Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute a Randai Dance-Drama

8/18/2019 Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute a Randai Dance-Drama

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PLAY

Umbuik

Mudo

and the

Magic

Flute:

A Randai

Dance-Drama

IntroductionbyKirstinPauka;

translated

by

Ivana

Askovic,

Barbara

Polk,

Kirstin

Pauka,

et

al.

This

first English-languagepublicationof

a

randai

play from

WestSumatra s based

on

the

script

prepared or

a student

production

taged

in 2001 at the

Universityof

Hawai'i,

Mdnoa,

by

one

of

the

translators,

Kirstin

Pauka,

who

also

introduces

he

play

and

its

staging.

Kirstin

Pauka

is

associate

professor

f

Asian theatreat the

University

f

Hawai'i,

Manoa,

specializing

n

SoutheastAsia. Her research

focus

is on the theatre

of

Indone-

sia.

She

is the author

of

Theater and Martial Arts in West Sumatra:

Randai

and

Silek of the

Minangkabau

(1998)

and the CD-ROM

Randai: Folk

Theatre,

Dance,

and Martial Arts of West

Sumatra

(2002).

As

well,

Dr.

Pauka serves

as

editor

for

SoutheastAsia

for

the

forthcoming

Oxford

Encyclopedia

on

Theatre

and Performing Arts. She s also a percussionist nd drummerwith theKennyEndo

TaikoEnsemble.

Randai

s the

popular

folk theatre of

the

Minangkabaupeople

of

WestSumatra

n

which

songs,

dance, music,

martial

arts,

and

acting

are woven

together

to tell

traditional

Minangkabau

ales.

The

play

UmbuikMudoand

the

Magic

Flute s an

adaptation

of

a

traditional

Min-

angkabau

olk

story ong popularized hroughout

the

region

via

story-

telling

and

songs.

The

story

was first

adapted

for

performance

n

ran-

dai

theatre

in

the

early

1970s

by

Chairul

Harun,

renowned

writer,

scholar,

and

director of

randai

theatre. It

was further

adapted

and

translated or

the

first-ever

English-language

erformance

of

randai n

the

United

States,

as

part

of

the

Asian

Theatre

Program

at

the Univer-

sity

of

Hawai'i's

Department

of

Theatre

and

Dance,

in

February

2001.1

Before

presenting

the

play

I

offer an

overview of

the

cultural and

reli-

Asian

TheatreJournal,

ol.

20,

no.

2

(Fall 2003).

?

2003

by University

of

Hawai'i

Press.

All

rights

reserved.


3/39

Askovicetal.

gious

context,

dramatic

text,

and

performance

conventions,

as well

as

comments on the translation process.

Randai

Theatre

and

Its Cultural and

Religious

Context

Randai is one of

many

regional

folk

theatre

genres

of

Indonesia.

It is

firmly

rooted

in the

local

language,

culture, customs,

religion,

aes-

thetics,

and

performance

traditions of the

Minangkabau

ethnic

group

of the West Sumatran

highlands.

Randai

can be

considered the

fore-

most means

of

expression

of

cultural

identity

for the

Minangkabau

people because it integrates three of their oldest, most popular, and

widespread

performance

traditions-silat

(martial

arts),

bakaba

(story-

telling),

and

saluangjo

dendang (song-and-flute).

The

latter two tradi-

tions are fueled

by

a vast

collection of

local

folktales

known as kaba

minang.

Randai

story

material

and

performances

express

and confirm

the

importance

of the

two

pillars

of

society

defined

by

the

Minangka-

bau: adat

(traditional

customs)

and

Islam.2 Randai

emerged

as a full-

fledged dramatic genre at the beginning of the twentieth century, well

after

Islam

was

established in

Sumatra,

but it

incorporates

the

three

performance

traditions

cited

earlier,

which

predate

the

introduction

of Islam

into

West

Sumatra. Silat

was

traditionally

taught

in

a

surau,

or

men's

house.

When Islam

spread

throughout

West

Sumatra,

it was

eventually

taught

alongside

silat in

the

surau.

Despite

the

potential

conflict with

the

orthodox

Islamic

prohibition

of

performance

often

anticipated

by

Western

observers,

randai

developed

and

flourished

after Islam

was

established

in

West Sumatra. Most likely this was possi-

ble

because the

initial

Islamization

was,

as

in

other

regions

of

Indone-

sia,

carried

out

by

followers of

a

mystical

branch

of

Sufi

Islam

that was

tolerant and

open

toward

local

traditions.

This

was

especially

true

when

these

local

traditions

included

mystical

elements

themselves,

as in the

case of

silat,

and

this

tolerance

was

carried over

into

randai.

Alongside

pre-Islamic

stories,

songs,

melodies,

martial

arts,

and

dance

move-

ments,

randai

eventually

incorporated

elements

from the

imported

Islamic

cultural

treasure

trove,

such

as

some of

its

story material, open-

ing

and

closing

prayers,

and

quotes

from

the

Koran

and

other

religious

texts,

as

well

as

general

guidelines

for

proper

etiquette

and

behavior

in

society.

Performance

Features

and

Context

The

visual

and

aural form

of

randai is a

synthesis

of

alternating

dances,

songs,

and

acted

scenes.

Circular

dances

called

galombang

feature

martial

arts

movements

as

well as

a

rather

amazing

and

totally

unique

type

of

pants-slapping

percussion

called

tapuak.

These

tapuak

114


4/39

A

RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

patterns

have become the

signature

feature of randai

theatre;

they

are

performed in a remarkably dynamic manner by slapping special pants

while

dancing.

The

galombang

dances are

accompanied

by songs

and

flute music.

(See

Color Plate

1.)

The

song

melodies in randai

are

mostly

drawn from a

large repertoire

of

folk

songs

called

dendang.

In

the

past

ten

to

twelve

years,

other

sources have

been

incorporated

into

the

musical

repertoire

of

randai as

well,

particularly

popular Malay

dangdut

tunes. The

lyrics

(gurindam)

in

randai

songs

are

newly

created

for each

play

and

are

often

adapted

on

the

spot

to fit

specific perfor-

mance circumstances. Two singers alternate in delivering the lines so

that

a

seamless

flow

of

sound is achieved.

The

same is true for the

flute

that

accompanies

the

singers,

as the

saluang

is

played using

circular

breathing,3 creating

a

continuous sound. Between

song

numbers,

scenes are

enacted within the circle

and

are

sometimes

accompanied

by

instrumental music

consisting

of

talempong

bronze kettles),

drums,

and flutes. The

acting

style

features a

stylized

line

delivery

in

eight,

nine,

or ten

syllables

derived from

the

storytelling

tradition and ora-

tory;

in

randai each line is

accompanied by specific steps and gestures

based on

silat,

similar to the

steps

and

gestures

performed

in

the

cir-

cular

galombang

dance.

Silat

is

the

indigenous type

of

martial arts found

throughout

Indonesia and

Malaysia;

in

the

Minangkabau language

it is

generally

pronounced

"silek."

n

West Sumatra there are

twelve distinct silat

FIGURE

1.

Circular

galombang

dance with a

greeting pose

from

silat.

