SANGKURIANG STORY

Once upon a time, a beautiful lady named Dayang Sumbi gave birth to a boy which she named Sangkuriang. When Sangkuriang was old enough to hunt, he took his mother’s dog Tumang (which according to this legend is an incarnation of a god and also Sangkuriang’s father) and ordered Tumang to chase after a bore. When Tumang did not follow Sangkuriang’s order, Sangkuriang became very angry and he killed Tumang. He carved out Tumang’s heart and brought it back to his mother.

Dayang Sumbi took the heart cooked it and ate it. When she discovered that the heart belonged to Tumang, her husband, she was overcome with wrath. She sent her son away, but not before she hit him with a spoon and left a deep scar on his head.

           

Sangkuriang travelled around the world. After a long while, he arrived back in his village again without recognizing it. He saw a beautiful lady and fell in love with her. Little did he know that she was his own mother. He asked for her hand in marriage and she agreed.

Dayang Sumbi later realized that Sangkuriang was her son, as she recognized the scar that she had inflicted. She tried to tell him and break off the wedding, but he didn’t believe her and insisted to go on with the wedding. Dayang Sumbi then set an impossible condition that Sangkuriang has to fulfill in order to marry her: he should build her a big boat and a lake by damming Citarum river, all within one night, and it shall be finished by dawn. Sangkuriang agreed to the condition.

He built a boat from a large tree, and with the help of spirits, he dammed the Citarum river with landslides. The water eventually rose and filled the plain, turning it into a lake. When dawn was near, he was almost ready. Dayang Sumbi realized this, so she prayed for divine intervention. As an answer to her prayers, the eastern horizon lit up. Deceived by the lights, cocks crowed and farmers rose for the new day, thinking that dawn has broken.

Sangkuriang was also deceived. He thought his endeavor has failed. Angrily, he kicked the boat so that it toppled over. This boat became Tangkuban Parahu mountain (tangkuban means upside down, and parahu means boat). The pile of leftover woods became Mt. Burangrang, and the rest of the big tree became Mt. Bukit Tunggul. The lake became lake Bandung (which literally means ‘dam’).

                                                                                                                              

Syairan santri

Syairan Santri

Duh angin nu ngahiliwir sampai keun salam sim abdi

ieu syairan insani nu meuncintai ka santri

nu geulis ka bina bina ngagoda mata jeung raga

lalakon dua manusa nu awalna mikacinta

kahalang ku cita2 tah ieu teh lalakona

 hiji mangsa dinten jum'at, abdi pamit bade angkat

nyiar elmu nu mangfaat, supados luhur darajat

 abdi teh di pamondokan, nganinggalkeun ka rinduan

di pisah ku kajauhan, cinta butuh pangorbanan

 tos lami henteu pa tepang, sareung anjeuna tersayang

anjeun pendak jeung pamuda, kasepna kawas biduan

 duh gusti abdi sengsara, mencintai ka anjeuna

cinta abdi saleresna, di anggap cinta nurjana

 duh gusti abdi tulungan, hate nuju kanyerian

istri nu janten pilihan, di rebut pamudalian

dahar abdi teu mirasa, sare abdi henteu tibra

raga abdi rasa lera, sebab ngemutan anjeuna

 soca ngalirkeun ci mata, abdi kawas jalmi buta

emutna sebabna cinta, akhirna jadi nalangsa

 ieu serat janten hasrat, tulisan wawakil lisan

jeung kertas nu janten tugas, tur mangsi nu janten saksi

 mugi gusti ngawidian, ngagentos kanalangsaan

hilangkeun ka peurhatian, di gentos ku kabingahan

margi mungkulkn ka gusti, sim abdi masrahkeun diri

tina setan sareng jalmimugi mungkulkn ka gusti