Rafaat Haji Hamzah

An accomplished poet, Rafaat Haji Hamzah’s poetry has found a unique space in local Malay newspapers and radio since the late 1980s. Far from flowery and romantic, Rafaat’s poems are bold, succinct and mirror issues close to the heart of his people. Also a household name in Singapore’s television and theatre scenes, some of his notable theatrical works include Merdeka (2000) and Hablur (1997) which was nominated for Best Theatre Script in Anugerah Persuratan 1997–1998, an award recognising Malay-language writers. His scriptwriting extends to a wide genre of television programmes including variety, animation, drama and even info-ed.

Tanpa Judulnya

Rafaat Haji Hamzah

Tanpa lari aku mengejar
tanpa tiang aku bersandar
mencari jawapan tanpa tanya
menganyam mimpi tanpa lena

Tanpa waktu aku menanti
tanpa bicara aku dampingi
menyuluh kasih tanpa cahaya
menyulam cinta tanpa suara

Without A Title

Without running I chase
without a beam I lean on
finding answers without questions
weaving dreams without sleep

Without a term I wait
without speech I nestle
shining affection without light
knitting love without a voice

Poem translated from Malay by Aqmal N.