(Photo:

TomLevy)

115


5/39

Askovicet

al.

styles,

each with several

subcategories.4 Traditionally,

silat

training

was

all male. Young boys at the onset of puberty would leave their moth-

ers'

houses and live

in the

surau,

or

men's

house,

where

they

received

training

in

silat,

adat,

and Islamic

studies.

Silat,

like

randai,

often uses

a

circular formation

as a

training

tool. All

students are

arranged

in

a

circle of

which the teacher

is also a

part.

All circle

members move

in

unison,

following

the movements

of the

teacher

closely.

The

strong

link

of

randai

to the

indigenous

martial

arts is

evident

in

its continued and

consistent

use of

silat-based movements

and in its

story

material

where

silatissues are often central. Randaiperformers are required to be pro-

ficient in silat and

typically practice

both forms

actively.

A

silat master

is a

leading

member of

each randai

group, acting

as

trainer,

supervisor,

and

choreographer.

(See

Color Plate

2.)

Randai,

growing

out of

the

circular silat

training,

became

part

of the

training

of

boys

in

the surau

and

was

therefore

originally

an all-male theatre

genre.

Since the

1960s,

however,

female

performers

have become

increasingly prominent

in

randai

due

to

the

changing

social and

political

conditions

following

independence

and the consolidation of the

Republic

of Indonesia and

its

education

system,

in

which

training

became more accessible to

women

in

general.

As a

result,

few all-male

randai

groups

remain.

FIGURE

.

Musra

Dahrizal,

master teacher of

randai,

during

dress rehearsal.

(Photo: Tom Levy)

116


6/39

A

RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

Today

randai theatre

is

very

much alive in

West Sumatra

and

still evolving. In 2002 there were more than 280 active groups in rural

as

well

as urban

regions.

They

are

mainly

amateur

groups

with

varying

degrees

of

proficiency;

some

groups

might

on occasion

perform

several

times a

week,

others

only

a

few times

a

year.

New stories are

constantly

adapted

for

randai

plays.

Randai

festivals

and

competitions

are held

on

a

regular

basis,

which enhances

growth

and

innovation and

contributes

to a

lively

exchange

of

regional

styles.

Besides

festivals,

there

are

other

performance

occasions for

randai:seasonal harvest

festivals;

nstallation

of a clan chief (datuak); amily celebrations such as weddings or school

graduation;

and

religious

and

national

holidays,

such as Idul Fitri

(end

of

Ramadan)

or

Indonesian

Independence

Day. Usually

an

individual,

a

group,

or a

government

office

sponsors performances

and the

pub-

lic is

invited to

attend

for

free.

The

exceptions

are

fund-raising

events,

for

which a modest

ticket

price

is

charged.5

As a

composite

dance-drama

with

music,

dance,

singing, acting,

and

martial

arts,

randai

brings

together

several

distinct

performance

traditions and is closely linked to the cultural and spiritual life of the

Minangkabau

people.

Besides

its

obvious

entertainment

value,

randai's

main

function

is

the

perpetuation

of

cultural

values

by

educating

the

younger generation

about

both

Minangkabau

adat

and Islamic

teach-

ings. Recently

many

new

plays

have

addressed the

impact

of

modern-

ization and

globalization

on

traditional

Minangkabau

society.

The cir-

cular

formation

of the

presentation

of

randai is a

central

structure

as

well as an

aesthetic feature. It

not

only emphasizes

the

village

commu-

nity gathering in a circle to be entertained and educated by a randai

play

but

reinforces the

notion of

equal

standing

among

all

performers

-the

anak

randai

(children

of

randai)-and

spectators.

Despite

mod-

ernization,

the

circle

endures.

The

Text:

Structure

and

Content

A

typical

randai

play

is

episodic,

loosely

structured,

and

based

on

well-known

regional

folktales.

The

story

is

arranged

into

some

parts

that

are

acted

out

in

dialogue

form

and

others that are narrated

through

song lyrics

called

gurindam.

This

system

allows for a

highly

flexible

performance

in

which

improvisation

plays

a

vital

role.

Topics

that

are

recurrent

in

many

randai

plays

are

key

elements

of

Minang-

kabau

cultural

life

and

customs:

clan

relations,

family

obligations,

arranged

marriages,

wedding

ceremonies,

child

education,

proper pro-

tocol

and

etiquette,

the

custom of

rantau

(temporary

migration),

reli-

gious

learning,

and

silat

apprenticeships.

The

story

of

Umbuik

Mudo

is a

popular Minangkabau

folktale

well known all over

West

Sumatra.

It

addresses

status

distinctions

117


7/39

Askovicet

al.

between

rich and

poor,

teaches

intergenerational etiquette

and

behav-

ior,

and

integrates

Islamic

teachings

as well as

teachings

from

tradi-

tional adat.

The narrative centers

on Umbuik

Mudo,

a

boy

from

a

poor

family,

who

falls

in

love with

Puti

Galang Banyak,

the

daughter

of

a

rich

family,

and

his

struggle

to

win her

heart.

Many

versions

of

this

story

with

several different

subplots

are

in

circulation in

West

Sumatra.

The

part

of the

story

we selected for

our

production

focused on

the

exciting

events

leading up

to

the

lovers'

meeting,

her

initial

rejection

of him

because of his

poverty,

and

his scheme

to

use a

magic

flute

to

win her love. Our version ended with their

marriage.

But

Minang-

kabau

audiences would

know

that

although

the

couple

shares a

short

blissful

time

together,

ultimately

their

union is

doomed

because

of

the

overpowering

magic

spell

used

by

Umbuik.

The

larger

framework of

this

core

story

concerns

a

quest

for

revenge.

When

robbers

murder

his

father,

Umbuik

sets

out to

avenge

his

father's

death.

His

quest

to

find

the

criminals

propels

him

on

an

extended

journey

full

of

adventures,

one of

which

is his

encounter

with Puti Galang. In the remainder of the story, Umbuik eventually

rejects

her

love

and

she falls ill

from

the

magic

spell

cast

by

the

flute.

When

she

dies of

a

broken

heart,

Umbuik

Mudo,

who

has

gone

back

to

his

quest

to

find

his

father's

murderers,

hears of

it

and is

heartbro-

ken.

Rushing

to her

side,

he

finds

a

shaman

to

bring

her

back

to

life.

Their

union

does not

last

long,

however,

and she

finally

dies.

Umbuik

then

continues on

his

quest

and

ultimately

finds the

murderers.

But

instead of

killing

them

as

he

had

vowed to

do,

he

shows them

mercy

and reforms them with the help of teachings from adat and Islam.

They

repent

and

he

lets

them

go

on

their

way.

Like

other

Minang-

kabau

stories

adapted

for

randai,

this

one is

used

to

impart

teachings

about

adat

and

Islam,

to

entertain,

and

to

tell

a

good

story

full of

magic,

love,

humor,

tragedy,

and

wisdom. A

full

performance

of

the

entire

story

would

take at

least

two

nights

with

four

or

more

hours

each

night.

For a

specific

performance

the

troupe

leader

typically

selects

core

scenes

of

the

story

that fit

the

event

and

transforms

them

into song lyrics and dialogue text, very much as we did with our ver-

sion

of

Umbuik

Mudo in

this

production.

