Kertu-Kertu Ceki

On July 19, 2008 at the Poetry Night held by Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) and Consortium for the Teachers of Southeast Asian Languages (COTSEAL) hosted by the University of Wisconsin at Madison, I recited a Javanese poem written by Trim Sutija. The title is "Kertu-Kertu Ceki." It was published in Jaya Baya, No. 38, XXVI, March 27, 1972, and I found it on "Antologi Puisi Jawa Modern 1940 - 1980" by Suripan Sadi Hutomo, published in Surabaya by Sinar Wijaya.

As most of the audience did not speak Javanese, Paul, my husband, wrote an English adaptation of the poem. FYI, Paul has been writing and publishing several poems. He and I believe that merely translating a poem from one language into another will not capture the whole meaning and nuance of the poem. Paul worked on this poem for hours. He does not speak any Javanese. So, I translated the poem word by word. He asked me a lot of questions about the words, their literal and possibly figurative meanings, etc. Then, he did the adaptation. You can see us reciting the poem at youtube.com, and type 'Poetry Night SEASSI 2008' in the search box. Then, click on 'No Dice.' And here it is:

"Kertu-Kertu Ceki"
Dening Trim Sutieja

kertu-kertu ceki iki
aja dirampas maneh saka tanganku
amarga ya mung kari kuwi woding uripku
dalanku tekan sabrang
marang donyaku sing wis ilang ing kasunyatan
marang donyaku, donya khayali
nglipur atiku sing sumendhe ing lintang-lintang
amarga donya kang nyata pranyata dudu darbekku
nanging donyane para brewu sing bisa nuku

kertu-kertu ceki iki
aja dirampas maneh saka tanganku
amarga ya mung karana kuwi aku bisa lali
atise wengi ing ril-ril sepur kuwi
bantaling turuku woding impenku
marang donyaku, donya khayali ing lintang-lintang
amarga saiki
saben toko lan longe kreteg kabeh wis dipageri ruji wesi

mangka aku ngerti
sesuk sore ril-ril sepur kuwi ya mesthi wis dipageri
ora perlu dak-pikir sesuk bengi aku kudu turu ngendi
anggere kok rampas maneh kertu-kertu ceki iki

Jakarta, 1972
***************

No Dice, or Stepping Stones
(a verse adaptation of Trim Sutija's "Keru-Kertu Ceki")
by Franklin Paul Norris

Don't be conspicuous, my right fist, as the glare drags past;
Sit small, shoulders bent over knees; press yourself to my heart;
Feel the corners dig deep into my palm;

"On your feet, dog!" "On your-he's holding something."
"Got it real tight....Let go you mother-" "There!"
"What is it?" "Just dice." "Take 'em! Gambling's a criminal tendency."

Empty handed, small again,
I hear the voices moving down alley,
Shattering glass and kicking over burdens;
Now how will the numbers dance for me?

The '8s, 11s, 3s, and 5s',
The stepping stones of the universe,
The way across to the other side;

I visit the other side in dreams,
Or I would-I did; but you need stepping stones;
I used to sleep on the railroad tracks,

On the rails; from there, the stars danced
As I leapt from one to the next;
Now there's a towering fence and a watch;

My empty hands can't seem to hold on to anything;
(You want to know why?)
This is not my world; I belong on the other side;

Here, my open palms and uncurling fingers
Can only work with the empty places, the open spaces;
But the park's gated, riverbank's walled;

Rich men's hands can close this world and hold it shut.