Mustiar Ar’s Bilingual (English – Indonesia) Poems Collection – Translated by Leni Marlina: “WALKING WITHOUT A HEAD2”
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English Version
Baca juga: Tuntut Pemberhentian Anggota Akademi Jakarta, Puluhan Seniman Gelar Aksi Baca Puisi di Balai Kota
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WALKING WITHOUT A HEAD
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Baca juga: PANGGUNG DOA: SMMU DAN SES GELAR DOA BERSAMA UNTUK LIMA JURNALIS YANG HILANG DI LAUT SELAT SUNDA
Translated (Indonesia- English) by Leni Marlina
_
He keeps walking
without a head.
Even the wind is bewildered.
His feet move toward
a road without a name.
The land falls silent.
His mouth keeps speaking,
while reason is nowhere to be found.
_
Kp. Belakang, Aceh, 1980
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TEUKU UMAR
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
_
Teuku Umar rises
from the pages of history.
The rencong has become a household ornament.
Once, lives were wagered for honor,
but trust is now traded for applause and money.
Flags are raised,
speeches soar higher and higher,
while beneath them, the people count their stale rice.
If the hero were to ask:
“Whom does this nation belong to?”
perhaps the chairs
would suddenly lose their legs.
_
Batu Putih, Aceh, February 10th, 2023
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THE CHAIRS AT PLAY
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
_
In the people’s house,
the chairs embrace one another,
dancing in silence.
The people wait,
their hands held out,
their prayers falling onto the table.
Hunger comes knocking.
The nation becomes a game.
Trust is slowly sawn apart.
_
Aceh, September 15th, 2026
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NUTRITION AND TRUST
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
_
Steam rises from the rice.
Let trust never rot
in the hands of power.
Children wait
for a plate of nourishment
and honesty,
not another sweet promise.
–
Meulaboh, Aceh, September 22nd, 2026
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ACEH, PARADISE WITH A SCAR
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
_
Aceh was born from prayer,
and grew alongside history.
Its seas are blue,
holding wounds that do not easily spill.
The rencong still glimmers
against the chests of its people,
yet trust sometimes fades
beneath the chairs of power.
Its soil is fertile,
its seas are rich,
its sky is wide.
The people learn patience
from promises that evaporate too quickly.
Development arrives
with banners and smiles,
then leaves,
leaving roads
still lost in thought.
We do not ask
for palaces to rise in our yards.
Just do not reduce the people
to figures on a ledger.
For paradise is not merely beautiful on a map.
It is felt
when justice truly
finds its way
into our homes.
_
Kuala Bubon, Aceh, September 20th, 2025
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THE LAND THAT CALLED ME IN MY MOTHER’S VOICE
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
_
Until the earth called me
in my mother’s voice.
When I awoke,
my body was still whole,
but my name
had already been buried.
Morning arrived carrying a hoe,
digging silence
from the chest of the earth.
I smiled at death.
It turned out
life had not yet finished
writing me.
_
Meulaboh, Aceh, September 2026
—
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LIFE IN MOTION
Poem by Mustiar Ar
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
_
Morning grew legs.
The sun guided
my shadow.
The road lost
its ending,
then grew again
beneath my feet.
I planted
a single grain of time
inside my chest.
It grew
into a day.
Night smiled.
Death had not yet arrived.
Life whispered.
_
Kampung Pasir, Aceh, 1986
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About the Poet – Mustiar Ar
Mustiar Ar was born in Meulaboh, West Aceh, on April 15, 1967. He wrote poetry and reflections on life, humanity, Aceh, and the simple things he encountered in everyday life. He began writing at a young age and had published his work in various media outlets and anthologies. In his daily life, he worked as a parking attendant. For him, writing was never about becoming someone important. It was simply a way of tending to words, giving voice to what lay within, and continuing to create for as long as he was given the chance. Email: mustiarar5@gmail.com
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About the Translator— Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina is an Indonesian poet, writer, translator, and lecturer in the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, at Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia since 2006. Her creative and scholarly work spans poetry, fiction, essays, literary criticism, review, translation, and literacy studies.
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About the Translator – Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina is an Indonesian poet, writer, translator, and lecturer in the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, at Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia since 2006. Her creative and scholarly work spans poetry, fiction, essays, literary criticism, review, translation, and literacy studies.