Randai

in

Performance

Randai

typically

begins

with an

introductory

instrumental

piece,

prominently

featuring

drums

and

talempong

bronze

kettles,

intended

to

alert

audiences

to

the

imminent

beginning

of

the

performance.

The

dancers

enter

the

performance

space

with

silat

steps

as

the

music

is

playing

and

when

they

arrive in

their formation, a salutary opening

118


8/39

A RANDAI DANCE-DRAMA

song

is

presented.

From there the dancers

give

a

demonstration of fast

silat moves

culminating

in

tapuak pants

slapping.

From there

they

move into a

circular formation where

they

remain

throughout

the

play.

The

circle frames

the

acting

area

in

which

the

scenes

are

played

out. Between

scenes,

the dancers

move

through

the circular

galombang

dance

sequences

while two

singers

and

a

flute

player

accompany

them

with

songs.

Often the dancers

join

in

singing

the

last

line of a verse

or

a short refrain section. At the end of

each

song,

they

perform

a short

transitional movement

sequence including

a

percussive

tapuakpattern.

After this they sit in a circle and the actors take their places within the

circle to

engage

in

the

dialogue

scenes.

The conventionalized vocal

style

of the actors is

derived from

the

Minangkabau

storytelling

and

song

traditions,

as

well

as from

the refined

verbal arts of

oratory,

cer-

emonial

speeches,

and

recitation of

proverbs

and the Koran. The ver-

bal

delivery

of the

lines

is

accompanied by

stylized

gestures

and

steps

reinforcing

the

spoken

words

in a kind of

sign language

based

on

silat

moves.

At

the

end

of each

scene,

the leader of

the

dancers

(tukang

FIGURE

3.

Fighting

scene: Musra

Dahrizal,

randai

master

teacher from

Indonesia

(right)

with the actor

playing

Umbuik

Mudo.

(Photo:

Tom

Levy)

119


9/39

Askovic et al.

goreh)vocally

cues them

to

rapidly get up

and

perform

another

transi-

tion

sequence

with

vigorous

pants

slapping,

which leads into the next

song

and

accompanying

dance. This continues until all

scenes

and

songs

are

performed.

The randai ends with a

dynamic

instrumental

closing

number and a ritual

closing

song

to

pay

respects

to the

ances-

tors,

spirits,

God,

teachers,

and

audience.

The

Translation

The

translation of the

play

offered

here

is the

result of a

year-

long collaboration between the Minangkabau teachers, language

experts,

and cast

members of the

production.

As

with

any

other

Asian

theatre

play

text,

the

major

challenge

of

the

translation is to

stay

as

close

as

possible

to the

original

text in

terms of

meaning

and

poetic

quality

while at the

same time

illuminating

unfamiliar cultural

refer-

ences

embedded

in

the

text

and,

especially,

in

the

proverbs

(pantun).

An

additional

challenge

was

to find the

appropriate

metric

structure

of nine

syllables

per

line;

thankfully

the

Minang

also

take the

liberty

of

using one syllable more or one less, depending on the context. The

song

lyrics

posed

additional

difficulties.

Apart

from

the

listed

require-

ments

of

proper

content,

poetic

quality,

and

length,

stresses

in

the

melody

line

must fall

onto

those

words

that

are most

important

in

terms of

the

message.

These

stressed

words

should

ideally

have

many

vowels so

that the

word

can be

stretched

over

many

notes.

Moreover,

lines

within a

verse

should

have

similar-sounding

endings-some-

thing

much

more

easily

accomplished

in

the

Minang

language

with its

abundance of vowels and similar-sounding suffixes. The selection of

specific

scenes

from the

much

longer

story

is

intended

to

supply

a

single plot

line that

focuses on

specific

Minangkabau

cultural

traits.

It

resulted

in

a

play

two

hours in

length.

UMBUIK

MUDO

AND

THE

MAGIC

FLUTE

CHARACTERS

MASTER

OF

CEREMONIES

(Mc)

UMBUIK

MUDO

("Young

Bamboo"),

a

Minangkabau

youth

UMBUIK

MUDO'S FATHER

UMBUIK

MUDO'S

MOTHER

RAMBUN

AMEH

("Golden

Hair"),

UMBUIK S

younger

sister

AUNT

RUBIAH,

UMBUIK's

aunt

PANJANG

JANGUIK,

UMBUIK'S teacher

PANDEKA CAPEK

("QuickFighter"),

MBUIK'S

opponent

120


10/39


PUTI

GALANG

BANYAK

("Maiden

of Many

Ornaments"),

a

Minangkabau girl

PUTI GALANG BANYAK'S FATHER

PUTI GALANG BANYAK S

MOTHER

SYNOPSIS

Scene 1:

At the home

of

Umbuik

Mudo's

family

in

Tibarau

village

in

West Sumatra:

Umbuik's

parents

discuss his future

and

education

with him

and send him off

to

study

silat.

Scene

2:

Three

years

later,

in

the

village

of silat

master

Panjang

Jan-

guik: Umbuik has completed his studies and takes leave of his

teacher.

Scene 3:

Back home in

Tibarau:

Umbuik and

his sister

discuss a

silat

tournament

that

will be held to

find a

husband

for

Puti

Galang

Banyak,

the

daughter

of a rich

family.

Scene

4:

At the

silat

tournament

in

the

village

of

Kampuang

Aua:

Umbuik

enters

the

tournament,

but,

distracted

by

Puti

Galang's

beauty,

is

defeated. She

ridicules him in

public,

but he

falls

in

love

with her anyway.

Scene

5:

Back

home in

Tibarau: Umbuik

tells his

mother

about

his

love for

Puti

Galang

and his

defeat at the

tournament.

Scene

6: At

the

home

of Puti

Galang's

family:

Umbuik's

mother

and

his

Aunt

Rubiah

present

the

proposal

for

Puti

Galang's

hand in

marriage,

but

they

are

turned

down and

humiliated.

Scene 7:

Back

home in

Tibarau:

Umbuik

learns

from

his

mother

that

his

proposal

has

been

turned

down.

He

desperately

asks her

to

find

a

special

bamboo

stalk

from

which

he

can

make a

magic

flute

to

charm

Puti

Galang.

Scene

8: In

a

forest

close

to

Puti

Galang's

home:

Umbuik,

playing

the

magic

flute,

puts

a

spell

on

Puti

Galang.

Through

the

beauty

of

the

music she

sees

his

true

self

and

falls in

love

with

him.

Umbuik,

however,

is

reluctant to

trust the

magic

and

undecided he

leaves

her.

Scene 9:

One

year

later

at a

wedding

ceremony

in

Kampuang

Aua:

after

long

wanderings

the

lovers

finally

unite

and

are

married.

Entertainment for

the

wedding

guests

includes

the

famous

Minang

plate

dance and

a

comic

pantomime

routine

depicting

two

young

fishermen

on a

boating

adventure.

(The

play

begins

with

a

fast-paced

percussive

numberfollowed

by

a

slower

talempong

piece

during

which the

dancers

enter

the

stage

with

silat

move-

ments

and

take

up

the

openingformation

in

three

rows.

Once

the

dancers

are in

place,

the

lead

singers,

seated

upstage

center

with

the

musicians,

begin

the opening song, called Dayang Daini.)

