Pantun: The Malay Four-Line Poem
How the traditional Malay pantun works, its abab rhyme and two-part structure, with examples and a guide to writing your own.
The pantun is one of the best-loved forms of Malay poetry. It's short, musical and full of hidden meaning, and it's still recited at weddings, in speeches and in daily conversation.
The structure
A typical pantun has four lines with these features:
- Rhyme scheme abab: lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme.
- Two halves: the first two lines (pembayang, the "shadow") set an image, usually from nature. The last two lines (maksud, the "meaning") carry the message.
- Length: each line is short, usually eight to twelve syllables.
An example
Pisang emas bawa belayar, Masak sebiji di atas peti. Hutang emas boleh dibayar, Hutang budi dibawa mati.
Golden bananas carried on a voyage, one ripens on top of the chest. A debt of gold can be repaid, a debt of kindness is carried to the grave.
The first two lines offer a picture, and the last two give the lesson: kindness creates a debt that gold can't repay.
Themes
Pantun cover many topics:
| Theme | Malay name |
|---|---|
| love and courtship | pantun kasih sayang |
| advice | pantun nasihat |
| humour | pantun jenaka |
| children | pantun kanak-kanak |
Where pantun appear
- Weddings and formal events, in speeches.
- Everyday conversation, as witty comments.
- Literature and songs.
Writing your own
- Choose a message for lines 3 and 4.
- Choose a rhyme and find an image from nature for lines 1 and 2.
- Keep the rhythm even.
- Read it aloud to check the sound.
Even a simple attempt is fun, and it trains your ear for Malay rhythm.
Tips
- Read pantun aloud.
- Notice abab rhyme.
- Use the dictionary to look up new words.
English Malay Dictionary
Offline English–Malay (Bahasa Melayu) dictionary with clear, accurate meanings
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