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Poems on the MRT

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Tuk, Tuk, Tuk by Farihan Bahron

 

Tuk, tuk, tuk
di tangan tukang tukul
kayu cengal berketul
ditebuk, ditembus, ditimbul
awan larat nan berkumpul

Tuk, tuk, tuk
di tangan tukang pahat
mekar sejambak, mekar seikat
dilakar, dibalok, disilat
motif alam bertemu hayat

Tuk, tuk, tuk
di tangan tukang kikir
tanah, api, angin, air
liuk lentuk seni diukir
kelopak dewa dizahir

Tuk, tuk, tuk
di tangan sang seniman
tumpang tindih cara berkesan
tajam tidak tujah lawan
hujung tunduk beri laluan

Tuk, Tuk Tuk
Written by Farihan Bahron
Translated by Alfian Sa’at

Tuk, tuk, tuk
in the hammersmith’s hands
the gnarled chengal wood
is pierced, punctured, protruded
as intricate cloud patterns gather

Tuk, tuk, tuk
in the chiseller’s hands
a flower bouquet, a floral bundle
is sketched, shaved, sculpted
as nature motifs come to life

Tuk, tuk, tuk
in the engraver’s hands
earth, fire, wind, water
twists and turns are carved
as divine petals are revealed

Tuk, tuk, tuk
in the artist’s hands
the craft is in the overlaps
the tool’s sharpness is unchallenged
as wood yields into sharp relief


Published in Tukang Tunjuk Telunjuk (2017)

Farihan Bahron, a Singaporean writer and co-founder of Unggun Creative, has received several accolades, including the Anugerah Harapan (Promising Award) in 2017, the Singapore Literature Prize in 2018 and 2022, and the Anugerah Persuratan (Malay Literary Award) in 2021 and 2023. His creative works, spanning poetry and short stories, have consistently excelled in writing competitions like the Golden Point Award (2003, 2015) and Mencari Kristal (2016). He was honoured with the Penghargaan Sastrawan Muda (Young Laureate Appreciation) by Mastera Indonesia (Southeast Asia Literary Council) in 2023.

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Poems on the MRT is an initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with SMRT and Stellar Ace. Produced by Sing Lit Station, a local literary non-profit organisation, this collaboration displays excerpts of Singapore poetry throughout SMRT’s train network, integrating local literature into the daily experience of commuters. Look out for poems in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South and Circle Lines, as well as videos created by local artists and featuring local poets in stations and on trains. The Chinese, Malay, and Tamil poems are available in both the original languages and English. To enjoy the full poems, commuters may read them on go.gov.sg/potm.

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