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Tok sah lah kamu nak buat kalut disini la St.Bul...
Expect this a lengthy reply....
Ini semua nya nak di ceritakan pasal lagu "La Rosalie"....ehem ehem
(...salah ditulis kot? ;)...tapi memang pasal si-dia...Rosalie...or was it Rosli?...)
La Rosalie, one of Pierre Jean de Beranger’s songs.
- La Rosalie assise par sa fenêtre,
- J’entends la pluie qui verse sur son dos,
- Son petit cœur qui réponse a son aise,
- Et le mien qui n’à point de repos. "
Ok...try singing the above French Song to the tune of our National Anthem.
So that was how the tune was played to Perak Anthem, later turned into "Negara Ku".
Ok lah,...the first 2 lines in French when translated go like this,
Ms Rosalie sitting on the window sill...
listening to the quaint drop of falling rain....
hohoho....Something like that lah......But seriously....
Semua tu nak di ceritakan pasal Pierre-Jean de Béranger (19 August 1780 – 16 July 1857), who was a prolific French poet and chansonnier ( songwriter), who enjoyed great popularity and influence in France during his lifetime, but faded into obscurity in the decades following his death. He has been described as "the most popular French songwriter of all time" and "the first superstar of French popular music".
Béranger has been described as "the most popular French songwriter of all time", [14] and it is certainly true that, in the 19th century, no nation had a lyricist whose influence on his fellow countrymen compared to that exercised by Béranger on the citizens of Paris. [15] Like all chansonniers, he wrote lyrics but did not compose any music; he set the words to a pre-existing melody such as a folk tune.
" Le Roi d'Yvetot", for example, was sung to the traditional air "Quand un tendron vient en ces lieux", while others might be set to well-known melodies by various composers. [16]
"The Innocent Sultan of Perak in the Seychelles"
By Julien Durup, a student of history.
On the early morning of 21 July 1877, Abdullah Jaafar Moratham, the Sultan of Perak, left his
prison with his entourage, and boarded the iron steamship Cotherstone mastered by Captain
Blanche. They left Singapore for Abdullah’s exile in the Seychelles. They were escorted during
the journey by Police Inspector R. Strugnell who acted as interpreter, along with eight other
policemen. |
The group arrived at Mahé on 31 August 1877, with their wives, families and servants. His
followers were: Mantri Ibrahim bin Jaafar, Laxamana Mohamed Amin bin Wkafl and
Shahbander Kadek bin Mohamed. Records in the Seychelles National Archives about their
arrivals and early days in the Seychelles are sketchy. Little is being done to request relevant
documents from Malaysia, or the Public Records Office in England, or Mauritius. There are no
complete records of the names of those who arrived. History is vague even about their abodes
of banishment as well as data about their number which was estimated to be about 37.
Some say at first they stayed at Union Vale, Mahé, in a huge house with a lot of annexes and
later were all sent to Félicité Island, next to La Digue. According to hearsay, they resided in the
following different locations in Mahé: Bel Etang, where the Seychelles College was; Rochon;
Port Victoria, near the present Bahai Centre; Union Vale and Ma Constance at Anse Etoile, the
former huge mansion of the famous corsair Jean François Hodoul.
http://www.seychellesweekly.com/July%2011,%202010/Pictures/top_sultan1_7_8_10.jpg
Raja Mansur and his father Sultan Abdullah: Photo taken in London in 1894.
Source: Seychelles National Archives.
According to our good friend William McAteer: 2000, p.148, only two of his followers, the Mantri
and Laxamana, were deported to Félicité Island. They were exiled there by Charles Salmon,
(the good Catholic) Chief Civil Commissioner, and according to him he did so for security
reasons which he did not fully explain. Salmon also recruited two more interpreters from
Mauritius. In 1879, after two years of strict isolation with a lack of water and medical care,
Captain Arthur Havelock, the new Chief Civil Commissioner allowed them to move to Mahé.
However, sadly, history does say not how many of their families, servants and security personel
were on Félicité Island.
Police Inspector R. Strugnel, who was suspended in Perak for cruelty committed against Malay
prisoners, managed at the last minute to be recruited as body guard and interpreter to escort
the Sultan to the Seychelles. In the Seychelles, he persuaded Salmon to take away the Sultan’s
Keris or Kris (a traditional Malay dagger and part of his spiritual regalia) and left it with the
police. This must have upset the Sultan as he was allowed to keep a sword given to him by
Queen Victoria. It seemed that the Sultan never showed any grudge against Strugnel, as they
played sports together, especially cricket.
During his exile, the Sultan became a very keen sportsman, a collector of beautiful walking
sticks, and was also interested in agriculture. He introduced many types of fruits from Malaysia
e.g. Manbolo (Mabolo), velvet apple, Diospyros discolour; Mangoustan, Garcinia mangostana,
because of its exceptional alimentation properties, and that fruit is known as the queen of the
fruits and the food of the gods in the Antilles. He also introduced banane mille (thousand), a
type of banana from Malaysia that can produce 1000 bananas in a bunch. As a sportsman, he
took part in cerf-volant (kite) competition, football, and was a very good at cricket.
In 1883, as a member of the Victoria Cricket Club, he played cricket with the Chief Civil
Commissioner, the Chief Justice etc... and all the elite class. They played regularly and against
visiting British man-of-war ship personnel. After integrating into the local society he won their
hearts, and they signed petitions for his release. In one of the petitions he had the support of the
new administrator, Thomas Risely Griffith. He also had support from Mauritius for his release
where prominent Mauritians also signed a petition on his behalf.
In the Seychelles he had seven children, four sons and three daughters and lost one of his wives.
The sons started their studies at the Government Boys School in Victoria and the daughters at
the Saint Paul’s School, also at Victoria. One of his daughters, Rajah Hadyah Abdullah, born at
Victoria on 4 August 1883, learned the piano at Mahé and later became an ardent pianist.
