THE LEGEND OF OI WOBO (Simplified)

Long time ago, a prince from Bima Sultanate went for adventure. He and his companions headed to east. After walking for such a long time, they arrived at the peak of Mount Lambitu. They stopped there to rest. Being starving, they ate up all the food they brought.

The dark night soon covered the earth. The prince and his companions decided not go on walking. At that night, they set up tent and stayed at the peak of Mount Lambitu.

On the following day, they continued their adventure. They went down the mount and headed to the north until they reached a valley. They stopped there to rest. They got very hungry but they had no more food to eat. They simply ate any fruit they could find around there. After eating the fruit, they felt very thirsty, but no water was found. The prince asked one of the companions to take “wobo” (a kind of stick from twig used as whip). Then, he whipped stones and roots of trees on the ground. Soon, an incredible thing happened. The fresh and pure water spring came out from the ground. Now they could drink. Finding plenty of water, the prince and all the companions decided to settle there. The place was then named Oi Wobo (literally; oi means water, and wobo means whip). Now, OI WOBO becomes one of the tourist destinations in Wawo District.

Original Tittle: Legenda Oi Wobo. By Alan Malingi
Translated By:  Ikra, S.Pd. 2011

THE LAST BALLAD OF MOTHER'S (Revised)

Once upon a time, there lived a couple with their sons named La Mone Na’e and La Mone To’i. They lived happily near Bima Bay. Supplied with an old boat, the sons and their father crossed the sea catching fish for their daily needs. Meanwhile, their mother stayed at home waiting for them coming back.

One day, they caught plenty of fish. Their boat was full of fish. They were very delighted. La Mone Na’e, La Mone To’i, and father were thinking about for what things they would barter the fish. Each of them had their own idea. Father wanted to barter some of the fish with a new boat. La Mone Na’e wanted hook and fishing-nets so that he could catch fish on his own without being dependent on his parents. However, La Mone To’i wanted sweet potatoes, his favourite food.

In that morning, they all went to market to barter the fish for the things they were longing for. Father got a new boat and La Mone Na’e got a hook and fishing-net. However, La Mone To’i had not got his sweet potatoes. Patiently, his mother accompanied him going around the market looking for sweet potatoes. The sun was shining brightly high above in the sky. Still, they didn’t find sweet potatoes. Meanwhile, the fish they brought began to stale. Then, La Mone To’i began to cry. His mother tried to persuade him to barter the fish for other food, but he refused it. He only wanted sweet potatoes. He cried loudly and scratched his mother’s hair. 

Again, they had to go around the market. Finally, they met a woman carrying a basket of tubers on her head. They took out the tubers one by one. Fortunately, they found the sweet potatoes. Only two sweet potatoes were still remaining. However, the woman didn’t want to barter his sweet potatoes for the stale fish. Mother begged for her pity and promised her to bring her the fresh fish in the next day. Finally, the woman agreed. La Mone To’i stopped crying. Then, they went home.

Soon after they arrived at home, Mother cooked the sweet potatoes. While waiting for the sweet potatoes cooked, La Mone To’i went playing to beach, enjoying the the fresh air and singing birds flying over. 

In short, the sweet potatoes were cooked. Mother split them into four parts. Then, she came to La Mone To’i telling him that the sweet potatoes had already been cooked. But, La Mone To’i still wanted to stay longer in the beach enjoying his playing. He asked her mother to go home and eat first.

At home, mother, father, and La Mone Na’e ate the cooked sweet potatoes. Mother separated one of the four parts for La Mone To’i. Soon after they had eaten the sweet potatoes, La Mone  Na’e wanted some more. But, mother said wisely that there was only one still remaining, and it was for La Mone To’i.

When mother came into the room to take a rest, La Mone Na’e went to the kithen and took his brother’s. He ate it up. 

Then, La Mone To’i came back home and asked for his sweet potatoes. Mother asked him to go to the kitchen. But, the sweet potatoe was not found there. La Mone To’i started to cry. Mother was very confused. It seemed that there was nothing she could do anymore. She could only persuade La Mone To’i to stop crying and promised to  buy another one for him on the next day. However, La Mone To’i didn’t even listen and went on crying.

Now, it was the time for Father and La Mone Na’e to sail. Mother and La Mone To’i accompanied them going to beach. On the way there, La Mone To’i kept on crying. Until Father and his brother had been on the boat, La Mone To’i still cried. He pulled his mother’s hair and scratched her mother’s face until bleeding. However, mother could still wave her hand to her husband and La Mone Na’e.

