Are You Still Playing Flute?

The Original Version of the Poem Masihkah Kau Bermain Seruling oleh Zurinah Hassan Masihkah kau bermain seruling walau waktu telah terlewat untuk kita bercinta aku semakin terasa bersalah melayani godaan irama lagu yang tersimpan pada lorong halus buluh dikeluarkan oleh nafas seniman diukir oleh bibir diatur oleh jari dilayangkan oleh alun angin menolak ke dasar rasa. Masihkah kau bermain seruling ketika kampung semakin sunyi sawah telah uzur waktu jadi terlalu mahal untuk memerhatikan hujan turun merenung jalur senja mengutip manik embun menghidu harum bunga. Masihkah kau bermain seruling ketika aku terasa mata bersalah untuk melayani rasa rindu padamu di kota yang semakin kusut dan tenat adik-adikku menganggur dan sakit jiwa bangsaku dipecahkan oleh politik saudara diserang bom-bom ganas dunia sudah terlalu tua dan parah. Di sinilah berakhirnya percintaan kita kerana zaman sedang menuntut para seniman hidup di luar dirinya.

Are You Still Playing Your Flute? by Zurinah Hassan

Are you still playing your flute? When there is hardly time for our love I am feeling guilty To be longing for your song The melody concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo Uncovered by the breath of an artist Composed by his fingers Blown by the wind To the depth of my heart.

Are you still playing your flute? In the village so quiet and deserted Amidst the sick rice fields While here it has become a luxury To spend time watching the rain Gazing at the evening rays Collecting dew drops Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers. Are you still playing your flute? The more it disturbs my conscience to be thinking of you in the hazard of you my younger brothers unemployed and desperate my people disunited by politics my friend slaughtered mercilessly this world is too old and bleeding.

SYNOPSIS This poem his about a persona who reminisces the time he/she spends when in a village. There are many things that are now luxury to her such as listening to the melody of the flute itself, gazing at the evening rays, collecting dew drops, or enjoying the fragrance of flowers. The village is now unpopulated as many have moved to the city. Now that she has moved on with her life, she wonders whether the flutist is still playing the flute. This is because, there are many challenges in the world today such as the world is dying, the unemployment issue and the people are disunited because of different political views. THEMES

Family commitments Priorities in life Neglect of ones duties

MORAL VALUES

We should be aware of our family commitments and carry them out properly. Everyone has priorities in, life and we should know what is important and what is not. Following a hobby is good but there is a time for work and a time for play.

POINT OF VIEW

The poem is the first point of view. The person is addressing another person and describing a situation to him.

LANGUAGE AND STLYE

Rhetorical question Descriptive and questioning

Simple style and no rhyme

TONE, MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE

Somber and regretful Serious atmosphere

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery e.g. blown by the wind, depth of my heart Alliteration e.g. fragrance of flowers Symbol e.g. flute, song Repetition e.g. Are you still playing your flute? Figurative Language Metaphor e.g. The melody concealed in the slime hollow of bamboo Personification e.g. sick rice field

MASIHKAH KAU BERMAIN SERULING/Are you still playing your flute

Sajak ini menggunakan gaya percakapan penyair dengan seseorang. Orang yang dimaksudkan di sini ialah seorang yang pandai bermain seruling. Sekali pandang ia seperti sajak percintaan kerana banyak menggunakan perkataan yang lembut dan romantis.

Are you still playing your flute Are you still playing your flute when there is no time for our love I am feeling guilty to be longing for your song

Tetapi percakapan yang lembut dan romantis dengan pemain seruling itu hanyalah satu cara atau gaya penyair meluahkan segala yang mengganggu fikirannya. Sajak ini bertemakan kemasyarakatan . Keseluruhannya merupakan luahan rasa penyair tentang keadaan masyarakat di negaranya dan antara bangsa yang penuh kemelut dan kacau bilau. Penyair mengenang sang pemain seruling. Sebenarnya yang dikenang oleh penyair ialah kampong yang sedang tenat.

Are you still playing your flute in the village so quiet and deserted amidst the sick rice field

Dia menceritakan tentang keadaan dirinya yang berada di kotakota yang sakit sedangkan kampong sudah sunyi kerana ditinggalkan oleh anak-anak muda. Apakah pemain seruling itu masih ada di kampong bermain serulingnya? . Ini juga bermaksud adakah sang pemain seruling masih

mempertahankan seni dan tradisinya. Alat musik seruling dipilih kerana inilah alat muzik yang paling dekat dengan alam. Cuma sebatang buluh dan tidak memerlukan teknologi canggih untuk menciptanya. Jadi semuanya balik kpd alam. Balik kepada keaslian.

the melody concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo uncovered by the breath of an artist composed by his lips arranged by his fingers blown by the wind to the depth of my heart Penyair merasa bersalah untuk melayan rasa rindu kepada pemain seruling itu. Begitulah rasa bersalahnya dia memikirkan sesuatu yang indah seperti seni . Di kota dia sepatutnya sibuk kerana di situ kehidupan berlalu dengan pantas.

