Nazmi Yaakub's Blog, page 4

Talking about Kokoro and post-modern human quest

A good input and discussion at Borak Buku yesterday when our guest, Ariff Mohamad whom also author and academician shared his view on Kokoro, a novel by the Japanese author Natsume Soseki which translated to the bahasa as Kalbu.

The selection of Japanese novel not because losing his faith to Malaysian literature, Ariff said, but largely because he want to capture back his reading in younger time. At those time, he said, there a lot of good choice foreign novels which translated to bahasa by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

And he went on to share his exciting experience in reading Kokoro either in bahasa or English translatation to the extend he disclosed all the plot of that novel!

But Borak Buku not just about sharing reading experience nor elaborating the whole plot or scene. We just not talked about the novel, its author and literary aspect but philosophical background and impact of modernization in east world including Japan.

For some reason, early discussion centralized in suicide element in this novel but not only in term of religion. We had some length in discussion to differentiate between suicide in term of postwar time and suicide in context of Japanese traditional (harakiri/seppuku).

Fellow author such as Zainal Rashid Ahmad, Muhammad Lutfi Ishak and Saifullizan Yahaya gave a good input about historical, cultural and philosophical background which happen in Japan post Meiji period. We had come to conclusion about loneliness or alienation of post-modernism human in particular author and intellectual, beside their quest of happiness which happen in this era and translated to literary writing including Soseki.

Borak Buku is monthly literary event organized by Young Writer Bureau from Malaysian National Writers Association (PENA) which gave a platform to fellow author or artist to shared their favourite book with audience.

Two poems from T Alias Taib

I tried to translate two poems from Malaysian poet, T Alias Taib (1943-2004). He never won SEA Write Award nor awarded as Malaysia's laureate, but he certainly 'win' our hearts till now.

a solitary lady
by T Alias Taib
translated by Nazmi Yaakub

a solitary lady
her heart is a cup of coffee

a flock of winds at the window
wingless
rippleless

she leaned on her fate
witnessed by a silence wall
beaten by a blue sorrow

moonlight at a curtain
waveless
ruffleless

a solitary lady
she drank her own heart



a loaf of incense
by T Alias Taib
translated by Nazmi Yaakub

night flowed
and soaked
by a death

the air melted
and restless
by a loss

a loaf of incense
sluggishly burning
in the middle of room
its smoke
floating

a child
suddenly floundered
at the corner of room
his voice
wailing

night flowed
and soaked
its air melted
and tossed

Farewell Pak Lah Hussain, 'Into The Light'

His departure dropped the curtain on for the year of 2014 and his funeral began our 2015 literary journey. National Laureate, Datuk Abdullah Hussain, 94, died of old age after a very long and interesting literary adventure including (but not only) involving in Indonesian War of Independence in his early day (allegedly) and an unneeded controversial when his novel, Interlok (Interlock) was misunderstood by certain quarters of Malaysian.

I began to know him first through his novels, Masuk ke Dalam Cahaya (Into the Light) and Imam before interviewing him as a literature journalist. It happen when Interlok had been unfairly tarnished, not because as a literary work, but as historical writing. But then again, it is not about right or wrong, only the grievance was fueled by political agenda. Abdullah didn't choose the wrong word but certain party of people decided to bury the historical fact and ignored the past. Because of his sinile age, the questions had been written on paper and the conversation didn't take a long time. But his memory still intacted to remember the old days especially the need to write such novel as far as national unity concern.

More than hundred people, comprised of family members, authors and friends, gathered at Masjid Tun Abdul Aziz for funeral prayer, Petaling Jaya, yesterday including almost all of National Laureates, A Samad Said, Prof Muhammad Haji Salleh, Baharuddin Zainal, Anwar Ridhwan and Ahmad Kamal Abdullah and fellow writers such as Syed Mohd Zakir Syed Othman, Rahimidin Zahari, Shamsudin Othman, Muhammad Lutfi Ishak and Zaid Akhtar. Managing Director of The Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books (ITBM), Mohd Khair Ngadiron and the President of Malaysian National Writers Association (PENA), Mohamad Saleeh Rahamad also attended the ceremony.

