Nonya¹ Wee

Was on the way

To Muar² town

One sunny day.

And Nonya Wee

Met Baba³ Tan

Crossing the river

In a small sampan.⁴

1. In Baba Malay (a variant of the Malay language), Nonya refers to the female in the Baba/Nonya community
2. A small town in the southern state of Johor, Malaysia
3. Male reference (Baba Malay)
4. A small boat with oars (Malay)
5. Local coffee (Various)
6. Mister (Malay)
7. Give a treat (Malay)
8. White flat noodles (Hokkien)
9. You are very pretty (Hokkien)
10. Thank you (Malay)
11. Particularly beautiful (Malay)
12. Exclamation of surprise (Various)
13. Used to express a variety of emotions (Various)
14. Truly, lit. not blindly (Malay)
15. I swear (Malay)
16. Thank you (Hokkien)
17. Poetic form (Malay)
18. This rice grows in Muar / Although uncooked, it feels the heat /My heart is beyond control / To fall in love before meeting (Malay)
19. The boat is new, the visit too. / Both have just entered Muar. / You are new, I am new. / We are just getting to know one another (Malay)
20. I win the lottery (Various colloq.)
21. Noodle treat (Malay, Hokkien)
22. Exclamation of surprise (Malay)
23. Can drink coffee with milk (Malay colloq.)
24. Two-piece figure-hugging blouse and sarong (Malay)
25. Are you mad or not? (Hokkien, Malay)
26. Itchy (Malay)
27. Religiously acceptable (Malay, Arabic)
28. Exclamation of exasperation (Various)
29. Polite reference to a male lover, lit. older brother (Malay)

• Tags: Issue 17, Poetry, Robert Yeo