ear of children would become the giant.
While the fate of scholar of Islam had lost the authority;
the pastors, monks, and fathers didn’t speech any more.

(VIII) Soon- later Jala Suta grew become adult,
in the country was in hot,
the sun’s light was like the flare crashed the flat of steel,
the dry season roared and overwhelmed the mountain to the valley,
the epidemic of disease incarnated become the second angel of death,
the people were killing- stabbing each other,
fought over the water each other for their rice fields;
the government’s apparatus didn’t want to care about it,
the people of merchant was changed become the profiteer for all of them.

(IX) Hunger overwhelmed the entire place,
had often happened the robbery every where,
the widows had many lost their treasure, the night didn’t comfort anymore,
the kidnaper was like haunting ghost, there was no safe place at there,;
the leaders had party and celebration, the robber had rob,
the politicians were be apple polish, had the tongue of snake with the head of wolf.

(X) Jala Suta watched those chaotic,
be sad in heart, inner heart was motivated to be passionate to change it,
but how the son of Fatimah could do it?
While his father had die,
the mother was infected by the disease of forget;
all her hair was becoming white, her teeth were falling out,
only oat the porridge chewed betel,
be engage in a such a form of worship in all days, hoped to The Big Power (God),
in order Jala Suta for later made be the well manner son.

(XI) The prayers flied with the smoke of incense,
the mother Fatimah went after her husband;
the eyes were close, died in peace.

The heart of Jala Suta was broke, the lava was pouring out in his bosom;
he buried his mother with the dropping tear like rain,
together with the overcast he went home,
and the spirit of the mother had stepped up stairs
similar like the white pigeon of heaven’s occupant.

(XII) That day the forest Roban was smelling on putrid taste,
the blood spread around the horses were lay sprawled;
the robbers that leaded by Surendros ran amuck,
the treasure of Chinese merchant that pass by those forest was token by forced,
his daughter with name Ci’a, was ran by Surendros into cave.

(XIII) But those stingingly noon was changed become thickly dark,
the black cloud as black as the charcoal in throng covered the forest Roban;
Suta came accompanied by the whip of lightening attacked to Surendros,
Felt like beat the wind, both of them crashed the invulnerable one another,
Ci’a shivered for fear, had torn clothes and sliced the suffering of virgin.

(XIV) Jala Suta and Surendros were weak, the whole power had came out,
because Jala Suta was younger, so his power recovered quickly;
Surendros back to hunt blindly,
alike the wild ox of Java which its ear is plugged by the earth,
while the son of ocean was actively moved a side to escape,
like the fish sili or white eel.

When the hand of Surendros beated tree of tamarind,
branch was burnt, fruits were falling off, leafs were wafting;
the precisely time didn’t wasted by Jala Suta,
stabbed the enemy’s stomach with the giving Kris from his elder.

(XV) Surendros collapsed with bleeding all around the body,
Suta got hurry approachrd to Ci’a, and said softly;
“sweet girl, that bustard is die,
you may leave now.”
“but how about my parent, Master?”, asked Ci’a,
“lets get out” Jala Suta took Ci’a to come out from the entrance of cave.

(XVI) Watched Surendros became corpse,
hoodlums got ready to attack Jala Suta,
but with the smile of sky Suta said the words;
“look at the cloud at that sky above, the lightning is lighten,
all of it will go if I say so.”

“Step away my brother, your duty is over”
;Jala Suta commanded to the cloud and cumulus
dispersed to the corners of firmament.
The members of Surendros watched the lightning- cloud went slowly,
They were afraid; all at once beg for mercy to the son of Straits.

(XVII) Jala Suta, the figure of messenger in front of them.
“Hurry, engage the rope in the body of that merchant”
; said the son of Fatimah.
Then Ci’a moved to run to embrace her parent.
(the guards of those merchant were so many fell headfirst and died,
the others were bad injured).

