Siamir Marulafau’s Bilingual Poem Translated by Leni Marlina: “The Moon Veiled in the Cloud”
Image 1: Cover of Siamir Marulafau's Bilingual Poem Translated by Leni Marlina: "The Moon Veiled in the Cloud".Image Source: Starcom Indonesia - LM-SAN.
The Moon Veiled in the Cloud (1)
Poem by Siamir Marulafau
Translated (Indonesian-English) by Leni Marlina
_
Why do you come, drawing near to me?
asks the moon on this clear night.
It is a night of full radiance —
I am the light for all of God’s creatures.
Had you not drifted so close,
the mountains would have stood revealed,
each mist would have shown its silent face.
I know you wander across the blue expanse,
yet once you pass beneath my banner,
my plans dissolve into disarray,
my reason falters and slips away.
I am the moon — all beings know me,
my glow blesses the land of my birth.
Why not roam farther,
away from my sleepless orbit?
I long to be seen by those
who cherish the touch of my light.
Do not shroud me with your shadow,
nor brew poison within my shining breath.
For then I shall withhold my light,
and the paths you tread will close:
every road before you
will end in darkness.
_
Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, May 23rd, 2025
Translator’s Note:
The Indonesian original title of the poem above is “Bulan Dibalut Awal”. This poem is translated and presented in a bilingual edition (Indonesian–English) on Negerinews.com with the author’s full consent. The bilingual publication seeks to extend the poem’s aesthetic resonance beyond linguistic borders, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and inviting broader interpretive possibilities for international readers.
For a complete and contextual engagement with the poet’s original voice, readers are encouraged to consult the original Indonesian collection:
Marulafau, Siamir. (2025). Cahaya Langit. Trenggalek: Sembilan Mutiara Publishing.
The volume articulates the poet’s meditative exploration of light, consciousness, and human presence—an inward landscape shaped by natural imagery and a sustained tension between illumination and concealment.
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About the Poet: Siamir Marulafau
Siamir Marulafau is an Indonesian poet, short story writer, and essayist from Medan, North Sumatra. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Language, Arts, Culture, and Literature and serves as a lecturer at the Vocational University of North Sumatra. His literary practice is rooted in reflective humanism, where language becomes a vessel for moral inquiry, existential awareness, and the quiet dialogue between nature and the human soul.
As educator, writer and poet, he regards literature as a space of responsibility: one that preserves memory, sharpens empathy, and resists excess through contemplation. His works have appeared in various literary platforms and continue to contribute to Indonesia’s evolving poetic and critical discourse.
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About the Translator: Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina was born in Baso, Agam, West Sumatra, and is currently based in Padang, Indonesia. She is a poet, writer, and senior lecturer in the English Literature Program at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, where she has taught since 2006.
Her recent publications include the single-author poetry collections The Beloved Teachers (2025) and L-BEAUMANITY: Love, Beauty, and Humanity (2025), as well as the English Stories for Literacy trilogy (2024–2025). In addition to poetry, she actively writes short stories, essays, literary criticism, and reviews, and is deeply engaged in translating literary and journalistic texts.
In recognition of her contributions to literature and literacy, Marlina received the Best Writer Award 2025 from SatuPena West Sumatra at the 3rd International Minangkabau Literary Festival (IMLF-3), the ACC International Literary Prize 2025 from the ACC Shanghai Huiyu International Literary Creative Media Centre, and an international literary recognition from The Rhythm of Vietnam community (2025).
Since 2025, she has been officially appointed as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA) and concurrently serves as the ASEAN Director for ACC SHILA Poets. In the same year, she was entrusted by the Capital Writers International Foundation as National Director (Indonesia) for the Panorama International Literary Festival (PILF), held in India from January to February 2026.
(Festival information: www.panoramafestival.org)
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Indonesian version:
BULAN DIBALUT AWAN (1)
Puisi: Siamir Marulafau
_
Mengapa kau datang dan mendekat
Kata bulan di malam cerah
Ini malam purnama
Aku memberi penerang pada semua makhluk Tuhan
Bila kau tak mendekat
Semua gunung gunung pada kelihatan
Tapi semua kabut
Tak dapat dilihat satu persatu
Aku tahu kau mengembara di langit biru
Tapi setelah kau masuk di bawah benderaku
Semua rencanaku terganggu
Akal sehatku pun terbengkalai
Aku ini bulan dan semua orang tahu
Cahayaku menerangi tanah pertiwiku
Mengapa kau tak mengembara dan pergi jauh
Aku ingin diriku dilihat lihat pada yang senang dengan
cahayaku
Jangan kau membalut diriku
Membuat racun dalam hidupku
Aku tak akan beri penerangan sedikit pun
Jalan kau lalui akan buntu
–
Medan, 23-05-2025
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Catatan Penerjemah:
Puisi di atas diterjemahkan dan dipublikasikan dalam format dwibahasa (Bahasa Indonesia–Bahasa Inggris) di Negerinews.com dengan persetujuan penuh dari penulis. Penerbitan bilingual ini dimaksudkan sebagai upaya memperluas jangkauan estetik dan dialog lintas bahasa, sekaligus membuka ruang tafsir yang lebih luas bagi pembaca internasional.
Untuk pembacaan yang utuh dan kontekstual dalam bahasa asalnya, pembaca disarankan merujuk pada kumpulan puisi asli karya penyair:
Marulafau, Siamir. (2025). Cahaya Langit. Trenggalek: Sembilan Mutiara Publishing.
Buku ini merekam perenungan penyair atas relasi cahaya, kesadaran, dan keberadaan manusia: sebuah lanskap batin yang dibangun melalui metafora alam dan ketegangan reflektif antara terang dan yang tersembunyi.
Tentang Penyair:
Siamir Marulafau merupakan akademisi, penyair, penulis cerpen, dan esais Indonesia yang berasal dari Medan, Sumatera Utara. Ia meraih gelar Doktor (Ph.D.) dalam bidang Bahasa, Seni, Budaya, dan Sastra, serta mengabdi sebagai dosen di Universitas Vokasional Sumatera Utara. Praktik kesusastraannya berakar pada humanisme reflektif, di mana bahasa berfungsi sebagai wahana perenungan moral, kesadaran eksistensial, serta dialog sunyi antara alam dan jiwa manusia.
Sebagai pendidik, penulis, dan penyair, ia memandang sastra sebagai ruang tanggung jawab—ruang yang menjaga ingatan, menajamkan empati, dan melawan segala bentuk keterlebihan melalui kontemplasi. Karya-karyanya telah dimuat di berbagai platform sastra dan terus berkontribusi dalam perkembangan wacana puisi dan kritik sastra Indonesia yang dinamis.