Rajah Hadyah Abdullah the pianist, the Sultan’s first daughter born in the Seychelles.
(Photo taken in 1961).
She played La Rosalie accompanied by one of her brothers, Raja Chulan, who was a violinist
and consistently learned and played that tune in Mahé. According to Hadyah, a French band in
the Seychelles gave a weekly public performance and played La Rosalie at the seafront of the
Sultan’s residence. Presumably she was referring to Union Vale in Mahé which was one of the
domiciles of the Sultan. After his visit to the Seychelles, Raja Chulan, introduced the melody to
his brother, Raja Manaur, the Sultan’s eldest son. Later Mansur wrote the lyrics, and as his
father’s secretary, he took it with them when they visited England where it was played for the
first time as Perak National Anthem. The tune of the latter became the “Negaraku”, My Country,
the National Anthem of Malaysia.
In the early 1960,s the French Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, Monsieur Pierre Anthonioz, took
an interest in the Negaraku. In 1964he sent a copy of the record to then British Governor of the
Seychelles. The record was played regularly on the radio and was recognised by the old flock
as the tune of La Rosalie, one of Pierre Jean de Beranger’s songs:
-
La Rosalie assise par sa fenêtre,
-
J’entends la pluie qui verse sur son dos,
-
Son petit cœur qui réponse a son aise,
-
Et le mien qui n’à point de repos.
On 16 April 1891, at Port Victoria, the Sultan wrote the following sad letter to his friend, Sir
Henniker Heaton, the postal reformer, the Conservative MP for Canterbury, who visited him in
the Seychelles:
“It is my melancholy duty to have to announce you the lamented death of my wife, which took
place on Easter day at 8 a m: she leaves behind her several children to bewail her loss.
This is to me all additional sorrow. Before this sad event I have been deploring my situation
as an exiled man; now I have to deplore the loss of my wife. I think it is the will of the Almighty,
and I therefore resign myself to him. Bearing in mind the Latin maxim “Per ardua libertas”
(to freedom through difficulties).
With my kindest regards
Sultan Abdullah
Ex-Sultan of Perak.”
That letter guided us to identify for the first time his wife’s date of death even though he did not
specify her name and the date of death. Easter day of 1891 was on the 29 March. Therefore,
she died and was buried on that day and her name was Che Rashia, (localy known as
Princesse Rashia). That date is very important in the Muslim calendar in the Seychelles
because it was on that date that the Muslim cemetery at Mont Fleuri was officially opened.
During 1887 to 1893, four persons from Perak died at Mahé who, presumably, were among the
deportees.
The Banane mille that the Sultan introduced contributed to the economy of the Seychelles. It
was a type of banana that is resistant to disease; it became the commonest type of banana and
contributed in nourishing the population during the two great wars. It seemed that the Sultan
was well versed with the Koran, because he did not force his wives and daughters to use the
burka, or cover their heads, which is, un-Islamic and predates Islam. If he were alive today he
would have laughed seeing Seychellois women wearing burka.
http://www.seychellesweekly.com/July%2011,%202010/Pictures/top_sultan3_7_8_10.jpg
Sultan Abdullah (in uniform) with members of his family in Singapore after their return
from exile in the Seychelles,?c.1894. (Source: Arkib Negara Malaysia)
History is silent on Ally, one of the Sultan’s servants. Ally was faithful, quiet and peaceful.
However, in 1885, he was wrongly convicted of killing like his master, and spent 13 years in
prison. The main reasons for his conviction was that he was living close to a deceased person,
and according to the court he should have heard the noise during the killing. According to oral
tradition, the original place where the body was found was not in situ. The crime was committed
by somebody else away from the house and the body was moved to a place under the bridge
next to Ally’s domicile. Ally was released in 1898 and was not repatriated back to his home
land. He died in the Seychelles and it is alleged that he has left descendants on the islands.
Reasons for his deportation
In 1875 Sultan Abdullah was accused of being involved in the murder of the first British resident
in Perak, James Wheeler Woodford Birch. That murder precipitated a war in which the British
used the Gurkhas for their first active service abroad. That war left nearly all eminent Malay
officials dead or exiled. Right from his arrest and throughout his long deportation in the
Seychelles and later Singapore, which lasted over twenty five years, this amiable and
passionate man never stopped claiming his innocence. The British knew that he was innocent
and refused to take the opinion of Sir Peter Benson Maxwell, the Chief Justice of the Straits
Settlement, whose counsel was that the Sultan was not guilty to the charge which resulted into
his sentence.
The man who was to blame for Birch’ murder was Sir Andrew Clarke, the governor of the Straits
Settlements from 1873 to 1878. Clarke, who was about to retire, did not want that problem to
destroy his reputations as one of the most successful colonial administrators. He disregarded
the complaint that Sultan Abdullah wrote in a letter to him about Birch’s rudeness against the
Malay rulers. Birch was arrogant and disrespectful of local customs of the ruling Sultan of Perak;
he refused to remove his shoes when he entered the palace. After nearly a year in office he was
killed.
Clarke was famously known for signing the Treaty of Pangkor in 1875 which established
indirect British rule over the Malay States. That treaty was a turning point in the history of
Malaysia. It gave the British the great opportunity to expand its influence in Southeast Asia and
fortified its monopoly on tin.
References and a special thank you goes to Mrs. Heulwen Pool, for her help in tracing
the names of Sultan’s children born in the Seychelles and the date of death of his wife.
-
William McAteer: Hard Times In Paradise, 200, pp. 147-152
-
Pool and Johnstone: Birth records from the Seychelles National Archives.
-
John Calais: F/2.14, Vol. II p. 56 Seychelles National Archives.
-
C/SS/2; B/37 and B/42 Seychelles National Archives.
