![]() |
||||
Before you leave our site to explore more Sarawak sites on the Internet, we would like to leave you with this Iban chant. We hope you enjoyed your virtual trip through Borneo and hope that you do decide to visit us soon. Whey! It is the sound of the canon, drum of the tree trunk and chirping of the tajai. Oh, here is the human being, child of Uda, coming here to sow the padi seeds. Oh! I am not simply calling you for nothing. I am not a liar, nor lazy; not junk, not a curse, not scum. I have no grandfather, grandmnother, father and mother to split rotan, plait vines and thread creepers. The old died and are replaced by us, the young ones. The broken claypot is replaced by our new pot. Oh! I am calling for you all to come to this feast. Come forward, come to eat, come to have fun, come to enjoy yourselves. Calling for you all at the top of the tree, top of the tapang tree, at the edge of the sword and at the top of the mikai tree. Please come to join us in the planting of the padi, in clearing, in looking after, and in the harvesting. When I have called for you please do not hesitate to come. Here we will offer and feed you with eight sacrifices, nine sacrifices, ten sacrifices, full sacrifices. We hope with this we will have smooth progress in things we are doing and hence get plenty in return. Oh! Our tibang are full to overflowing, the padi in the field are green, and there are no weeds. Hey! You who called for us. We who are at the tree top, at the top of the kemasu tree, at the top of the tapang tree, and at the edge of the sword will come for visiting as you had called us. Now, if you come for visiting, please do not come empty-handed. Please bring along your magic charms and medicines. Bring along your magical stone to help in the harvesting and storing. Bring all that you have. To those of you who come for the visiting, to the handicapped, take them as an example, and the blind, please guide them. Those of you from upriver, use a junk. Those from downriver, use a ship. Those from the earth, please come in a group. The reasons for calling and inviting you all to come are because we need your help, we need your guidance, your support, your blessing, and harvest plenty in return. (At this point in the ceremony, a pig and chicken are ritually slaughtered) Oh! this blood is for you all. For all of you on the tree top, tapang tree, kemesu tree and at the edge of the sword. So do not be quiet and hesitate to come. |
![]() For more information, All text and photographs are copyright of Kapit Adventure Tours. Please do not reuse without prior permission. |