121


11/39

Askovicet al.

Dayang

Daini

Opening Song

(This

is

a

standard

opening song for

randai

plays.

Songs

are

typically

named

after

a

Minangkabau

place

or

person

and are known

primarily

by

their

melody,

which

remains

he same

whilethe

lyrics

changedepending

on

the

play

and the

singers.

n this

song,

as in most

other

songs

in

randai,

the

lines

of

each verseare sharedbetween wo

singers.

n

addition,

the

dancers

join

in

singing

the third line

of

each versewhile

slowlymoving through

a

sequence

f

respectful reetingposes.

The

song

introduces he

story

itle,

pays

respecto the land and ancestorsof theMinangkabau,and welcomeshe

audience.)

Mount

Merapi,

so

high,

and so

grand,

/

in

the heartland

of

Luhak

Nan

Tigo.

/

Minangkabau

is

the name of the

land.

It

came

floating

down from heaven

above.

/

It

touched

the

earth

becoming

a

tale.

/

The

tale is

known as Umbuik

Mudo.

We ask

your forgiveness

a

thousand

times,

/

if

you

find us

wrong

or

at fault.

/

Respect

and

reverence

we offer

you.

The

palms

of

our hands

we

join

together,

/

before our

respected

audience.

/

Randai,

our

magic play,

will now

begin.

Opening

Scene

(The

dancers

perform

a

short

fighting

sequence ollowed

by

a

circular

galombang dance with lively tapuak [pants-slapping percussion

sequence].Thereafter

hey

it

in a circle

formation.

One

of

the

dancers

steps

into

the center o

welcome he

audience

and to

introduce

he main

charac-

ters

of

the

story,

embellishing

he

speech

with a

few

pantun

[traditional

poems

or wise

sayings]

to

pay

homage

o

the

highlyrefined

Minangkabau

art

of

oratory.)

MC:

Dearest

members

of the

audience

/

No need

to

mention

the

com-

moners, / no need to address the noblemen. / Here, we pay equal

respect

to

all.

We

will

express

our inner

feelings

/

to

make

sure

our

mes-

sage

is

conveyed.

/

We

will

now

perform

our

randai

play

/

about

the

young

Umbuik

Mudo

/

and

the

girl

Puti

Galang Banyak.

The

story

of

Umbuik

Mudo

/

takes

place

in

Tibarau

village.

/

Puti

Galang

comes from

Kampuang

Aua,

/

in

a

land

called

Minangkabau.

Minang

people

are

stretching

a

thread,7

/

winding

it

first,

122


12/39


then

folding

it,

/

folding

it over

again

three times.

/

When stretched, the thread seems

very long,

/ and when

folded

appears quite

short.

/

We

love riddles and

this

was

a test.

/

Take from

our tale what

works

for

you

best.

Children of the

Minangkabau

people

/

decorate their

hair

with durian flowers.

/

Likewise

randai has

spiritual

powers.

/

Relax now

and listen

carefully.

SimarantangSong

(This

song

setsthe

scenefor

he

story

o

unfold.

Traditionally

pectators

on-

tinue

to

arrive

throughout

he

beginningof

a

randai

play

and

tend to

be

rather

noisy,

so

this

song

asks

for

their

attention

because

he

play proper

s

aboutto

begin.

This

song,

as well as

allfollowing

songs,

is

accompanied

y

a

circulargalombang

dance.

The

dancers

join

in the

refrain

of

each

verse.

Betweenverses

they

perform

lively

and

fast

tapuak

percussion

equence.)

Maywe have silence from all of you, / and then we will be

glad

to tell

you

/

a

tale about

Umbuik Mudo.

Umbuik

Mudo

was

enchanted

by

/

the

maiden

Puti

Galang

Banyak,

/

a

lovely

girl

from

Kampuang

Aua.

It

came to

pass,

one

day

his

mother

/

knew her

son was no

longer

a

boy.

/

Her

son

Umbuik

had

become

a man.

Umbuik

was

peacefully

at

play

/

when an idea

bloomed

from

the

earth.

/

And

now his

mother

will call for

him.

Scene 1

(Scene

1

introducesUMBUIK

MUDO

and his

parents

having

a

crucial

discussion.

Umbuikhas

come

of

age

so his

parents

encourage

him

to

leave

his

home

village

to

seek

further

education and

training.

This

temporary

migration,

called

rantau,

is a

custom

deeply

mbeddedn

Minangkabau

culture. It

typically

nvolves a

voluntary

absence

rom

home

for

varying

lengthsof

time

to

seek

advanced

training

and

education,

economic

dvan-

tage,

experience,

nd also

adventureand

romance.)

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Oh,

alas,

my

dearest

mother,

/

also

my

most

respected

father.

/

Why

is it

you

come

and

bother

me,

/

as I

enjoy

this

mar-

velous

day?

Please

father,

try

to

make it

clear,

/

so

that

my

heart will

be

at

peace.

/

Let

me calm

this

agitation,

/

and

let

this

trepidation

cease.

UMBUIK'

FATHER:

My

dear

son,

Umbuik

Mudo,

/

look

at

your

father

123


13/39

Askovicet al.

with

open eyes.

/

Look at this

body growing

old,

/

old like an

aged

banana tree, / whose time it is to be cut down.

This is the reason

your

father and mother

/

asked

for

your

presence

here

today.

/

Do not

allow

your

life to

be

shattered

/

upon

the

passing

of

your

father.

Do not let

ill

thoughts

lead

you astray,

or

lose

respect

through

wrongful

deeds.

/

Action is the

measure

of

character, /

so

weigh

every

step

you

take with

care.

Our wisdom

is

that of

Minang people;

/

we as

men

respect

our traditions. / If one day we should encounter / an

adversary

we did not

seek, /

we must not

die before our

time.8

Listen

to one more word of advice.

/

Our customs are

those

of

Minang people,

/

that

give

the

motive force to life.

/

We collect debts

that

are

owed to us.

/

We

keep

our

weapons

clean and

ready.

/

We

find

strength

in

the

power

of the

sun

/

to

oppose injustices

on

earth.

/

That is the message from your father.

UMBUIK

MUDO:

All

these

things

that

my

father advises

/

that are con-

cerned

with how

I

live

/

fill

my

heart with

inspiration.

/

They

shall

be a

compass

for

my

life.

/

My

father's

heart

should be at

peace.

UMBUIK'S

FATHER:

Your last

words,

Umbuik,

my boy,

/

to

my

heart

bring greatest

joy.

/

However,

hear

my

final

advice.

You will

find

much that is

strange

in

this

life,

/

like

the

tree

that dies

and

then bears

fruit.

/

Never

forget

that life on

this earth / is a sacred ocean with wondrous streams.

UMBUIK'S MOTHER:

Listen

to

what

your

mother

now

says.

/

From

childhood

I've

watched

you

through

the

days.

/

Your

body

has

grown, you've

become a

man,

/

but

though

increasingly

tall

you

stand,

/

there is

yet

much

you

do

not

comprehend.

/

Our

family

is

poor

and

is not

noble, /

so

choose the

right

path

to

gain

knowl-

edge.

UMBUIK

MUDO:

I've

heard the

words

now

from

my mother. / The

view

before me

is dark

as

night.

