keris and spirit

[Kiai Carita]

Originally Posted by Alam Shah

Gamelan Music of Central Java - Song of Wisdom and Love.
Court Music - Pangkur Gedhong Kuning

Singgah singgah kala singgah
Pan suminggah durga kala sumingkir
Singa sirah singa suku
Singa tan kasad mata
Sinnga tenggak singa wulu singa bahu
Kabeh padha sumingkira
Mring telenging jalanidhi

Translation:
Move, move, evil spirits, move away,
The prayer to move evils away.
One resides in the head, one in the legs,
The invisible one,
One resides in the neck, one in body hair, one in the arms.
All must move away,
To the centre of the ocean.

... sung poetry...

I was taught a rather different song - happens in oral traditions:

Singgah singgah Kala singgah!
Pan suminggah Durga Kala sumingkir!
Singa sirah, singa suku
Singa tan kasat mata
Singa tenggak singa wulu singa bau
Kabeh pada sumingkira
Baliya mring asal neki!

Go away! Go away! Evil spirits go away!
Go away! Destruction and Time go away!
Evil in my head, evil in my limbs
Evil that the eyes can't see
Evil in my throat evil in my hairs and in my energy
Go away I command you
Go back to where you came from!

The melody of this poem is very powerfull and sung properly immediately cleans an atmosphere - when sung, it is cross-cultural and relates to spirits universally. I have experienced many times the power of this song too, and my translation fits into the melody perfectly.

Warm salaams
Bram.