Ibu Pertiwi (song)
Ibu Pertiwi is a popular Indonesian patriotic song composed by an unknown composer around the 1950s to 1960s. The song's lyrics is about Ibu Pertiwi, national personification of Indonesia (also interpreted as "mother country"). It is normally sung by Indonesian children, elementary and secondary school students, or played during Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.
Lyrics
The lyrics are as following:
Original lyrics
(in Indonesian)
First verse:
- Kulihat ibu pertiwi
- Sedang bersusah hati
- Air matanya berlinang
- Mas intannya terkenang
- Hutan gunung sawah lautan
- Simpanan kekayaan
- Kini ibu sedang lara
- Merintih dan berdoa
Second verse:
- Kulihat ibu pertiwi
- Kami datang berbakti
- Lihatlah putra-putrimu
- Menggembirakan ibu
- Ibu kami tetap cinta
- Putramu yang setia
- Menjaga harta pusaka
- Untuk nusa dan bangsa
Translation
First verse:
- I see Mother Pertiwi
- (She is) in sorrow
- Your tears are flowing
- Remembering your (lost) golds and diamonds
- Jungles, mountains, paddy fields, and the seas
- Home of the treasures (richness)
- Now Mother is grieving
- Sighing sadly and praying
Second verse:
- I see Mother Pertiwi
- We come to serve (you)
- Behold your sons and daughters
- They will make Mother happy
- Mother, we still love (you)
- Your faithful sons
- Guarding the heirloom
- For our homeland and nation
Adoption of Christian Hymn music
Although the lyrics was originally composed, the music and melody of this song somehow resembled the Christian hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus originally written by Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855. In Indonesia, the hymn is known as "Yesus Kawan Sejati" and is sung in Indonesian and is popular in Batak churches (in Protestant churches and Roman Catholic Churches) in Indonesia. Although Indonesia has a statistically larger Muslim community, the hymn is quite widely known. Probably prior to 1967, the melody of the music was adopted by Ismail Marzuki, the composer of the Ibu Pertiwi song.