Audio sounds of the Kayan

​​Tekna Urip Menuna by Aren Jok
Ee labang hulung men Tingang – teleh

Oh ye the hornbill bird, Tingang,
Ee nah nih di nah kalo, idang dih benliko bulan ngembang – liwey

Here we are, idang benliko, in a full moon,
Kalo ngenep na jaka anih, jaka tekná alem lunang – dan peh

We wish now, this the time to make tekná.
Ee dalo nahui pah anih muvui nyihu akui – anih

They called me, sought me out,
Ee dih nah daho’ aleng depekenlo dih menuna – jewey

They seek words, stories of the past.
Ee e e nah puyo’ ali kui puyo’ – teley

My dear child, child of my bosom,
Ee nah ika nyihu petira urip men’a dih menuna – jewey

You ask me about life in the past;
Ha nah ita bara puyo' musang tira musang ten ten – liwey

I tell you my child, I shall tell you,
Ee urip daha aleng dih dekaya dih menuna – jewey

Their life, our ancestors of past,
Ee dih na kenep piah daha awi benrat deh menkah – pare' (parei)

They were of one heart, like a mat laid out (for drying
paddy),
Usi daha selepi kenep daha nilung ngakap nilung te ida – lante

They never were of different hearts,
Ee nah dih nunan puyo' deh tengaran kui dih uk iduk – edey

My child, this is what I can say,
Ee nah urip daha lusan taman nih menuna – jewey

Our ancestors of old, their lives,
Ee nusi main maju dih kelalo sayu dih menaring – jewey

They were then prosperous, it was good,
Men dih benlingah avin daha dih na kenep tiah atih marung aleng –
nureh
They were together with one heart.
Ee nah iha nah daha maju kelalo sayu deh menaring – jewey

They were then very prosperous, it was extremely good,
Ee menaring uma Long Pane' tula uma te Long – Pane' (Long Panai).

In the beginning of our house in Long Pane',
Ee nah ee nah ee nah ngedo anih do hanit – neteh

How hot the day is today,
Avan telo dih men’e anih liveng masi puyo’ ali – teteh

For us to reminisce, child of my bosom,
Ee marung tatah urip menuna atih kelo taha bulan ngembang –
leve'
Like those in the old days, you full moon.
Ee marung tatah Ubong dih benlingah dih menaring – jewey

Like the story of ubong benlingah, in the beginning
Ketnun hadui daha na te alem uma dih menuna – jewey

What did they do in the old days?
Tiah kenep daha puyo' nilung ngakap te ida liling – ateh

They were of one heart my child,
Ha nah iha uma maju dih kelalo sayu tih menuna – jewey

That’s why, how well and prosperous they were of old.
Ubong dih belingah usi te sekulah daha dih menaring – jewey

Ubong … they didn’t go to school in the past,
Piah kenep tua dih te ket daha na dih menuna – jewey

(But), they were always of one heart.
Ee ee nah nunan dih nah puyo' tengaran kui dih uk iduk – edeh

My child, those are my words, just a few,
Ee nah avin ika nyihu anih puyo nyihu, nyihu akui – anih

Because you asked, my child, you asked me,
Ha nah iha dih telo nih ne peji melo ne alem lunang – dan pe’

That’s why we are here sitting in lunang.
Ee nah dih nunan tua dih usang tira kui usang jutan – levey

That’s all that I can advise,
Usi kui kuma haman na puyo' tengaran dara bulan ngembang –
levey
I am not good at long words my child, full moon.
Ee nah li kui lasi nah anih puyo' ali usang jutan – lene’

It’s me my child,
Te dahuk aleng sala puyo dih meng im ala na usang jutan – lene’

Don’t take all if I am wrong my child,
Ee e em mili puyo awi najuk deh beni’ – pare' (parei)

Choose wisely my child, like planting seeds,
Ee nah aleng jiek puyo' dih im lek tua dih ngen - la’e

Leave behind some, my bad advice,
Ee nah aleng sayu dih ha dih im tuvu ida keliling – ate’

Plant only the good ones in your heart,
Ee nunan tua dih nah usang tira kui puyo ali – tete

This is my advice, child of my bosom.
Ee meng im bero si puyo' hado te lusan ka hinan – henei

Don’t you forget, there where you are,
Ee nah ee ika idang kelekkaha bulan ngembang – levey

If you were like idang kelekkaha, full moon.
Ika pejoh en na puyo' dih ket im na bulan ngembang – levey

Continue my child what you are doing, full moon,
Arap ika lebo tua nih idang menva ka bulan ngembang – levey

I hope you complete (your journey), full moon.
Ee nah dih nunan nah tengaran kui dih uk iduk – ede’

This is the little of what I can advise,
Ee kalo lusan ka anih hinam avam dih na – ine'

We, whom you call your mothers,
Ee kalo hangu ka anih inu lahu kesaya – teme’

We, whom you call your relatives,
Ee na le kalo nah nih aleng naro’ alem lunang – dan pe’

We are,
Ee naro’ en na nih usang tira kui usang juten – levey

This is my advice,
Ee nah ee nunan tua nah usang tira kui bulan ngembang – leveh

This is my advice, full moon.

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The singers proceeded to sing a short version of 'lakuh'; a folk song similar to the Malay pantun.

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