Malay literature - poem (puisi) Like English, Malay has its own literature too. Puisi is one of malay literature. There are two types of puisi which i know - morden and traditional. Puisi carries an important role in the malay culture. It is particularly popular among the malays who live in the country (kampung). Puisi  was once a form of entertainment (people in the past had neither TV nor Internet so they didn't really have many kind of entertainments). This explains what traditional puisi is - puisi written by people in the past. Now, people write puisi too. Newly published puisi are called modern puisi.  I personally find that puisi is fun and It's meaningful. People express thier feelings and thoughts through puisi. There are some puisi which are meant for educating the youths. They carry stories and moral values. Sometimes, puisi are made to honour someone or to honour the Malay language itself. In some puisi the words and phases used are really artistic and meaningful. 
I can create my own puisi too!! <img alt="" src="/FCKeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/wink_smile.gif" /> I love puisi. 
Here are some puis that i would like  to share with you. 
Well, I don't create them. If i did, i'm a famous malay poet now. <img alt="" src="/FCKeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/tounge_smile.gif" />

Double-lined Puisi (pantun dua kerat)
<em>Mengaku dulang paku sepih,
Mengata orang dia yang lebih.

</em>mengaku = confess
dulang = a tray (an object)
paku = Iron nail 
serpih = broken at the edge
dulang paku serpih = a tray with a borken edge iron nail
mengata = talk 
orang = people
dia = he/ she
lebih = more/ exceeding the limit 

it means: Just confess that the tray has a boken nail on it,
                  Someone who talks bad about other people, he/she is worst of all.

<em>Banyak udang banyak garam,
Banyak orang banyak ragam.
 
Banyak = many
Udang = prawn
garam = salt
orang = people
ragam = manner/ behaviour

it means: You can find many salt if there are many prawns
                  You can find and learn about human behaviours in places with many people. 

* the 1st line of the puisi doesn't  actually carry any meanings. The second line is where the essence of the puisi lies.

</em>Puisi with four lines (Pantun empat kerat)
<em>Jangan gergaji pokok talas,
Nanti lesung dimakan pahat;
Jangan jadi orang yang malas,
Perut kosong badan tak sihat.

Jangan = Don't
gergaji = saw (cut)
pokok = tree
talas = a kind of taro (colocasia esculentum)
nanti =  afterwards
lesung =mortar
dimakan (di + makan) = eaten by. di = by:  makan = eat
pahat = chisel ( a kind of tool for making holes)
jadi = become
malas = lazy
perut = stomach
kosong = empty
badan = body
tak (tidak) = no
sihat = healthy

It means: Do not saw the talas tree,
                  afterwards the mortar will have a hole made by the chisel
                  Do not become a lazy person
                  You won't feel well / healthy with empty stomach

* You can see that the 1st two lines doesn't make any sense. They carry no meaning actually. The meaning of the puisi is in the 3rd and 4th line.

In conclusion, there are two parts in a puisi.
The 1st part doesn't carry any meanings, we call it </em>pembayang( The imaginary part).
The 2nd part of the puisi has the meanings, we <em>call it</em> maksud (meaning).
pay attention to the last word of each sentences.

<em>Banyak udang banyak garam,          a
Banyak orang banyak ragam..          a</em>

<em>Jangan gergaji pokok talas,               a
Nanti lesung dimakan pahat;             b
Jangan jadi orang yang malas,         a
Perut kosong badan tak sihat.           b</em>
 
Puisi have nada (rhymes). <img alt="" src="/FCKeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/regular_smile.gif" />

Hope you enjoy reading. 


(Correct my mistakes if i have made any)
Thank you. <img alt="" src="/FCKeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/tounge_smile.gif" />