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PROF RAHMAN SHAARI
Biodata
Rahman Shaari was born on 5th Sept 1949, in Perlis, Malaysia. Received primary education in Perlis, then entered Sultan Idris Teacher Training College in 1970. He continued his education at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 1973 and gained his Bachelor’s degree in Literature 1976. After working at the Ministry of Education for 6 years, he continued his study at UKM, and obtained his Master’s degree and was appointed as a lecturer at the Faculty of Education ini 1988. In 1991, he attended a course on international writing at the University of Iowa, USA. In 2003, he was appointed a Professor at Media Studies Department, University of Malaya and also served in ASWARA formany years. Rahman Shaari received the S.E.A Write Award in 2007 (South East Asia Write Award). He is currently the President of Malaysian Poetry Association (Penyair) .
Pengantar
KETEBALAN SENI dalamKESEDERHANAAN
Oleh Rahman Shaari
Puisi sewajarnya bersifat separuh rahsia. Puisi hanya jelas dalam pentafsiran oleh diriperibadi, melalui pendekatan mengalamimenghayati. Pembacaan puisi menurutpendekatan ini menuntut pembaca membukafikiran untuk menyerlahkan keterlibatan, kerana puisi ialah karya personal yang sekaligus universal.
Puisi Jeton Kelmendi, bagi saya, mempunyai daya tarikan kerana sifatnya yang seperti di atas. Identiti penyairnya terbinamelalui kesederhanaan pengucapan dalammembawa perkara umum tetapi besar dalamkehidupan.
Sajak pertama, “Come Closer A Bit” bermula dengan permintaan yang amat biasa: Tell me the words you know/ the words I love.
Kebersahajaan kata-kata yang dipilih dandisusun, membuat pembaca berasa akrabdengan puisi. Untuk menjadikan puisiberimpak tinggi, keakraban begini adalahpenting. Rasa akrab ini kekal di sepanjangpengucapan. Rangkap kedua menyebutkanbahawa penantian adalah berterusan:
I’m waiting now
Like yesterday like today
Like tomorrow
You have spoken the words, so
Come closer to me.
Keseluruhan puisi di atas menyatakanhakikat kehidupan manusia yang sentiasamenanti. Kini, kelmarin dan esok ialahwaktu-waktu yang berlainan, tetapi manusiatetap menanti. Apabila kita memikirkan halpenantian yang tidak habis-habisan, kita akanterfikirkan makna kehidupan. Hidup ini tidaklain daripada penantian.
Dalam diri manusia, ada kepelbagaian rasa dan fikiran. Walaupun pelbagai, perkara yangasas cepat kita kesani. Kerinduan padatempat asal misalnya, adalah sesuatu yang pasti. Puisi “My Wish in Chameria” membawa tema demikian. Perhatikan baris-baris +5+++awalnya:
There is nothing better than coming back
The farmer returns to his field,
Surrounded by the meaning of life
I see the cheerful camman from Filati.
Pulang ke tempat asal amat diimpikan oleh perantau. Ini ialah pengucapan umum tentangperkara tersebut. Bagi penyair, makna lain mungkin disembunyikan. Dalam sajak ini, orang di tempat asal mengucapkan selamatdatang, bukan selamat pulang, “Welcome our brother in Chameria, Albania.” Inimenimbulkan kesan tertentu.
Masih ada perasaan lain bermain di fikiranpembaca. Penyair menyebutkan ‘the perpetual dream’ , iaitu mimpi yang tetapmuncul apabila berada di tempat asal. Mimpi itu disebutkan di baris hampir akhir, membawa makna itu bukanlah utama. Namunmimpi itu signifikan kerana muncul sebagaihiasan keberadaan di tempat asal. Ada disebutkan ‘wedding’ di rangkap itu, danmenurut konteks, perkahwinan di daerah ituhanyalah impian masa lalu. Jadi, baris akhir ‘let’s plant the future with hope’ bukanlahsaranan untuk satu kenyataan, tetapi hanyapenanda percintaan masa lepas.
Puisi “Noise” menyentuh lapangan politiksecara nipis, tetapi berkesan. Penyair tidakmengambil berat tentang pemikiran atauideologi parti, dan tidak juga menyatakancita-cita perjuangan parti, tetapi memberikanperhatian terhadap gejala dan fenomena umumdalam dunia politik. Tajuknya pun telahmembayangkan telatah orang politik.
Perhatikan rangkap pertama:
Day revealed it voice
to our secret
tranquility.
Demikianlah pernyataan sikap bersahajadan tenang penyair, kerana baginya kebisingan di sekitarnya tidak perlu diberiperhatian. Penyair kemudian menyatakanbahawa pandangan-pandangan yang bising di sekitarnya tidak membawa faedah kepadanya, kerana semua itu hanya penanda egoismemanusia. Siapakah manusia yang egoistik itu? Itu dirahsiakan, kerana penyairmengutamakan mesej, iaitu kebenaran tidaksejajar dengan kebisingan.
Pandangan dan sikap hidup penyair inisentiasa sederhana. Pemikirannya jernih. Tiada kekasaran untuk pihak yang dianggapantagonis, kerana penyair mengharmoniskanperasaannya dengan keadaan atau suasana di sekelilingnya. Untuk menjelaskan perkara ini, sajak “The Word Crossed The Silence” elokdidekati.
