Burung Kakak tua
Burung Kakak tua
Cuckatoo, Oh Cuckatoo
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Malay)
(English)
Burung kakak tua
Hinggap di jendela
Nenek sudah tua
Giginya tinggal dua
Lechum Lechum Lechum
Mu la la
Lechum Lechum Lechum
Mu la la
Lechum Lechum Lechum
Mu la la
Burung Kakak Tua.
Cuckatoo, oh Cuckatoo,
Perching by itself,
Grandma has turned so grey*,
Has only two teeth left.
Lechum Lechum Lechum
Mu la la
Lechum Lechum Lechum
Mu la la
Lechum Lechum Lechum
Mu la la
Cuckatoo, oh cuckatoo.
Notes
*Her hair has turned gray - also meaning she's grown old.
*****
Yuu Kaito sent these alternative translations:
Old Sister Bird*
Perched on the window sill
Grandma is now quite old
Of her teeth, only two remain.
Le-chum***, Le-chum, Le-chum hoo la laa
Le-chum, Le-chum, Le-chum hoo la laa
Le-chum, Le-chum, Le-chum hoo la laaaaa
Old Sis-ter Birrrrd!
or
Old Elder Brother Bird**
Perched on the window
Grandma is now quite old
Only two of her teeth remain.
Tek dung***...tek dung...
Tek dung...la...la...la...
Tek dung...tek dung...
Tek dung...la...la...la...
Old Elder Brother Birddddddd
*Yuu wrote, "Burung kakak tua is actually cockatoo in English, but I think Old sister bird has a ring to it. Cockatoo is the right one though."
**Yuu wrote, "Elder brother bird is actually incorrect, but I thought you might want it (as a choice) as 'kakak' means 'sister' and also 'brother' in Indonesia."
***Yuu wrote, "(The difference between) 'tek dung' and 'le-chum' doesn't really matter. If one is from a different region one would make the sound differently. Me for instance, I'm from Selangor and here we say it 'le-chum'."
*****
Comments
Ms AA wrote, "Most of Malaysian kid or folk songs are composed based on the Malay Pantun (a four lined rhymed poem)."
Yuu Kaito wrote: "The Malaysian language, Bahasa Malaysia, has contributed a small but interesting number of words to English. I'd like to start an occassional series on them, starting with the Cockatoo. Now, many of you may first think of an irritating pop band, but that'd be the Cocteau Twins. The Cockatoo is a parrot-like bird found here in the archipelago. It's name here is Burung Kakak Tua, which means Old Sister Bird, and it is the subject of one of my favorite Malay nursery rhymes."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NB & Ms AA for contributing and translating this song. Thanks also to Yuu Kaito for the midi tune and for the second and third translations and for commenting on "Burung Kakak Tua".
Terima kasih banyak-banyak!
