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Poems on the MRT

Kereta Api Kehidupan / Train of Life by Peter Augustine Goh

 

Kereta Api Kehidupan
Peter Augustine Goh

Kereta api kehidupan adalah perjalanan akal
diriuhkan pengalaman dan perasaan
mafhum dari mana datangnya tiupan bayu
singgah melepaskan lelah yang membawa pesan dari jauh
arif dari mana tersinarnya mentari
menerang mata hati, mengilhamkan atma;
tahu di mana terkumpulnya debu
dalam gerabak sesak
yang disepikan sayu
walaupun kerap bersapu.

Kereta api kehidupan adalah deretan pengajaran
di tengah-tengah dugaan-Nya untuk sampai ke destinasi
sedar pedih, luka dan duka sentiasa mengajar kita
betapa ia menetapkan pemesongan
supaya segera kembali ke pangkal jalan
jangan sekali mengkhianati kejujuran.

Kereta api kehidupan
adalah ruang waktu
pengalamannya cetusan kalbu
detiknya denyutaan urat nadi
yang diriuhkan selalu
dalam kefanaan ini.


Train of Life
Written by Peter Augustine Goh
Translated by Alfian Sa’at

The train of life is the journey of reason
embellished by experiences and feelings
understanding where the wind comes from
stopping to shed the fatigue that brings news from afar
knowing where the sun shines from
illuminating insight, inspiring the soul;
knowing where dust is gathered
in the crowded carriage
that is stained with melancholy
even though it is swept often.

The train of life is a series of lessons
in the midst of His trials towards the destination
know that pain, wounds and sorrow always teach us
how they lead us astray
so that we may return to the right path right away
and never betray honesty.

The train of life
is the space of time
its experience is a spark in the heart
its moments are the pulsing of arteries
all sound and fury
in this fleeting existence.

Published in Berita Minggu (15 May 2014)

Peter Augustine Goh is the pen name of Iskandar Goh. He is a Chinese and writes in Malay, in various genres, namely short stories, poetry, adults and children’s novels, TV dan radio dramas and critical appreciations. This retired police officer who first started writing in 1974, has won many Malay literary awards for his short stories, poetry and novels. Some of his works has have been translated into English, Mandarin and Tamil. He is a freelance translator and interpreter. He has won the Golden Point Award for his short stories and poetry (Malay category thrice – 1995 1999 and 2003. He is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious South East Asia (SEA) Write Award, awarded by the Kingdom of Thailand.

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Poems on the MRT is an initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with SMRT and Stellar Ace. Produced by Sing Lit Station, a local literary non-profit organisation, this collaboration displays excerpts of Singapore poetry throughout SMRT’s train network, integrating local literature into the daily experience of commuters. Look out for poems in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South and Circle Lines, as well as videos created by local artists and featuring local poets in stations and on trains. The Chinese, Malay, and Tamil poems are available in both the original languages and English. To enjoy the full poems, commuters may read them on go.gov.sg/potm.

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