Dayak Celebrate Gawai Without Najib and Muhyiddin

Kuching
Thursday, 3rd June 2010

Today is a third day of a  Gawai Dayak festival. Being the Iban myself, I would like to wish all of my dayak friends and readers a SELAMAT ARI  GAWAI DAYAK.
I will start my article with the Gawai Dayak poem in Iban.

Sa, dua, tiga, empat, lima, enam, tuuuuuujuh!


Enda aku busong ngelangkah gunong,
Enda aku tulah ngelangkah tanah,
Enda aku danjan ngelangkah bulan,
Enda aku tumbang ngelangkah bintang!


Kaki aku udah bediri di segi besi belumpong,
Nyawa aku nyapa nyembah di klasah tikai bedong long.
Lengan kanan aku ditanggam beringan lanchum selong,
Pala aku di-bap singkap jalong jabong,
Blakang aku ditinggang seludang baju burong.


Laban aku tu ukai mungkal ukai nanjal,
Aku tu endang niti endang nali,
Baka ijok tampung penduk,
Baka rutan tampung danan,
Baka ira tampung lemba,
Baka wi tampung tali.
Pecah periuk tanah ganti periuk tani,
Padam bulan diganti matahari,
Parai orang ka tuai ganti tubuh kami,
Pambu orang ka dulu ganti kami ka dudi.


Kami tu deka ngintu gawai dayak,
Nitih ka pekat, ngimbai adat menoa Sarawak,
Ngibun durok kitai bansa,
Negi ka menira adat ugama menoa Malaysia,
Ngambika tampak rita idup bersama di mata dunya.


O….Hoi!


Nya baru aku ngangkat ka kita ke lama udah timpat,
Tinggang urat sebangki api.
Tu baru aku nyungkang kita ke lama udah tumbang,
Tinggang batang tebelian wi.
Aku nyerungkai kita ke lama udah parai,
Keranjai indai imbok kedidi.


(Tu aku ngangau ka aki kami Sera Gunting,
Ke tau nemuai ngagai gensiring langit kuning.
Ngangau ka tuai benama Begeri,
Ke dulu ngajar kitai beguna ka atau babi,
Laban iya ba indai ka Dara Manis Muka.


Aku ngangau ka aki kami ke benama Sarapoh,
Tuai ke berani nyanda bunoh,
Ringka-ringka ngema benong benda menaga.


Aku ngangau ka Aki kami Pateh Ambau,
Ke datai ari Pangkalan Tabau,
Peling lanting tawang ulih menang bedagang.


Aku mega ngangau ka Gerasi Belang Pinggang,
Seduai Rukok ke Pematak Bala Nyerang.


Aku ngangau ka Petara Betie “Brauh Gumbang”,
Seduai Datu Patinggi Gurang.


Aku ngangau ka Petara Jalir, Petara Gisang,
Petara Geringu, Petara Sumbang.


Aku ngangau ka Petara Gerijih Ai Marang,
Seduai Bangkam ke ngaram ka sampan buong Rajang.


Aku ngangau ka Tindin Pimpin Bragah Ngindang,
Seduai Entingi Keti Aur Tulang.


Aku ngangau ka Rekaya Tom Tajai Ngindang,
Enggau tuai entanak benama Unggang.


Ngangau ka Petara Uyut benama Bedilang,
Petara Atin apai Saang,
Petara Sabok Apai Mang,
Orang Kaya Dana Bayang,
Enggau Chulo bejulok Tarang.


Orang ngasoh aku ngambi ngabang,
Ngambi mansang,
Ngambi makai,
Ngambi nandai !)


Kita ka ari ili datai sabuah barong,
Kita ari ulu undor sabuah buong.
Kita ari langit nilik naka rekong,
Kita ari tanah nyengok naka punggong.
Ngabang abis, ngabang lengis,
Betambit pintu, bekaling alu,
Bekaling lantai, bekesai tikai.


Aku ukai ngangau ngapa, ukai ngangau pia,
Aku mai kita ngabang, mai kita mansang,
Mai kita makai, mai kita nandai.
Aku mai piring, mai ading,
Piring penganan, piring penyaran,
Piring Arak, Piring Tuak,
Udah sedia, udah nyengenda,
Ditikai wi, tikai peradani,
Ditikai rutan, tikai bemban.


Kita ke ngabang bakanya mega,
Anang tuboh puang, tuboh sabatang,
Anang mai tuboh murus, tuboh untus,
Tang mai ubat serangkap genap,
Mai batu teruba nemu,
Mai pengaroh gembar tuboh.


Anang engkah ngapa, engkah pia,
Engkah ba piring, engkah ba ading.
Ayan ka ba tegalan,
Lengka ka ba pedara,
Sikap ka di ketupat.
Ngambi ka kena peda, kena tela,
Kena iching, kena perening.
Awak ka kena genggam, kena simpan,
Kena sandoh, kena taroh,
Kena japai kena pegai.


Enggau sampi tu,
Aku Minta kami chelap-embab,
Minta gayu-guru,
Gerai-nyamai,
Bidik-lansik,
Betuah-belimpah,
Kaya-raja,
Aku minta tulang,
Minta pandang,
Minta iching,
Minta perening.


Awak ka kami mudah bulih duit, bulih ringgit,
Bulih padi, bulih puli,
Bulih reta, bulih tengkira,
Bulih setawak, bulih menganak.
Ngambi ka kami jelai rita, manah nama,
Nuchong baka bukit Rabong menoa,
Tinggi baka langit nungkat neraja,
Terang baka pandang bulan purnama.


Nya alai dinga ka kangau anak mensia, kangau anak uda,
Minta tulong, minta sukong kita.


Oooooohoi !!!

(My special thanks to Unggal Mawar of the Iban Heritage for allowing me to republished the Pantun Iban (poem) in Bukittunggal)

What is Gawai Dayak

Gawai Dayak which is celebrated in Sarawak on 1st and 2nd  June every year is both a religious and social occasion. It is celebrated to mark the end of the padi harvesting season and is essentially a thanksgiving occasion.

The Dayak, which includes the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut and a few more, would visit their friends and relatives on this day. Such visit is more known as "ngabang" in Iban language.

Looking back at history how Gawai Dayak was celebrated. It was formally gazetted on 25th September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day, when Sarawak was still under the Chief Ministership of Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan. It was first celebrated on 1st June 1965 and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community..

What is The Meaning Of Gawai Dayak for the Dayak Communities Nowaday

Nowadays, Gawai Dayak is celebrated with a slightly different mindset. Where most of the young dayaks are working in the cities therefore  Gawai Dayak is the best time where they can go back to their long houses and celebrate gawai with their family members.

But Where are Our Beloved Prime Minister and His Deputy

Is it true that  1Malaysia is just a rethoric as claims  by the Opposition ? Today is the third day of the Ari Gawai celebration, but Najib and Muhyiddin had not paid a  Gawai Visit to the Dayak community leaders. Where are they? Is this the real meaning of 1Malaysia ?  Or 1Malaysia is only applicable to Chinese, Indian or Malay in the  Peninsular Malaysia?

Based on newspapers report both Najib and Muhyiddin not only did not visit the dayak but also the Pesta Keamatan, which was celebrated by the Kedazan and Murut in Sabah on 30th and 31st May .

I dont think that we in Sabah and Sarawak, the Kadazan and Murut,  and the Dayaks still not  clever enough to judge Najib and Muhyiddin feeling toward us, and that they only need us during the election. If our Chinese friends in Sibu  can vote BN out, there is no reason for us not to follow their foot steps by voting BN out in the coming state election...

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN