https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhc8YZifcCo
Written by Nurel Javissyarqi *
Translated by Agus B. Harianto
Despite as Indonesian Presiden Penyair, Sutardji Calzoum Bachri once said; “a great poem had ever been created in the history of this nation.” It is the text of Sumpah Pemuda, which had announced on October 28, 1928. And before the term of swearing, sumpah pocong, etc. It had resonated sturdy grandeur of Palapa Oath, which had echoed by Patih Gajah Mada, from the empire of Majapahit in the land of Dwipa, which indelible in the world of Nusantara.
To declare that Bung Tomo is the Hero of Indonesian Poet, or even Indonesian Literary Hero, here I performed the text of his speech, when he was flaring up the spirit of the struggle of the people in Surabaya. Which is not less qualified than other great poems.
Then all doors could be opened, all ears should listen, no term that can be allotted only a poet, everyone could be the same. Except, for the loser who made off with state property, for the corruptors that are no deterrent to treasure up the fire of hell.
At that time, to welcome the Ultimatum of General Mansergh on November 10, 1945, Bung Tomo read the text of his speech with a blazing soul, in front of radio of Pemberontak, with a loud and echoed voice, shrieking the sky, lighted on the state and nation independence of Indonesia:
Bismillahirrohmaanirrohim **
Freedom!
Brothers commoners all over Indoneisa
especially the brethren resident of Surabaya.
We all know, that today
British soldiers are spreading pamphlets
which gave us all a threat.
We are obliged in the time they specified,
to submit all weapons we had taken
from the hands of Japanese soldiers.
They have asked that we come to them
with the over the head.
They have asked that we all come to them
by carrying a white flag
sign that we gave up on them.
Brothers and Sisters
in the past battle,
we all have shown already
that the people of Indonesia in Surabaya:
young men who came from Sulawesi,
young men who came from Bali,
young men who came from Borneo
young men who came from Sumatra,
youth of Aceh, youth of Tapanuli
and the entire Indonesian youth
which is in Surabaya.
In their own armies
with the civilian troops,
established in kampongs
has shown a defense
that can not be uprooted,
had shown a strength
until they were stuck everywhere.
Just because the cunning tactics of theirs brethren,
by brought the president
and other leaders to Surabaya,
then we are subject to and lay off the battle.
But in those days, they have strengthened themselves,
and after they were strong, now here’s the situation.
Brothers and sisters,
all of us – we are Indonesian nation
that is in Surabaya
will accept the challenge of British soldiers,
and if the leader of British troops in Surabaya
want to listen the answers of all youth of Indonesia
which is in Surabaya, hear these British soldiers!
This is our answer!
This is the answers the people of Surabaya!
This is the answers of the youth of Indonesia!
To you all the British soldiers!
You want that we
will take the white flag
to surrender to you!
You told us to bring the weapons
that we have taken from the Japanese soldiers
to be submitted to you.
That demands, though we know
that you’re once again going to threaten us
to demolish us
with existing strengths you have!
But this is our answer:
“As long as Indonesian ox
still have the red blood
which can make a piece of white cloth,
into red and white,
as long as we have it,
we will never surrender
even to anyone ”
Get ready fellows brother of Surabaya people.
Precarious state.
But I warn you once again
do not start shooting,
just when we were shot,
then we’ll strike back to them!
We show that we are
actually the people who want to be free!
And to us brothers,
we better destroyed than no freedom!
Our motto remains!
FREEDOM OR DIE!
And we believe brothers,
in the end it must be
victory will fall into our hands.
Because Allah is always on the right side.
Believe it brothers,
The God will protect us all.
Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar!
FREEDOM!
The speech text is not just a sense of poetry; it was also not only relying on the sounds of literary, but it has exceeded poetical events. What I meant with the text has sense of poetry; it’s easily understandable without breaking a sweat of brain and squeezing the heart. And I think if merely the sounds, that was just writing the lyrics of poetic, and yet at the level of the essence of poetry, moreover to be called as events of the meaning of poetical.
I believe, the poem above has the power of usefulness that is not less heroic than the text of Hikayat Perang Sabil that took long time to get in peace, *** in flaring up the spirit of jihad to the enemy in battle. This is where the lies, the true function of literature, not just game of words after enjoying time, but the legs of the reality of the struggle was the one who gave it birth.
The artwork is not the kind of technology assembly that facilitates the people in life, if once considers that the words is not just plumbing. The words come from the awareness, trust, confidence that puts the way on the first place. Then forms of fad, shivering in the far corners, thrown away from the surface of the light, if not realize the foolishness at the first step.
What would they get from taking journey till the furthest besides just pleasure? Read the books for example. Behold many memories and find quintessence of science. Some people think that writing poetry is easy, some others not; it’s more difficult than creating a book with similar ideas. Many poems reader have problems to find an equivalent meaning. The others fell silent, as they felt the inner struggle of awareness of the words, along with the times breathe it.
An apple is an apple, instead of papaya. Adam was given the consciousness of words by the god, along with the objects He mentioned. So, essentially, there is no freedom of the meanings of words, when realized that every word has meaning. It’s paradoxical, if he believes that every word carry the meaning, but then released it.
In every brain has different event to be saved. Even if a similar reading, it is not automatically to be one color, that’s the freedom of interpretation. The man could be reckless to interpret, but one thing we should remember, the ink of Divinity has been brazing; “in any overlooking, the face of the truth remains the same”.
No judge to decide, as the words penetrated into the heart. Only the belief defined it, which had been planted awareness of the words with its forms. The whole reading, experiences educated the life, reflected each other to interpret the words. This is the seriousness of interpretation; open all the organs of the self in embracing and understanding the poetry, or the self that had interpreted by the poems of life.
___________________________
*) 4 Nov 2008, the wanderer from Kendal-Kemlagi village, Karanggeneng, Lamongan, JaTim.
**) Surabaya at the end of 1945, written by; Mohammad Moestadji, BA. Published by Bina Pustaka Tama Surabaya, first printing 1994.
***) Sastra Perang, A discussion about Hikayat Perang Sabil, written by Prof Ibrahim Alfian, published by Balai Pustaka, 1992.
http://sastra-indonesia.com/2009/01/bung-tomo-pahlawan-penyair-indonesia/