(XVIII) The goods sold were packed,
then went by horses cart which still could use,
Ci’a and her parent said good-bye; there was the smiling of Suta brought by Ci’a,
Then they continued the trip, came out from the forest Roban.

(XIX) Jala Suta became chief of robber after that
from the members of Surendros;
leaved from the noisy and thunderous of forest to town,
shake the people of government,
whom piled the treasure from the effort of corruption, and
seized by forced riches of profiteer,
whom exert the folks sweat.

(XX) The members of Jala Suta increased,
in the short time met the group of another robbers,
competed the power and was always win;
he was famous among the people of Samin because of loman,
in the eyes of apparatus also they were inflicted a loss, he was the figure of crazy.

(XXI) One night on the mountain’s side of Merapi at south side,
Jala Suta leaded the meeting, at the point was;
wanted to rebel to the government.

Paranggi, the ex leader of robber,
nodded the head as the symbol of being loyal,
and followed by others ex leader and the others members.
At those night the strategy of rebellion had arranged,
The god and goddess were in hesitation, the crescent moon as the witness of it.
(XXII) At the exactly time had decided,
the nature had been ready to accept the shaking;
those bats brought disorder to the power,
the stalks and branches of trees were shaking to flop,
the fruits of rose- apple fell off be gripped by the noisy.
And the rulers didn’t lost in unusually intensive,
alike the crow bird defended its territory,
fought until the end in the thick space.

The members of Jala Suta had so many became corpse,
Resembling like stroke by the waved storm,
stroke back to the border of beach of escapee;
also Jala Suta, ran helter and shelter from the arena.

(XXIII) The bad day for him, the son was born by the Sunda straits;
ran away ride the horse brought the wounded,
his left hand was stabbed by arrow,
and his members had the broken courage,
spread around alike the river’s stone with no meaning.

(XXIV) The color of dawn wiped the great east,
the body fell headfirst on the edge of lake;
the mist was climbing up and the dews were dropping off,
he was lifted by the princess to the back of horse,
took by her the dying body into a house.

(XXV) Coincident,
the mother of helper’s princess was traditional healer;
he was dying for seven days, at the eight day he was awaked,
the injures all over the body were cure slowly.

(XXVI) The first words of Jala Suta from sleeping were;
“Where am I? Who are you my helper?”
The soft and generous princess said the words to answer;
“You are in my place, master. I brought you here,
you were fainted on the edge of the lake around here.”
“What is your name pretty girl?” asked the man of Sunda straits,
“I have no other name but Dewi.”

Jala Suta continued to talk;
“You are deserved to have that calling,
may I add the name becomes Dewi Tunjung Biru?
Seems like you proper on that, a hanging down of wind of your hair’s wave.”
(the princess was smiling, nodding as the symbol of agreement)

(XXVII) Next day like usual;
the mother of Dewi Tunjung Biru questioned about health of Jala Suta,
all the body were in better condition,
moved freely, the soul had the courage again,
after several days from dispersed of his members.

(XXVIII) The lovely morning the poets said,
the ruins of mist incarnated become the grains of dew,
then fell off in harmony;
the bird’s chirp recited the tembang of memory,
when the face of beautiful sun was shiny- harmonious,
the wings of butterflies flied lightly tempted the heart,
among the flowers at the edge of lake of day.

(XXIX) Jala Suta was startled on the heap of stone,
the tinkling of water flew through the valley of those rice fields;
Dewi Tunjung Biru washed the dress,
The eyes of beauty were penetrating each other to feel,
enjoyed the sheaths of flower lotus;
both of human kinds were looking each other to stare
summarized the smiling of happiness,
only disappointed could stop it.

Then came the motto;
“I am Jala Suta, rebel
is my strategy to respect the great grand mother (elder).”

October 3, 2000. Yogyakarta, Kadipaten Kulon.

Glossary
Sili: a kind of fish for un tasted water in Java that its form alike the eel but a little shorter.
Loman: took from Javanese, which means generous.
Tembang: took from Java which means the song for the people at Java with Javanese language.
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