-
Sultan’s return from the Seychelles 1894: Sembangkuala wordpress.com
-
The life and letter of Sir John Henniker Heaton. BT
-
The Perak’s Chiefs, in the Straits Times newspaper, 21 July 1877.
-
Ex-Sultan Abdullah of Perak. Hansard 19-2 1891 and 10 March 1892.
-
-
Dianna Salabert: Exiles in the Sun, 1994.
-
Généalogie dans les iles de l’Océan Indien: Henri Maurel’s website.
There were arguments from Indonesian that we stole their song
"Terang Bulan".
Not true....
La Rosalie Itu Benar Adanya Or Hanya Bualan Penghianat Abdullah
Posted in the Malaysia Forum
ie, implying the ex-Sultan Abdullah of Perak (or his family) in exile to Seychelles as not
telling truth!
The arguments from this Malaysian from Semenyih seems to tell aplenty: May 29, 2010
Warga Perancis Jean Pierre De Beranger (1780-1857) adalah pencipta asal melody lagu
kebangsaan Malaysia.
Pada tahun tahun 1956 semua negeri di Tanah Melayu mempunyai lagu kebesarannya sendiri.
Walau bagaimanapun, belum ada sebuah lagu kebangsaan yang merangkumi bagi seluruh
negara. Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman yang menjadi Ketua Menteri merangkap Menteri Dalam
Negeri pada ketika itu telah membuat ketetapan agar sebuah lagu kebangsaan dicipta
sebelum merdeka. Beliau mencadangkan agar diadakan satu pertandingan mencipta lagu
kebangsaan. Hasilnya sebanyak 514 buah lagu telah diterima dari seluruh dunia. Namun
demikian tidak ada sebuah lagu dari 514 lagu yang dikemukakan yang dianggap sesuai untuk
dijadikan lagu kebangsaan.
Jawatankuasa ini kemudian berpendapat satu cara lagi untuk memperolehi lagu kebangsaan
yang baik ialah dengan menjemput beberapa penggubah lagu yang ternama untuk
menciptanya.
Dengan itu jawatankuasa ini membuat keputusan mempelawa beberapa
penggubah lagu yang masyhur bertaraf antarabangsa untuk mencipta khas lagu kebangsaan
ini. Mereka yang dijemput khas untuk menggubah lagu kebangsaan ini adalah terdiri daripada
Benjamin Britten, Sir William Walton yang menggubah lagu perbarisan untuk permahkotaan
Ratu Elizabeth II, penggubah opera Amerika Gian Carlo Menotti dan Zubir Said. Namun, hasil
gubahan mereka juga ditolak.
Akhirnya Jawatankuasa ini membuat keputusan untuk mendengar kesemua lagu negeri yang
sedia ada bagi mengenalpasti sama ada di antara lagu-lagu kebesaran negeri ini ada yang
sesuai untuk dijadikan lagu kebangsaan negara. Setelah mendengar kesemua lagu negeri,
Lagu Kebesaran Negeri Perak adalah sangat sesuai untuk dijadikan sebagai lagu kebangsaan
negara.
Lagu ini telah popular pada abad ke 19 di Mahe, Kepulauan Seychelles di mana bekas Sultan
Perak, Sultan
Abdullah menetap dalam buangan. Mengikut mereka lagu tersebut sangat
popular di pulau tersebut dan selalu dimainkan oleh Pancaragam Perancis yang biasanya
memainkan pelbagai lagu dan membuat pertunjukkan konsert untuk orang ramai di pulau
berkenaan. Adalah dipercayai melodi ini telah digubah oleh seorang ahli Muzik bangsa
Perancis bernama Pierre Jean de Beranger yang lahir di Perancis pada tahun 1780 dan
meninggal dunia pada tahun 1857. Pemerintah Kerajaan Perak kemudiannya telah menjadikan
melodi lagu ini sebagai lagu kebangsaan negeri pada tahun 1901.
Lagu ini kemudiannya telah diperkenalkan oleh Bangsawan dari Indonesia yang sedang
membuat pertunjukan di Singapura pada tahun 1920an. Dalam tempoh yang singkat lagu ini
telah menjadi popular di Singapura dan diberi nama Terang Bulan. Walaupun lagu ini menjadi
Lagu Kebesaran Negeri Perak namun ia dimainkan juga di
majlis-majlis sebagai lagu hiburan.
Pada masa itu lagu ini terus menjadi Lagu Kebesaran Negeri Perak sehingga dijadikan Lagu
Kebangsaan Malaysia dengan nama Negaraku.
Melodi lagu la rosalie itu semestinya wujud kerana sekiranya ia tidak ada maka lagu negeri
Perak juga tidak akan ada.
Dan kalau sekiranya Perak tidak menjadikan lagu ini lagu kebangsaan, maka para
bangsawan Indonesia juga tidak akan mengetahui lagu ini.
the origin of negaraku has been debated for some time. i don’t admit to know the answers, but
following my short trip home for hari raya, i have collected some information from my aunt, YM raja
kamariah raja kamaralzaman, in the form of old paper clippings, photocopies from the archives at
seychelles and a copy of the july 1960 issue of ‘malaya in history’, a journal of the malayan historical
society edited by (the late) haji mubin sheppard, all of which proved to be insightful reading.
there was a french tune called la rosalie penned by a late 18th century french poet by the name
pierre-jean de béranger. the song went like this (just sing it to the tune of negaraku – easy kan?):
la rosalie assise par sa
fenêtre
j’entend la pluie qui verse sur son dos
son petit coeur qui répose a son aise
et le mien qui n’a point de repos
(the last two lines are repeated, just like our national anthem)
there are two more verses, but you get my point. la rosalie was well known by people in the
seychelles, especially by sailors on the island, who hummed and whistled the tune.
