Are You Javanese Enough?

I keep listening to this song quite some time. Introduced by my colleague, at first I don't understand what they're singing even though I have Javanese's blood in me. So I'd Googled, around to find the meaning of this song. Turn out that this song have a beautiful meaning behind the sweet melody.

I'd copy from here though.

Let's enjoice this. ;)

Lir-ilir, tandure wis sumilir

The wind breezes so gentle on the rice fields 

Tak ijo royo-royo tak sengguh temanten anyar 

 So green, that theyll make you proud if you present them to a newly weds 

Cah angon, cah angon, penekna blimbing kuwi 

O you, you shepherd boy, climb that star-fruit, 

Lunyu-lunyu penekna kanggo mbasuh dodot ira 

even if it’s hard to climb, climb it you shall not give up since we need the star-fruit to wash our clothes 

Dodot ira, dodot ira kumitir bedhah ing pinggir 

Our clothes, yes our clothes have some defects. They were torn on some parts, 

Dondomana jlumatana kanggo seba mengko sore 

We have to sew them, stitch them, do some needlework on them Do you remember that this evening we will meet our King? 

Mumpung padhang rembulane, mumpung jembar kalangane 

Don’t hold it up, don’t waste our time! While likely the moon will be full this eve, While the sky is bright and we still have lots of time. 

Yo surak a… surak hore… 

So, let’s celebrate this! Let’s celebrate our chance to make a perfect meeting!

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The Metaphor

1. green (a point where to start the life. In Javanese the word ilir – sumilir may transform into nglilir which means awake from sleep before planned time to wake up. From this, the first line may imply “a wake up call”)

2.  mature (married or taking a serious oath; the word temanten – manten may mean both being married and being attached to a serious oath) struggling (climb the slippery tree OR we may interpret that the tree itself is not slippery but the soles and feet of cah angon [the shepherd]covered with mud and dirt makes it hard to climb the tree OR it means that the obstacles are from ourselves) – redefining oneself (wash the clothes AND let’s not forget that when one wants to wash his clothes, he must wash his hands and feet) - making amends (do some needlework) [continuously while we still have lots of time]

3. struggling (climb the slippery tree OR we may interpret that the tree itself is not slippery but the soles and feet of cah angon [the shepherd]covered with mud and dirt makes it hard to climb the tree OR it means that the obstacles are from ourselves) – redefining oneself (wash the clothes AND let’s not forget that when one wants to wash his clothes, he must wash his hands and feet) - making amends (do some needlework) [continuously while we still have lots of time]

4. perfect evening (died – a meeting with The King).