Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei

APPENDIX I: THE SONG OF KAREMA

ZAZANIAN NI KAREMA

Ooh talingannio un tenge’ minatontonai
Ee Rambi-rambian
Si minatontonai, wanam puru’ u langit
Si zei’kan meilengkar, wo mawiame dungus in tana’
Si karengan nahtoume, meikolote um watu
O hear you all a story that was given
Eh Rambi-rambian1
It was given from over the sky
She was not born and then existed in this land
But she came out from inside of a splitting stone

Niakumo si mawe’e-na’as e
yah wiamo ang ka’aya’an
Yah werenanku an tana’, a leme’ loyot kampe’
Si suatan mahra’ar sumena-sena’
Ta’an ka’asi’i um pele-peleng rima’i-za’i


I am the one who, at the time I gained consciousness,
I was here in this paradise
I beheld the land, it was still muddy
The sun was shining brightly
While also everything looked delightful

Wo aku sumaru sendangan timu
Yah sinumpak um werenku un akel matutung
Yah tumaraktak an taliwatu maha ragos
Wo ni’ilekku tawi ni’itu, sumo’so’an ne mengasin
And I faced southeast
My eyes befell a sugar palm tree in flame
Rattling, its fruits were falling
And I saw near by the salt pond of the salt-makers

Wo mawiling aku, sumaru sendangan amian
Yah kinapatesanku un assa retik
Yah mahtou karete ni’itu, un tu’is rarawir
Wo rimuru’ mawire-wirei, u lahit im wene’

Then I turned, facing northeast
I saw an assa (saccharum spontaneum) retik
Growing in its row was a tu'is (amomum album) rarawir
And at the corner waving the paddy leaves

Tumondong aku mapasaru amian talikuran
Yah kinawerenanku witu un wangelei ne kotulus
Yah karuru’ – karete ni’itu, un wawali-kundamah
Yah minahlung ni’itu, un tewasen ne rumopa

Afterward, I faced northwest
I saw there ginger of the medicine men
At the same corner – at its row – betel nut tree
Underneath the sago palm of the rumopa [the sago makers]

Kamurian aku mapasaru timu talikuran
Yah kapatesankuma witu, un ayamen-ka’ukur
Yah sanaremong witu un tambelang tumitikak
Ta’an un antang witu un ate si Rahara, menorome niaku
Lastly I faced southwest
I saw there the ayamen [water plant weaved for mat]
Clustering there bamboo tumitikak
Yet with courage the Young Woman was coming to me

Liwaghanku sia sa apa u ngaranna
Yah mingkot sia: Lumimu’ut ngaranku
Wo totozen kasi’i sia limiwag un ngaranku
Wo totozenku u ngaranku: Karema ne Rumerages
I asked her what her name was
She answered: my name is Lumimuut
And certainly she asked for my name, too
And I mentioned my name: Karema of the Rumeraghes [the giver of offerings]

Witu, kai maesaän sanaririkezan, witu le’os wo u lewo’
Ya sanawalimokai, i minange tu mapaweha-wehan
In toro itu, kai timou, minaelu-eluzan mahwatu
Yah witu, kai lawir wo zei’ kazei’an.
There we were of one accord, bound in life, in good or bad times
Together we went to a dwelling place
At that time, we lived, firmed in comforting each other
There we were safe and sufficient



Second stanza


Pinahaleiku wia nisia, wehane a’asaren aku
Sa sei si ama’na, wo sei si ina’na
Sa kura u lalanna, an ika’ayome wia
Wo kura um pa’arna in tumou wia
I pleaded her to tell me a story
Who was her mother, and who was her father
And how she came to be in this place
And how she would like to live here

Yah ongah u nuwu’na ing kumua
Wewehan un awoan, nahgio-gioan an kenap-sena’na
Ni’itu yah tanu lalem-lalemdeman, wo tanu zuni-zuni’an
Yah wituma un arina linengkaran niaku

And gracefully she replied
There is a hill, with various beams radiating
That is like misty, also colorful like rainbow
there at that high place I was born
U ngaran neiketor un puser ni ina’ku en Wengi
Yah si ama’ku kahuman, wen Kawengian u ngaran
Nisera se timahu’ niaku witu un wantang2
Nisera se nimayome niaku witu lour
At my mother's birth she was named Wengi [lit. the name with which my mother's umbilical cord was cut was Wengi (night)]
And my father's name is Kawengian [darkness of the night]
They were the ones who put me into an ark
And sent me away in the sea