Sajak ini tebal dengan perasaan, tetapiperasaan itu dikawal oleh fikiran. Dikatakandemikian, kerana protoganis merancangkanapa-apa yang akan dilakukannya. Dia sedarbahawa dia bercakap sedikit kerana keadaanmemerlukan dia bertingkah demikian:
I am accustomed yesterday
To speak a little
I am full with the respiration of sadness
In the most remote areas
Of your eyes
Since long ago I begun to arrive from you
To speak silently to you
To confess in you
For you
And for me.
Apabila keseluruhan puisi ini dibaca, kitatemukan tema pemeliharaan perasaan denganpengukuhan fikiran. Penyair mencarikebahagiaan melalui pengawalan perasaan. Dia menyimpulkan, sikap berdiam ataukurang berkata-kata, adalah lebih baik daripada penyuaraan isi hati secara berterusterang.
Seperti yang telah saya sebutkan di awalbicara, puisi-puisi Jeton Kelmendi bersenidan mempunyai daya tarikan kerana stailnyayang sederhana. Buku ini diterjemahkan keBahasa Melayu oleh Puan Siti RuqaiyahHashim. Penerbitannya memberikan manfaatyang banyak kepada peminat kesusasteraanantara-bangsa. Pengalaman luas Siti RuqaiyahHashim dalam bidang penterjemahan menyebabkan hasil usaha ini mencapai tahapyang amat membanggakan.
Selamat membaca.
daripada
Rahman Shaari
PREFACE
THICKNESS OF ARTS IN MODESTY.
BY RAHMAN SHAARI
Poems are half secret. Poems are only apparent in interpretation of a personhimself, through the approach of experiences and appreciating. Poetry reading in this approach demands readers to open the mind to highlight engagement, as poems are personal creation but at the same time it’s a universal work.
Poetry of Jeton Kelmendi, for me, hasattractions because of the above characteristics.The identity of the poet is built through the simplicity of utterings in dealing about normal matters, but big in life.
The first poem, “ Come Closer A Bit” starting with very common request. Tell me the words you know/ the words I love.
The naturality of the words chosen and arranged, made readers feel close with poetry. To make high-impact poetry, this intimacy is important. The feelings of closeness remains throughout the reciting.The second stanza said that waiting is ongoing :
I’m waiting now
Like yesterday like today
Like tomorrow
You have spoken the words, so
Come closer to me.
The entire poem above states the fact that human life is always waiting. Now, yesterday and tomorrow are different times, but humans still waits. When we think non-stop about waiting, we will think about meaning of life. This life is nothing more but waiting.
In human, there are various senses and thoughts. Though varied, the basic thingsare felt very fast. The poem” My Wish in Chameria “ carried this theme. Note the lines of +5+++:
There is nothing better than coming back
The farmer returns to his field,
Surrounded by the meaning of life
I see the cheerful camman from Filati.
Going back to the homeland is alwaysdreamed off by a traveler. This is the general saying about such thing. To thepoet, other meanings could have been hidden. In this poem, people in the homeland said welcome, not welcome back, “Welcome our brother in Chameria ,Albania.” This brings about certain effects.
There are other thoughts playing in the poet’s mind. He mentioned ‘the perpetual dream’, which are dreams that still exist when one is in the homeland. That dream is mentioned almost at the end of the verse, which means its not a prominent one. But the dream is significantas its appears as decorative existence in the homeland. It mentioned ‘wedding’ in that stanza, and according to the context, marriage in this area are just dreams of the past. So, the last line ‘lets plant the future with hope’ is not suggestions for statements, but as marker of love in the past.
The poem ‘noise’ deals about politics thinly but very effectively. The poet did not bother about thoughts or party ideology, and not talking about political ambitions, but paid attention about the notions ofgeneral phenomenon in politics. Its title shows the politician’s behaviours.
Note the first Stanza:
Day revealed it voice
to our secret
tranquility.
That’s the statements of modesty and calm attitudes of the poet, because to him noises around him need not be given attention. The poet then said all the noises of views around him are not beneficial to him, because all those are traits of human egoism. Who is that egoistic person? Itshidden, because the poet talks more about message that truth is not parallel with noises.
The views and attitudes of this poet is always modest.With clear thoughts. No harshness towards people he thought as antagonist, because he harmonized his feelings with situations around him. To clarify this, the poems” The Word Crossed The Silence” is best examined.
This poem is thick with feelings but controlled by thoughts. Its said that way because the protagonist planned all he wants to do. He realized that he speaks little because situations demand him to be like that:
I am accustomed yesterday
To speak a little
I am full with the respiration of sadness
In the most remote areas
Of your eyes
Since long ago I begun to arrive from you
To speak silently to you
To confess in you
For you
And for me.
When the whole poem is read, we meet with the theme of controlled emotionsthrough solidifying of thoughts. His conclusion was, keeping quiet or less talking, is better than pouring out emotions openly.
As I said earlier, Jeton Kelmendi’spoems are artistic and has attractions because of his modest style. This book is translated into Bahasa Melayu by Madam Siti Ruqaiyah Hashim. The publication of this book gives a lot of benefits for the international literature fans. Siti RuqaiyahHashim’s vast experiences in translations enabled this book to achieve a very impressive level.
Have a good reading.
From
Professor Rahman Shaari
PREFACE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY SITI RUQAIYAH HASHIM
FOR BILINGUAL POETRY COLLECTIONS OF JETON KELMENDI
TITLED LOVE IN WAR TIMES/CINTA WAKTU PERANG
TO BE PUBLISHED BY IWABOGDANI
