Category: Heritage and Tradition

The Fundamentals #9 Managing Our Times

Amanda Woods of San Diego is young and smart.

I am older. But I learn from and with her.

Martin Luther King Jr, born on this date in 1929 taught that “…… the wealth of cultural and technological progress in America is a result of the commonwealth of inpouring contributions.”

This human commonwealth exists across races, times and places.

When it is shared in freedom and justice, it can grow.

When it become tyrannous, it dies.

Geoff Fox, 16th January, 2021, Terra Nullius

Literary Tujuhbelasan #12 The Children

The Indonesian text here is an edited version of a quote from a Rumi inspired passage in the book “Mamonisme” by Maman A Majid Binfas of Jakarta. It means “Give a home to their bodies but not to their souls. Their souls reside in the future.”

My English lines are inspired by an American equivalent of Rumi, country singer Paul Siebel.

Lest we forget: children can unite us.

Without them our world dies.

Geoff Fox 31st December 2020 Down Under

Antique Ideas #2 Arma Virumque – Lacrimae Rerum

This transcreation of parts of the first 462 lines of Vergil’s Aeneid is a holiday season gift to a wise friend with a deep feeling for the value of ancient knowledge.

In creating this I note that male suffering did not begin with the cruelties of the modern world.

Geoff Fox, 20 December, 2020, Terra Nullius

Austral-Indonesian Tujuhbelasan #15 Bung Karno and Maman AMB

Good mannered culture opposes the insulting barbarous global culture: “Who are you and !?/Who am I if not you?/Who are you if not yourself?/Who are you if not me?”

On this date in 1937, a new Asian imperialism commenced the massacre called the rape of Nanking.

In contrast, Indonesian culture combines the passion of revolution with soft calm kebersamaan – togetherness.

Geoff Fox, 13 December, 2020, Down Under

Sustainable Development #9 Waltzing Matilda in Indonesian

This version of Waltzing Matilda is sung as best I can in Indonesian language. I hope a better singer will take it up. Click here for an instrumental version.

We must understand the problem of suicide to solve it and stop losing those lives. The Australian nation embraces this song about suicide in poverty. Why?

GLOSSARY

BILLABONG a small pond which used to be part of a river

BILLY a tin can for boiling water

COOLIBAH a type of outback tree

JUMBUCK a sheep

MATILDA the swag (see swagman below)

SQUATTER someone who gained possession of land by occupying it; they were rich men by the late 1800;s when the song was written.

SWAGMAN hobo, itinerant worker who carried all he owned rolled up in a swag on his back.

TUCKER food

WALTZING to travel on foot

Geoff Fox 22nd March, 2020, Terra Nullius.