Malayan Literature Part 16

King Is Keuder Chah set out and came to another place, where he built a fort. But all they constructed by day was overturned by night. And the place still bears the name of Kota-Bourok, or "Ruined Fort."

Starting from there the King advanced into the interior during many days and came to the Saning Oudjong. He found this place agreeable and left a minister there. Hence comes it that to this day Saning Oudjong is the residence of a minister. Then the King returned toward the coast near a river at the sh.o.r.e of the sea. The river was called Bartain. Is Keuder Chah halted at the foot of a very bushy tree. Then he began hunting. His dog, chasing some game, was struck by the foot of a little white gazelle and fell into the water. On this the prince cried:

"Here is a good place to build a city, for even the little gazelles are valiant here."

And all the grandees said, "His Majesty is right." The King therefore gave orders for the construction of a city at this place. He asked, "What is the name of this tree against which I have been leaning?"

Someone answered, "It is a malaka-tree." "Very well," said he, "let Malaka be the name of the city."

The prince established himself at Malaka. He had lived thirty-two years at Singapore, up to the capture of that town by the Javanese. He lived for three years more at Malaka, and then died, by the vicissitudes of this world, and had as successor his son Radja Besar Mouda.

This prince governed with justice. He regulated the etiquette of the court. He first established a ministry of ceremonies to direct people who came to Balerong, and forty heralds who stood below the throne ready to take the orders of the King and carry to him the words of the public. He inst.i.tuted among the sons of the grandees a body of pages serving as royal messengers and bearing everywhere the royal equipage.

This prince had three sons, Radeu Bagousa, Radeu Tengah, and Radeu Anoumah, who all married daughters of Bauhara Toun Parapatih Toulous.

At his death, Radeu Bagousa took his functions with the t.i.tle of Toun Parapatih Permouka Berdjadjar.

When, by the vicissitudes of the world, King Besar Mouda died, his son Radeu Tengah succeeded him. The latter had a son called Radja Kitchil Bessar, who at his death was his successor. He was just and guarded the interests of his subjects. No one in his time among the kings of the world equalled him in liberality. And the city of Malaka became large, well peopled, and the meeting-place of merchants. This King married a daughter of Toun Parapatih Permouka Berdjadjar, and by her had two sons, Radja Kitchil Mainbang and Radja Makat. He reigned for a certain time, when one night he dreamed that he was in the presence of the glorious prophet of G.o.d, on whom be blessings! And the prophet said to him, "Recite the words of the creed." And Radja Kitchil Bessar did as the prophet commanded.

"Your name shall be Sultan Mahomet," said the prophet. "To-morrow at the moment of the Asr (in the afternoon) there will arrive a s.h.i.+p from Djedda, from which the men will descend to pray on the sh.o.r.e of Malaka.

Follow all their orders."

"Yes, Lord," replied the prince, "I shall obey your word."

And the prophet disappeared. When day came the King awaked. He perceived upon his body the odor of spikenard and saw that he bore certain marks. "It is clear," he thought, "that my dream does not come from Satan." And he began to recite without relaxation the words of the creed.

The ladies-of-honor who were in the palace were very much surprised to hear the King speak thus. "Has the King been touched by Satan, or has he lost his wits? Let us hasten to inform the _bendahari_." They ran to tell the _bendahari,_ who came at once, entered the palace, and saw the King repeating without cessation the words of the creed.

"What is this language in which the King is speaking?" said the minister.

"Last night," said the King, "I dreamed that I was in the presence of the glorious prophet." And he told his dream to the _bendahari_.

"If your dream is not an illusion," said the latter, "what is the sign?"

"Here is the sign that proves that I have really seen in a dream the prophet of G.o.d. Furthermore, the prophet told me: 'To-day, at Asr, there will arrive a s.h.i.+p from Djedda, from which the people will descend to say their prayers on the sh.o.r.e of Malaka. Follow their directions.'"

The _bendahari_ was surprised at seeing the marks on the King.

"Truly," he said, "if a s.h.i.+p arrives at the hour stated, then your dream is a reality. If it does not arrive, we shall judge that Satan must have troubled your spirit."

The King replied, "My father is right." And the _bendahari_ returned to his house.

Now at the hour of Asr there arrived a s.h.i.+p from Djedda which cast anchor. The master came on sh.o.r.e. He was called Sidi Abd-el-Aziz. He said his prayers on the sh.o.r.e of Malaka. The inhabitants, astonished at the sight, said:

"Why does he stoop so and prostrate himself so?"

And to see him better, the people pressed around, leaving no spot vacant, and making a great tumult.

The noise reached the palace, and the King mounted an elephant and came in haste, accompanied by his grandees. He saw the master making all the ceremonies of his prayer, and all was in evident accord with the dream.

"It is exactly as in my dream," he exclaimed to the _bendahari_ and the grandees.