in sheppard’s 1960 article, he spoke to my great-grandaunt, YM raja aminah binti almarhum sultan
abdullah (fondly known as tok minah, a keen pianist who spoke malay in a strange accent – she was
born in mahé, what do you expect?), and my grandfather, YAM raja kamaralzaman raja mansur. tok
minah, and her elder sister YM raja halijah (tok suri), clearly recalled hearing la rosalie as a child
growing up in the seychelles. she described a french band which gave a public performance every
tuesday near HRH sultan abdullah’s residence at the seafront. her brother, raja (sir) chulan, visited
the exiled family regularly and took a liking to la rosalie, and even learnt to play it on his violin. my
great grand-dad, raja mansur (raja chulan’s elder brother), had never been to the seychelles, and it
was raja chulan who introduced la rosalie to raja mansur in 1883-5(ish), who was then a junior officer
at the secretariat.
there are a few accounts on how this tune came about to be the perak anthem. in sheppard’s
interview with granddad, tok kam described that raja mansur was HRH sultan sir idris murshidul
azam shah’s aide-de-camp, who accompanied the sultan to england. there are two arguments (even
in wikipedia – see here and here) about the exact occasion and date when this occurred. tok kam
detailed
the event to be in 1888 during which HRH sultan sir idris was invited to london by queen
victoria, when raja mansur was 24 years old. some people argued that raja mansur couldn’t have
been an ADC in 1888 as he would have been too young, and provided the alternative date of 1902,
which was the coronation of edward VII. interestingly, according to the arkib negara photographic
records, it was raja chulan who accompanied HRH sultan sir idris to london in 1902.
if tok kam’s story is correct, this makes raja mansur’s date of birth to be 1864. some accounts have
described his year of birth to be 1867 or 1868, but either way, he wouldn’t have been too young to be
an ADC to HRH sultan sir idris in 1888. besides, following sheppard’s interview of tok minah, raja
mansur was already a secretariat officer in 1883.
If tok kam’s story is correct, this makes raja mansur’s date of birth to be 1864. some accounts have
described his year of birth to be 1867 or 1868, but either way, he wouldn’t have been too young to be
an ADC to HRH sultan sir idris in 1888. besides, following sheppard’s interview of tok minah, raja
mansur was already a secretariat officer in 1883.
and the story went of how raja mansur hummed the tune on the spot when asked for the perak
anthem. he then told HRH sultan sir idris to stand to attention when the bandmaster plays the tune,
as, lo and behold, perak has an anthem. and the first malay state to have one, too! years later, in a
competition held in search of the national anthem in 1957, the late tunku abdul rahman al-haj chose
the melody of the perak anthem, Allah lanjutkan usia Sultan, as our nation’s own.
therefore, it is hard to believe that negaraku originated from terang bulan. or
mamula moon. the thing
is, all three tunes have the same origin. and that ain’t the same thing as calling our national anthem a
keronchong tune. as mentioned above, la rosalie was well known amongst island and seafaring folk.
there was a regular steamer service that travelled from the seychelles to singapore, and it was
inadvertently introduced to indonesian bangsawan. tok kamaralzaman’s account of this to sheppard
was that the tune was then called stamboel satu and played in the bangsawan indra zanibar or
wayang/komedie kassim [click here for a description of a handbill of the bangsawan]. this would have
been the origin of terang bulan, which had been sung in malay, dutch (terang boelan) and english (by
felix mendelssohn & his hawaiian serenaders).
historical recollection of events can be distorted, especially when there are limitations of the historical
sources themselves. as for whether or not la rosalie was ever popular in the seychelles in the late
18th century, a gramophone of terang bulan was sent by the late haji mubin sheppard to the
seychelles in 1960, which was then played over the radio. it was recognised instantly by an elderly
resident as a tune popular in the 1890’s. in 1963, the french ambassador in malaysia, pierre anthonioz,
had requested the government of seychelles to procure the lyrics of la rosalie. in 1964, the governor
(the seychelles were still under the british then) replied and reaffirmed that the tune was recognised
by some of the elderly populace, and provided the words (see above) to the song, which was still
hummed at that time.
How Negeri Perak got her State Anthem
There’re two versions as mentioned in your note of how the Perak state got her state anthem. The
second one might be more to it, to detail out as follows.
As mentioned, HRH Sultan Idris Murshidul Azam Shah was the ruler of Perak from 1887 to 1916. He
represented the rulers of the Federated Malay States at the installation of King Edward VII in 1901.
When the ship carrying His Royal Highness docked at the port, protocol officers from colonial office
boarded the ship to enquire about the Perak state anthem. It was the pratice in those day (until now)
to play state anthem of the visiting Sultan on his arrival in England.
Ketika itu Negeri Perak tanpa lagu kebangsaannya. Seorang dari ADC Sultan, Raja Harun bin Sultan
Abdullah, merupakan seorang ahli muzik. Walaupun Perak ketika itu tanpa lagu kebangsaannya, Raja
Harun telah menyatakan mereka mempunyai lagunya, tetapi
tertinggal nota-nota melodinya. Namun
begitu beliau mengatakan boleh bermain lagu tersebut tanpa notanya.
Dengan izin DYMM Sultan, beberapa pemuzik colonial telah menyiapkan nota-notanya. Lagu tersebut
merupakan lagu gubahan semula yang satu atau dua barisan kedengaran saperti lagu La Rosalie.
Lirik lagu enam baris telah dikarang oleh Raja Chulan dan Raja Mansur, semuanya anakanda-
anakanda Sultan Abdullah.
Tetapi, sebagaimana saya nyatakan sebelum ini, lagu tersebut telah digubah semula, dengan
mempunyai air lagu kemelayuan. Mungkin sebaris dua bunyi saperti lagu La Rosalie. Kini kita patut
berbangga dengan usaha yg di buat anakanda-anakanda Sultan Abdullah ketika itu. Siapa yang tahu?
