34 



JELEBU CUSTOMARY SONGS AND SAYINGS. 



It conserves 

 communal 

 rights : 



and enjoins 

 the care of 

 property. 



It lays down 

 conditions 

 of entail, 



and for the 

 transfer of 

 entail. 



Under the 

 matriarchal 

 system, 

 males are 

 elected to 

 tribal offices. 



An office 

 never dies. 

 Eules of 

 election . 



Jalan ray at titian batang 

 Waris yang empunya. 

 Jalan paya titian permatang, 

 Lembaga yang empunya. 



fimbun sa-titek di-lautkan, 

 Tanah sa-buku di-gunongkan ; — 

 Yang dalam adat dan aturan. 



Padi ta' berpagar lalang, 

 Kerbau ta' berkandang seladang-. 



Pesaka 



Yang bersesapan, 1 yang berjerami, 



Bertunggul, berpemarasan. 



Sah batal ka-pada sa-kadim; 

 Kata berchari ka-pada waris-nya; 

 Tinggal waris menongkat; 

 Tinggal sa-kadim melintang; 

 Tinggal harta bertuan ta' jadi; 

 Tinggal tua batal. 2 



Terbit pesaka ka-pada saka; 3 

 Si-laki-laki menyandang pesaka : 

 Si-perempuan yang punya pesaka, 

 Orang semanda yang membela. 



Patah tumboh ; hilang berganti. 4 



Ganti hidup berkeredlaan, 

 Ganti mati berkebulatan. 5 



Kebulatan anak buah membuat atau memechat buapa; 

 Buapa bulat, waris-nya rapat, membuat atau memechat 

 tua ; 



i Sesapan l ' abandoned land ' ' — Adatrechtbundel VI, p. 406. 

 A Minangkabau saying runs: — 



Sa-saso, sa-jerami, 



Sa-ladang, sa-sawah, 



Sa-lmtan tinggi, sa-hutan rendah, 



Sa-pdndan, sa-perlcuburan 

 — Willinck, p. 381. Jelebu Malays explain the above saying 

 as referring especially to graveyards; perhaps a reminiscence 

 of this Minangkabau saw, which is no longer known in Jelebu. 

 "Bembau" (p. 110 XXX) renders it "The waters of the pool 

 and cataract are one ? ' — a sentence unintelligible in the con- 

 text and involving her. . . .%. a formative equally unintelligible 

 here. For sa-pandan ;i N. S. variant is berpendam. 



2 "Kembau" (p. 112, XXXIX) states that this saying is 

 quoted "generally" in reference to the ceremony of adoption. 

 In Jelebu and Johol, it is quoted very frequently in reference 

 to alienation of tanah pesaka to one outside the tribe; but 



Jour. Straits Branch 



