An Old Trengganu Song

The New year is approaching fast, and the footwear’s a little worn. Time to sing an old Trengganu children’s song about a pair of shoes, seen on the feet of an old dandy when war began (the second one) and still laced to his feet when the Japanese Occupation came to an end (“Sapa Jepung ngakku kalöh”). Throw them away, they urged him, but the old pair of shoes — like old soldiers — refused to die but was beginning to smell that way. They kept reminding him, its trims are in tatters (“Ttepi dia gelèbèk nyèng”) and you hadn’t realised that you had holes in your soles until you stepped on some dog poo (“Bila ppijök tahi anjing”). Do the Trengganu thing, they told him, Gilah tohok ddalang rök, go and hurl them in the bush (rök). Time then to sing this song yet again, in these sad, malodorous times. All together now...

Ttepi dia gelèbèk nyèng
Bbau dia busuk hapök
Nök siyèk takdök rèng
Gilah tohok ddalang rök.

Paka so’mö siang malang
Hujang ribut, panah ddering
Tapök pong döh ada lubang
Jjirék paku ppanggong Mak Ming

Döh nök wak guane setarang
Dok paka lama ddö’öh
Dari jamang belong perang
Sapa Jepung ngakku kalöh

Masa jjalng keték kkasut
Habis tumit méröh mmerang
Jatoh jerebak nnelah lutut
Ssèpak batu ttengöh jalang

Kasut tu lah paka sapa le ning
Dök wak èk siang malang
Bila ppijök tahi anjing
Barulah sedör tapök belubang

Lepah Jema’ak satu hari
Abih orang mung tömöh
Kasut mung kena curi
Rupanya lekat ttepi kölöh

Sapa döh bbau busuk ko’ong
Dök léh lah mung dok ök
Bawök kasut tu ambe tolong
Tohok buang ddalang rök .

Illustration courtesy of Answercoalition.org

STOP PRESS:
Thanks Naz for being such an early bird! [See Comments, below] I suggest we sing it to the tune of P.Ramlee's "Direnjis Renjis Dipilis", sung here by a remarkable guy: