L.K. Ara was born in Takengon, Aceh, on November 12, 1937. A poet, writer of children stories as well as a commentator on literary and art publications, he has been widely published in several newspapers and magazines in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Ara is the recipient of the Hadiah Seni from Pemda Aceh (2009) a prestigious cultural government award from the Province of Aceh.

Ara has served as the cultural editor of Harian Mimbar Umum (Medan), worked for the Secretary of State and until his retirement in 1985 held a position at the Balai Puataka.
Together with K. Usman, Rusman Setiasumarga, and M. Taslim Ali, he founded the Teater Balai Pustaka (1967) which introduced the poets of the Tradisional Gayo, and To’et, who performed in all major cities in Indonesia. Ara has been published extensively by respected publishers such as, Balai Pustaka, Grasindo, Pena, Tonggak, Horison Sastra Indonesia, and Yayasan Mata Air Jernis.

Ara is a regular participant in literary events in Indonesia and Malaysia. In April of this year he attended the Pertemuan Sastrawan NUMERA in Padang.

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Collection Of Poems L.K. Ara
 
Benteng Rikit Gaib 1904

Di lembar buku tua itu
kutemu gambarmu
kampung yang senyap
hanya tumpukan mayat-mayat
dan tiang bambu yang lurus dan layu
seperti tersedu

benteng Rikit Gaib telah rubuh
pagar bambu berduri runtuh
para pejuang negeri
telah dihabisi
oleh Van Daalen dengan keji

lelaki perempuan
orang tua anak anak bahkan
dibunuh secara kejam
tanpa perikemanusiaan

Van Daalen memang mengirim utusan
Meminta pejuang agar suka perdamaian
Tapi pimpinan pejuang
Aman Linting
dan Reje Kemala Darna
Menolak saat itu juga
Karena di dada sudah ditanam
Pohon berbuah tabah
Lebih baik mati syahid daripada menyerah

(Banda Aceh, 29/1/2012)

Debur Ombak Itulah

Debur ombak itulah 

yang memanggil manggil

hingga kami menjejakkan kaki ketempat ini

pada suatu petang yang tenang

menyelusuri jalan yang membentang

dari jalan beraspal hingga jalan bebatuan

hingga ke pinggir lautan



tiba dipintu gerbang yang terbuka

dan leluasa memandang selat Melaka

terbayang kapal kapal perang siap siaga

dengan 2000 para janda 

prajurit yang terlatih dan setia

membela tanah pusaka

dari serangan Portugis dan Belanda



batu batu benteng masih berdiri

meski kurang terpelihara

lubang lubang pengintaian 

masih terbuka ke arah lautan 

tempat musuh datang menyerang

dan kami menyaksikan itu

setelah lebih 500 tahun berlalu

pada saat akar telah menjalar membesar

melilit benteng batu

pada saat lumut menebal

menempel benteng batu

kini kami rindu pada keperkasaanmu

wahai laksamana pertama di dunia 

kini kami kehilangan 

rasa kepahlawanan

rasa pengabdian

rasa kesetiaan

karena lebih memuja kemewahan 

harta benda, pangkat dan kekuasaan



debur ombak itulah

yang setia mengabdi 

sepanjang sejarah dari dulu hingga kini

yang terus berdebur dalam diri

hingga kami tak kan melupakannmu Laksama Malahayati.


(Banda Aceh, 11/1/12)

Hening

Batu menunggu
Aku tahu
Tapi kadang kaki pergi lama
Mengembara
Meninggalkanmu
Aku tahu

Batu menunggu
Aku tahu
Hingga gelombang pasang
Datang menghiburmu
Hingga lumut
Jadi teman akrabmu
Aku tahu

Batu menunggu
Aku tahu
Ketika kau diam
Ditikam tikam
Belati matahari sepanjang hari
Ketika kau diam
Di tikam tikam
Pisau sepi sepanjang hari
Aku tahu
Diammu sungguh diam
Gerak zikir yang dalam
Hingga sampai ke puncak diam
Hening

 
 
(Banda Aceh, 26/11/11)

Drs. MM. Yohannes De Santo was born on the island of Timor, Indonesia, on January 27, 1963. A graduate of The Graduate School of Management PPM Jakarta, he studied English at the Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta. He currently lives in Yogyakarta, Indonesia where he is a lecturer in Business Ethics, Self Development, and Strategic Management at the ASMI Santa Maria Yogyakarta.
John is a regular contributor to the Educare Magazine, edited by the Indonesian Bishop Conference Jakarta.

As a bilingual (Indonesian and English) writer, John translates fiction as well as non-fiction. His translations have been published by noted publishers such as: : Kunci Ilmu – The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, 2002 – ISBN 979-3200-006; Bentang –The Priest’s Madona by Amy Hassinger, 2006 – ISBN 979-3062-2; Penerbit Kanisius – Mythology and Shaman by Levy Strauss, 1997 – ISBN 979-497-585-9; Kepelpress – Experience and Education by John Dewey, 2002 – ISBN 979-96230-4-9.

We appreciate John’s generosity in providing us with his sensitive translation of L.K. Ara’s poems for this page.

You may contact John for translation projects at: jds_128@yahoo.com

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Collection Of Poems L.K. Ara

Fort Rikit Gaib 1904

On a page of an old book
I found your picture.
A quiet hamlet
A pile of corps
A straight bamboo post
Withered as if sobbing.

Fort Rikit Gaib was conquered.
Its thorny bamboo fence broken.
The country’s warriors
Eliminated viciously by
van Daalen.

Men and women
The elderly and even children
All killed cruelly
Without humanity.

Yes, van Daalen did send an envoy
Proposing peace
But the warrior chiefs
Aman Linting and Reje Kemala Darna
Immediately refused.
In their hearts
Resilience flourished.
To die a martyr’s death
Is better than surrender.

(Banda Aceh, 29/1/2012)

The Surf


The breaking waves
keep calling
until we set foot on this place
in still twilight
follow the way
from paved to dirt road
to the ocean’s shore

Arriving at the open gateway
we stare across the Strait of Malacca
imagining ready war ships
two thousand widows
trained and faithful soldiers
defending the homeland
against Portugese and Dutch attacks

The ruins of the fort still stand
despite lack of care
peep holes
still open up to the sea
where the enemy came from
as we witnessed
more than 500 years ago.
As creeping roots
strangle the stony fort
as the moss grows thicker
on the walls of the fort
we now miss your courage.
Ahoy! Unsurpassed Admiral of the world
we have lost
our sense of heroism
our sense of dedication
our sense of loyalty.
We now praise opulence
possessions, rank and power
but the crashing waves
faithfully sustain
through time.
The surf inside us
won’t let us forget you, Admiral Malahayati.

(Banda Aceh, 11/1/12)

Silence

The stone awaits
I know
At times wearisome
Wandering feet
Leave you
I know

The stone awaits
I know
Until the tide comes
To console you
Until moss becomes
Your best friend
I know
The stone awaits.

I know
When you keep silent
Stabbed and stabbed again
The sun a broad knife
When you keep silent
Stabbed and stabbed again
The knife daylong loneliness
I know
Your profound stillness
A prayer
Arrives at utter quietness
Silence.

(Banda Aceh, 26/11/11)