Sekembali DYMM Sultan Idris di Perak pada awal 1902, lagu negeri Perak yang baru ini dinyanyikan di sekolah- sekolah seluruh negeri
Perak sehingga sekarang dengan lirik yg asalnya. Saya juga pernah menyanyikan lagu tersebut sewaktu di sekolah di Perak dahulu.
Begitulah…”
koleksi sejarah kadang kadang boleh berubah lebih lebih lagi apabila punca sumber sejarah yang
terhad.
sama ada lagu La Rosalie itu benar benar wujud dan popular di seychelles lewat abad ke 18, sebuah
gramophone(piring hitam) lagu terang bulan telah di hantar oleh Haji Mubin Sheppard ke Seychelles
pada tahun 1960 kemudian dimainkan di radio seychelles.
sepantasnya melodi itu dikenali oleh orang orang tua di sana sebagai lagu la rosalie pada tahun
1890an.
tahun 1963 duta perancis di malaysia pierre antonoiz telah meminta pemerintah seychelles untuk
menyerahkan lirik lagu la rosalie.
tahun 1964 seychelles menghantar menjawab dan meyakinkan bahawa melodi asal adalah melodi
yang telah popular dan masih diingati populasi orang orang tua di seychelles. ini lirik lagu yang
masih
di siulkan oran oran tua di seychelles pada masa itu.
la rosalie assise par sa fenêtre
j’entend la pluie qui verse sur son dos
son petit coeur qui répose a son aise
et le mien qui n’a point de repos
Meantime...
Read also "Sembang Kuala"
Origin of the Perak State Anthem
The origins of the Malaysian national anthem, which was derived from the Perak State Anthem, of late
have been the topic of great debate. Originally, there are indeed three versions of the story describing
the origin of the Perak State Anthem – Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan.
Notes to the Perak State Anthem. (Source: Laman rasmi Pejabat Sultan Perak)
Version 1The State anthem was claimed to be derived from the tune of a very popular contemporary song entitled Terang Bulan. According to Mustapha Albakri, the tune was used as the Perak State anthem for the first time in England in 1901 during the installation of King Edward VII. Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah represented the Malay Rulers of the Federated Malay States at the installation ceremony of King Edward VII in 1901. When the ship carrying Sultan Idris docked at the Southampton port, a protocol officer from the
Colonial Office boarded the ship to enquire about the Perak State anthem. It was practice in those days to play the state or national anthem of the visiting head of state or king on his arrival in England. At that time Perak did not have a State anthem. It so happened that Raja Harun bin Sultan Abdullah, the private secretary to the Sultan, was himself a musician. Although Perak did not have a State anthem, Raja Harun refused to admit it. He told the protocol officer that Perak had its State anthem, but the music sheets were not brought along. Nevertheless, he said that he could play the song without looking at the notes. After hearing the explanation, the protocol officer allowed Raja Harun to proceed. The tune that he played was actually Terang Bulan. So, Terang Bulan was played for the first time on English soil in 1901. Since then, the tune was adopted as the Perak State anthem.
Comment: Whilst Queen Victoria met her demise in January 1901, Edward VII’s coronation was in fact in 1902. Sultan Idris was accompanied by Raja Chulan ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah on this trip to England in 1902, which on his return to Perak accompanied by his son, Raja Alang Iskandar, who had completed his studies in Oxford. Raja Chulan’s brother, Raja Ngah Mansur, who was ADC to Sultan Idris, did not travel to England in 1902. Furthermore, there has been no documentation of a ‘Raja Harun ibni Sultan Abdullah’ in the Perak royal family tree, provided Sultan Abdullah in this instance being Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II. It is also unlikely that Raja Harun was a son of Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah
I (SP22) as Almarhum had only three sons, none of whom was named Raja Harun.
____________________________________
Version 2This version was related by Raja Kamaralzaman (Raja Di-Hilir 1948-62), son of Raja Ngah Mansur who was ADC to Sultan Idris. According to him, Terang Bulan was first used as the tune for the Perak State anthem when Sultan Idris visited London in 1888, one year after he was installed as Sultan. His visit to London was in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1888. Upon the arrival of the royal entourage in London, a representative of Queen Victoria asked Raja Ngah Mansur, being the Sultan’s ADC, for the music notes of the Perak State Anthem. Protocol required that the state anthem be played as the Sultan walked into the coronation hall. To avoid
embarrassment, the quick-witted Raja Ngah Mansur told the representative of the Queen that the music sheets for the State anthem had been left behind. However, if the officer could get a musician, Raja Ngah Mansur said he could whistle the tune for the musician to write the notes. When a musician was brought forth, Raja Ngah Mansur whistled the song that was very popular among the Perak people at that time. So the Perak State anthem was officially played for the first time during the Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee in London. And it was actually the tune of Terang Bulan. This version is the one described in the website of the Sultan of Perak’s office and Portal Raja Kita.
Version 3The late Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard who was at one time the Director of the National Archives had researched on this subject. His sources were two sisters, Raja Aminah and Raja Halijah, the daughters of Sultan Abdullah, and also Raja Kamaralzaman.
Raja Aminah (left) and Raja Halijah - daughters of Almarhum Sultan Abdullah interviewed by Mubin Sheppard in Taiping in 1960.
According to these sisters, the first time they heard the tune La Rosalie, now known as that of
Negaraku, was in Mahé, one of the Seychelles islands, where their father, Sultan Abdullah, lived in
exile. They said the song was very popular there and very often played by a French band which
usually played a variety of songs and held concerts for the people of that island. Raja (Sir) Chulan,
visited his exiled family regularly and took a liking to La Rosalie, and even learnt to play it on his violin.
Raja Ngah Mansur (Raja Chulan’s elder brother), had never been to the Seychelles, and it was Raja
Chulan who introduced La Rosalie to Raja Ngah Mansur, possibly c.1883-5, who was then a junior
officer at the secretariat. The rest of the story involving Raja Ngah Mansur whistling the tune in
England in 1888 would be as per version 2.
