A NANING RECITAL. 
15 
220 . 
230 . 
240 . 
250 . 
And all that land was given 
To Dato’ Perpateh Pinang Sa-batang. 
And there he made this law : 
Whoso wounds shall atone. 
Whoso slays shall replace — 
Bidding a son to the feast, 
Sending a clansman to replace the slain ;( 21 ) 
Whoso bargains shall buy ; 
Whoso boasts shall recant ; 
The blood-price redeems the blood, 
The life-price redeems the life. 
The hire-price redeems the toil; 
If the sin is clear the forfeit is paid, 
If the debt is clear the debt is quitted, 
If the credit is clear the credit is received ; 
Astray at the end of the track — 
Back to the start of the track! 
Astray at the end of the talk — 
Back to the start of the talk ! ( 22 ) 
That was the Custom of Date’ Perpateh Pinang Sa- 
batang. 
Homage, 0 Chief ! 
And now my tale proceeds. 
Of the tradition that came from Pagar Ruyong, 
Down to the plain of Padang Panjang, 
Down the streams of the three rivers, 
Kuantan, Kampar, and Batang Ari : 
Each river- reach obeyed its Chief, 
The land was at peace, the custom reigned, ( 23 ) 
The hamlets rang with voices, the house-ladders 
creaked with tread. 
The King gave sentence at the Palace, 
The Chief gave judgment at the Hall, 
The Headman gave order at the Well. 
Homage, 0 Chief! 
And after that there is another saying : 
Our sires, our origins. 
Forget we not our origins ! 
Menangka'bau our overlord, 
Johor our Raja, 
Siak our ally, 
Malacca our landing-place, 
Naning our mother. 
The land of Jelebu our offshoot! 
(” 
) 
The Law of 
Dato’ Per- 
pateh, the 
Law of 
Reparation. 
The song now 
tells how the 
people 
multiplied in 
Menang- 
kabau. 
And how 
from among 
them c*me 
oversea the 
folk of the 
Negri Sem- 
bilan. 
R. A. Soc„ No. 83. 1921. 
