The more I study this song to prepare it for the Rise Again Songbook, the more confused I get. One of our people posted a note that said:Note comment of one (anonymous) post under video "God bless Mama Africa- @gcsusteyo, this rendition may sound strange to those who speak Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia as their mother tongue, but it is actually a popular lullaby amongst the descendants of Indonesian and Malay slaves
Miriam Makeba recorded the song, and I wondered why. Does the note mean the song was sung by Indonesian and Malay slaves in Africa? Benny's post above confirms this.
Apparently, there's an explanation of this song in Pete Seeger's 1964 book, The Bells of Rhymney and Other Songs and Stories from the Singing of Pete Seeger. New York: Oak
Publications.
I thought I had that book, but can't find it. Anybody have that book? Can you post the book's entry on this song?
-Joe-
This is from the notes for On a Starry Night, a 1997 CD from Windham Records.
3. Suliram (Indonesia)
This is a very old lullaby from Indonesia, which is a group of islands in the ocean on the other side of the world from America. Suliram means "go to sleep" and we thought it was so beautiful that we wanted to play it for you ourselves. Can you hear the flute and the violin playing their separate parts and also playing together? There are words to it which are very, very beautiful.
Thea Suits-Silverman: Flute Tracy Silverman: 6 string violin, Keyboard, Percussion, including Balinese Marimba Traditional, arranged by Tracy Silverman © 1997 From The Gut Music (ASCAP) *Recorded at Tiki Town, San Rafael, CA
Suliram
Suliram, ram, ram
Suliram, yang manis
Adu hai indung suhoorang
Bidjakla sana dipandang manis(repeat first verse)
Tingi la, tingi, si matahari
Suliram
Anakla koorbau mati toortambat
Suliram
Sudala lama saiya menchari
Baruse klarung sa ya mendabat(repeat first verse)
Translation:
"Go To Sleep"
Go to sleep
Go to sleep, sleep, sleep
Go to sleep, little one
Close your eyes and dream tender dreams
For you are guarded, protected by my love[repeat 1st verse]
Long have I waited, I've waited for you
Go to sleep
Years I spent hoping and praying for you
Go to sleep
Now that I have you right here by my side
I will not ever, no never let you go[repeat 1st verse]
But if Benny's post above is correct, then this "translation" has very little to do with the actual meaning of the song.
Here's the writeup I'm going to submit for the songbook:Miriam Makeba recorded 'Suliram' after hearing it from Malay/Indonesian descendants of slaves brought to Africa by the Dutch several hundred years ago. Pete Seeger learned the same song in 1949 from a young Indonesian who was passing through New York. Seeger performed it regularly at concerts in the 1950s and 1960s. Many lullabies have been written in English to this melody; but as Seeger said, "Some things you just can't possibly translate."