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Indonesian Version
Kumpulan Puisi Karya Mustiar Ar: “BERJALAN TANPA KEPALA”
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BERJALAN TANPA KEPALA
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
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Ia terus berjalan
tanpa kepala
angin pun bingung
Kakinya menuju
jalan yang tak bernama
negeri terdiam
Mulutnya bicara
akal entah di mana
–
Kp. Belakang, Aceh, 1980
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/2/
TEUKU UMAR
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
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Teuku Umar bangkit
Dari lembaran sejarah
Rincong jadi hiasan rumah.
Dulu nyawa dipertaruhkan demi marwah,
Tapi amanah ditukar tepukan dan rupiah.
Bendera berkibar,
pidato makin tinggi,
rakyat di bawahnya menghitung nasi basi
Andai pahlawan bertanya:
“Untuk siapa negeri?”
mungkin kursi-kursi mendadak kehilangan kaki.
–
Batu Putih, Aceh, 10 Februari 2023
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KURSI YANG SEDANG BERMAIN
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
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Di rumah rakyat,
kursi saling berpeluk,
menari diam.
Rakyat menanti,
tangan saling menadah,
doa jatuh ke meja.
Lapar mengetuk,
negeri jadi permainan,
amanah digergaji pelan.
–
Aceh, 15 September 2026
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GIZI DAN AMANAH
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
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Nasi mengepul
amanah jangan membusuk
di tangan kuasa
Anak menanti
sepiring gizi dan jujur
bukan janji manis
–
Meulaboh, Aceh, 22 September 2026
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ACEH, TANAH SURGA YANG TERGORES
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
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Aceh lahir dari doa, tumbuh bersama sejarah
lautnya biru,
menyimpan luka yang tak mudah tumpah
rencong masih berkilau di dada anak negeri
namun amanah kadang redup di bawah kursi
Tanahnya subur,
lautnya kaya,
langitnya luas
rakyat belajar sabar dari janji yang lekas menguap
pembangunan datang membawa spanduk dan senyum
lalu pergi,
meninggalkan jalan yang masih termenung
Kami tak meminta istana berdiri di halaman
cukup jangan jadikan rakyat sekadar hitungan
sebab surga bukan hanya indah di peta
ia terasa ketika keadilan benar-benar sampai ke rumah kita.
–
Kuala Bubon, Aceh, 20 September 2025
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TANAH YANG MEMANGGIL DENGAN SUARA IBU
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
_
Hingga tanah memanggilku dengan suara ibu.
Ketika terbangun,
tubuhku masih utuh,
tetapi namaku telah dikuburkan lebih dulu.
Pagi datang membawa cangkul,
menggali sunyi dari dada bumi.
Aku tersenyum kepada kematian
ternyata hidup belum selesai menulisku.
–
Meulaboh, Aceh, September 2026
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HIDUP YANG BERJALAN
Puisi: Mustiar Ar
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Pagi berkaki
matahari menuntun
bayanganku
Jalan kehilangan
ujungnya tumbuh kembali
di telapak kaki
Aku menanam
sebutir waktu di dada
tumbuh menjadi hari
Malam tersenyum
kematian belum datang
hidup berbisik
–
Kampung Pasir, Aceh, 1986
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Tentang Penyair – Mustiar Ar
Mustiar Ar lahir di Meulaboh, Aceh Barat, 15 April 1967. Ia menulis puisi dan catatan tentang kehidupan, kemanusiaan, Aceh, serta hal-hal sederhana yang ditemuinya sehari-hari. Ia mulai menulis sejak usia muda dan pernah menerbitkan karya di sejumlah media dan antologi. Dalam keseharian, ia bekerja sebagai tukang parkir. Baginya, menulis bukan tentang menjadi siapa-siapa, melainkan cara sederhana untuk merawat kata, menyampaikan suara hati, dan tetap berkarya selama masih diberi kesempatan. Email: mustiarar5@gmail.com
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Tentang Penerjemah — Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina adalah penyair, penulis, penerjemah, dan dosen pada Departemen Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia, sejak 2006. Karya kreatif dan akademiknya meliputi puisi, fiksi, esai, kritik sastra, penerjemahan, dan kajian literasi.