/

There

is a

reason for

all

of this.

/

If

one

wants

to farm

the

land,

/

or

plant

the

seeds in

the

soggy

paddy,

/

or

make the

dry

land

bear his

crop,

/

one

must

have a

very

strong

body.

/

That's

not a

job

I

am

suited

for.

If

I

reflect on it

thoroughly,

/

there's

really

no

job

I

am

fit

to

do.

/

And so

my

father

and

mother I

ask

you,

/

what

job

would

start

my

life

anew?

UMBUIK'S

MOTHER:

If all that you've conveyed to us / reflects your

thoughts

of

the

future,

my

son,

/

then I

feel

we

shall

find a

com-

124


14/39

A RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

mon

goal.

/

Go now

to find this

sacred

way.

/

Master silat

and

the

way of the world, / pursue them both with

equal passion.

/

Begin

your

studies

at

once,

my

son,

/

so that later

no

regrets

will

come.

Lintau Buo

Song

(This

song bridges

hree

years'

ime,

a

common

onvention n

randai

songs.

In

the

meantime-as we

learn

from

the

song-UMBUIK

has traveled

far

and studied

with

a

prominent

ilat

master.The

accompanying

alombang

dance ncludesajurusan, a sequencefattack-and-defenseovementshat

illustrate ome

of

what

UMBUIK

has

learned.This

lively

sequence

lso

sets

the

appropriate

martial

moodfor

hefollowing

cene

between

MBUIK

and

his

teacher.The

tapuak

percussion

betweenhe

verses

of

this

song

is

one

of

the

fastest

in the

entire

play.

The

third line

of

each

verse s

again sung

in

chorus

by

all the

performers

ncluding

the

dancers.)

And then his

dreams

finally

came

true,

la tuan

oi,9

finally

came true. / Joy filled the heart of, la tuan oi, Umbuik

Mudo.

/

He

learned the

lesson,

la tuan

oi,

of his

father.

/

He

learned

the

lesson,

of his

father,

la tuan

oi,

of his

father.

He was

determined

to find a

guru,

la tuan

oi,

to

find a

guru.

/

The

quest

had

begun,

la

tuan

oi,

for

Umbuik

Mudo,

/

leaving

behind

him,

la tuan

oi,

mother

and

father.

/

Leaving

behind

him,

mother

and

father,

la tuan oi, mother and father.

Then,

at the

house of

his chosen

guru,

la

tuan

oi,

his chosen

guru,

/

truly good

fortune,

la

tuan

oi,

was

awaiting

him.

/

He

studied

silat,

la

tuan

oi,

also

religion.

/

He

studied

silat,

also

religion,

la

tuan

oi,

also

religion.

After

three

years

of

Umbuik's

devotion,

la

tuan

oi,

of

Umbuik's

devotion,

/

he

mastered

silat,

la

tuan

oi,

also

religion.

/

Then

he

was

called,

la

tuan

oi,

by

his

guru.

/

Then

he

was

called

by his guru, la tuan oi, by his guru.

Scene

2

(Scene

2

shows

the

parting

of

UMBUIKfrom

his

silat

teacher

of

three

years.

Silat

studies

are

traditionally

held in

a

surau.

The

surau

has

long

served

as an

institution

to

educate

Minang

youth

in

customs,

slamic

teachings,

and silat.

Some

surau

teachers

have

gained

a

reputation

ar

beyond

he

immediateregionand welcome tudentsfromfar and near;

PANJANG

JANGUIK

is

such

a

teacher.)

125


15/39

Askovicet

al.

PANJANG

JANGUIK:

Alas,

Umbuik

Mudo,

my boy,

/

whose

skillfulness

is based on truth. / The time has come that we must talk, / there

is

something

I

wish

to

say

to

you.

If

my

count

is not

mistaken,

/

as

I

judge

the

passing

seasons,

/

it has

been

three

years

now

to

the

day

/

since

you

came

here as

my

dear

student.

One of

God's

eternal

teachings

/

directs

that the

relation-

ship

/

between a

student

and his

teacher

/

is

complete

when

the fruit

is

ripe.

/

Your

studies

with

me have

come

to an end. / What's your opinion on this, my boy?

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Where

the

candleholder

curves,

/

the

burning

candle

curves as

well.

10

These

words

of

my

most

noble

teacher

/

I

shall

receive with

greatest

thanks.

One

favor

will fulfill

me,

/

if

it

is

true

we

soon

shall

part.

/

I

ask

you

for

a

silat

contest.

/

If

you

agree,

then

we

shall

part.

PANJANG

JANGUIK:

I myself had planned to test you. / To complete

your

studies

here

with

me, /

follow me

now to

the

training ground.

/

Since

the

time for

this

is

right,

/join

me

now

for

a silat

fight.

(The

dancers

perform

short

galombang

dance in

preparation

or

fight-

ing

scene

1,

in

which

UMBUIK

is

defeated

by

his

teacher.

This

silat

scene

is

accompanied

by

talempong

and drum

music.

During

the

short

dia-

logues

the

music

gets

softer

and

again

increases

n

volume

as

soon

as the

fight resumes.)

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Oh,

my guru,

you

have

taught

me

well,

/

your

words

ring

true,

loud

as

a

bell.

/

I

train

to

live

and

not

to

kill.

/

Please

show

me

more

examples

of

skill.

PANJANG

JANGUIK:

Umbuik

Mudo,

this

is a

test.

/

Let's

see

if

your

skill

makes

you

the

best.

(Fights

2

and

3follow

in

which

UMBUIK

MUDO

performs

advanced

silat

moves

with

his

teacher

as

a

sign

that,

as

a

student,

he

has

completed

is

studies.)

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Oh,

guru,

with

your

greater

wisdom, /

you

can

see

clearly

the

greater

truth.

/

My

studies

of

silat

are

done

now.

/

I

also

can

read

the

holy

works.11

Before I

turn

away

to

leave

you,

/

I

request

of

you,

my

guru,

/

some

words

to

make

my

pathway

clear.

/

A

message

as

a

sign

of

your

leave,

/

that I am free to

part

with

my

teacher.

126


16/39

A

RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

PANJANG JANGUIK:

I

will

gladly

grant your

wish.

/

You are

skilled

at

scripture and silat. / Even if you had not asked me, /

you'd

have

my permission

to

depart.

One

word

to send

you

on

your

way:

/

If

you

are held

in

a

strong grip,

/

do not

try

to force

escape.

/

Take a

deep

breath

as

you

wait,

/

then

make a

movement

and

you'll

see,

/

only

then

can

you

break

free.

The best

thing

would

be

now to

say

/

farewell

and take

your

leave at

once.

/

In

this

manner

we

do

part

/

and

to

Allah

we both shall pray / that you depart and reach home

safely.

/

Now,

my

son,

be

on

your

way.

Talampong

Unggan

Song

(This

song

takesus

back

oUMBUIK

's

home

and,

hinting

at

some

exciting

news

that

has

arrived,

is

intended to

keep

the

excitement

live and

the

attention

of

the

audience

high.

The

accompanying

alombang

is

joyous

andplayful.As in previoussongs,thefiller"delao tuan ai"12 s sung by

both

singers

and

dancers.)

