Pantun pantun
· from Malay
What is a pantun?
A pantun is a traditional Malay poetic form, typically a rhyming ABAB quatrain whose first couplet hints at the meaning of the second.
The first two lines (pembayang) set up an image, and the last two (maksud) deliver the message, linked by sound more than logic. Pantun is used in weddings, ceremonies, songs and banter across Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore. UNESCO inscribed pantun on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020.
Examples
Pisang emas dibawa belayar, / Masak sebiji di atas peti; / Hutang emas boleh dibayar, / Hutang budi dibawa mati (a debt of gold can be repaid, a debt of kindness is carried to the grave)
Kungfucius says: A Malay poem where the first half is about bananas and the second half is about your soul. It works.