Iban
Traditional Songs
(This is is a reproduction of a part of the paper which I presented during the assembly of Autronesian leaders in Taipei, Taiwan in 2003, but I feel this paper is still relevant for those who are interested in the Ibans. Many people in Taiwan believe that migrations of Austronesians passed through the island. They point out that the language of the natives of southern Taiwan is very similar to those spoken in northern Phillipine. Personally, I observed throughout the island that the natives make tuak, have manangs and lemambangs.)
The Ibans must be one of the most
prolific singers on earth. The songs are sung at every stage of their lives and
at every occasions, some for pure entertaiment, some for encouragement, some
for courtship and some for rituals. Work
on Iban songs have been discussed and
recorded by Hugh Low, Ling Roth, William
Howell, Benedict Sandin, A.J.N Richards and Carol Rubenstein and Tun Jugah Foundation just to name a few.
In
this paper I shall attempt an descriptive analysis of the many types of Iban
traditional songs. I must hasten to add that
there are many riverine differences in traditional songs and
their tunes and of neccessity I will stick to whatever I have studied and thereby may omit many others
which I have not come in contact with yet. Further contributions during and
after this seminar will be gratefully accepted.
The Iban psyche
But
before that something must be said about the Iban psyche. Ibans interacts very
intimately with their gods at all times and at all phases of their lives.
In
the heavens above lives the God of War, Sengalang Burung and his wife Sendai
Lawai and his seven daughters who are
married to the omen birds. He is a fearless, wily and strong warrior filled
with sympathy and love for the people
below and always help them to be victorious during their war raids by giving
them charms, by teaching them to read omens and by teaching them techniques of
war.
Somewhere
on the earth lives Pulang Gana, the God of Agriculture and his wife Endu
Serentum Tanah Tumbuh and his seven children who are married to the seven omen
birds of agriculture.
Below
the earth is Sebayan, the underworld where people live peacefully in the midst ofplenty under a benign leader called Pantau Ajan. It is
always cool alternating between early morning and dusk. Fish and games are
plentiful and fruit trees would flower
in the mornings and the fruits would be sweet and ripen by the evenings. For
the Ibans there is no Hell.
Between
heaven and earth there is a place called
Panggau Libau. There lives Keling and his people. He is fearless, handsome,
well schooled in the laws, customs and all the oral traditions. His sweetheart
is Kumang from a nearby place called Gelong. She is beautiful beyond description, a leader to all
women, an incoparamle singer and gifted in
weaving mats and pua and a
consultant in protocols and ceremonies.
Both Keling and Kumang, needless to say are highly skilled in the
performing arts.
Every
person born an Iban is expected to approximate the gods in brevery, diligence
and achievements. That is why in all the traditionsl songs, men are called and
considered Keling and every girl is
called and considered Kumang. Very ofteen men are referred to as Keling, Keling
Pandai, Keling Aji or as Jamu, Renggan, Singgai, Bujang, Bujang Lang Ngindang,
Datu Au and many others. Girls or women are called Kumang, Kumang pandai,
Kumang Mereti, Kumang Lenta, Kumang Paga, Kumang Jawai, Kumang Sambai, Kumang
Demok, Kumang Jinap and many others accordding to the rhyme of the song.
Songs for young children
Songs
are sung for young children the moment they are born to put them to sleep, to
praise them and to inculcate into them about their proper role in society.
Lullabies
These
are sung by ladies for the entertainment
of young children. The singers might be old ladies, older children or men. Some
of the lullabies are:
1. Dit Dimbu Menidit Dimbu
2. Didibu
3. Bedimbu Awai
4. Wa Anak
5. Lah Lawah
6. Dinai Menidit Dinai
7. Linyang Tun Talun Linyang
8. Oh Ilah
9. Lelepu
10. Indung Indung
11. Tok Tungguk
12. Lepang Bebunga Lepang
13. Lidi Belimbing Lidi
14. Bedandi Inda Inda
15. Lagu Tiung
16. Jawang
In Saribas, Dit Dimbu Menidit Dimbu goes like this:
Dit dimbu menidit dimbu,
Gisai-gisai chapi tuai empa kutu,
Menidit dimbu.
(Dit dimbu menidit dimbu,
The old cow is shaking restlessly
because of ticks,
Menidit dimbu)
Dit dimbu menidit dimbu,
Chapi mit tu chegit-chegit minta nusu,
Menidit dimbu.
(Dit dimbu menidit dimbu,
The small calf is standing
stiffly ready to suckle,
Dit dimbu menidit dimbu)
Dit dimbu menidit dimbu,
Chapi dara tu dua-dua seribu sulu,
Menidit dimbu.
(Dit dimbu menidit dimbu,
Both the lady cows have a
thousand boy friends,
Dit dimbu menidit dimbu)
And in Marudi Baram it goes like
this:
Chapi mit menselit di moa pintu, didibu.
Chapi besai bejalai nipas rau,
didibu.
Chapi belang pengundang Lubok Antu, didibu.
Ti chapi mansau baka kesumba mansang baru, didibu.
Ti chapi malam baka tuan pulai mupu
(The small calf squeeze through
the door, didibu.
The huge cow walks scraping the
ground, didibu.
The spotted cow makes frequent trip to Lulok
Antu, didibu.
The red cow is like a red banner,
didibu.
The night cow is like the
colonial officer back from tax collecting errends, didibu).