When the master had finished praying, the King made his elephant stoop, and took up the master with him and carried him to the palace. The _bendahari_ and the grandees all became Mussulmans, and by command of the King so did all the population, men and women, great and small, young and old. The master taught the King the ceremonies of prayer, and gave him the name of Sultan Mahomet Chah. The _bendahari_ received the t.i.tle of Sri Ouak Radja; that is to say, "Paternal Uncle of the King,"

which he was in fact. And that is the first t.i.tle of the _bendahari_.

Sultan Mahomet regulated the ceremonial customs of the court. He was the first to prohibit yellow for the clothes of the person strange to the court, for handkerchiefs, borders of curtains, pillow-cases, mattresses, coverings of all kinds, ornaments of every nature, as well as for the decoration of houses.

Furthermore the use of only three kinds of garments was permitted--the _kain_, the _badjoa_, and the _destar_. It was also forbidden to construct houses with projections sustained upon pillars not touching the ground, or with pillars extending beyond the roof or with observatories. The _prahos_ could have no windows in front. It was forbidden to carry clasps or ornaments of gold on the _kris_. No one strange to the court could have gold rings nor pins nor jingling bangles of gold and silver. n.o.body without the royal consent had the right to wear on his clothes gilding of any sort; but the authorization once granted, one might wear it indefinitely. When a man presented himself at the palace, if he had a vesture falling beneath the girdle, if his _kris_ was not attached in front, if he was not clad in a _sabec_, he was not admitted, whatever might be his distinction. If anyone entered with his _kris_ attached behind, the officer took it away from him.

Such were formerly the prohibitions of the Malay kings. Whoever transgressed was guilty of _lese-majeste_ and was condemned to pay a fine of one to five katis. White parasols were held in higher esteem than yellow ones, because they could be seen at a greater distance.

That is why they were ranked higher; the first were for the King and the second for the princes. The objects of the king's private use, such as the spittoon, the ewer for his ablutions, the fan, and other like objects, had no fixed place, except the betel-tray and the sword, which they kept at the right and left of the sovereign. At the arrival and departure of an amba.s.sador, the servitors of the King brought from the palace dishes and basins which were received by the head of the _bataras_ and deposited near the _bendahari_. They gave a dish and a scarf to the bearer of the letter. If the missive came from Pasey or from Harau, it was received with all the royal pomp--drum, flute, trumpet, kettledrum, and two white parasols together; but the bugle did not figure at this reception. The ministers preceded the elephant bearing the message, the bataras followed it with the _sida-sida_. The letter was borne by the chief of the _bedaouenda_, and they placed the elephant at the extremity of the _balei_. For the kings of these two countries were equal in greatness to the King of Malaka. Younger or older, all gave the salaam.

Having reached the audience-chamber, the letter was received by the chief of heralds of the right, the one of the left being charged with transmitting the words of the King to the amba.s.sador, and the herald of the right transmitted the answer. If the message came from another country than Pasey and Harau, they suppressed part of the men. The _cortege_ included only the drum, the flute, and a yellow parasol. They took, as was suitable, now an elephant, now a horse, and they halted outside the first exterior gate. When the message came from a more considerable sovereign, they employed the flute and two parasols, one white and one yellow. The elephant pa.s.sed through the exterior gate, for formerly the royal entrance included seven fortifications. At his departure, the amba.s.sador received a complete invest.i.ture, even were he only a simple amba.s.sador of Rakan. The same gift was offered to our own amba.s.sadors at the moment of their departure.

When the King conferred a t.i.tle, he gave audience in the _falerong_, with the following procedure: According to the rank, the person to be honored was brought on an elephant, on horseback, or simply on foot, with parasol, drum, and flute. There were green, blue, and red parasols. The n.o.blest were the yellow and the white, which with the kettle-drums represented the height of distinction. The yellow with the trumpet was also very distinguished; they were the parasols of the princes and greatest personages. The violet, red, and green parasols were those of the _sida-sida_, of the _bataras_, and of the _houlou balongs_. The blue and black ones served for any other person summoned to receive a t.i.tle. When the personage arrived at the palace, he was detained without. Then they read before the King a very fine piece. It was a descendant of Batl that held this office. The piece read, they took it out. He who received it was of the family of the candidate for honors. With this piece they brought a _tetampan_ scarf with which the reader invested the candidate, whom he then introduced into the audience-chamber. There a mat was stretched for him to sit upon in whatever place the King designated.

Then arrived the vestments. For a personage promoted to the ranks of the _bendahari_ there were five trays. The sons of radjas and the grand officers had four trays only, and so on down through the various ranks.

The servitors of the King charged with this duty approached the beneficiary and placed the vestments upon his shoulders. He crossed his arms, to hold the vestments in place, and they took him outside. The etiquette in that was the same for amba.s.sadors awarded an invest.i.ture, each according to the rights of his rank. The beneficiary dressed himself outside and then re-entered. They decorated him with a frontlet and with bracelets, for every man who received a t.i.tle wore bracelets, each according to his dignity. Some had bracelets in the form of a dragon with amulets, others had bracelets of precious stones, others of blue enamel, others of silver. These wore them on both wrists, those on only one. The beneficiary thus decorated went and bowed before the King. Then he returned accompanied according to his rank, or by the person who introduced him. The _cortege_ included now a drum and a flute alone, now trumpets or kettledrums, sometimes a white parasol; but the white parasol was a rare honor, as well as the kettle-drums, for the yellow parasol and the trumpet were very hard to obtain in those times.