It was believed that the melody of the song ( La Rosalie) was composed by a French poet and songwriter named Pierre-Jean de Béranger who was born in France in 1780 and died in 1857. According to Raja Kamaralzaman’s story, the song was introduced by a bangsawan group from Indonesia in Singapore. Over a short span of time, the song became very popular in Singapore and was given the name Terang Bulan.
Comment: It is likely that versions 2 and 3 are to be ‘told together’. Sheppard’s interview with the two
daughters of Sultan Abdullah in Taiping was elegantly described in an article in a 1960 issue of
Malaya In History. A possible explanation of how Terang Bulan was made popular in the Malay
archipelago is that La Rosalie was well known amongst island and seafaring folk. There was a
regular steamer service that travelled from the Seychelles to Singapore, and it was inadvertently
introduced to Indonesian bangsawan. Raja Kamaralzaman’s account of this to Sheppard was that the
tune was then called Stamboel Satu and played in the bangsawan Indra Zanibar or Wayang/Komedie
Kassim. This was likely have been the origin of Terang Bulan, which had been sung in Malay, Dutch
(Terang Boelan) and English (Mamula Moon by Felix
Mendelssohn & his Hawaiian Serenaders). As
for whether or not La Rosalie was actually ever popular in the Seychelles in the late 19th century, a
gramophone of Terang Bulan was sent by the Sheppard to the Seychelles in 1960, which was then
played over the radio. It was recognised instantly by an elderly resident as a tune popular in the
1890′s. In 1963, the French ambassador in Malaysia, Pierre Anthonioz, had requested the government
of Seychelles to procure the lyrics of La Rosalie:
La Rosalie assise par sa fenêtre
J’entend la pluie qui verse sur son dos
Son petit coeur qui répose a son aise
Et le mien qui n’a point de repos
In 1964, the governor (the Seychelles were still under the British then) replied and reaffirmed that the
tune was recognised by some of the elderly populace, and provided the words to the song, which was
still hummed at that time.
The late Raja Azaham Raja Adnan, who was previously curator of the Perak Museum in Taiping and had a strong interest in music, had described that it is debatable whether or not the state anthem is sung note-for-note like La Rosalie. Raja Azaham commented, “We (at the museum) have acquired both recorded melody of the songs. Obviously, both melodies were not the same as our national anthem, Negara Ku. I may say it was a coincidence that the three melodies were the same. We should be very comprehensive in our research, especially in song melody. What I have found was only one line of La Rosalie‘s melody that was coincidentally identical with that in Negara Ku. Whilst it is true that Negara Ku‘s melody is that of the Perak State Anthem, both anthems are, on the
whole, not completely identical to La Rosalie. To argue this point, there are many instances in music that contain identical melodies despite being composed independently. P Ramlee’s Di Pinggiran has a melodic similarity to the theme from From Russia With Love sung by Matt Monroe, and there are numerous other examples. That is why music is seen to be an entity that is universal ( sejagat).” ___________________________________
Version 4
We have been informed of a fourth version of the story as described by Dr. Talib Samat, an associate
professor at UPSI. According to Dr. Talib’s research that brought him to the Seychelles, the song
Terang Bulan itself was composed by Sultan Abdullah himself in the Seychelles as he loved the
aforementioned French tune of La Rosalie. Sultan Abdullah was then said to have himself suggested
that Terang Bulan to be made the Perak State Anthem.
Comment: Whilst Sultan Abdullah during his exile may have suggested to his sons that Terang Bulan
was to be made the state anthem on Raja Ngah Mansur’s trip to England with the then reigning Sultan
Idris in 1888, this version is at odds with the accounts of Raja Aminah and Raja Halijah who made no
comment that their father had indeed penned a tune called Terang Bulan based on La Rosalie.
The words of the Perak State Anthem:
Dilanjutkan Allah usianya Sultan
Adil dan makmur memerintah watan
Ditaati rakyat kiri dan kanan
Iman yang saleh Allah kurniakan
Allah berkati Perak Ridzuan
Allah selamatkan Negeri dan Sultan
Reference: 1. www.malaysianmonarchy.org.my2. Laman Rasmi Pejabat Sultan Perak 3. Portal Raja Kita Perak Darul Ridzuan 4. Sheppard M. The origin of Negara-Ku. Related by Raja Aminah binti Almarhum Sultan Abdullah, Raja Halijah binti Almarhum Sultan Abdullah and Raja Kamaralzaman Raja Mansur. Malaya In History. 1960; VI (1): 14-17. 5. Ponnusamy DM. Perak royal brothers made trip to England. The New Straits Times. 1992 March 23. 6. Finestones J. Raja Chulan was the Sultan’s son. The New Straits Times. 1992 March 3. 7. Mooney Datuk P. National anthem based on Terang Bulan. The New Straits Times. 1992 February 24. 8. Personal archived documents of YM Raja Kamariah Raja Kamaralzaman. 9. Dr. Talib Samat. Syurga yang hilang di Seychelles. Utusan Malaysia. 2011 May 1.
X. Additional note on the Malayan national anthem:
The Malayan/Malaysian national anthem Negaraku (My Country) has a long and interesting history. As
Malaya came closer to independence, the incoming Cabinet led by the Tunku proposed a competition
for a national anthem. The competition attracted a number of local and foreign contestants, including
British composer Benjamin Britten, but none of the anthems submitted satisfied the selection
committee or the Cabinet. Finally, a Cabinet member suggested that the popular song Terang Bulan
(Bright Moon) be adapted instead.
The origins of Terang Bulan date back to Sultan Abdullah of Perak’s period of exile in the Seychelles,
where he became acquainted with the song La Rosalie by French composer Béranger (1780–1857).
