• Kamal Firdaus



    Suatu sore di bulan Juli
    Tidak mungkin cukup waktuku mengelilingi
    Kawasan tiga ribu hektar ini
    Kawasan percandian Muaro Jambi
    Di tepian sungai Batanghari

    Sejauh mata memandang
    Batu bata merah candi
    Bahkan di bawah telapak kaki kita
    Adalah candi demi candi yang belum tergali

    Aku tiba-tiba teringat kembali ketika mengitari
    Kawasan Borobudur, Mendut dan Prambanan di tanah Jawa
    Aku tiba-tiba teringat kembali pula ketika mengelilingi
    Kawasan kuil di Kyoto dan Nara
    Sama-sama purba tapi nasib mereka tak semalang nasibmu

    Karena batu bara jauh lebih menguntungkan
    Ketimbang batu bata purba
    Karena pohon sawit bisa membuat kaya raya
    Ketimbang pohon-pohon dan kanal purba
    Maka nasib malang pun menimpamu

    Suatu sore di bulan Juli
    Tidak mungkin cukup waktuku mengelilingimu
    Kawasan percandian Muaro Jambi
    Masih cukupkah waktu kita menyelamatkan warisan ini
    Dari ancaman bernama keserakahan?

    2012

    HOW UNFORTUNATE YOUR FATE IS

    (Muaro Jambi Temple Compounds)

    An afternoon in July
    There would not be enough time for me to go around
    The three thousand hectares of the area
    Of the Muaro Jambi Temple compounds
    On the river banks of Batanghari

    As far as the eye can see
    Red bricks of the temple
    Under the soles of our foot, too
    Are unexcavated temples
    Old trees, ancient canals and lake

    I suddenly remembered the time I was circling around
    The area of Borobudur, Prambanan and Mendut in Java
    I suddenly remembered the moments I was going around
    The temples in the ancient city of Kyoto and Nara
    Equally ancient but their fate is as not as unfortunate as yours

    For coal is far more rewarding
    Than ancient bricks
    For palm trees can make people rich
    More than the old trees and ancient canals can
    So misfortune befalls over you

    An afternoon in July
    There would not be enough time for me to circle you around
    The Muaro Jambi Temple compounds
    Do we still have enough time to preserve this heritage of ours
    From a threat called greed?

    2012

    (Translated by Arya Gunawan Usis, Tehran, Iran)

    JONATHAN ZILBERG’S project The Muarajambi Revitalization Project at Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatuhlah.

    This is an applied academic project to support the community of Muarajambi to become recognized as the primary stakeholders in the protection and revitalization of their cultural heritage and their rights to play a leading role in the future development of community based tourism at the archaeological site of Muarajambi.

    SAVE MUARO JAMBI TEMPLE COMPOUNDS!!!

    THE LOCATION MUARO JAMBI TEMPLE COMPOUNDS IS ABOUT 40 KILOMETERS FROM THE CAPITAL OF JAMBI PROVINCE, EXTENDING FOR 7,5 KILOMETERS ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BATANGHARI RIVERS.

    According to Prof. Mundardjito, an archeologist, a temple was first found in 1974, and untill today only about 11 temples have been restored. Dozen more may still lie buried. Yet, the preservation of this temples complex is now threatened by nearby coal palm oil companies. A coal company has made the region a depot before its coal is exported. Only a distance five meters separates the stockpiles of coal and the mounds of earth believed to still hold more temples. In the raiiny season, water inundates and pollutes the site area. The Jambi governor allows these conditions continue....
     
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