Gugur Bunga
Encyclopedia
"Gugur Bunga di Taman Bakti" (The Fallen Flower in the Garden of Devotion), better known as "Gugur Bunga", is an Indonesia
n patriotic song written by Ismail Marzuki
in 1945. Written to honor the Indonesian soldiers killed during the Indonesian National Revolution
, it tells of the death of a soldier, and the singer's feelings. It has since become a common song for protests and funerals. The song's line gugur satu, tumbuh seribu (one falls, a thousand arise) has entered common Indonesian vernacular
.
. It was written in honor of the Indonesian soldiers who died fighting the Dutch colonial
army. During the war, an estimated 45,000 to 100,000 Indonesians died in combat, with civilian casualties exceeding 25,000, possibly as many as 100,000.
"Gugur Bunga" is performed andante moderato
in time
.
, "Satu Nusa Satu Bangsa", and "Bagimu Negeri".
"Gugur Bunga" is sometimes used at funerals and memorial services, such as at the memorial service of former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid
and the funerals of former President Suharto and veteran reporter Rosihan Anwar
.
After the death of four students in the 1998 Trisakti shootings
, the media used the lyrics gugur satu, tumbuh seribu as a slogan for the reformation movement and to indicate that the students had not died in vain. Today the line gugur satu, tumbuh seribu has entered common usage, with a meaning similar to "there are plenty more fish in the sea".
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n patriotic song written by Ismail Marzuki
Ismail Marzuki
Ismail Marzuki was an Indonesian composer, songwriter and musician who wrote between 202 and 240 songs between 1931 and 1958, including numerous popular patriotic songs. Among his best known works are "Gugur Bunga" and "Rayuan Pulau Kelapa". In 1968, he was honoured with the creation of Taman...
in 1945. Written to honor the Indonesian soldiers killed during the Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
, it tells of the death of a soldier, and the singer's feelings. It has since become a common song for protests and funerals. The song's line gugur satu, tumbuh seribu (one falls, a thousand arise) has entered common Indonesian vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
.
Writing
"Gugur Bunga" was written by Ismail Marzuki in 1945 at the beginning of the Indonesian National RevolutionIndonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
. It was written in honor of the Indonesian soldiers who died fighting the Dutch colonial
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
army. During the war, an estimated 45,000 to 100,000 Indonesians died in combat, with civilian casualties exceeding 25,000, possibly as many as 100,000.
Lyrics and structure
| Original | Translation |
Betapa hatiku takkan pilu Telah gugur pahlawanku Betapa hatiku takkan sedih Hamba ditinggal sendiri Siapakah kini plipur lara Nan setia dan perwira Siapakah kini pahlawan hati Pembela bangsa sejati Reff Refrain A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song... : Telah gugur pahlawanku Tunai sudah janji bakti Gugur satu tumbuh seribu Tanah air jaya sakti Gugur bungaku di taman bakti Di haribaan pertiwi Harum semerbak menambahkan sari Tanah air jaya sakti |
How can I not feel sorrow My hero has passed How can I not feel sad I am left all alone Who can be my solace Loyal and brave Who can be my heart's hero A true defender of the people Reff Refrain A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song... : My hero has passed His service is done One falls, a thousand arise For our great and sacred homeland My flower has fallen in the garden of devotion On our Mother's lap The fragrance pervades the essense Of our great and sacred homeland |
"Gugur Bunga" is performed andante moderato
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
in time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
.
Reception
"Gugur Bunga" is seen as a mournful, patriotic song about the death of a soldier fighting his enemy. As such, it has become a well-known nationalistic song in Indonesia, being covered by numerous artists. It is also considered a compulsory song for students to learn, along with "Indonesia RayaIndonesia Raya
"Indonesia Raya" is the national anthem of the Republic of Indonesia. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress in Batavia...
, "Satu Nusa Satu Bangsa", and "Bagimu Negeri".
"Gugur Bunga" is sometimes used at funerals and memorial services, such as at the memorial service of former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid, born Abdurrahman Addakhil , colloquially known as , was an Indonesian Muslim religious and political leader who served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001...
and the funerals of former President Suharto and veteran reporter Rosihan Anwar
Rosihan Anwar
Rosihan Anwar was a renowned Indonesian journalist and author.Rosihan Anwar was born in Kubang Nan Dua, West Sumatra. Rosihan received early education at HIS and MULO in Padang. He continued his school to AMS in Yogyakarta and often participated journalism workshop at Columbia University, New York...
.
After the death of four students in the 1998 Trisakti shootings
Trisakti shootings
The Trisakti shootings occurred at Trisakti University, Jakarta, Indonesia on 12 May 1998. At a demonstration asking for president Suharto's resignation, soldiers opened fire on unarmed protestors. Four students, Elang Mulia Lesmana, Heri Hertanto, Hafidin Royan, and Hendriawan Sie, were killed;...
, the media used the lyrics gugur satu, tumbuh seribu as a slogan for the reformation movement and to indicate that the students had not died in vain. Today the line gugur satu, tumbuh seribu has entered common usage, with a meaning similar to "there are plenty more fish in the sea".