Onde

mak13 A

devoted

man,

Umbuik

had

mastered

/

the

sacred

arts,

focused on

his

word,

dela o

tuan

ai.

/

He

completed

all

his

studies

/

and

asked

permission

from

his

guru,

dela o

tuan

ai.

Onde

mak

/

It

was

granted,

he

went on

his

way.

/

He

then

returned home to his village, dela o tuan ai. / Sweet

memories

came

of his

mother.

/

He

walked

on,

thinking

only

of

her,

dela

o

tuan ai.

Onde

mak

Later on

Umbuik

reached

his

home,

/

as

the

sun

was

leaning

to

the

west,

dela o

tuan

ai.

/

As

he

came

in,

a

gentle

sunbeam

/

rested

upon

a

bundle

of

siriah,14

dela o

tuan

ai.

Onde

mak

The

betel

nut

was

by

the

doorway,

/

carefully

wrapped

in

a

siriah

leaf, delao tuan ai. / To learn the

name

of

the

visitor,

/

he

called

his

little

sister

to

the

room,

dela o

tuan

ai.

Scene

3

(Scene

3

takes

place

between

UMBUIK

and

his

younger

ister;

n it

we

hear

news

about

an

exciting

ilat

contest

o

which

UMBUIK

is

invited. To

hold

a

contest

or

tournament

[galanggang]

in

order

to

find

a

husband

for

daughters

of

noble

families

is

a

favorite

motif

in

Minang

literature

and

127


17/39

Askovicetal.

folktales.

These tournaments

often

includesilat

competitions

nd

Koran

recitals,but also

cockfights

nd

gambling.

In

many

plays,

conflicts

ariseat

such

tournaments,

which

gives

the

impetus

or

the

further

development

f

the

story.)

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Alas,

my

dearest

little

sister,

/

who's

been

in

my

mind

night

and

day.

/

There is a

question

I

hope you'll

answer,

/

if

per-

haps

you

are

willing

to

say.

Rambun

Ameh,

my

dearest

sister, /

when

I

returned

home

from the countryside, / I climbed up to the house and

entered,

/

and took a

good

look

around inside.

/

I

saw

some

offerings

by

the

door.

/

What

is

the betel nut

doing

there?

Has

someone

brought

us

an

invitation?

/

Now

perhaps you

can

elucidate, /

so

I

don't

have

this

nagging question.

/

And

now,

my

dear

sister,

please

explain.

RAMBUN

AMEH:

Oh,

yes,

my

dearest older

brother,

/

brother of

myflesh and

blood.

/

If

that is

what

you

ask

me,

brother,

/

please

lis-

ten

well,

the

news is

good.

While

you

were

at the river

bathing,

/

your

silat

master

did

come

here.

/

He

told

to us his

heart's

intentions

/

that

for

his

plan

the

time is

near.

He

plans

to

hold a

tournament.

/

This

betel nut is

to let

you

know.

/

Dear

brother,

he

invites

you

to

fight

/

You

should

gather your

things

and

go.

The tournament lasts seven

days

/ to find a husband for

Galang

Banyak.

/

It's

wise to

accept

this

invitation,

/

and

quickly

send

a

confirmation.

/

What,

now,

is

my

brother's

intention?

UMBUIK

MUDO:

If

what

you

say

is

indeed

true,

/

it is

clear

now

what

I

must do.

/

When the

day

and

hour

have

come,

/

I'll

go

there as

an

army

of one.

And

now, my

dear

sister, please listen. / First I will change

my

clothes,

/

while

you

make

us a

cup

of

coffee.

/

Please,

off

you

go

now

to

the

kitchen.

Indang

Song

(This

song

takes

us to

the

realm

of

PUTI

GALANG'sfamily

and the

prepa-

rations

for

the

tournament.

t

provides

background

nformation

n the

event

and

setsa

mood

offestivity,

xpectation,

nd

grand

excitement.

or

this

songtwo

of

the

singers

and

the

lute

player

eave

their

usual

spot

on

the

upstage

128


18/39


platform.

They

move

center

stage

inside the

circle

of

dancersto allow the

audience o

fully appreciate

hebeautyof this well-loved

Minang song.

The

secondand

fourth

lines

of

each verseare

repeated

nd

sung

the second

ime

by

all

performers,

ncluding

thedancers.

(See

Color

Plate

3.)

The

whole

family

of

Puti

Galang,

/

(2x)

after

long

debate,

they

all

agreed.

/

At

last a final decision

was made.

/

(2x)

A

celebration was

planned

in

her

name.

The

invitations were

delivered

/

(2x)

to all the

people

throughout the land. / When the day had come for the

celebration,

/

(2x)

the arena

was

open

to

everyone.

Thousands had

come

from

far and near

/

(2x)

to

witness

this

joyful

event.

Mother and Father

with

pounding

hearts,

/

(2x)

longing

to

see

Galang

find

her match.

Umbuik

Mudo had

come

quite

late,

/

(2x)

the event

already

on its third

day.

/

In the

crowd

he met his

wise

guru. / (2x) Between the two a discussion took place.

Scene4

(Scene

4

features

a silat

tournament

and a

long

fighting

scene

between

UMBUIK

and his

opponent.

The

display of

silat

skills within

a randai

play

is a crucial

feature

and

extremely

opular

with

Minang

audiences,

especially

ince

many

randai

ensembles

nclude

freestylefighting

by

highly

skilled

performers

n

additionto

choreographed

et

scenes.

Audiences

become

very

lively

during

these

scenesand

shout

encouragement

o their

favorite

performer.)

PANJANG

JANGUIK:

Alas,

Umbuik

Mudo,

my boy,

/

I

am

glad

that

you

have

finally

come.

/

But

why

have

you

arrived

so

late?

/

It

has

been

three

days already,

/

and

many games

have

been

performed.

/

The

gongs

and

drums

were

all

played,

as

well,

/

together

with

the

flute

and

song,

/

and

the

four-stringed

fiddle,

too.

/

The

many

dances

have been

performed.

/ All that excitement is over now.

Listen

to

me

now,

my

son.

/

I

will call

for

Pandeka

Capek.

/

Soon

you

will

have a

silat

fight.

/

Let

this

contest

gladden

our

hearts.

/

What

is

your

opinion

of

this?

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Although

I

have

arrived

here

late,

/

if

my

teacher

wishes I

shall

start.

/

Now

let

me

try

a

silat

fight

/

to

show how

well

I

have

learned this

art.

Before

the

sun

reaches its

greatest height, /

I'll

try my

best

to

succeed

in

this

fight.

/

I

ask,

my

guru,

for

your

129


19/39

Askovicet

al.

learned

view,

/

if the

steps

I

make are the ones

most

true. / And now I'm prepared for what I must do.

(Dancers

perform

a

short

galombang

and

tapuak sequence

as a

transi-

tion while PANDEKA CAPEK

enters.)

PANDEKA CAPEK

(ad

lib):

Umbuik

Mudo For as

long

as I've

known

you,

/

you

have

always

been

late.

/

Prepare yourself

for it to

seal

your

fate.

(Theyfight

accompanied y

alempong

and drummusic.

PUTI

GALANG

enters.

