A Javanese Romantic Poem "Wus Kulina" | Translation and Meaning

In Javanese, poetry is known as geguritan. The following is an example of a love or romance-themed geguritan. To broaden the reader's understanding, its translation and meaning in English are also included.

1. The Geguritan "Wus Kulina" by Bahtiar

Illustration of the puppet character Sri Rama in the geguritan "Wus Kulina" by Bahtiar

Wus Kulina
By : Bahtiar

Wus kulina,
mangurip kaya ing praja Ayodya.
Saumpamane kula Sri Rama,
sliramu ya mesthi Dewi Shinta.

Sanadyan wonten ing Alengka,
Anoman Duta tanpa guna,
kanggo nyingkirake sang Rahwana,
yeku wong kang dadi katiga,
ing crita katresnan punika,
merga mung wonten sliramu lan kula.

Wus kulina,
mangurip kaya satriya panengah Pandhawa.
Saumpamane kula Raden Arjuna,
bakal rentang sang busur Gandiwa.

Gegaman kaliyan panah Pasopati,
tinusuk lan tumancep sajroning ati,
kanggo pratandha bukti,
babagan tresnanipun ingkang suci,
mung kagem wong sawiji,
yeku sliramu, Dewi Wara Srikandi.

Witing tresna jalaran saka kulina,
mekaten pangendhikane wong tuwa.
Kayata ing geguritan punika,
sliramu lan kula dadi tresna,
merga kaya Rama lan Shinta,
merga kaya Srikandi Arjuna.

2. The Translation of the Geguritan "Wus Kulina"

Literally, this geguritan can be translated into English as follows.

Already Accustomed to
By : Bahtiar

Already accustomed to,
living as if in the kingdom of Ayodya.
If I were Sri Rama,
you would surely be Princess Shinta.

Even in the kingdom of Alengka,
Anoman Duta is of no use,
to drive away mighty Rahwana,
the third party,
in that love story,
for it’s only you and me.

Already accustomed to,
living as if the middle warrior of Pandhawa.
If I were Raden Arjuna,
the Gandiwa bow would be drawn.

Armed with the Pasopati arrow,
would pierce and lodge deep in the heart,
as proof,
of my sacred love,
meant for only one,
you, Dewi Wara Srikandi.

Love grows from what we're used to,
or so the elders say.
Just like in the poem,
you and I came to love each other,
from living like Rama and Shinta,
from living like Srikandi Arjuna.

Information :

• Ayodya : A kingdom ruled by Sri Rama
• Alengka : A kingdom ruled by Rahwana
• The Pasopati arrow and the Gandiwa bow : A pair of weapons belonging to Raden Arjuna

3. The Meaning of the Geguritan "Wus Kulina"

Essentially, this geguritan carries a simple meaning : it is an interpretation of the Javanese saying "witing tresna jalaran saka kulina" with a touch of story analogy and metaphorical narrative. At the outset of its creation process, the author's mind was focused on that saying, which eventually sparked the idea to elaborate it into a geguritan.

The saying "witing tresna jalaran saka kulina" explains that love emerges from habit. As in the first and second stanzas of this geguritan, the author tells the story of two individuals who come to love each other for being accustomed to living together, just like the puppet character couple Rama and Shinta. Their love story is analogized with the love tale of that puppet character couple, albeit with a change in the climax. In the source of the analogy, the author narrates that Anoman does not eliminate Rahwana, as they are considered not part of the tale. This reflects that the love journey of those two individuals unfolds peacefully and harmoniously, without the presence of a third party.

Learn more about analogies here! (The target and the source of an analogy)

Note :

The modification of the story by the author is solely intended for the purpose of composing the geguritan, without any intention to truly alter the original story.

The love story of the two individuals still continues in the third and fourth stanzas. In this part, they are described as coming to love each other for being accustomed to living together just like the puppet character couple Arjuna and Srikandi. The author represents them both through that puppet character couple. Even so, unlike the first and second stanzas, in these stanzas the author does not apply a story analogy, but rather employs a metaphorical narrative with the characters of Arjuna and Srikandi as supplemental elements.

Learn more about metaphorical narratives here!

The metaphor "the arrow of love piercing the heart" is undoubtedly familiar to many. In these stanzas, the author narrates that metaphor using the characters of Arjuna as the subject and Srikandi as the object. This narrative tells the story of Arjuna, a mystical archer who draws his Gandiwa bow. With the Pasopati arrow as a representation of the arrow of love, he takes aim at the heart of his target, Dewi Wara Srikandi. The arrow launches from his bow, successfully hitting, piercing, and embedding itself in the target. 

Illustration of the metaphor "the arrow of love piercing the heart" in the geguritan "Wus Kulina" by Bahtiar

Note :

The scenes in the narrative are purely the author's creation for the purpose of composing the geguritan. Those scenes did not actually happen and are not appropriate to be carried out in real life.

The meaning of that metaphor is interpreted as a sincere and sacred feeling of love toward someone. The arrow of love piercing deeply into the heart symbolizes a profound and irresistible love, making it a well-suited metaphor for the theme of this geguritan. Furthermore, the choice of Arjuna as the subject is deemed most fitting given his possession of the Pasopati arrow and the Gandiwa bow. In the Mahabharata, Srikandi herself is described as Arjuna's wife, which makes her highly relevant as the object of the narrative.

The fifth stanza is the conclusion of the prior stanzas. In this part, it is explicitly explained that love can be intertwined between two individuals for being accustomed to living together, just like the puppet character couples Rama and Shinta, as well as Arjuna and Srikandi.

Final Words

The geguritan "Wus Kulina" is completely written based on the author's own thoughts, if you wish to use it for other purposes, please ask for permission beforehand.