G. J. Resink (1911-1997) in Kaliurang, Yogyakarta

Written by Nurel Javissyarqi
Translated by Agus B. Harianto
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SULING DI KALIURANG
G. J. Resink

Seruas bambu merintih tinggi
semata-mata untuk rembulan,
yang nun di Timur, dari tepi
di balik lapis kejauhan,
dekat Klaten kira-kira,
mengambang: bunga-kemerahan
disepuh rintih seruling duka.

Telah lemas nafas bunyi ini;
rongga jiwa memuput isi
dan pada hembus penghabisan,
putih dan tinggi tegun rembulan
di atas kawah gemerlapan
karena gunung mengirai api.

Semua istirah malam ini,
sampai bulan pagi pelan
berdiri ditumpuk pegunungan,
dimana Borobudur setumpak maja

Lalu lurah pun bergegas kemari
dari desa di kejauhan
dan rusuh tergores pada mukanya,
kala ia berkata: “Ada bayi
mati semalam. Demikian
konon kabarnya.”


Flute in Kaliurang
G. J. Resink

A bamboo groaned in high
solely for the moon,
that somewhere in the East, from the edge
behind layer of distance,
approximately near Klaten,
floated: flowers-reddish
plated by moaning of the grief flute.

It had been weak breath of this sounds;
cavity of soul whistled the meaning
and at the final blew,
white and high the astonished of moon
above the crater of shimmering
because the mountain thought it’s fire.

All take a rest tonight
until the moon of morning slowly
stood piled up by mountains,
where the Borobudur was a heap of maja

Then the village elder had come in hurry
from villages in the distance
and tumultuous etched on his face,
when he said: “A baby
died last night. That’s
what I heard. ”

Gertrudes Johan Resink, born in Yogyakarta at 1911, from Dutch and Javanese descent. Resink studied in Sekolah Tinggi Hukum (the College of Law), in Batavia. In 1947 Resink became Professor of constitutional law. After the handover of sovereignty in 1949, Resink received citizenship of RI. In 1950 Resink became professor of modern history, the history of diplomacy, beside Resink taught International Law in UI. In the world of Dutch literature Resink is known as a poet. Resink had related to Indonesian literature since the days of the “Pujangga Baru” and “Angkatan 45”. Resink was interested to British author of Polish descent, Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) who had sailed on the Nusantara ocean. The professor that unmarried until the end of life was noticed to the French artist, Claude Debussy (1962-1918) who introduced the music of Java in the music composition. Resink’s poems were published on the magazines “De Fakkel” and “Orientatie” made in Indonesia, Resink also frequently wrote in “De Nieuwe Stem”. In “Vrij Nederland”, published his poem entitles “Breuklijnen”. Resink died in Jakarta at 1997. (From the books “Puisi Dunia” (World Poetry), Volume II, compiled by M. Taslim Ali, Balai Pustaka, 1952, which was retranslated into English would be more or less like above)
***

I imagine the events in the fontanel (mind) of Resink, when Resink wrote the poem. So allow me to explore it:

The towering bamboo trees in midnight of Kaliurang. Fingers of its leaves were dancing, moaning in anguish.

It wring the shadow. Only to the moon, the message of flowers in the distance, delivered by the wind that brought the deep feeling.

There are the bonds of spiritual beings united with the reaching of power, seeped through the tough legs to testify, beating and pulse to the river flow of the natural of homeland.

Clarity of the feeling been mature in the soul, intimacy fulfilled estuary of meaning. Parse the meaning of the word fragment. Implied the beauty of poetic treasure into various languages.

The breaths of motherland blew in and out, surpass the nose and mouth of its children.

Sincerely dedication brings the sounds of cultural style, toward the slopes of the valley of civilization. Ascend the winding road of the difference of understanding.

Steep cliffs of feud were traveled, a fog of reasoning climbed plateau of the knowledge.

Reached the peak of civilization, blended scientific was sheltered by the moon radiates the light of wisdom, on the sort of values in Candradimuka crater.

Upheaval and conflict of ideology asserts increasingly mature age, or drowning in the abyss of war fighting.

It’ll never be disappeared of the earth’s getting old, towards the destruction of mankind.

There are so highly civilized nation, there are also medium civilized nation. There was the great era of achievement, there was just, or even decreased fell in to the stupidity.

Surely charm of sparkling was more colorful, but scatterbrained the greatness of earlier inner.

There are eroded when he was old; unclearness of view was interpreted universally. Mistaken was meant as acceleration of changes. Then the forgetfulness was understood as the top of attainment.

Basically do not know each other intimately, when private interests are much preferred, since goodness preserved ancestral heritage.

The future looks really dark, as black as the cloud hung over the crown of mountain. When heavy rains are flooded, it blown the vomit of lava from boiling crater.

Colliding of crushing stones. Lightning and the flash of thunder were raged as strong as the storm of dust, uprooted the trees of thought.

The natural conscience rebelled uncontrolled. It was not test but it was punishment, caused of the human hands that are complacent in favor of the world.

Till he forgot to search him myself, the crying was just like a minute of drizzle. Sadness was merely of things, certainly hard to find the way back.

And the playing of the bamboo flute asserts the essence of life, to the depth of heartstrings.