while here it has become a luxury to spend time watching the rain gazing at the evening rays collecting dew drops or sniffing scented flowers. Seolah-olah dia memberikan masanya kepada perkara-perkara yang remeh sedangkan kehidupan sedang dilanda oleh masalah yang sangat besar. Masalah-masalah ini dipaparkan dalam bait seterusnya. Pada masa itu ramai yang menganggur. Orang-orang kita berpecah belah kerana politik . Dan di merata dunia spt Bosnia dan Palestin, orang Islam sedang diburu oleh bom-bom ganas.

in the hazard of this city my younger brothers unemployed and desperate my people thorn by politic my Muslim friends slaughtered mercilessly this world is old and badly injured. Is this the end of our love? time is forcing us as artists not to be ourselves.

Ini bukan masa untuk memberi perhatian kepada seni. Ini adalah masa untuk bekerja keras. Apabila seniman tidak dapat melayani kecintaannya kepada seni maka itu seperti mereka dituntut untuk tidak menjadi seniman lagi

In the Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin

At dawn they returned home their soaky clothes torn and approached the stove their limbs marked by scratches their legs full of wounds but on their brows there was not a sign of despair The whole day and night just passed they had to brave the horrendous flood in the water all the time between bloated carcasses and tiny chips of tree barks desperately looking for their sons albino buffalo that was never found They were born amidst hardship and grew up without a sigh or a complaint now they are in the kitchen, making jokes while rolling their ciggarete leaves

SYNOPSIS (OVERALL) This poem is about a family who faces hardship whereby their sons albino buffalo is nowhere to be found. A flood occurs and they go out to find the buffalo. They reach home early in the morning without the buffalo and yet there is no sign of despair in them. Meanwhile, they can still crack jokes and roll the cigarettes. SYNOPSIS (ACCORDING TO STANZA) STANZA 1 They returned home at day break and headed for the stove. This is probably because they were hungry. However, I have also received some feedbacks saying that they went straight to the stove to dry themselves as they were drenched with the flood water. Their clothes were soaking wet and tattered. Their bodies were covered with scratches and wounds. Yet, they did not display any signs of being worried. STANZA 2 They were out in the flood the whole day and night. They were surrounded by dead animals and parts of trees that had been destroyed by the flood. We know that the animals were already dead because of the phrase bloated carcasses. They searched desperately for their sons albino buffalo but were unable to find it. STANZA 3

They were born into poverty and difficulty, but they do not complain about their suffer. Instead, they sit in the kitchen, cracking jokes while smoking cigarettes. This shows that they face difficulties all the time and this time there is no different. They have inner strength that makes them strong to face any hardship poses to them. SETTING The setting of the poem is in the house. THEMES

Being resilience when facing hardship Family love Acceptance of way of life

MORAL VALUES 1. 2. 3. 4. We should learn to accept problems in life with a positive outlook. We must attempt to face and solve problem. Facing hardship is part and parcel of life. If we face a problem, do not feel despair.

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Understanding and sympathetic Acceptance of situation

POINT OF VIEW

Third person pint of view.

LANGUAGE & STYLE

Language is simple and easy to understand. The style is simple with no rhyming scheme.

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery Gives picture of poets thoughts e.g soaky clothes torn and legs full of wounds Alliteration e.g. but on their brows Symbols e.g. horrendous flood and bloating carcasses Diction e.g. stove and brows

In the midst of hardship in Malay: DALAM KESUSAHAN Pada waktu senja mereka pulang ke rumah, baju basah mereka telah koyak,

mereka berjalan ke arah dapur, tangan mereka penuh dengan calar, kaki mereka penuh dengan luka, tetapi pada muka mereka, langsung tidak ada perasaan kecewa. Satu hari dan satu malam baru berlepas, mereka perlu menghadapi banjir besar ini dengan berani, sepanjang masa berada dalam air, berada di antara barangan yang terapung di permukaan air, serta bahan-bahan pecahan yang kecil, asyik mencari kerbau kepunyaan anak mereka, yang akhirnya tidak dapat dijumpa juga. Mereka dilahirkan dalam kesusahan, dan membesar tanpa mengadu atau mengeluh, sekarang mereka berada di dapur, sambil bergurau sambil menggulungkan daun tembakau.

Dalam Bencana
Mereka pulang ke rumah waktu subuh hari dengan pakaian robek basah menghampiri api tungku lengan mereka penuh calar kaki mereka penuh luka tapi di kening mereka tidak kelihatan rasa kecewa Sehari semalaman mereka mengharungi banjir berendam antara bangkai ternakan dan serpihan kulit tumbuhan kerbau balar si buyung masih belum ditemui. Mereka dilahirkan dalam bencana tidak ada keluhan dan kutukan kini mereka berjenaka di dapur sambil menggulung rokok daun.