Distracted

by

her

beauty,

UMBUIK

s kicked

n the chest

andfalls

to

the

ground

defeated.)

5

GALANG

BANYAK:

His

skill,

it

would

seem,

has

abandoned

him,

/

and

a kick

to the

chest becomes his

prize.

/

Our

champion gets

what

he

deserves,

/

because he

did not

control his

eyes.

While

hunting

in

a level

field, /

a

grasshopper's

kick

brings

the deer to

doom.16

/ Your training has brought no

results,

/

just

like

a

flower that

does not

bloom.

Do not

forget

your

destiny.

/

Look

hard into

the

mirror of

fate.

/

Only

a

guest

at this

contest for

glory,

/

you

should

not

have

hopes

unrestrained,

/

for

only

hopes they

shall

remain.

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Puti

Galang, you

blooming

flower,

/

these

angry

words

betray your

power.

/

You

needn't

use

such

words.

I

fear

/

in

the end

they

will

bring regretful

tears.

/

You've uttered words of

bleak

disdain.

/

These

accusations

bring

only pain.

/

Cruel

words

a

sharp

weapon

can

become,

/

and

wound

a man

who is

not

numb.

Though

I'm

a

man of

meager

means,

/

and

bracelets are

for

those

with

funds,

/

if

the

bracelet's

short,

it

will

not

reach.

/

Such

riches are

of

use to

no one.

GALANG

BANYAK:

Fine

words

here,

but

short of

meaning.

/ This is a

festival of

nobles.

/

There is

no

place

here

for

one like

you.

/

It

would be

best

to

leave at

once.

/

Your

presence

pollutes

our

cus-

toms

here,

/

even

down

to

the

clothes

you

wear.

PANJANG

JANGUIK:

Unfortunate

girl,

unlucky youth

/

There is

no

need

to

speak

like

this

/

Stop

this

discussion

here

at

once,

/

before

your

words

turn

into

tears.

I

have

listened

to

your

conversation,

/

not

worthy

of

your

education.

/

Your

words

are

filled with

vanity,

/

insolent

and with no

charity.

130


20/39

A

RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

Night

follows

day

as

day

follows

night,

/

and human

life

has

dark and light. / We must all

accept

what fate has

wrought,

/

so do

not

speak

without clear

thought.

UMBUIK MUDO:

My guru,

who

gives

these

teachings

to

me, /

anger,

it's

true,

can

only

be

wrong.

/

My

thoughts

now,

they

are

most

alarming.

/

Galang Banyak spoke

truth

all

along.

My

silat

was

poor,

I

must

confess.

/

Truth

filled the

words

Galang expressed.

/

To

quickly

resolve

this

painful

mess,

/

it's

best I head for home

in

haste.

(The

dancers

perform

short

galombang

and

tapuak sequence

s a

tran-

sition

during

which a

quick change of

actors

takes

place.

All exit

except

PUTI

GALANG.

Her

FATHER enters

the

circle.)

GALANG

BANYAK'S FATHER:

Alas,

my daughter

Galang Banyak,

/

whom friends

and

family

know

as kind.

/

The

words that I

just

heard show a lack / that could cause us to change our minds.

You are

still

very young

now,

that

is

true,

/

but still

you

should not

speak

that

way.

/

Suppose your

life turns

down and

you

/

feel the

pain

you've

inflicted

today.

/

Our life

is like a

wheel

that

rolls,

/

one

time on

top,

one

time

below.

/

If

a

change

comes,

it

won't wait.

/

We can

never

escape

our fate.

Heed

these words

spoken

by your

father, /

think

and

act

in

a

positive way. /

If

your fine character's sullied, daughter,

/

you

yourself

will

suffer

one

day.

GALANG

BANYAK:

Please

give

me

your

pardon,

dear

father.

/

Appar-

ently

I

have

been

at

fault.

/

As

for those

recent

words of

mine,

/

clearly

I

did

not

think

them

through.

/

I

only

meant

by

words to

test

him, /

I'm

sorry

they

came out

on a

whim.

/

I've seen

he is

skillful

at silat.

/

This

unlucky

man

does

tempt

my

heart.

/

It

appears

his skill

is

not

yet

solid,

/

his

thrust

is

betrayed

by

a

glance

of his eyes.

When

I

saw him

struck

by

a

sudden

kick,

/

my

thoughts

became like

those

of a

child.

/

I

only

intended to

tease

Umbuik,

/

not to

taunt

him

with

words

defiled.

Clearly

he

did

not

grasp

my

meaning;

/

now

I

am

struck

by

my

father's

anger.

/

I

plead

with

you

to

forgive

me,

father, /

for

surely

I

am

the

one

at

fault.

GALANG

BANYAK'S FATHER:

Alas,

my daughter Galang Banyak,

/

the

eyes

of

many

saw

your

mistake.

/

We

were

in

the

midst of

a

party

131


21/39

Askovicet

al

for

you.

/

Perhaps

you

only

wanted to

tease,

/

but an attitude

like

that is poor.

Furthermore, child,

your

father

must

say,

/

when

you

seek

for

direction

in

life,

/

the

holy

books of

our

ancestors

say:

/

let nature be

your

guide

in

life.17

Model

yourself

on the

clove flower.

/

Growing

only

on

a

simple

tree,

/

in

time this

flower

becomes

a

spice,

/

that

needn't

preen

for all

to see.

/

If

she falls in a

gust

of

wind,

/

many

men will seek

to find her.

/

Young

and

old desire this flower. / She is very difficult to get.

This is the

character

you

must

assume, /

the

attitude

of

a

precious

heirloom.

/

No

matter

where or

when one

sees

you,

/

what

they say

cannot

demean

you.

GALANG

BANYAK:

My

father's

words

I

ponder

on,

/

I

understand

all

that

you

say.

/

Day

and

night

I

will

try

this

on,

/

and

never shall I

forget today.

/

The

words

you spoke

have made me

glad,

/

no

more

shall

my

father's

heart be sad.

GALANG

BANYAK'S

FATHER:

Alas,

my

dear

child,

who has

blundered,

/

a

pity your

father can't

take

more

time.

/

These

words

you've

said

give

me

peace

of

mind,

/

for

now

let's leave bad

thoughts

behind.

Now,

off

to the

kitchen

you go,

/

I've

neglected

the

fields

and

buffalo.

/

There

is

still

so

much

that

is

left to

do,

/

later on

we

will talk

this

through.

Rang

Talu

Song

(This

song

is

sung

to

a

melody

belonging

o the

ratok or

sad

style.

It

is

muchslower

han

previous

ongs

in

order

o

reflect

UMBUIK

s

mood

of

des-

olation

and

frustration.)

After the

meeting,

after

the

meeting,

his

guru

sent him

away.

/

Disappointed

by

Umbuik's

defeat,

/

Humiliation

and shame were all he knew.

His

soul

was

restless,

his

soul

was

restless,

his

heart

full of

sorrow.

/

Sweet

Galang

was

constantly

on

his

mind.

/

He

had

no

hope

of

expressing

this

love.

On

his

return,

on

his

return,

Umbuik

sat

alone

at

home,

/

the

words

of his

guru

echoing

in

his

mind.

/

He

simply

sat

quietly,

dwelling

upon

his

loss.