In 1888, Raja Chulan was invited to London as part of Raja (later Sultan) Idris’s entourage. Upon
arrival at Southampton, the Perak delegation was asked about the anthem of their state. Not having
an anthem to call their own, Raja Chulan suggested that the band play La Rosalie. The song thus
became Perak’s official anthem.
By then the song La Rosalie had also reached the Malay Peninsula, thanks to the growing sea-borne
traffic between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Renamed Stanbul Satu, it became a hit
with Indonesian bangsawan troupes and was renamed Terang Bulan. In time, the tune became well
known across the Malay Peninsula and the Dutch East Indies.
When Malaya finally gained independence in 1957, Terang Bulan was one of the most popular songs
in the region. The Cabinet finally decided to give it new lyrics and suggested a number of minor
alterations. The Tunku also had to negotiate with the Perak royal family, for it meant depriving them of
their state anthem. When the tune was finally played before the Cabinet it was unanimously accepted.
Thus it came to pass that a song written by a French composer during the Restoration period
became the national anthem for the newly independent Federation of Malaya.
(For more information regarding the curious history of Negaraku, see Raja Aminah binti Almarhum
Sultan Abdullah, ‘The Origin of Negaraku’, Malaya in History, July 1960 and ‘Seychelles’s Link with
Malayan History’, Seychelles Bulletin, May 1976.)
Dari Kera-jaan Malaysia:
National Anthem : Negaraku
The purpose of the national anthem is to raise the patriotic spirit for the country, as well as to signify
the hopes and wishes of a nation. Our National Anthem is called Negaraku. The lyrics call for the
people consisting of different races, religions, and culture to live together in harmony as well as to
pursue progress in the country. It also reflects the prayer for blessing from God for peace for the king,
people and the country. Negeraku was originally played at a moderate tempo, as with most anthems
in countries with a monarchy system. However, on 31st August 1993, in conjunction with the National
Day, the government had changed the tempo to a march beat in order to achieve a more spirited
mood. People of Malaysia who love their country and king should know more about the history behind
the national anthem in order to gain a sense of patriotism and loyalty.
HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
There were two sources in record regarding the origin of the National Anthem. One is where the song
is originally the royal anthem of Perak, which also happens to be a popular song in its time called
Terang Bulan. According to Tuan Haji Mustafa Albakri, Keeper of the Malay Kings’s Great Seal, the
song was heard for the first time as Perak’s national song for the first time in 1901 during the
coronation of King Edward VII in England.
Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah (Marhum Rahmatullah) reigned as the Sultan of Perak from 1887
to 1916. Prior to the event of the coronation of King Edward VII in 1901, Sultan Idris had gone over to
England as a representative of the Malay Kings of the union of Malay states. Upon arrival at the
Southampton Harbour, a protocol officer from the foreign colonial office had inquired on royal anthem
for Perak. It had been a custom in England
to play an accompanying anthem on the arrival of a king or
the head of a state.
At the time, Perak did not have a national hymn to its name. Despite this fact, Raja Harun bin Sultan
Abdullah, personal secretary to the Sultan as well as an accomplished musician did not want to lose
face. He had informed the protocol officer that Perak indeed had its own anthem, but they have failed
to bring the music score with them. However, he assured the officer that he can play the song from
memory.
Upon hearing the explanation, the protocol officer allowed Raja Harun bin Sultan Abdullah to perform
the anthem to accompany the arrival of Sultan Idris. Raja Harun then played the anthem, which is in
fact the song Terang Bulan, a popular Malay folksong of that time. And thus it was for the time Terang
Bulan was played in England for the first time and it had instaneously been recognized as Perak’s
official anthem until
it was later adapted as the Malaysian National Anthem.
Another source was cited by Raja Kamarulzaman, son of Raja Mansur who was an escort to Sultan
Idris, that Terang Bulan was first adapted as the national anthem of Perak in 1888 when Sultan Idris
visited London for the coronation of Queen Victoria, a year after he was crowned as a King. Upon
arrival of the royal convoy in London, representatives of Queen Victoria had requested for the music
scores of the royal anthem of Perak from Raja Mansur. According to the official third protocol practice,
a royal or national anthem will be played as soon as the King steps into the coronation hall. To avoid embarrassment, Raja Mansur had informed the Queen’s representative that they had failed to bring
the music scores with them, but if they can provide them a musician that can compose a musical
piece by ear, he will then play the music by whistling, so that said musician will
be able to dictate the
music score.
The song that Raja Mansur whistles was a very popular song, well loved by the people of Perak. And
thus the national anthem of Perak was officially played for the very time during the Crowning
Ceremony of Queen Victoria in London, and the song played is Terang Bulan. Former Director of
National Archive, Tuan Haji Mubin Sheppard had made a research regarding the origin of this song. He
had cited sources from 2 royal sisters, Raja Aminah binti Almarhum Sultan Abdullah dan Raja Halijah
binti Almarhum Sultan Abdullah as well as from Raja Kamarulzaman.
According to the two sisters, the first time they heard this song (now known as ‘Negaraku’) was at
Mahe, Seychelles Isles, where their father (former Sultan of Perak, Sultan Abdullah) had remained in
exile. The song was a very popular song in the island and was often played by the French Marching
Band as part of
their many ensemble and concert pieces for the people of the island. It was believed
that the melody of the song was composed by a French musician named Pierre Jean de Beranger,
who was born in France in 1780 and died in 1857.
Raja Kamarulzaman said that the song was introduced by a performer from Indonesia who was doing
a show in Singapore. In a short time, the song became very popular in Singapore and was named
Terang Bulan. Despite being the national anthem for Perak, this song was still played in events as
entertainment. The song remained as Perak’s national anthem until it was adapted as the national
anthem of Malaysia with the name ‘Negaraku’.
