Spy vs Spy, Poet vs Poet, Jobbo vs Jabberwock

 

In the wake of the Bersih rally, all sorts of medium were used to display both supporting and detracting viewpoints. As is the theme of Leman’s blogsite, let us concentrate on that which Leman loves the most: Poetry! I am sure there are lots or poems written about the event, but I have failed to see them, except two most glaring ones, coming from two heavyweights in Malaysian politics: one YB Shafi’e Abu Bakar, Pas’ ADUN for Bangi, and the other from Malaysia’s own writer laureate, Pak Samad Said. I will comment on both poems below.

 YB Shafi’e’s poem is rather amateurish, as you can read if you click on that link. It has some amusement value but not along the way that we understand amusement to be. Therefore Leman is called to give a “rebuttal” poem below. Well wait. That’s not true. Actually, Leman’s poem is a supplement to YB’s poem: I am sure that the YB not only praises Ambiga, but the other Bersih leaders as well. So you can safely say that Leman’s poem below is actually an extension of YB’s poem to include odes meant for the other leaders as well:-

Ambiga! Ambiga! Ambiga!

Kaulah serikandi hindu sejati

Dari terkasta India kau lari kemari

Wang Clinton Soros bijak kau dapati

Kami yang da’if sila biayai

Jatuhkan UMNO matlamat kami

Tak kira mereka seugama sebangsa kami

Selagi tak sampai ke Matlamat sejati:

Selagi kerusi empuk tak kami duduki

Selagi Putrajaya menidakkan kami

Selagi itulah Ambiga, kau kami sanjungi

GuanEng! GuanEng! GuanENg!

Kaulah khalifah diakhir zaman

Kuhambakan diriku , kaulah Tuan

Dalam khutbahku namamu dimuliakan,

Kesejahteraanmu kami pohonkan

Kg Buah Pala engkau 'maju'kan

Penduduk Balik Pulau engkau ‘bersih’kan

Khalifah Abdul Aziz kau jadikan pedoman

Tapi “Guinness Stout” harap kau kurangkan

Tak cukup Penang, Seberang kami serahkan

Kalau  mahu satu Malaya pun akan kami usahakan

Anwar! Anwar! Anwar!

Namamu harum di mata dunia

Ingin diracun tapi dirimu perkasa

Walau ditembak gas pemedih biasa

Kau rebah bagai dihimpap dunia

Kau liwat, kau siwat, namun kau waja

China Doll, panadol, kau godam semua

Kau tepu, kau tipu, tapi masih kau bersahaja

Disebut Norlaila kau belah:

kaulah wira

Diberi Mior kau terlior:

kaulah permata

Disebut Ummi Seperti Tsunami:

gigil kau semesta

Dengan Datuk T akal kau mati begitu sahaja

Dengan Zul Noordin, Ezam,Nalla tiada rahsia

Orang macam kaulah junjungan kami semua

PAS sentiasa dibelakangmu, wahai wira perkasa!

Haris Ibrahim! Haris Ibrahim! Haris Ibrahim!

Kau lah Wira pejuang bangsa

Kaulah penidak tauhid yang esa

Kaulah pembebas cengkaman ugama

Kaulah pendorong kemurtadan utama

Tanpa kau Azlina hidup terseksa

Berterusan dalam keadaan terpaksa

berTuhankan Allah tidak  di redha

Sujud dan rukuk jangan dipaksa

Bismillah QulhuAllah dibenci semua

Ng, Ngeh! Ngor! Ng, Ngeh! Ngor! Ng, Ngeh! Ngor!

Kegigihan mu menakjubkan kami

Hadis dan Quran engkau hafali

Tersembur dari mulut mu ayat-ayat suci

Walau bibir mu masih basah berbabi

Kaulah wira Dewan Undangan Negeri

Islam Umno kau gagahi, kau calari

Ambillah ini tanah, ambillah ini negeri

Layak lagi kau dari si Umno harbi

Atas fatwa mu kami sanjungi

Tentang kesyahidan Baharud---err Suhardi!

Mat Sabu! Mat Sapu! Mat Labu!

Muka montel mu ku rasa nak cubit

Ku geram hidung mu rasa nak gigit

Peminat mu ramai bukannya sedikit

Tak terkira bagai bintang di langit

Kau bijak melepas dari tersepit

Bilik 121 namamu terpalit

Normah penghantar minyak sembelit

Walau tubuhmu besar bukan sedikit

Namun intelek mu sebesar intelek pipit 

 

Now Laureate Samad Said is a bit more interesting. I would like to tell a personal story. Many, many years ago, I had a brush with Pak Samad, at the time when he hadn’t been awarded the Ahli Sasterawan Negara yet. I wrote something in the papers that criticized him. It was published and they were talking about it several days afterwards. Pak Samad blew his top and gave a rebuttal few days later and it was in the front page of Utusan Malaysia or Berita Harian I can’t remember which. He said something like “how dare that writer mention (such and such and such. Honestly, I can’t remember the topic). Who is he? A nobody. I myself have written many, many books and who is he to question me?”

Anyway the funny thing is this. Several days later, I accidentally met him in an escalator --- if I am not mistaken, in PJ. He of course did not know me --- a totally insignificant and unglamorous little guy. So I caught him up and said, “Pak Samad, I read about the issue you wrote in the papers and that anonymous writer who dared to write such a thing against you. He is a loony, isn’t he, Pak Samad?”To which he replied, “No, no, no. It is okay. He is entitled to his own opinion. Now what did you say your name was?”(Diverting the issue).

Hehehe that was funny to me that time, When I departed from him I was sniggering quietly: he had just spoken to the guy who put him to task before!

Anyway, no. I am not in the same league as Pak Samad. He is a class of his own: a copacetic visionary, a hopeless romantic, an adroit writer, a dexterous poet. He is also, lately, an extremely confused alzheimeric dissident who hates the very government that recognizes his contributions. And for that, I wouldn’t want readers to be disadvantaged with what he had to say so I am reposting his poetry in full glory here:

 

Unggun Bersih

Semakin lara kita didera bara—
kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka:
Demokrasi sebenderang mentari
sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri.

Lama resah kita—demokrasi luka;
lama duka kita—demokrasi lara.
Demokrasi yang angkuh, kita cemuhi;
suara bebas yang utuh, kita idami!

Dua abad lalu Sam Adams berseru:
(di Boston dijirus teh ke laut biru):
Tak diperlu gempita sorak yang gebu,
diperlu hanya unggun api yang syahdu.

Kini menyalalah unggun sakti itu;
kini merebaklah nyala unggun itu.

24—25, 6.11. A. SAMAD SAID

Now Leman’s rebuttal poem? Mmmm.... a giant needs a giant to sit on the same level. So instead of creating a poem of my own for him, why not I pull in another giant with a corresponding poem which I think MOST APPROPRIATELY ANSWERS Pak Samad’s poetry. Here it goes: The Jabberwock by Lewis Carroll. It was a poem I first read when I was 9 years old. I didn't know the meaning of  the poem until now, when all this Bersih thingy happened. You guys might find a tough time comprehending what the verses are all about but trust me: National Laureate Pak Samad knows full well the meaning of this poem!

Jabberwocky

Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

 

 Leman Pulut