Lost in

his

thoughts,

lost

in

his

thoughts,

Umbuik

sat

with

his eyes closed / until his mother asked him what was

wrong.

/

Let

us

listen

closely

to

what

they say.

132


22/39

A RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

Scene

(Scene

5

showsthe

deep

ove

of

UMBUIK'

S

MOTHER

for

herson

and

her

willingness

o

help

him

in this

hopeless

matter

against

her

betterjudgment.)

UMBUIK'S

MOTHER:

Alas,

my

dear son

Umbuik Mudo.

/

Bent like

a

beast

that

to

slaughter

does

go,

/

reveal to

your

mother

why

her

dear son

/

sits with brow

furrowed since

coming

home.

Did someone insult

you

while

you

fought?

/

So that

you

sit

all

lost

in

thought? /

Did an

adversary

defeat

you,

son?

/

Or a rich

man's

wager weigh

you

down?

UMBUIK

MUDO:

Mother,

if

that's

what

you

want to

know,

/

I'll

tell

you

why

I

feel

so low.

/

My

guru

came to

our home

/

to invite me

to

fight

in

the

silat

game.

/

I

was

urged

to

join

though

I

was late.

/

I'd

only begun

to

make

my

way,

/

and as I turned to

step

to the

left,

/

the

blood

stood

still

within

my

chest.

/

As

I

saw Puti

Galang

Ban-

yak,

/

I

forgot

that

my

opponent

stood before

me.

/

His foot

landed against my chest. / And as she saw me losing the fight, /

from

Galang

came

words of utter

spite.

And

though

that's the

way

the

story goes,

/

still

Galang

managed

to steal

my

heart.

/

Though

I

can't reach

what

I'm

hoping

for,

/

it feels

like I'm

holding

it

in

my

hand.

I

want

you

to take

my

proposal

to

her,

/

to

the

beautiful Puti

Galang Banyak.

/

Truly

I

believe we

are a

good

match.

/

I

ask

that

you

bring my

request

to

her.

/

That is all

that I

am asking of you. / Please, mother, go there at once.

UMBUIK'S

MOTHER: If

that

is

what

my

son

pines

for,

/

please

do

not

worry

anymore.

/

This

heartache

must

not

bring you

low.

/

To

pro-

pose

this

match,

let

your

mother

go.

Be

patient

now,

my

son,

and soon

/

we'll

hope

to

see this

flower bloom.

/

If

we find

good

fortune

before

us,

/

both

families

may

then

rejoice.

Here we

have

said

enough

for

today.

/

Tomorrow

I

go

to

ask for her hand, / to get the answer for which we pray.

Muaro

Labuah

Song

(This

song

is

basedon

a

lively

melody

onveying

he

urgency

f

UMBUIK'S

longing

and

hope,

but it

also

has a

sad

undertone n

anticipationof

the

disappointment

hat

willfollow.)

Finally

an

agreement

was

reached.

/

Umbuik's

mother

went

on her way. / (2x) As long as his wish would come true,

he

was

willing

to

patiently

wait.

133


23/39


24/39

A

RANDAI

DANCE-DRAMA

GALANG

BANYAK'S MOTHER:

Alas,

my

two

respected

sisters,

/

you

who

speak

with such

eloquent

words.

/

If the tree

bore its fruit

till

ripened,

/

I

may

indeed savor

its

taste.

(The

dancers

perform

a short

tapuak sequence

while seated as the

actors

meetcenter

stage

and

pantomine

eating

betel

nut

together.)

Oh,

my

dear

sisters,

you

both

I

thank.

/

The

betel

nut

is

already

gone.

/

We

have

enjoyed

our

friendly

chat, /

now

let us

get

to the heart of the matter.

Tell me

what is

on

your

mind

/

in

the

tradition

we

all

hold

dear.

/

Please

speak freely

now,

be

so

kind,

/

what

is

it

that

is

on

your

mind?

AUNT

RUBIAH:

According

to

our

people's

customs,

/

sharing

betel nut

together

/

must

precede

our

conversation.

/

I

will now

convey

our

purpose.

/

As

our

people's

saying goes,

/

our

sister

owns

a

beautiful

flower.

/

We came

here to seek

this rose.

It's

long

been

our

greatest

hope

/

that

your

daughter,

Puti

Galang,

/

to our

son,

Umbuik

Mudo,

/

agrees

in

marriage

to

give

her

hand.

That

is the

deepest

desire at

heart.

/

Their

fate

will

depend

upon

Allah.

/

Now,

dear

sister,

it is

your

turn

/

to

consider

your

feelings

in

this

matter.

/

Do

you

agree,

we

hope

to learn.

GALANG

BANYAK'S

MOTHER:

Alas,

my dearest elder sisters, / whose

wisdom

is

the wisdom

of

truth.

/

Our

thoughts,

it

seems,

are

much

the

same,

/

but the

answer

depends

on

Puti

Galang.

Two

glasses

must be

similarly

filled,

/

two

measures must

weigh

the

same.

/

If

like one

family

we all

shall

be,

/

Galang

herself

must

yet

agree

/

If

fate

does

indeed

endorse

this

plan,

/

together

we

shall

all

rejoice.

/

If

that in

fact

should

be

her

choice.

UMBUIK'S

MOTHER:

We are

happy

to

wait

right

here

/

for

Galang

Banyak's

arrival.

/

Please,

call

her

now

so we

may

hear,

/

her

words

will

make

the

future

clear.

Let

us

pose

our

question

clearly

/

according

to the

tradi-

tional

way.

/

I

ask

your

permission

most

earnestly

/

to

learn

what

Galang Banyak

will

say.

GALANG

BANYAK'S

MOTHER:

For

hope

to

become

reality,

/

you

must

please wait here patiently. / I shall now look for Galang Banyak /

and

send

her

to

answer

what

you

have

asked.

135


25/39

Askovic

et al.

(The

dancers

perform

short

galombang

and

tapuak

sequence

s

a

tran-

sition

while

PUTI GALANG

enters the circle and her

MOTHER

leaves.)

GALANG

BANYAK:

Oh,

my very

dearest

aunties,18 /

what is the

reason

you

called for me?

/

The blood

pulses wildly

in

my

chest.

/

I

beg

you,

let me

know

at

once, /

so that

my

heart can

be at

rest.

UMBUIK'S MOTHER:

Galang Banyak,

most

respected

and

good,

/

the

brightest

flower the

village

does

grow.

/

Our

fervent

dream

is

if

we

could

/

marry

Galang

with Umbuik

Mudo.

/

We await

your

answer ...

GALANG

BANYAK

(cutting

in):

If

you

came to

ask for

my

hand,

/

you

came in

vain to

visit me.

/

Your

dream

will remain

only

a dream.

/

The

road

you

travel is

slippery.

Clearly

it's not

appropriate

/

for a

goose

to

be

married

to

a

swan.

/

It will

only

leave a

bitter

taste

/

undesirable

to

anyone.

As for

your

son,

Umbuik

Mudo,

/

he

looks

most like a

with-

ered fruit, / or a peanut dried up in the sun. / He's not

one to

Documents

Umbuik Mudo and the Magic Flute a Randai Dance-Drama