Si ina’ si simipsipe witu kikile’ku kakan
Un sinaputan, an i pespes, wo un atelu esa
Si ama’ku kahuman, si simipsipe witu ung kawihi
Un uka’ winutame an watuna tumotou
My mother put at my right armpit
[soil] wrapped, to be dispersed, together with an egg
While my father put at my left armpit
Coconut shell filled with seeds that would grow

Un wantangku ayur wo limbo, limaya wo u malending
U limingke-lingkei endo-wengi
Ya niagom aku wo ikatekel, zei’mo si genangku
Le’os, limengkih um wantang simangkil wurias
My ark floats and carried by the water, wandering and buffeted by the waves
Tossed by the water night and day
I became seasick and fell asleep, loose my consciousness
Fortunately, there was a hard sound when the ark hit a rock

Tare aku mapolo, woan mawe’ena’as ung genangku
Yah tana’ rimagos witu un saput kakan, nimamualimo un tana’ kenu
Kahuman an watuna i peresou, timoumo wangun sombor
Yah un atelu’ minawalui tatamu ‘en-tuan

There I was awakened, and my mind gained consciousness
And the soil that scattered from the cloth-wrapped [thing] in my right had become this land
And the seed for seedling had grown to young beautiful plants
And the egg had become cattle and also the wilds

Ya wisamo sei meiayur, kita winaway minasungkul
Ni’iamo kahpa un tinou-touan, un tounta in dua
Niaku eh maäyang akaz i lumomei u mu’u ung gio
Satoro kahu-kahuman, si menginalei kalalawirta in dua
Wherever the one who was floated of
We are destined to meet each other
This is our life to live, two of us
I [Lumimuut] will work until my face filled with sweat
If it is granted she [referring to Karema] would plead for a well-being [lit. safety/longevity] for both of us



Third stanza


Laleiyo un tou-touan nera, zei’ si kawenduan, wo kalewo’an
Si Karema si nime’e-an kurang ung kawendu sa zei’ si tuama
Nisia si mahalei si Kariana,
Si sigha’ kahuman mahlele-lele
Wo sera mondole witi rurag, wen mekiraraäte si Empung

They had lived long, no tiresome, and no unsavory
Karema felt the wariness of not having a man
She (Karema) pleaded her friend (Lumimuut), Truly she was skilled in beseeching
So they went out of the cave and implored to the Empung (Lord/God)
Si Karema tare tumo’tol maendo walian
Yah i rondorna si Lumimu’ut sumaru timu sendangan
Si Karema menginalei ung kala-lawir ni Lumimu’ut, ta’an zei’
Lumimu’ut si zei’ si torona, wo walinaän un rendaianna
Karema prepared the matters to perform as a priestess
Then she disposed Lumimuut to face southeast
Karema pleaded the blessing [lit. safety, long life], but nothing [happened]
It did not hit Lumimuut, then her position was changed

An sia sumaru un amian sendangan
Si Karema menginalei wehane kalalawir si Lumimu’ut
Ta’an zei’ si wua’na, wen si Lumimu’ut zei’ si kaära’an
Si Karema zei’ mento’, an enso’anna un rerendai ni Lumimu’ut
She faced northeast
Karema pleaded for blessing upon Lumimuut
But she was not pregnant [lit. there was no fruit (in the womb)], because Lumimuut did not feel longing
Karema did not stop, and then she changed again the stand of Lumimuut

Lumimu’ut sumarulah un amian talikuran
Si walian manginalei kasi’i, ta’an zei’ si torona
Ma’an zei’ si wua’na, ta’an zei’ mento sia mangimbali
Ni’itumo sia sumarumo kasi’i sanaera, lumele si Karema

Lumimuut faced northwest
The priestess pleaded again, but it did not hit
Though it did not give fruit, but she wholeheartedly kept trying
Hence she [Lumimuut] was faced to the other direction, Karema pleaded
Yah mera an sumaru si Empung ti timu talikuran si Lumimu’ut
Yah un awahat timu talikuran menehe za’i si Lumimu’ut
Yah neilengkarname si utu’ wangun, mehe kalo’oran wia ni sera
Nisia si lumekep un katutu’a-kalalawir nera zua
And Lumimuut faced the Empung toward southwest
The northwest wind gave what Lumimuut desired
She gave birth to a dashing boy, who gave happiness to both of them
He would make perfect the longevity and well being of the two of them.

