Syair almarhum Sultan Abubakar

bibliography

text notes

list of words

list of rhyme words

Bibliography

title:		Syair almarhum Sultan Abubakar
source:		Na Tian Piet, Shaer almarhoem beginda Sultan Abubakar di negeri Johor, Singapore: the author, 1896.
dates:		1896.
provenance:		Singapore.
words:		28143 words, comprising 5594 verses.
references:		to the pages of the published book (1-200), and to the stanzas on each page.

 

This text is provided with the kind encouragement of Ding Choo Ming

 

Editorial notes and bibliography

Although Na Tian Piet published this syair in Singapore, he wrote it largely in the Dutch romanised spelling which had learned during his early years in Sumatra.  His spelling is retained in the ATMA text and also in the MCP text.

The syair is remarkable for its pictures of Singapore society and its accounts of a royal wedding and funeral.

References:

•  C. Salmon, "Na Tian Piet et sa vision du monde malais dans les années 1890", in C. Salmon (ed.), Le moment "sino-malais" de la littérature indonesienne, Paris: Association Archipel, 1992, pp.9-42.   Cahier d'Archipel 19. -- A superb study of Na Tian Piet's life and literary works, with many quotations from this syair.

•  Na Tian Piet, Syair Almarhum Baginda Sultan Abu Bakar di Negeri Johor, ed. Noriah Mohamed, Johor Bahru: Yayasan Warisan Johor, 2001. -- Gives both the original text (though not always accurately) and a normalised version.  This version has been used to complete the text of p.72 incompletely given in the ATMA text.

•  T. Wignesan, "Sha'er of the late Sultan Abu Bakar", The Gombak Review (International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur), vol.4 no.1 (1999): pp.101-121. -- A sometimes shaky English translation of the first 17 pages, available on line.

 

Preparation

Added:  August 2007

The text was accessed through the web site of The Institute of the Malay World and Civilization / Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and adapted to the requirements of the MCP.