Note on ‘Heaven’s Border’

Literature | Monday, 2 April 2012 | sundanesecorner.org
Hawé Setiawan 
Di Wates Langit ‘At Heaven’s Border’, published by Majalengka Literary Community (KSM) in 2011, is a poetry anthology by Asikin Hidayat. This is his second poetry anthology after Lagu Simpé ‘Song of Silence’ that was published by Pusaka Kemucen Rajagaluh in 2007.
Born into a family of traditional performing artist in the District of Kadipaten, West Java, on 12 January 1964, the poet lives and works as an English school teacher in Majalengka, one of the north eastern regions in the province. Asikin also writes short stories, some of which were published by Manglé magazine. In addition to his literary and teaching activities, he manages Panghégar Art Studio in the town.
With a short introduction by KSM Chairman Sigit Sulistyo, this 70 pages anthology comprises 70 poems that were created for the last five years.
Here is one of Asikin’s poems:
Ema

Mun seug salira miring ieu galindeng,
Ku hayang nyeueung salira ngulampreng
Ngagupaykeun panangan ngahiap muru lahunan
“Yap, anaking ku Ema diakeup, tiris anaking?”

Aya nu beueus na lalancip panon
Marengan séah cihujan luareun imah
(keur budak kuring haneut na keukeupan Ema,
Ayeuna haneut na hahateup imah)

Ema, mun hujan séah cara ayeuna
Saha nu werat ngeukeupan salira
Padahal salira nunggelis di kalanggengan
“Tiris Ema téh?”

(Mun, kongang hayang ngeukeupan Ema
Bari nyaksian petengna kuburan)
I can’t translate the poem into English. For the sake of non-Sundanese speaking communities, however, let me loosely interpret the poem as follows:
Mother

Had you heard this hum
I would have expected you to come
Waving your hand, taking me to your lap
‘Come here, Son. Let me hug you. It’s chill, isn’t it?’

I feel my eyes wet
In the sound of rain outside the house
(I used to feel the warmth of my mother’s arms,
Now I feel just the warm of my house’s roof)

Mother, in a heavy rain like this
Who would embrace you?
You must be lonely in eternity
‘It’s chill, isn’t it?’

(I want to hug my mother
As I am watching the dark grave)

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