"Terang Bulan" () is a traditional Indonesian song. This song is an adaptation based on the song named "La Rosalie".
History
The song was a traditional folk song adapted from the popular
French melody of La Rosalie. Following the popularity of the French melody, it became a popular Indonesian folk song as well as for Malays at parties and
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
s in the
Malay Peninsula from the 1920s to the 1930s. Since the independence of the
Federation of Malaya in 1957, public performances of the song and its melody have outlawed, as any such use is proscribed by statute.
Lyrics
Other versions
Several lyrics set to the tune exist, with their meanings being very similar, as the exact original lyrics are generally considered to be unknown.
Felix Mendelssohn & His Hawaiian Serenaders used the tune of ''Terang Bulan'' in their song ''Mamula Moon'', on their 1947 album Paradise Isle.
Dutch version
Dutch singer
Zangeres Zonder Naam
Maria (Mary) Servaes-Beij (; Leiden, 5 August 1919 – Horn, Netherlands, 23 October 1998) was a Dutch levenslied singer. She performed under the stage name Zangeres Zonder Naam (English: Singer without a name). She recorded almost 600 songs over ...
recorded a Dutch version of "Terang Bulan" (spelt "Terang Boelan"). The meaning in the Dutch version is entirely different from the original lyrics, although the Dutch version mentions the island of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
.
Other adaptation from the similar French melody
Perak State Anthem
Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah, the ruler of Perak, was aware of the song's popularity during his exile in the Seychelles for abetting murder. When the Sultan represented the other rulers of the
Federated Malay States at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1901, his protocol officer was asked what his state anthem was. The Sultan realised that his state did not possess an anthem, proceeded to hum the aforementioned tune in order not to appear backwards to his hosts, thus 'creating' the state anthem of Perak.
Malaysian National Anthem
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
, the Chief Minister and Minister for Home Affairs of the Federation of Malaya, selected Perak's state anthem as the Federation's national hymn, on account of its "traditional flavour".
Pemilihan lagu Negaraku
/ref> The tune was rechristened "''Negaraku
"" () is the national anthem of Malaysia. It was adopted as the national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. The tune was originally used as the regional anthem of the state of Pera ...
''" and the lyrics were changed, with popular performances in cabarets and parties halting as it became proscribed by statute. When Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
was formed in 1963, the song remained the national anthem.
References
*
* {{Cite news, url=https://seleb.tempo.co/read/1039753/terang-bulan-indung-disayang-perkembangan-keroncong-indonesia, title=Terang Bulan Indung Disayang: Perkembangan Keroncong Indonesia, last=Shaidra, first=Aisha, date=2017-12-06, work=Tempo, access-date=2018-10-24, language=id-ID
External links
Web.archive.org
19th-century songs
Songwriter unknown
Year of song unknown