/1/
IN PRAISE OF INDONESIA
Poem by Zulkifli Abdy
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
–
Oh, Indonesia,
How wondrous it is to dwell upon your soil.
Surely, by now, this land should have prospered.
Indonesia, how beautiful you are,
With forests vast and fertile,
And botanical riches beyond all reckoning.
Islands stretch far and wide,
From Sabang to Merauke,
From Miangas to Rote Island.
Vast oceans encircle your archipelago,
With living riches beyond all measure.
Beneath tropical skies, where seasons scarcely change,
Anything can grow, if only we so choose. Surely, by now, this land should have prospered.
There is no reason for it to lag behind.
Oh, Indonesia.
Baca juga: MAMAD
–
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, October 5th, 2026
—
/2/
A NATION WAITING ITS FATE
Poem by Zulkifli Abdy
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
–
Like a wanderer stranded at hope’s farthest edge,
The nation sings its sorrowful ballad,
In the hushed verses of calamity.
Above, the clouds are shrouded in smoke;
Below, floodwaters surge and engulf the land.
In the markets,
the prices of necessities rise,
And panic spreads among the people.
The state busies itself with questions of diplomas,
While livelihoods grow ever harder to secure.
Thankfully, we still possess the heart to endure,
The patience to bear it all. Surely, everything must one day come to an end.
Now we are wanderers,
waiting for fate to unfold.
–
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, October 15th, 2026
—
/3/
MEASURING SMOKE AGAINST THE SKY
Poem by Zulkifli Abdy
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
–
This is no portent from the heavens.
This haze is no ordinary mist.
It rises from the deeds of humankind.
Burning forests unleash calamity.
The sky above my city has grown dim;
The sun has vanished from sight.
Who knows how long this will last?
Still, we have not come to our senses.
Our vision blurs;
the horizon falters.
Like measuring smoke against the sky,
We struggle with the impossible,
As the haze constricts our chests And stirs a deep shame within our nation.
The smoke has crossed our borders, troubling our neighbours.
Oh, passing breeze,
Carry this smoke away with you.
Or fall,
O rain,
You bearer of blessings,
And wash this choking haze away.
–
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, October 17th, 2026
—
/4/
THE VERANDA
Poem by Zulkifli Abdy
Translated (Indonesia – English) by Leni Marlina
–
Here, upon this veranda …
I have grown accustomed to sounding out words
And discovering the depths
Of meaning.
Here, upon this veranda …
I weave words into a thousand meanings
Before shaping them Into incantations.
Here, upon this veranda …
I never feel the ache of loneliness;
For me, to be alone
Is not to be lonely.
Here, upon this veranda … Sometimes I become so absorbed
That I forget the night
Has grown old.
–
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, October 19th, 2026
—-
Brief Information About the Poet – Zulkifli Abdy
Zulkifli Abdy is a senior writer and poet from Jambi who has lived in Aceh since 1970. A Communication Studies graduate, he has pursued writing independently since his youth, with works published across various media.
For Zulkifli, writing is more than a profession—it is a private way of thinking, feeling, and remembering. His poems and essays transform lived experience into words, quietly preserving the moments that might otherwise disappear.
–
Brief Information 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 Padang State University, Indonesia since 2006. Her creative and scholarly work spans poetry, fiction, essays, literary criticism, reviews, translation, and literacy studies.
—–
Indonesian Version
Puisi-Puisi Dwibahasa Karya Zulkifli Abdy: “Menggantang Asap”
–
/1/
MEMUJI INDONESIA
Puisi: Zulkifli Abdy
–
Oh, Indonesia
Sungguh takjub aku tinggal di sini
Mestinya negeri ini telah maju
Indonesia sangatlah indah
Hutannya luas dan subur
Kekayaan nabati yang tiada terkira
Pulau-pulau membentang di mana-mana
Dari Sabang sampai ke Merauke
Dari Miangas hingga Pulau Rote
Lautan nan luas melingkari jajaran pulau
Kekayaan hayati yang tiada terkira
Udara tropis tiada musim
Apapun tumbuh kalau mau
Mestinya negeri ini telah maju
Tak ada alasan menjadi tertinggal
Oh, Indonesia.
–
Banda Aceh, 5 Oktober 2026
—
/2/
NEGERI MENANTI TAKDIR
Puisi: Zulkifli Abdy
–
Laksana musafir termangu di batas asa
Negeri bernyanyi balada lara
Dalam bait-bait lirih bencana
Di atas, awan diselimuti asap
Di bawah, bumi diterjang air bah meluap
Di pasar harga kebutuhan naik
Masyarakat pun menjadi panik
Negara sibuk mengurusi ijazah
Sementara lahan bekerja semakin susah
Untung kita masih memiliki rasa
Kesabaran menerima semuanya
Segalanya tentulah akan berakhir
Kini kita laksana musafir menanti takdir.
–
Banda Aceh, 15 Oktober 2026
—-
/3/
MENGGANTANG ASAP
Zulkifli Abdy
Bukan isyarat langit
Kabut ini bukan kabut biasa
Kabut ini akibat ulah manusia
Hutan terbakar membawa petaka
Langit kotaku pun kini lindap
Matahari tidak lagi tampak
Entah sampai kapan
Tak jua kita sadar
Jarak pandang nanar
Bagai menggantang asap
Yang kini menyesakkan dada
Juga memantik rasa malu bangsa
Asap telah mengusik negara tetangga
Oh, semilir angin yang sedang lalu
Bawalah asap ini bersamamu
Atau turunlah wahai hujan
Yang menabur berkah
Agar asap ini luruh.
–
Banda Aceh, 17 Oktober 2026
—
/3/
BERANDA
Puisi: Zulkifli Abdy
–
Di beranda ini …,
aku terbiasa mengeja kata
dan temukan kedalaman
makna
Di beranda ini …,
kuracik kata selaksa makna
sebelum menjadikannya
mantra
Di beranda ini …,
aku tak pernah merasa sepi
bagiku seorang tak berarti
sendiri
Di beranda ini …,
aku terkadang sampai lupa
bahwa malam telah beranjak
tua.
–
Banda Aceh, 19 Oktober 2026
——-
Sekilas Informasi Mengenai Penyair – Zulkifli Abdy
Zulkifli Abdy merupakan seorang penulis senior dan penyair, berasal dari Jambi dan menetap di Aceh sejak tahun 1970. Lulusan Ilmu Komunikasi, ia menekuni dunia kepenulisan secara autodidak sejak masa muda dan karyanya sudah tersebar di berbagai media. Karya-karyanya, baik berupa artikel maupun puisi, mencerminkan semangat sastra yang mendalam. Bagi Zulkifli, menulis bukan sekadar profesi, melainkan sarana untuk mencurahkan perasaan, menggantikan halaman-halaman buku harian pribadi, tempat ia menuangkan pikiran dan pengalaman dengan ketulusan.
