Lir-ilir: Javanese song and its meaning<\/p>\n
By DWR Mastuti<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Traditional Javanese songs are more than just
\nlyrics and rhythm, their words contain the philosophy of life.<\/p>\n
When I was young, my parents always sang Lir-ilir. I
\nunderstood it only after studying Javanese. I came to love this
\nsong deeply because of its deep meaning.<\/p>\n
The song Lir-ilir runs as follows:<\/p>\n
"Lir-ilir tandure wis sumilir,<\/p>\n
tak ijo royo-royo, tak sengguh temanten anyar,<\/p>\n
cah angon-cah angon, penekna blimbing kuwi,<\/p>\n
lunyu-lunyu peneken kanggo masuh dodotiro,<\/p>\n
dodotiro kumitir bedhah ing pinggire,<\/p>\n
domana, jlumatana, kanggo seba mengko sore,<\/p>\n
mumpung gedhe rembulane, mumpung jambar kalangane,<\/p>\n
yo suraka...surak...hore...<\/p>\n
Translated<\/p>\n
Lir-ilir the tree is mature,<\/p>\n
all green, beautiful and shining like a bridegroom,<\/p>\n
herdsman, please climb that blimbing tree,<\/p>\n
although the tree is slippery, please climb to<\/p>\n
collect the fruit to wash your cloth with,<\/p>\n
your dodot is torn at the side,<\/p>\n
please sew it in order to call on the king this afternoon,<\/p>\n
come on, there's a full moon, and we can make a big circle,<\/p>\n
please cheer...cheer...hurry...<\/p>\n
You can feel the beauty of this song when you sing it. Most
\ntembang dolanan (songs sung when children play), like Nini Thowok
\nand Cublak-cublak Suweng, have philosophical meaning. This
\nmeaning comes from the type of the game itself, which may be
\nrelated to the cosmos, super natural events or the environment.<\/p>\n
Naturally different interpretations may emerge from differing
\npoints of view. However, the Javanese attach symbolic meaning to
\neverything. For instance they use symbolism in speech, in the
\nnames of their children and the days of a birth, and give meaning
\nto each part and function of a coconut tree.<\/p>\n
The Javanese answered one of life's mysteries with Lir-ilir.<\/p>\n
The phrase Lir-ilir tandure was sumilir means that a man's
\nsoul is awaken to become conscious of God. To be conscious of God
\none has to exercise daily and remember food.<\/p>\n
By the phrase tak ijo royo-royo tak sengguh temanten anyar, it
\nis understood that the man follows God with the deep love of a
\nbridegroom.<\/p>\n
Cah angon-cah angon, penekna blimbing kuwi, lunyu-lunyu
\npenekna, kanggo masuh dodortiro is laden with meaning. Blimbing
\n(star fruit) may symbolize the cloth as well as the tree itself.
\nDodot is also a type of ceremony cloth worn in palace when a
\nprince visits the king. This part therefore suggests that once a
\nman has become conscious of God by praying, he has to cleanse his
\nheart by developing the five qualities of good conduct and
\ncharacter: non-attachment, acceptance, truthfulness, patience and
\nhigh virtue. Lunyu-lunyu peneken means that a man has to obey
\nGod; this may be guided by these five qualities, however
\ndifficult. Just as this cloth (dodot) must be clean, a dying man
\nshould possess a clean heart before presenting himself to God
\nwhen he dies.<\/p>\n
Dodotira kumitir bedhah penggire, domana jlumatana kanggo seba
\nmengko sore, explains the dodot as a symbol of the heart and also
\nas a symbol of faith in God. As the dodot is torn on one side and
\nhas to be sewn, symbolizing an unconscious heart without an
\nawareness of God, a man without consciousness is not truly
\ncomplete. As a man grows older, it becomes more difficult for
\nhim to wear clean clothing, and similarly to develop true
\nconsciousness.<\/p>\n
Mangko sore implies that although a man does not know when
\ndeath will come, he must be ready to accept God's will.<\/p>\n
Mumpung gedhe rembulane, mumpung jembar kalangane is a warning
\nto man not to waste time in order to be prepared for death. While
\nyoung, strong and healthy one should not be impatient to perform
\ngreat tasks because such great opportunities are rare and a man
\nis more often presented with small ones. Therefore one should not
\ndespise these small tasks, for if a man cannot execute easy
\ntasks, how will it possible for him to accomplish difficult ones?<\/p>\n
Suraka...surak...hore... shows that happiness is achieved by
\nfollowing God's commands.<\/p>\n
Today, when Indonesians are overly concerned with industrial
\nand technological development, and materialism has become king,
\nthere can be no harm in you singing Lir-ilir.<\/p>\n
This song reminds us that there is God, the Creator of the
\nuniverse. We must take care of our universe; its forests, rivers,
\nsky, sea and everything in this world which enables us to live.<\/p>",
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