Malay literature, a diverse subject, can be clearly divided into 4 main areas of literature:
Poetry (e.g. puisi, pantun, syair and sajak),
Stories (e.g. novels, biographies and autobiography)
Drama
Critique (the analysis of the literature)
These for divisions of Malay literature grew from Hindu influenced texts such as the Hikayat Seri Rama and Hikayat Langlang Buana, to Islamic tales such as the Hikayat Iskandar Dzulkarnain, the Hikayat Amir Hamzah.
It later evolved into classic discussions on the question of Sufism such as the Hujjat al-Siddiq lidaf al-Zindiq by Sheikh Nuruddin Ali Ar-Raniri.
The Malay literature can also be seen through historical texts, for example the Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals) edited by Tun Seri Lanang and the Tuhfat al-Nafis (The Precious Gift) by Raja Ali Haji and Malay romances like the Hikayat Hang Tuah.
Stories
The second aspect of the Malay literature lies in novels, biographies, autobiographies, short stories and many others. Many have been written and was well read by the Malay community, orally and through books.
Many of these writers or sasterawan are also well versed in poetry, drama and critique and made their mark worldwide.
For example, Usman Awang who wrote nom de plume, Tongkat Waran became the National Literarian of Malaysia.
Others like Muhammad Ariff Ahmad and Suratman Markasan became the father figures of later generations of language experts in Singapore.
Great writers such as Muhammad Ariff Ahmad and Masuri S.N. had written many great books but sadly many of their works are not widely read by the Malay society.
Thus it is up to the Malay people to give support and read more books of their mother tongue to make sure this books are not forgotten and lost.
Poetry
The first division which is poetry was at first only the language of the scholars and great thinkers.
The composing of poetry allows the poet to express his thoughts to the question of metaphysic that can be connected with the imaginary world, at that time considered a myth.
The first poem considered to be written was a syair using old Malay, carved in a mixture of archaic Sumatran/Malay, Sanskrit and Arabic, on a tombstone at Minye Tujuh in Aceh in the Indonesian province dated all the way back to 1380.
The exact poetry inscribed:
Hijrat Nabi Mungstapa yang prasida
Tujuh ratus asta puluh sawarsa
Haji catur dan dasa wara sukra
Raja Imam warda rahmat Allah
Gutra Barubasa mpu hak kadah pase ma
Taruk tasih tanah samuha
Ilahi ya rabbi Tuhan samuha
Taruh dalam swarga Tuhan tatuha
Malay translation:
Setelah hijrah Nabi, kekasih yang
Telah wafat, tujuh ratus lapan puluh
Satu tahun, bulan Zulhijah 14 hari
Jumaat, Ratu imam Warda (rahmat Allah
Bagi baginda) dari suku Barubasa, mem-
Punyai hak atas kedah dan Pasai menarik
Di laut dano darat semesta
Ya Illahi, ya tuhan semesta taruhlah
Baginda dalam swarga Tuhan
The verse records the death of a Muslim Malay princess from a royal household that ruled Kedah on the Malay Peninsula and Pasai on the island of Sumatra. This clearly indicates that the usage of Malay had been widespread and that Malay society by then was fluent in various aspects of literary culture.
Drama
The third division of Malay literature is Drama.
It is greatly melodramatic and high usage of the old style of Malay. The styles of most famous Malay epics and dramas are greatly influenced from Hindu literature, for example Hang Tuah.
Hikayat Hang Tuah or the life of Hang Tuah is a story of one of the Malay heroes at that point of time. It is one of the most creative and original literatures written by the Malays. (Left: A picture of a page of Hikayat Hang Tuah)
The epic tells the story of heroism and courage of a nation. The writer of the script is not known but the time the script was approximately written in 1511 Masihi in the Islamic calendar. It was written to bring back the old memories of prosperity before the attack of the Portuguese.
The story is divided in three main sections, which is the setting and introduction of the whole story, the loyalty and patriotism of Hang Tuah to his king and the adventures of Hang Tuah to the Indian Peninsula, China, Siam (now known as Thailand) and ancient Rome.
The life of the Bentan government
Hang Tuah became one of the slaves of the king
The coming of Patin Kerma Wijaya
The young king was blamed for something he did not do.
Decision to be engaged with Tun Teja
The first attempt of the murder of Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah fights with Taming Sari
The second attempt of the murder of Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah was blamed for something he did not do
Hang Tuah tries to win the heart of Tun Teja
Tun Teja falls in love with Hang Tuah
The meeting with the panji alam
Hang Tuah rides the Tezi horse
Hang Tuah kills the petala bumi
Hang Tuah was again blamed for something he did not do
Hang Tuah becomes one of the ministers in the palace
Hang Tuah fights with Hang Jebat
Hang Tuah kills Kertala Sari
Decision of Malacca to go to India
Decision of Malacca to go to China from India
Adipati Solok tries to be a Laksamana
Hang Tuah fights with a Japanese fighter
Inderaputra becomes the property of Malacca
The kingship of Malacca and the keris Taming Sari
Decision of Malacca to go to Turkey
Hang Tuah dies!
Malacca falls in the hands of the Portuguese
"Hikayat Hang Tuah ialah epik Melayu di dalamnya dilahirkan cita-cita dan kebesaran bangsa Melayu. Ia telah mencatatkan riwayat bangsa ini dari sejarah mulanya, melewati zaman pembangunan lalu di zaman kebesarannya. Tokoh Hang Tuah mewakili bangsa melayu sendiri."
English Translation:
"Hikayat Hang Tuah is a Malay epic in which born the ambition and the greatness of the Malay society. It has recorded the life of this society and the history since the very start; through rising times until the golden ages. Hang Tuah is indeed the symbol of the Malay society."
-Written by Kassim Ahmad 1964:X
Critique
The last division of Malay literature is critique which is an exposition and commentary of one of the cultural works with writing.
Although many might say that this last division is redundant or not important, the analysis and the study of Malay literature is the most major components in Malay literature as these selected small group of representatives are the people responsible for the expansion and the continuation of this ancient culture that can die easily due to lack of interest of the modern generation.
Thus without them, Malay literature might be only be believed as a myth not only to the people of the world but also to the Malays themselves.
But the Malays must not depend solely on these people but they should always try to give their support, encouragement and enthusiasm for Malay literature, one of the most beautiful and rich among all literature of the world.
Source: http://library.thinkquest.org