On festival days, when the King went forth in a palanquin, he was surrounded by high officers of state. At the head, before the sovereign, marched the _bataras_ and the _houlou balongs_, each following their charge. Footmen, also before the King, bore the royal insignia. The royal pikes were at the right and left; the _bataras_ had sword at shoulder. Before them marched the lancers. When the King gives a festival it is the _panghoulou bendahari_ who arranges everything inside the palace, stretches mats, decorates the _balerong_, and places the _bangings_ on the ceilings. It is he who looks after the repasts and sends the invitations; for the servitors of the King, his _bendahari_, his tax-gatherers, and the receiver of the port all depend on the administration of the _panghoulou bendahari_. He invites the guests and the _temonggoreg_ seats them. In the hall the guests eat four at a dish, to the end of the platform. If any one of the various fours are lacking the others eat without him, by threes or by twos or even one alone. For it is not permitted for those below to ascend to make up the number. The _bendahari_ eats alone or from the same dish as the princes.

Such was in former days the etiquette of Malaka. There were many other regulations, but to relate them all would weary the attentions of my readers. At the month of Ramadhau, at the twenty-seventh night, while it was still light, they went in state to make adorations to the mosque. The _Temonggoreg_ was at the head of the elephant. They first took in state to the mosque the betel-tray, the royal insignia, and the drum. When night came, the King started for the mosque, following the ceremonial of festival days, made the prayer of perfumes, and returned.

The next day the _laksamana_ carried in state the turban, for the Malay kings were accustomed to go to the mosque in a turban, a _badjon_, and a _sarong_. These vestments were forbidden at weddings except by express permission. It was also forbidden to dress in the Hindoo fas.h.i.+on. Only those persons who had worn this costume for a long time were allowed to wear it at prayers and at weddings. Festival days, great or small, the _bendahari_ and the grandees a.s.sembled at the palace, and the _panghoulou bendahari_ brought in pomp the palanquin.

As soon as they saw it appear, the persons seated in the _balei_ descended and stood about. Seven times they beat upon the drum, and each time the trumpet sounded. After the seventh, the King set out on an elephant and came to the platform erected for that purpose, which he mounted. At sight of him, all those present bowed to the earth, except the _bendahari_, who mounted the platform to receive him. The palanquin having approached, the King placed himself in it, and they started for the mosque according to the ceremonial above mentioned.

Such was formerly the etiquette of the Malay kings. Such I learned it, such I tell it. If I commit any error, I desire to be convicted by anyone who has given attention to this story, and implore the indulgence of the reader.

THE PRINCESS DJOUHER-MANIKAM

[_Translated by Aristide Marre and Chauncey C. Starkweather_]

This is the history of the Princess Djouher-Manikam, whose renown is celebrated in all lands, windward and leeward.

There was in the city of Bagdad a king named Haroun-er-Raschid, sovereign of a vast empire. He was a prince who feared G.o.d the almighty, and worthy of all praise, for he was a king descended from the prophet. After having lived for some time in his kingdom, he desired to start on a pilgrimage. So he addressed his ministers and his military chiefs and spoke to them as follows:

"O you all, my subjects, my officers, what is your opinion? I would fain make a pilgrimage to the house of G.o.d."

The cadi, prostrating himself, answered: "Sire, King of the world, the will of your sublime Majesty is very just, but in my opinion your departure would cause the ruin of the inhabitants of the fields, and those of your subjects who accompany you will have much to suffer."

The prince, having heard these words, said: "The opinion of the cadi is loyal, and you, my officers, tell what is your advice."

The officers arose, then they prostrated themselves and spoke as follows: "Sire, King of the world, we, your servants, beg you a thousand and a thousand times to cause your forgiveness to descend upon our heads, but how will your Majesty accomplish the pilgrimage? In whom can you trust to protect the country and watch over the palace?"

The prince having heard these words of his officers, none of whom approved of the pilgrimage, kept silence and restrained his anger, and then departed and returned to the palace. Some days after this, by the will of the most high G.o.d, the heart of the prince felt more keenly still the desire to make the pilgrimage. He gave orders to gather together the interpreters of the law, the wise men, and the _muftis_, as well as the officers. When they were all a.s.sembled, the prince went to the audience-chamber, and there before the officers of the court he questioned one of the doctors. It was the _mufti_ of the city of Bagdad. He, prostrating himself, said: "The pilgrimage of his Majesty would be an excellent work, but is it of absolute necessity? For the voyage will be very long, and there is no one, my lord, who would be capable of ruling in the place of your sublime Majesty."