THE NEGARAKU SONG
By the year 1956, every state in Tanah Melayu had its own national anthem. But there had no definitive
song which speaks for the whole nation. At the time, Malaya was on the brink of independence and it
was only fitting that she should her own national hymn. It must also be kept in mind that the song
should have a patriotic theme that would represent the whole country. Tunku Abdul Rahman who was
the Chief Minister, also Minister of Internal Affairs had decided that a national anthem would be written
before independence. Following this decision a committee was formed to find ways in obtaining a
suitable national anthem for the soon to be independent Malaya.
Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman suggested that a national anthem songwriting competition is held. This
suggestion is taken into good stride and immediately put into effect. The competition was not limited
to the locals but also the whole world. The result was that 514 songs were accepted from all over the
world. To choose the song that would represent the country and its people, a committee had been
formed to make an informed and judicious decision.
The Committee line-up was made up of:
Chairman:
1. Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj
Members:
2. Tuan Haji Mustafa Albakri, Keeper of the Seal of Malay Kings.
3. Dato’ Abdul Razak Hussein, Education Minister
4. Encik Ya’akob Latiff, Information Director
5. Encik D.S.P. Croft, Music Director, Federal Police Band.
6. Kapt. Lenthall, Music Director, Malay Soldier
7. Encik A.T. Read,
Radio Broadcast Director.
This committee had done their duty to the utmost. They have analyzed each song that was received.
However it was unanimously decided that out of 514 songs, there wasn’t a single one that really stood
out. Therefore they had thought that perhaps a better way would be to invite several world famous
composers to compose a melody fit for an anthem.
Those who were invited specially for this purpose were:
1. Benjamin Britten
2. Sir William Walton
3. Carlo Menetti dan
4. Zubir Said
They have composed and created several songs to be scrutinized by a judging panel that was formed
especially for this purpose. The judging panel had decided that the songs they reviewed were of high
quality but there had not been a single song that is suitable enough to be used as national anthems.
Despite the competition and song contributions from several
world famous song composer, there had
not been a truly satisfactory result. Therefore the Committee had made the decision to review all
available anthems from each state instead. The reason behind this decision was to determine which
of these songs would be truly fitting to be used as a national anthem. After assessment of each state
anthem, it was generally decided that Perak State Hymn was the best and most fitting to be used as a
national anthem. Therefore the song was finally used as Malaya’s National Anthem, and later, the
National Anthem of Malaysian. The lyrics were written together with the judging panel, where Y.T.M
Tunku Abdul Rahman was said to have made a huge contribution.
NEGARAKU (LYRICS)
NEGARAKU
TANAH TUMPAHNYA DARAHKU
RAKYAT HIDUP BERSATU DAN MAJU
RAHMAT BAHAGIA TUHAN KURNIAKAN
RAJA KITA SELAMAT BERTAKHTA
RAHMAT BAHAGIA TUHAN KURNIAKAN
RAJA KITA SELAMAT BERTAKHTA
Titah Tuanku:
The National Anthem not only serves to arouse the spirit of patriotism, but also symbolizes the socio-
culture and expresses the aspiration of the particular nation. The National Anthem of Malaysia is
entitled Negaraku. The lyrics of Negaraku urge the people of various races, religions and cultures to
live harmoniously in their pursuit of progress in all fields. By the grace of God it hopes that the king,
the people and the beloved country will be blessed with peace and prosperity. The Negaraku was first
played and sung in the moderato tempo as in the case of other national anthems. However, in line
with the development of the country’s socio-economy, the government, in conjunction with the
celebration of the National Day in 1993, changed in to a March tempo which is faster and more
spirited. Malaysians who love their country and king should know more about Negaraku so as to be
more patriotic.
- The History of the National Anthem
- The Selection of the Song for Negaraku
- The Rules on Playing Negaraku
- Full Version or Royal Version
- The Abridged Version
- The Short Version
- To Play National and State Anthems
- Respecting Negaraku
- The Musical Notes of Negaraku
- The lyrics of Negaraku
The Conference of Rulers is the supreme institution in the country and unique because it is the only
such institution in the world today. When the country achieved independence, the Conference of
Rulers was constituted under Article 38 of the Federal Constitution. In accordance with the Fifth
Schedule of the Constitution it shall exercise its functions of:
- The History of the National Anthem
- The Selection of the Song for Negaraku
- The Rules on Playing Negaraku
- Full Version or Royal Version
- The Abridged Version
- The Short Version
- To Play National and State Anthems
- Respecting Negaraku
- The Musical Notes of Negaraku
- The lyrics of Negaraku
HISTORY OF NATIONAL ANTHEM
According to records there are two sources relating to the origin of the National Anthem before the
song Negaraku became the National Anthem of Malaysia. The same tune was once the State Anthem
of Perak and it was also the tune of a very popular contemporary song entitled Terang Bulan.
According to Tuan Haji Mustapha Albakri, the tune was used as the Perak State anthem for the first
time in England in 1901 during the installation of King Edward VII.
Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah was the Ruler of the State of Perak from 1887 to 1916. He
represented the Malay Rulers of the Federated Malay States at the installation ceremony of King
Eward VII in 1901. When the ship carrying His Royal Highness docked at the Southampton Port, a
protocol officer from the Colonial Office boarded the ship to enquire about the Perak State anthem. It
was a practice in those days, to play the state or national anthem of the visiting head of state or king
on his arrival in England.
At that time Perak did not have a State anthem. It so happened that Raja Harun bin Sultan Abdullah,
the private secretary to the Sultan, was himself a musician. Although Perak did not have a State
anthem, Raja Harun refused to admit it. He told the protocol officer that Perak had its State anthem,
but the music sheets were not brought along. Nevertheless, he said that he could play the song
without looking at the notes.
After hearing the explanation, the protocol officer allowed Raja Harun to proceed. The tune that he
played was actually Terang Bulan. So Terang Bulan was played for the first time on English soil in
1901. Since then, the tune was adopted as the Perak State anthem until it became the tune for the
National Anthem.
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