You work in the morning and in the afternoon
You don’t care about cold weather
You don’t care about hot weather
You never care about the rain and sun heat

In the early morning you carry your palm juice containers
on your shoulders and climb up high juice-giving palm trees
You take the juice and make it sweet and aromatic liquor
Your breakfast is cooked cassava
And bee-attracting palm juice

O, palm juice collector, the climber of high palm trees
When the sun shines, you climb up the palm trees
When the sun sets, you climb down to the earth
Don’t abandon your palm trees
Don’t abandon your palm juice containers

Jogjakarta, 7 February 2003

* This poem is dedicated to my late beloved grandfather (my father’s father), Gabriel Manhitu (± 1913-1987), a common farmer and folk-violinist, who was also a palm juice collector during his lifetime. He originated from the village of Banfanu, Noemuti, North Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia.


The Dawanese/Uab Meto version:


Atoni Aheil Tuâ

nâko Yohanes Manhitu

Ho mmeup noknokâ-neonmabê;
Ho lo ka msianman fa manikin;
Ho lo ka msianman fa maputû;
Ho ka msian mit fa ulan-manas.

Noknok-anâ ho mloi ho 'sapâ,
Msae tuâ amnanut asaib tua-minâ.
Ho meik tua-minâ ma okê muhane
njail tua-'noë aminat ma afomenit.
Ho bukae noknokâ es lauk hanâ
na tua-minâ ataul oin atpenes.

Oh, aheil tuâ, asae tua amnanut.
Manse nsae te ho msat a-msae tuâ;
Manse nmoufut, ho mutet naijan.
Kaisâ musaitan mit ho tua-in!
Kaisâ musaitan mit ho 'sap-in!

Jogjakarta, 7 Funnuâ 2003