FOM FEATURE: Hari Raya Quatrain

This is the fifth of seven articles on Hari Raya and Malay Culture appearing in the July/August 2014 issue of PASSAGE, the magazine of the Friends of the Museum (FOM).

1) Panas terik di bulan puasa, Menjemur padi di sudut laman; Tikar emas bantal suasa, Manakan sama berbantal lengan.	How scorching hot in the fasting month, Dry the paddy in the corner of the yard; A mat of gold, a pillow of rose-gold, Cannot match the pillow of your arm.
2) Beli terung beli kucai, Makan mari bulan puasa; Kena cium orang bermisai, Tiga tahun terasa-rasa.	Buy brinjals, buy Chinese chives, Let’s feast on them during the fasting month; A kiss from one with a moustache, Will burn in memory for three whole years.
3) Buah rambutan setangkai ranum, Mari dimakan bulan puasa; Tuan ketawa saya tersenyum, Hendak ditegur belum biasa.	A bunch of ripe rambutans, For us to feast on during the fasting month; You chuckle while I smile to myself, Both yet unused to conversation.
4) Bulan puasa memetik kelapa, Hendak menyambut Aidilfitri; Budi kami tidak seberapa, Kenangan diberi kekal abadi.	In the fasting month we pick coconuts, For the Aidilfitri celebrations; Our hospitality might have been modest, What you have given will be forever remembered.
5) Sirih kuning setangkai genap, Mari makan bulan puasa; Putih kuning suara sedap, Taruh mari mainan mata.	Yellow betel leaves grow evenly on a branch, Come let us eat during the fasting month; Ivory-complexioned, honey-voiced, Come join me in a game of glances.
6) Pisang muda masak pengat, Masak mari bulan puasa; Tuan muda baik beringat, Antara dendam rosak binasa.	Unripe bananas are cooked for pengat*, Come prepare it during the fasting month, The young should always bear in mind, Revenge is the surest road to ruin.
7) Beli gelas beli cawan, Untuk pagi Hari Raya; Tidakkah belas hati tuan, Melihat nasib hidup saya.	Buy glasses, buy cups, For the morning of Hari Raya; Is there no pity in your heart, For the fate of one like myself?
8) Hari Raya sembahyang raya, Raja berangkat dari istana; Dari daya dan upaya, Tiada rotan akar berguna.	Morning prayers on Hari Raya, The king departs from the palace; By the force of one’s efforts, If there is no rattan, roots can be of use.
9) Bulan Ramadan bulan puasa, Awal Syawal beraya kita; Kita baru berkenal biasa, Berdondang sayang bermesra kita.	The month of Ramadan is a month of fasting, In early Syawal we will celebrate; We have just begun to know each other, May song and leisure bring us closer together.