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Tenang Telah Membawa Resah (Excerpt)

By Latiff Mohidin - Malaysia, 1941–
Beginning | Contradiction

setiap yang kau pegang
terasa lama

setiap yang kau jauhi
terasa dekat

waktu pintu tertutup
kau ingin keluar

waktu ruang terbuka
kau ingin duduk

Translator’s Glossary

WORD
DEFINITION
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
dekat (adv.) at or to a short distance away near, nearby, close
duduk (v.) to rest with the torso vertical and the body supported on the backside to sit, to sit down, to take a seat, to be seated, to flop down, to perch
ingin (v.) have a desire to do something want, wish, long, need, are dying to
jauhi (v.) give up completely abandon, forsake, let go, disown, discard, relinquish
kau (pron.) the person being spoken to you
keluar (v.) to depart from to leave, to go out, to exit, to vacate, to split
lama (adj.) belonging to the past old, ancient, antique, old-fashioned, stale, passé
pegang (v.) have or retain possession of hold, hold on to, keep, save, hang on to, stash away
pintu (n.) a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle door, doorway, portal, entrance, entry, exit, opening
resah (n.) a tumultuous reaction storm, restlessness, chaos, uproar
ruang (n.) a continuous area or expanse that is free, available, or unoccupied space, room, capacity, extent, scope
setiap yang (n.) all things all, everything, every single thing
telah membawa (v.) to cause something to arrive has brought, has ushered, has produced
tenang (n.) the absence of agitation or violence calm, tranquility, quiet
terasa (v.) gives the impression or sensation of feels, seems
terbuka (adj.) allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space open, wide open, extensive, sweeping, unlimited
tertutup (adj.) put in a position to obstruct an entrance closed, shut, secured, sealed, obstructed
waktu (conj.) at or during that time that when

Artistic Elements

I. About Free Verse 

• Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from
limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms. Such
poems are without rhythms and rhyme schemes; do not follow regular rhyme
scheme rules and still provide artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his
own shape to a poem how he/she desires. However, it still allows poets to use
alliteration, rhyme, cadences or rhythms to get the effects that they consider are
suitable for the piece.

Bio

Latiff Mohidin is Malaysia’s most famous artist and poet alive today. As a young man, he traveled to Germany in order to study fine arts, during which time he also began to write poetry. At the height of the Vietnam War, upon completing his degree, he traveled to Southeast Asia before returning home to Malaysia. There, he produced a series of paintings and published a collection of poetry, both of which were profoundly influential to Malaysian art and literature. He has also translated several poems and plays from German into Malay. Mohidin continues to create art and write poetry in his old age.

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