Aku Ingin (I Want)
I've never been one to quote those tawdry love poems or proverbs. Other than Gibran's or Browning's and very few poets whose names I can't recall, I would never consider myself a poem fan. I mostly find them to be too tacky and plain tasteless. I came across this very short poem, written by an acknowledged Indonesian poet,Sapardi Djoko Damono and I just can't get it off my mind. It is indeed very very simple, yet effortlessly succinct in delivering the message. Some interpret this as an unrequited love while the rest argue it merely expresses the true sincerity of one's love, but hey, each to their own.
Aku Ingin
Aku ingin mencintaimu dengan sederhana
dengan kata yang tak sempat diucapkan
kayu kepada api yang menjadikannya abu
Aku ingin mencintaimu dengan sederhana
dengan isyarat yang tak sempat disampaikan
awan kepada hujan yang menjadikannya tiada
and the English translation
I Want
I want to love you in a simple way
in words never spoken,
by timber to the flame, who turns it to embers.
I want to love you in a simple way
in gestures never passed
by a cloud to the rain, who alters it to the naught
I honestly think the original version is much more enthralling than the translation for it does not quite capture the true beauty of the poem, but it's close though. All in all, I <3 this poem.
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