The 12 Gurindam of Raja Ali Haji This is the gurindam of the second issue. Whosoever grasps what follows here Must know the true meaning of fear. Whosoever neglects the prayer Is like a home without a pillar. Whosoever neglects the fast Has lost in both this life and last. Whosoever neglects zakat Earns from […]
Tag Archives: bahasa melayu
Gurindam 12 Fasal 1
This is the gurindam of the first issue:
Whosoever to his faith holds not
Is a man whose name will be forgot …
Cot Melukut
Cot melukut Berambang gantang. Mana tikus ‘nyorok? Celah kangkang! A popular nursery rhyme for youngsters. Begin by poking the bottom of the kid’s foot, then race up their leg to tickle the inner thigh. Conceptually similar to the American “This Little Piggy Went To Market”, the Malay version has the advantage of being certified Halal […]
The Year in Chickens
The last two weeks saw a number of milestones pass for me. 20 years as a muslim. 10 years in Malaysia. 10 years running this website. 6 years of keeping chickens! In Malaysia, my first personal encounter with chickens beyond the dinner table was over 12 years back, when a neighbor’s rooster attacked my firstborn […]
So nice I have to say it twice
Reduplication is the name linguists give to the doubling up of words. It doesn’t happen all that much in English, aside from making adjectives more intense, as in Star Wars (“Long long ago in a galaxy far far away”), or baby talk (dumdum, poopoo), or when apologizing to Miss Jackson (for ever-ever?). Bahasa Malaysia, on […]
Kekasih by Usman Awang
Beloved I would spin the sea-spray into a belt that binds you I would braid the rolling waves to spread a sleeping mat for you I would weave of the clouds a shawl to cover the hair of you I would
The Yard: Cekur Udang Gamit
Great, so that makes about as much sense as nursery rhymes can be expected to make. But what on earth is cekur, you ask? Maybe you’re not all that sure what turmeric is either, for that matter.<
Hau tu spik Malaysian
Malaysia is constantly grappling with the role of English in the country and in the Malaysian language, Bahasa Malaysia. On the one hand, fluency in English is highly prized. The government’s latest initiative to improve English skills is that Math and Science courses will now be taught in English medium. On the other hand, English […]