Songs for games that children play
Iban
children also incorporate songs when they play traditional games like :
1. Tang menumpang
2. Chai kechagai
3. Main tumbak aki
4. Main anak antu
5. Jai Jai Juai
6. Chai Wai Labu Binjai
7. Main Tengiling
8. Puk Aruk Aruk
9. Chu Ka Chalu
10. Tuk Tuk Tuk
In Chai
Kechagai, the refrain that the children sing is as follows:
Chai kechagai,
Nyerupai tubu betung;
Ka chalai Indai Mendai,
Ka taji manuk tuntung.
Anembiak pulai nyabung,
Teindik ka ular bisa,
Ngetu di tubu meda kaki antu ngenung,
Ngetu di Brunei meda orang pakai baya!
(Chai kechagai,
Just like the young bamboo shoot
of the betung variety)
For the use of Mother of Mendai,
For the spur of the fighting
cock,
Children returning from a
cockfighting session,
Stepping on a poisonous snake,
Stopping at a bamboo grove
seeing the legs of a stationary ghost,
Stopping at Brunei seeing someone
caught by a crocodile!)
Divisions of Iban Traditional Songs
After childhood and adolescence,
Iban traditional songs can be divided into the secular and the religious while
some can cross both lines. The secular songs are mostly for entertainments.
Songs for Entertainments
Under this category would fall
the following:
1. Ramban
2. Sanggai
3. Pantun
4. Pelandai
5. Dungai
6. Ganu
7. Beringin
8. Lagu Tiung
9. Renong
10. Kana
Ramban
Ramban
would mark a boy’s or a girl’s first journey into field of the traditional of
the adult world. They would learn simple
and catchy verses like the ones below and slowly learn to composed long and
involved ones like in appendix A. Knowledge of ramban would be neeeded to sing
the chorus during the singing of the traditional invocations by the bards. In
fact many good ramban singers would graduate into assistant bards and then
become full blown bards.
An example of ramban sung by little girls:
Chundung ga bangkit belitung,
Ditigung ga rusa rari.
Tajung bujang ga bau sebung,
Laban enda kala dituchi.
(Bent is the sweet smelling belitung flowers,
Swiped by the fleeing deers’
shins.,
Foul smelling are the sarung of
the young bachelors,
Because they are never cleaned!)
An example of ramban sung by
young boys:
Irit ga wi chit,
Siti diirit di tisi umai.
Burit indu dara kuit-kuit,
Baka burit itit ga pulai mansai
(Pull the wild creepers sharp
tresses,
Pull one to the edge of the farm
beyond.
Buttocks of the oung ladies move
in teasing waves,
Like tails of ducks returning from a fishing expedition!)
Sanggai
Sanggai
is used to offer drnk to visitors and to each other during merrymaking. It is
used to praise, to motivate and to honour a person. Below is the last verse
of the Sanggai of a man whose eyes have
met those of a lady but he says that they will never be fated to be together:
Aih, dia deh aku Kumang Jawai ti bejalai,
Nengah tembawai udu panjai madang lensat,
Aku meda sibau pemadu mansau, udu pengelebat,
Ka aku niki wai menyadi,
Tulang aku lemi enda alah pakap,
Ka aku nyarau iya Kumang Kumbau,
Isau aku lembau enda uluh mantap;
Ka aku nyulok iya Kumang Demok,
Laban penyuluk enda ulih datai sipat;
Tang bisi buah Kumang beremah,
Labuh ka tanah ka arung lengkap,
Ka aku pakai, nyawa aku enggai,
Enda ulih nyuap,
Sayau meh tua Kumang Jinap,
Sama kalat-kalat, ninga dek Kumang,
Ngema mengkalang, aih puang.
(I am like a sojourner, Godess
Sambai,
Passing orchards of lensat trees bearing fruits,
I want to climb the fruits, dear
sister,
My bones are weak, I cannot
embrace the trunks,
I dearly wish to lop the
branches,
My sword
was lethargic and it could not be cut,
I want to use a long stick ,
But it cannot reach the fruits,
But, Godess Beremah, some fruits have fallen to
the valley,
I want to eat them but
I have no appetite,
My mouth refuses to open,
What a pity our fate is
thus, Godess Jinap,
Both wandering aimlessly, Godess,
Bringing on our backs mengkalang, the empty
baskets.
Pantun
By and
large, pantuns are used for and during merrymaking. It is sung by both men and
women especially when offering a drink of tuak.
There are many types of pantun. Some of them are:
(a) Pantun
Sinu Ngenang. - Song of Sad Reminisces
(b) Pantun Puji - Song of Praise.
(c) Pantun Peransang - Song of
Motivation
(d) Pantun Sayau Ka Indu Dara - Yearning for a Maiden
(e) Pantun Bataban Lari - Yearning for
an Elopment
(f) Pantun Serabana - Song of
Tribulations
(g) Pantun Enda Ampit Indu dara - Being
Left Out in Competition for a Girl
(h) Pantusah Ati - Song of Sadness
(I) Pantun Begagai (Betundi) - Song of
Merriment
(j) pantun Ngajar -- Song of Advice
(k) Pantun Ngelusu - Song Concerning Laziness
(l)
Pantun Kenang - Song of Memories
(m) Pantun Ninding (laki/bini orang) -
Song of Jealousy
(n) Pantun Pulang Gana - Song
Concerning God of Agriculture
(o) Pantun Nama Ka Tuah - Song to Usher
Good Fortune
(p) Pantun Betemu ka Ribai Enggau Keling -
Song to Arrange a Meeting for a Meeting of
the God from Overseas and The Iban God.
