8 
A SEA-DA YAK DIRGE. 
4—Lapa tenong ai bangat 
enda tepegai ka nuan 
ti rempi, Mengkuli, le- 
bu ngapa nuan ngiri 
lemai pagi ngabas 
puang sigi padi emba- 
wang ? 
5— Lapa tiang bumbong 
bangat enda tepegai 
ka nuan ti pumpong, 
Jelu Rengayong, alai 
n u a n nvangking ka 
tuchong raga mena- 
rang ? 
6— Lapa tungkat bangat 
enda tepegai ka nuan 
ti tumpat, Anggat, le- 
bu ngapa nuan man- 
tap mansap begrepang 
punggang? 
7— Lapa pengerat bangat 
enda tepegai ka nuan 
ti tumpat, Ruai Bram- 
bat, lebu kra nuan ngi- 
kat enggau lambar wi 
jernang ? 
8— Lapa pemujur bangat 
enda tepegai ka nuan 
ti tumpur, deh Ulun ? 
Lebu ngapa kra nuan 
digelar Petunjur Balu 
Ngenang. 
And why did the (art of) 
water divination avail 
thee nought, oh Meng¬ 
kuli ? Thou who poured 
water into the jar in the 
evening and did so in 
vain, for in the morning 
when examined it was 
empty save for a drop the 
size of an embawang 
paddy seed. 
Why, Oh Jelu Rengayong, 
did not the centre post of 
the house whereon thou 
didst hang the peak¬ 
shaped fancy basket, 
avail nought to keep thee 
from being cut off ? 
And why could the props 
of the house avail nought 
to keep thee from dying, 
oh Anggat. the props that 
all vainly thou didst cut, 
thou didst level, thou 
didst notch at the ends ? 
And why, oh Ruai Bram- 
bat, could the tie beams 
w T hich in vain thou 
fastened with the pre¬ 
pared jernang rotan, 
avail nought to keep thee 
from dying ? 
And why, oh Ulun, could 
the joists avail nought to 
keep thee from dying ? 
Vain was it that thou 
was betitled Petunjur 
Balu Ngenang. 
4. —In the evening, after the site of a house is cleared, a bamboo about four 
inches long, tilled with water, is stood in the ground on the proposed site of 
the new house. In the morning the water in the bamboo is examined, and if 
it decreases considerably, it divines a bad omen and the site must be given 
up; but if not it prognosticates good luck. 
5. — A fancy basket is hung on the central post when the house is being built; 
and in it are put offerings and charms to bring good luck of every des¬ 
cription. 
7. — From the fruits of Jernang rotan, the natives obtain a red liquid known 
as “dragon’s blood”, which they use for staining purposes. 
