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My impression after hearing Jentayu for the first time was: " Poor bird..."I have a soft spot for birds. Whenever I see birds landing on the roof beneathe my window, I will gently throw out some food for them hoping to keep these feathery visitors a bit longer. Even though the story of this bird is mythical, I still feel sorry for it. To understand the context of Usman Awang's poetry which inspires the lyrics for this song, we have to start with the villain, garuda. A garuda is a mythical bird - predatory, intelligent, divine and enormous. How big is a garuda? It is said that a man can hide in the feathers of a garuda without being noticed. No wonder when a garuda flaps its wings, it generates hurricanes strong enough to blow down houses. Being divine, a garuda can change into human form and even have romances with women. The garuda in Usman Awang's poetry snatched away a beautiful Chinese princess from her fiancè, a prince from the land of Rum. The garuda kept the princess as a captive on an island. There a Jentayu appeared to comfort her. Meanwhile, with the help of a mighty king Merong Mahawangsa, Prince Rum fought against the garuda. King Merong shot an arrow with powerful magic towards the garuda, and the arrow transformed into the Jentayu. A fierce battle ensued. That would imply the Jentayu is a kind of garuda, otherwise how could it stand against a bird that blocks the sun with its mere size? It fought with the garuda twice in vain to protect the lovers. Sadly, it was defeated and retreated in pain. As for the garuda, his power and victory, could not crush the love between the prince and his princess. Since the original version of this song popularized by Johan Nawaiwi, Nora and Sheila Majid is not available. I include a performance of this song by Jacyln Victor and Misha Omar. My personal opinion is, these ladies certainly pass the acid test of singing live on stage, more professional than some popular singers.
Di paruhmu kemilauan sinar Sadness glistens on your beak Menyepuhi sejuta rasa Coated with a million feelings Kemuliaan di hatimu The nobility of your heart Bening budi terdampar di jagat raya Your sparkling goodness driven on the vast shore of the world Di sayap taufan kau jelajahi The flanks of storm you explore Awan gemawan membawa rindu Through the clouds you bring news of ( the one she ) misses Kasihmu menentangi kezaliman ketidakadilan Your love fights against cruelty and injustice Chorus: Jentayu patah sayap bertongkat paruh Jentayu wings broken, use beak as a walking stick Jentayu patah paruh bertongkat siku Jentayu beak broken, use elbow as a walking stick Jentayu patah siku bertongkat dagu Jentayu elbow broken, use chin as a walking stick Jentayu patah dagu bertongkat kuku Jentayu chin broken, use claws as walking stick Pinjamkanlah hatimu untuk semua Lend to all your heart ( End of Chorus ) Pinjamkanlah syahdumu Lend to all your elegance
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