PETAKA. Oil SEA DYAK UODS. 151 



Laboh da an buloh, 

 Tanglca}) ikan mplasi; 

 Antu kali munoh, 

 Petara ngaku menyadi. 



Laboh daun buloh, 

 Tangkap than semah ; 

 Antu hah munoh, 

 Petara ngambu sa-rumah. 



Laboh daun buloh. 

 Tanglcap ikan juak : 

 Antu kah munoh, 

 Petara ngaku anak. 



When the barnbu leaf falls, 

 And is caught by the chingan fish ; 

 And the antu wants to kill, 

 Petara puts in safe preservation. 



When the bambu leaf falls, 

 And is caught by the mjplasi fish, 

 And the antu wants to kill, 

 Petara will confess a brother. 



When the bambu leaf falls, 

 And is caught by the semah fish ; 

 And the antu wants to kill, 

 Petara will claim him as of his household. 



When the bambu leaf falls, 

 And is caught by the jiiak fish ; 

 And the antu wants to kill, 

 Petara will confess a child. 



When human life droops as a falling leaf, and the evil spirits, 

 like hungry fish, are ready to swallow it up, then Petara comes in 

 and claims the life as his, his child, his brother, and preserves it 

 alive. The ceremony of the Besant is an elaboration of this idea, 

 an idea to which, above all others, the Dvaks cling; for the world 