An sia ngarananneralah un Toar
Si Toar timoume totoz sombor rimae
Matu'ame sia, yah rimae ung kasigha' wo ketezen
Si Toar si kalaya-kaleong ni Ina'na wo ni walian
Then they named him Toar
Toar grew up incredibly fast
When he was older he was incredibly ingenious and strong
He became a friend to laugh with of his Mother and the priestess

Apa in sana endo line'os un teken zua ni Karema
Un teken esa wen assa, ta'an un esa wen tu'is
Un assa neiwehe si Toar, un tu'is neiwehe si ina'na
Si Karema nimutum nisera wia si Empung
One day Karema made two fine staffs
One was of assa (saccharum spontaneum),3 but the other was of tu'is (amomum album)4
The assa was given to Toar, the tu'is was given to his mother
Karema committed them to the Empung

Karia u nuwu' ketez, kumua sia wia nisera
Kamu yah lumampang lumi'lik tana'
Nikoo Toar lumampang kumakan
Nikoo Lumimuut lumampang kumawihi
With a loud voice, she said to them
Go around this land
You Toar go right
You Lumimuut go left

Sa kamu masungkul, yah pahtoronange an teken
Kura u mamualina an tekennio san
Itu pahaline, meiasar niaku
Wo itu ikuaku, u lekepen un pa'ar ni Empung
If you meet [each other], measure the length of your staffs
How your staffs have become
Bring them here to receive explanation from me
So that I can tell, to the fulfillment of the will of the Empung

An mawuat si ina' wo si oki'na
Zei' ure sera masungkul weki Tingkolongan
Yah pahatoronera an teken wituma
Yah weta' un tu'is u lambot ta'an un assa
And departed the mother and her son
Not long they met at Tingkolongan
They measured their staffs there
O how, the tu’is is longer than the assa

An sera zua mawurime wia si Karema
Wen mei maasar in nahsingkela'mo an teken
Kawusla un asarnera, numuwu' si Karema
Karia u ngaran ni Wa'ilan yah mazei'mo un ma'ina'annio
Then they went back to Karema
To tell her the staffs were no longer of the same length
After their words, Karema said,
In [lit. with] the name of Wa'ilan [the Abundant One] you are no longer mother and son [your relationship as mother and son is waived]

Akaz inania wo mange, yah tou sana-awumo kamu
Tumouma malawi-lawir witu rara'atean ni Empung
Niaku tumou kariamio, wen aku yah Karema wo Walian
Wo zei' lewo'enta un kaaranta
Now on you are husband and wife [lit. sharing one kitchen/of one cooking place]
Live in peace in the love of Empung
I live as your friend, yet I am Karema and the priestess
And do not corrupt our bond of affection


Yah nisera sana-awu, se minakasuzume:
Se Makazua Siouw, se oki'
Wo Makatelu Pitu, se puyun
Karia ne Pasiouwan Telu, se tou lakez
Se kinasuzuanpe' ne kaasa puyun im puyun.5
The husband and wife produced offspring:
The Makazua Siouw [two times nine], the children
and Makatelu Pitu [three times seven], the grandchildren
Together the Pasiouwan Telu, the people
They also have many children and grandchildren.







1 Following Wenas, this phrase, which is a sign to sound the gong, is given in the first verse, but omitted afterward (Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Minahasa, 75-76).

Wantang (Manado Malay, gantang) is a wooden box used to measure the quantity of unhusked rice. One wantang is equivalent to 27 litters.

3 Possibly used for traditional medicine.

4 Possibly used for traditional medicine.

5 J. G. F. Riedel, [Yai jah un] Aasaren Tuah Puhuna ne Mahasa (Batavia: Landsdrukkerij,1870), 14 as quoted in Wenas, Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Minahasa, 76-81. Wenas translates the source language of Tombulu into Bahasa Indonesia, from which I based most of this English translation.   


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