Pages of A Story Book

 

By: Yohanes Manhitu

 

The days pass quickly like the pages
of a story book turned fast by a reader
hoping for a happy ending for himself
though the plot is uneasy, he knows

He has opened the book like a blind
The beginning flows like river water
moving toward the ocean of ecstasy
that turns into what he calls agony

The book is still open and read fast
While trying to reach the final page,
he finds there, much sadness and joy
and still he hopes for a happy ending

Chapter by chapter he now has passed
and still many more chapters to touch
Though the story is still far to complete,
a happy ending is all he wants to enjoy

Yogyakarta, 9 March 2005

Embracing the Wind

By: Yohanes Manhitu

Now I am standing here in a valley
looking at steep hills surrounding it, speechless.
I have named the valley "the valley of self-betrayal",
and the hills "the hills of suicide". That’s it!
I embrace nobody but the wind. Not bad!

In the dark clouds sweeping the valley,
I see a hypocritical couple in false harmony
marching with laughter towards the end of a kiss.
The man loves poison, while the woman loves honey.
Why should I sacrifice my mind for an inferno?

I know that I am still embracing the wind
And trying to persuade her to sing me a song.
Embracing the wind, I don’t break any human law;
embracing the wind, I can do it without self-betrayal.
As I embrace the wind, I am no longer a prisoner.

Yogyakarta, 2 July 2003

A New Day

By: Yohanes Manhitu

Lord, to your holy temple,
Today I thank you for the new day
That comes without complaints
To me, a small man.

From the east, a light is coming out,
Touching the face of the earth.
Everything is always new
For you are new forever.

Yogyakarta, December 2007

Old Latin Book

By: Yohanes Manhitu

There, on the floor, lies an old book.
No beauty it has in the arrogant library,
nobody cares about what existence it has.
I guess it has been asleep without a kiss.
It seems hard to be an ignored old thing.
Should all old things be forgotten?

Its appearance makes me curious.
I take two steps towards the old book.
I take it carefully and begin to examine it.
"My God", I say, "What a nice old book!”
It is a very good old Latin grammar book.
It is my gate to the realm of Latin.

Yogyakarta, 2 July 2003

Por sukceso necesas tri aferoj

« Por sukceso necesas tri aferoj: precize difini la celon, ekiri al ĝi kaj persisti ĝis la fino. » (Angle: Three things are essential for Success: Precisely define the goal, move steadily toward it, and persist and until you have reached it.) --Tibor Sekelj (14 February 1912 – 20 September 1988), a Hungarian born polyglot, explorer, author (mainly in Esperanto), 'citizen of the world'

Credo in unum Deum

Image: https://id.pinterest.com

I am not a Latin speaker, but am very interested in this great language--mother of all Romances languages--and sometimes say the "Pater Noster" and "Ave Maria". I still remember that the Latin sentence coming to my ears for the very first time (from the mouth of a priest), creating a beautiful tune in the air, was "Credo in unum Deum" (I believe in one God). It happened so many years ago when I attended Sunday morning mass with my father. It was long before I entered elementary school. Now I know that things happen for a reason. (29 September 2015)

Hakiduk uitoan

Hakiduk uitoan ne'e la'ós atu halai ka lakon, 
maibé atu babera ka hanoin kle'an liután; 
hafoin, hakat filafali ba oin, 
ho kbiit ne'ebé boot liután.

Liafuan sira: Yohanes Manhitu
Yogyakarta, 26 Setembru 2015

Disconnected

By: Yohanes Manhitu 

I picked up the phone,
dialed and tried to listen.
A very soft voice answered.
It was the voice of an angle.
Yes, the angel of uncertainty.

A big rain of words came,
I respired a sudden peace.
My lungs formed a choir,
No word described my joy.
The voice was a blessing.

I felt the soft rhythm of it,
I picked every word it said.
My lips danced in harmony,
My words ran in a formula,
My language was colloquial.

A quarter was a like a minute.
Rupiahs flowed like a waterfall.
Laughter and jokes came in turn.
A disaster arrived in the middle:
A cable evil kidnapped the angel.

Samosir, North Sumatra, 26 May 2003

Welcome to My Soul

By: Yohanes Manhitu

Let’s say my soul is a royal palace
where you can rest with no doubt.
Let’s say you are an expected visitor
whose advent will bring me happiness.
Let’s say time is the host at the palace
who will guide you to see this place.
Time will let you pass the door.

Yogyakarta, 12 June 2003

Here We Play

By: Yohanes Manhitu

Yes, here together we play
According to a common rule.
But often, like pirates,
We seize glory with a sword.

It is hard to play without hindrance and bother
In this vast field with no friendship.
But there is no field so bad
That there flowers cannot grow.

Yogyakarta, December 2007

Ohin loron ita-nian

Retratu: http://www.getanswer.org

Hosi: Yohanes Manhitu

Loron tuan troka ho loron foun.
Dala ruma ita ladún hatene
katak ita la'o dook tiha ona,
husik hela loron ne'ebé ita tanis,
husik hela oras ne'ebé ita hamnasa
iha ita-nia inan doben nia liman laran,
liman sira maka book ho domin furak.

Ohin loron, ita tenke semo mesamesak,
hanesan manu be tenke buka hahán rasik.
Maibé keta ta'uk, Maromak fó ksolok nafatin
tanbá Nia rasik haraik tiha ona Liafuan Lulik.

Oras ne'e mak ita-nia biban, ita-nia tempu,
tempu atu hatudu an ba mundu tomak;
tempu atu pinta i hafurak moris naruk.

Pugeran Timur-Yogyakarta, Maiu 2005

Ema la’o-rai

Retratu: http://www.travelhouse.ch

Hosi: Yohanes Manhitu

Loron ba loron nia sei la’o,

kalan ba kalan nia mehi
la’o hela ninia moris-fatin,

la’o hela fitun rai-na’in.

Loron ba loron nia moris,

kalan ba kalan nia moras
hanoin fitun iha rai-balun.

Fulan ba fulan nia serbisu,

tinan ba tinan nia hamulak
husu grasa ba Maromak.

Tinan barabarak liu tiha ona,

tinan ohin ne'e atu lakon ona.
Oras sei to’o atu kaer liman
no dehan adeus ba malu.

Samosir, fulan-Maiu 2003

Menyang urip sing mulyo-guyub

Foto: https://www.freepik.com

Kadang awake dewe ora ngerti sejatine urip,
nanging semangat neng dodo tetep murup.
Opo wae kudu dilakoni ben ora tau tutup
dalan menyang urip sing mulyo-guyub.

(Iki mung latihan nulis boso ngoko)

Berbah, Yogyakarta, 11/06/2015

Dino anyar wis teko

Saiki dino anyar wis teko
nggowo opo sing dienteni.
Ono bayangan sing lungo,
bablas karo ilange bengi.

(Iki mung latihan nulis)

Yogyakarta, 10/06/2015