Ibu Pertiwi (song)

Ibu Pertiwi is a popular Indonesian patriotic song composed by unknown composer around the 1950s to 1960s. The song's lyrics is about Ibu Pertiwi, national personification of Indonesia. It is normally sung by Indonesian children, elementary and secondary school students, or played during Indonesian Independence Day celebration.

Contents

Lyrics

The lyric is as follows:

Original lyrics

(in Indonesian)

First verse:

Kulihat ibu pertiwi
Sedang bersusah hati
Air matamu berlinang
Mas intanmu terkenang
Hutan gunung sawah lautan
Simpanan kekayaan
Kini ibu sedang susah
Merintih dan berdoa

Second verse:

Kulihat ibu pertiwi
Kami datang berbakti
Lihatlah putra-putrimu
Menggembirakan ibu
Ibu kami tetap cinta
Putramu yang setia
Menjaga harta pusaka
Untuk nusa dan bangsa

Translation

First verse:

I see Mother Pertiwi
(She is) in sorrow
Your tears is flowing
Remembering your (lost) golds and diamonds
Jungles, mountains, paddy fields, and the seas
Storing the treasure (richness)
Now mother is sad
Sighing and praying

Second verse:

I see Mother Pertiwi
We come to serve (you)
Behold your sons and daughters
Will make mother happy
Mother, we still love (you)
Your faithful sons
Guarding the heirloom
For homeland and nation

Adoption of Christian Hymn music

Although the lyrics was originally composed, the music and melody of this song somehow resembled the a Christian hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus originally written by Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855. In Indonesia, the hymn is known as "Yesus Kawan Sejati" and is sung in Indonesian by Batak people in Protestant churches in Indonesia. The majority of Indonesians are muslim and consequently the hymn is not widely known. Probably prior 1967 the same music was adopted by an unknown composer of Ibu Pertiwi song.

See also

External links