Maybe the best thing for me to remember Abdullah by jotting down these words:

'Dan Malam, Apabila Ia Berlalu' kita pun menerima khabar mendukakan.
Tanpa ada 'Konserto Terakhir', kita harap barkah, cinta lewat Selawat Perdana.
'Sebuah Perjalanan' seorang sasterawan dari 'Perjalanan Mencari Diri' kepada 'Perjalanan Mencari Bahasa', akhirnya 'Perjalanan Mencari Hikmah'.
Abdullah Hussain dari 'Kota ke Kota' meninggalkan alam ini ibarat 'Buih di Atas Air'.
Ah, 'Interlok' maka terurailah antara beliau dan kita, mewariskan beban sejarah yang belum kita pikul sepenuhnya.
Kala mula solat jenazah, terpandang 'Imam' siap bertakbir, memimpin kita yang penuh damba.
Kala aku mengusung kerandanya seperti menghulurkan naskhah 'Masuk ke Dalam Cahaya'.
Pergilah sang sasterawan, namamu dipanggil untuk 'Pertemuan Abadi'.

Farewell Pak Lah, behold, if Allah wills, we shall meet you. We ask of Allah's safety for us and for you.

- At the New Straits Times, Abdullah Hussain a loving father and husband

Malaysian writers whom mentioned in this blog

(A)

Ahmad, Zainal Rashid (1967)
Zainal Rashid Ahmad is a Kedah-born writer, journalist and TV documentary producer based in Kuala Lumpur for various television channel. Best known as mastery in realism magic, he wrote short stories and poems which compiled in Al-Kisah (Al-Kisah*); Empunya Hikayat (Owner of Saga*) and Yang Tercinta (The Beloved One). His first novel is Hikayat Tanah Jauh (Chronicles of Distant Land*) and he is currently General Manager of TV Al Hijrah, Islamic television channel.



(H)

Hassan, Zurinah (1949)
Zurinah Hassan is a Kedah-born writer who named as the recipient 13th National Laureate Award, the first ever female author who recieve such award. She published a numoures book including Pujangga Tidak Bernama (Unnamed Literati*); Keberangkatan (Departure*); Menjelang Pemilihan (Toward Selection*) and Cerita Dalam Cerita (Story in the Story*). In 2014, her poetry collection Menghadap ke Pelabuhan translated to English as Facing the Harbour. She also wrote her own memoir, Memoir Zurinah Hassan and biography of Usman Awang.


(I)

Ishak, Muhammad Lutfi (1980)
Muhammad Lutfi Ishak or Lutfi Ishak is a Kedah-born poet and a teacher in Shah Alam. His second poetry anthology, Dondang Pembukaan (The Opening Dondang*) won writing contest organized by Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM), Malaysian National Writers Association (PENA) and Berita Harian (BH) in 2015. He also produced short stories anthology, Malam Pertama (Wedding Night*).


(M)

Mohamad, Ariff
Ariff Mohamad is a Perak-born writer and academician based in Tanjung Malim. Educated at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for bachelor and master degree, he wrote several novels, short stories anthologies and poetry compilations. His novels are Versi Aria (Aria Version*); Bebaskan Ekspresi (Liberated Expression*); Semenanjung Menangis (Crying Peninsular*) and ... Di Hujung Negeri (... At a Tip of State*). For the poetry, he published Titik ke Titik, Hujan (Point to Point, Raining*) and Benih Hanyut (Drifting Seed*).


(T)

Taib, Tengku Alias (1943-2004)
Tengku Alias Taib or known as T Alias Taib was a Terengganu-born poet. His poetry journey began since 1960 which produced such excel compilation such as Laut Tak Biru Di Seberang Takir (Blue is not Color of Seberang Takir Coastal*); Pemburu Kota (City Hunter*); Seberkas Kunci (Cluster of Keys*); Opera (Opera*) ; Piramid (Pyramid*); Petang Condong (Skew Evening*) dan Pasar Pengalaman (Exprience Market*).


(Y)

Yahaya, Saifullizan (1975)
Saifullizan Yahaya is a Perak-born writer and poet; working with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) as a literature officer.  His compilation of poems are Biar Puisi Menjadi Peluru (Let Poetry Being Bullets*) and Aku Gagak (I'm a Crow*), while his short stories can be read in Lelaki Tua dan Sebuah Kerusi (Oldman and the Chair*).

* not translated

Kini berpindah ke buruburubuku.blogspot.com.

Kini berpindah ke buruburubuku.blogspot.com.

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i.

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