When father and La Mone Na’e were no longer seen, Mother and La Mone To’i went back home.  The dark night soon covered the earth. Suddenly, lightening flashed, then thunder rumbled. The rainstorm struck the coast. Soon, mother looked pale. She worried about her husband and La Mone Na’e who went sailing. Then, she begged La Mone To’i for stop crying. Still, he didn’t listen. He kept on crying for all the night. As a result, they didn’t sleep at all for the whole night.

Early in the morning, they went to beach. Mother looked far across the sea hoping that she would see La Mone Na’e and her husband coming back. Suddenly, from the distance she heard her husband and La Mone Na’e calling. They were waving at her. She was very glad. Unfortunately, she was in grief again after she knew that what she heard and saw were just a hallucination. Like a statue, she stood in despair, looking far across the sea. Meanwhile, La Mone To’i hadn’t seemed to stop crying. His crying was even getting louder and louder.

“My dear, I heard your brother and your father calling,” she said. “You lie to me! You just try to scare me!” La Mone To’i screamed. “Oh my dear, please stop crying. Please.... You have been crying since your brother and your father left,” said her patiently. Her tears began to drop from her eyes. But, La Mone To’i didn’t care. He pulled his mother’s hair and scratched her face until bleeding. “My dear, please stop doing this to me, otherwise I will follow your father and your brother,” she said in despair. La Mone To’i didn’t listen.

Then, mother went into the sea. When water reached her calf, she began to sing a ballad:

Duha ra lano......(Oh sea, rise!)

            Kolupu tatu’u      (Reach my kneel!)

When water was about to reach her knee, La Mone To’i still cried. Then mother continued her ballad.

            Duha ra Lano......( Oh sea, rise! )

            Kolupu Wangga  (Reach my hip!)

           

            Duha ra Lano......(Oh sea, rise!)

            Kolupu Woke     (Reach my navel!)

La Mone still cried...

            Duha ra Lano..... (Oh sea, rise!)

            Kolupu Lawili     (Reach my chest!)

When water reached her chest, La Mone To’i was still thinking that his mother was just trying to scare him. He went on crying.

            Duha ra Lano..... (Oh sea, rise!)

            Kolupu wo’o      (Reach my neck!)

When water reached her neck, La Mone To’i realized that Mother was not kidding or even trying to scare him. He stopped crying. He begged her mother not continue her ballad. He promised his mother not to cry anymore. But, it’s no use crying over the spilt milk. His mother continued her ballad:

Du...............ha............ra.  La.........no. Kolu............pu  Pa................ hu...................

( Oh sea............... Rise.......................!  Reach........... my................. face..................! )

Now, La Mone To’i could only see her mother’s hair floating on the sea. Mother disappeared. She’s gone and never coming back...

Original Tittle:   Kidung Terakhir Seorang Ibu;  By Alan Malingi

Translated by:  Ikra, S.Pd. 2011.

La Nangga

         Long time ago, in Bima, there lived a couple. They had not got any children. It made them sad and lonely. However, they never stopped praying to The Only God, hopping that they would be given a child. “O God, grant us a child; no matter how he would look like” they said in their prayer. God listened and they were given a child. However, the child looked like a jack fruit. However, the couple was very happy because they had got a child.

         La Nangga grew older. But his parents did not allow him to play outside their house. They were afraid if other children mocked him. La Nangga cried until  someday his parents allowed him to meet other children and play with them. In order to be accepted in the playgroup, La Nangga brought kalempe, a kind of traditional food of Bima. Then, La Nangga began to play with his new friends happily. But, poor La Nangga! Soon after kalempe was eaten up, his friends started to mock him. He cried and went home. That’s what happened on his first day he played with his friends. It was beyond his expectation that the same thing happened to him on the following day on. Hopelessly, he thought that it was not fair.

         La Nangga grew older and older, but his life had not changed yet. He was still mocked. One day, he heard that the princess was seriously ill. The king declared that whoever could cure the princess would be rewarded. Whatever their demand would be granted.

         La Nangga went anywhere to find the the medicine. Finally, he got it and came to the palace. La Nangga cured the princess successfully. Soon she recovered from her illness. Then, the king asked La Nangga what he demanded. “I want to marry the princess” La Nangga replied. Then, La Nangga’s life changed. He lived happily with his wife and no one mocked him anymore.

The Legend of Oi Wobo

Long time ago, in Bima Kingdom, lived a prince of Bima. He liked adventure.

One day the prince wanted to wander around. Accompanied by his companions, he started to go to west, then to south, and ended to the north. Soon after he came back to his father, again he asked for permission for he would be allowed to have one more adventure to the east. He wanted to see sun rise. The king agreed. He told the prince to take a good care of himself.

