The Balinese indeed have a tradition of short rhyming verse
which are known for their peculiar mix of philosophy, humour
and play on words. Rhyming verse in Balinese is referred to
as ‘bladbadan’ and function as entertainment for
the masses. Most of these verse feature Balinese humour and
are used a lot in songs, in a satirical manner, as well as
for poking fun at people. If you’ve ever watched a bondres
masked dance or a ‘drama gong’ performance, you
would have realized the use of rhyming verse, in particular
couplets and quatrains, to get some laughs.
Some examples of Balinese rhyming verse:
Guak mamaling taluh
Satua bawak buin aluh
Translated:
A raven stealing eggs
A short story is easy to tell
Translated:
Badung Badung Tabanan, Baturiti
I truly regret having a toothless girlfriend
Riri memeri bebeke putih jambul
I Sari nakep tai kadenanga pesan kakul
Translated:
There once was a crested white duck,
Sari picked up its shit cause she thought it was escargot
wrapped in a banana leaf
Gadang gadang buah bonine
Biu kayu masak di punya
Bajang bajang cara Janine
Liu layu ulian nak truna
Translated:
A boni is the greenest of green, a banana ripe on the tree
It’s difficult to find a virgin these days
Plintat plintut gelebet di punapi
Nyen sing ngaku ngentut pang nglebet lantas mati
Translated:
Those who don’t admit to farting will drop dead!
As you can see, most of the examples above have been constructed
for their rhyming appeal, rather than for their outstanding
content. In most cases, only the second line has any meaning
or philosophy to it. In fact, the first line can be substituted
with another line, as long as it rhymes. Of course, there
are also numerous naughty ones, but I’ll let you savour
these at the next ‘drama gong’ in your village.
Copyright@ Kulture Kid 2005
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