W S Rendra Translations

W. S. Rendra translations Willibrordus Surendra Broto Rendra (1935-2009), better known as W. S. Rendra or simply Rendra, was an Indonesian dramatist and poet. He said, “I learned meditation and the disciplines of the traditional Javanese poet from my mother, who was a palace dancer. The idea of the Javanese poet is to be a guardian of the spirit of the nation.” The press gave him the nickname Burung Merak (“The Peacock”) for his flamboyant poetry readings and stage performances. SONNET by W. S. Rendra loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Best wishes for an impending deflowering. Yes, I understand: you will never be mine. I am resigned to my undeserved fate. I contemplate irrational numbers?complex & undefined. And yet I wish love might ... ameliorate ... such negative numbers, dark and unsigned. But at least I can’t be held responsible for disappointing you. No cause to elate. Still, I am resigned to my undeserved fate. The gods have spoken. I can relate. How can this be, when all it makes no sense? I was born too soon?such was my fate. You must choose another, not half of who I AM. Be happy with him when you consummate. THE WORLD'S FIRST FACE by W. S. Rendra loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Illuminated by the pale moonlight the groom carries his bride up the hill? both of them naked, both consisting of nothing but themselves. As in all beginnings the world is naked, empty, free of deception, dark with unspoken explanations? a silence that extends to the limits of time. Then comes light, life, the animals and man. As in all beginnings everything is naked, empty, open. They're both young, yet both have already come a long way, passing through the illusions of brilliant dawns, of skies illuminated by hope, of rivers intimating contentment. They have experienced the sun's warmth, drenched in each other's sweat. Here, standing by barren reefs, they watch evening fall bringing strange dreams to a bed arrayed with resplendent coral necklaces. They lift their heads to view trillions of stars arrayed in the sky. The universe is their inheritance: stars upon stars upon stars, more than could ever be extinguished. Illuminated by the pale moonlight the groom carries his bride up the hill? both of them naked, to recreate the world's first face. Keywords/Tags: international, travel, voyage, wedding, relationship, Rendra, W. S. Rendra, Indonesian, Javanese, translation, love, fate, god, gods, goddess, groom, bride, world, time, life, sun, hill, hills, moon, moonlight, stars, life, animals