Again, the prince and his companions left for an adventure. They brought plenty of food with them. They walked up and down the hills and crossed the rivers. The paths they walked through were tough. Moreover, wild animals often threatened them along the way.

After walking for such a long time, they arrived at a peak of the highest mountain in the southeast of Bima. It was Lambitu mountain. They stopped there to rest. Being starving, they ate up all the food they brought. Then, they slept there while waiting for the sunrise in the next day.

In the next day, the sunrise appeared in the east. Soon, the prince and all the companions woke up. They all were amazed observing the sunrise and every natural phenomenon in that morning. Birds sang in turns and the wind blew gently.

The sun was getting higher and higher.  Then, they continued their adventure. They went down the mountain and head to the north until they reached  a valley. There were many big trees there. Fruit was found everywhere. The prince and his companion stopped to rest and simply ate the fruit because all their food had been eaten out when they were in Lambitu Mountain. After eating the fruit, they felt very thirsty, but no water was found. The prince asked one of the companions to take “wobo” (small stick from twig used as whip). Then, he whipped stones and root of trees on the ground. Soon, an incredible thing happened. The fresh and pure water as spring came out from the ground. Now they could drink. Finding plenty of water, the prince and all the companions decided to settle there. The place was then named OI WOBO (literally; oi = water). Now, OI WOBO is one of the tourist destinations in Wawo District. 

Translated from "Legenda Oi Wobo" by Alan Malingi

The Legend of Mount Tambora

 

Long time ago, in the foot of Mount Tambora, there was a kingdom named Tambora. It was ruled by King Rangga Mandara. Tambora Kingdom was very rich. Its people worked as farmers and fishermen. They caught fish, grew crops, and raised farm animals like cattle, buffaloes, horses, deer, dogs, pigs, etc. Their forest also provided them a great deal of timbers, rattans, honey, and many others. Therefore, many marchants came to Tambora for a trade. They came from other countries like Makasar, and Sumatra.

One day, Tambora people were startled by the coming of some boats with groups of people they had never seen before. The strangers looked peculiar in their caps and white long dress. They brought clothes, fishing and farming tools. Tambora people were interested in these goods. Then, they bartered their natural resources for them.

During their time in Tambora, these merchants did their routine rituals which were quite different from what the local people did. They did it together. One of them stood at front as leader while the others were at back stood in rows and followed every movement of the leader. They did this five times a day; at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, late in the afternoon, and in the evening. They also opened a thick book and read it together. Tambora people looked on them in amazement.

A leader of a kampoong once came to the Merchants and asked, “Excuse me, we need to know what ritual you do.” Kiyai Saleh, the leader of the merchant, smiled and replied, “Our religion is Islam. We worship only Allah, The Lord of the worlds.” Later, many people came to the Kiyai Saleh and his friends asking the same question. Then, Kyai Saleh told them many things about Islam. Soon many people in the kampoong embraced Islam.

However, some people rejected the presence of Islam because they considered that Islam restricted their life style or freedom. Islam forbade them to eat pork and dog meat. Then, they reported this to King Rangga Mandara. King Rangga was very angry. He rejected the presence of Islam as well.

King Rangga Mandara then made a trick. He held a big party and invited Kyai Saleh and his friends to come to palace. He offered food and drink to them. All people there enjoyed the serving. Kiyai Saleh and his friends did too.

After they finished having meal, King Rangga Mandara asked Kiyai Saleh, “How does the food taste?” Kiyai Saleh replied, “We are grateful for the serving, lord. The food is very delicious”. King Rangga Mandara laughed and said, “Don’t you know that the meats you ate  were pork and dog meat that you forbid us to eat?” Kiyai Saleh was startled and got very angry. “You are accursed, Rangga Mandara! Please notice that sooner or later Allah will sink this Kingdom” said Kiyai Saleh angrily.

Then, Kiyai Saleh and his friends left the party. At that night, they walked along the foot of Mount Tambora to the south. At dawn, they arrived at bay in the south of Mount Tambora. They stopped to worship. They prayed for King Rangga Mandara and his kingdom would be sunk to the ground so that the next generation would learn from it.

Soon the earth trembled. A tremendous earthquake occured. Mount Tambora exploded and sank the Tambora Kingdom. Now, the gulf where Kiyai Saleh and his friends prayed is then named Saleh Bay.

Original Tittle : "Murka Sang Kiyai"      By:  Alan Malingi
Translated By  :    Ikra, S.Pd.   2011