Dayang Isi

The Ballad of A Starving Child

A Kelabit Ballad sung to children to be mindful of wasting rice, their staple food.

As a small child, I'd sing this song (for fun) while waiting for my mom to finish wrapping the rice paste in large 'isip' leaves after which she would scoop out the scolding hot rice crust which is a favourite among Kelabits.

There is some editing to the first version after reading some notes from Datin Garnette Ridu to have four lines to a stanza and eight beat to a line. Hopefully a video clip will follow to convey the trisyllabic tone of the ballad.

Kelabit Oral Tradition recorded by Tingang Trang [1], 03.10.2017 [Facebook-Kelabit Network Group]

Nani Anakadi' - Dayang Isi

Kelabit	English
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh lem batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh lemidik.	Oh, they are clearing the under growth.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh nebpeng.	Oh, they are felling the trees.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh ngareg.	Oh, they are chopping the trees finely.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh nutud.	Oh, they are burning the fields.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh temu'a.	Oh, they are tidying up the burnt fields.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh nu'an.	Oh, they are dibbling.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh denamu'.	Oh, they are weeding.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh muro.	Oh, They are shooing the sparrows away.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh ranih.	Oh, they are harvesting.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh rawih.	Oh, they are drying the padi.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh tupeh.	Oh, they are pounding the padi.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh ngelaak.	Oh, they are cooking the rice.
O Sina' kuh Dayang Isi,	Dayang Isi my mother dear,
Sina' Dayang Isi dari,	Petit mother Dayang Isi,
Mere nuba' kenen uih,	Give me some rice to eat,
La'uh neh batek kudih,	My stomach is very hungry.
O, nih tideh netar nuba' dih.	Oh, they are spreading the rice (on leaves).
Dui kuweh, Ina' edtur muh.	My oh my, dear daughter.