Nasib Badan - The Fate

From the borderland of rejang land area, nasib badan is folk song from Pagar Alam, Lahat, Muara Enim Regency, southern Sumatra Island, Indonesia. It is also most popular close to all region in south west sumatra, esspecially by wanderer. Nasib Badan (malay language) meaning is the fate, this moarning ballad song tell about an orphan who remembered the unfortunate home in overseas.

Nasib Badan
(The Fate)

Pagar Alam custom house

Singer by Victor Hutabarat

Mp3 online



Bebuah salak serumpon.
Ami ku kubilang seribu tujoh.

Amun betuah tunggulah duson.
Malang mak aku merantau jaoh.

Lagi pisau menebas lalang.
Banyak duson badah ku lalu.

Aku merantau membawe malang.
Balek ke duson ngundang malu.

Oi nasib ni badan.
Nanggung sedih sepanjang taon.

Lagi kecik ditinggal umak.
Ami besak lenget dijalan.

Lagi kecik ditinggal umak.
Ami besak lenget dijalan.


P.S. :

Special presentation for all reader from Lahat, Pagar Alam and Muara Enim. I believe you will be home sick immediately in wandering, and be sorrow when you at distance.

This song most popular in south sumatra region, with use malay`s from south sumatra language and Muara Enim dialect if I am not mistaken. Please let me know if you have any correction. admin.

Credit photo :

Taken in Pagar Alam Sept 25th, 2009 by Sabena Bungsu (flickr)

Dancing Women of Pasemah Tribe, Muara Empayang, Kikim Timur, Lahat, Southern Sumatra

This photo taken from Tropen Museum, Netherland. Photo discribe about A dancer women wear ceremonial cloth. Located at Muara Empayang, that area now part of east Kikim district, Lahat Regency, South Province, Indonesia.

The very interesting culture, with very good textile quality (Songket).

Siwar Dance, from Pagar Alam, Southern Sumatra

Siwar is the traditional weapon (a kind of knife) from rejang and passumah tribe. The old dance using the Siwar as you see hold in hands of dancer.

In long time ago, the clasic siwar dance some time use magic power, so the dancer can be more atractable with immune from puncture and will be wound when knice attack the body dancer using the siwar or kuduk genuine. How the performance Siwar Dance (Classic Siwar dance) as you see at photo below.

The other Siwar dance is creation siwar dance, in which the dancer took the kris heritage of ancestors to protect themselves from criminals or wild animals.

The traditional instrument music to accompany siwar dance :

Drum, accordion, and klintang as major instrument

This drum will make you heart beat more hard on

The klintang, a few small gong with different sound

Source :
Pagelaran budaya pagar alam di PIM 082008
Photo by Doddy Np edited by Tun Jang

Pakaian Adat Bujang Gadis Lahat - Gent and Lady Custom Dress from Lahat Regency

Lady and gent custom dress from lahat regency, southern sumatra

(Lahat regency part of rejang land in the past time)

Credit photo :

• Bujang Gadis Lahat 2008
• Blog palembang dalam sketsa

Megalithikum Tinggi Hari, from Passumah Land

Situs Batu Tinggi Hari
Lahat Regency, southern sumatra

Still mistery for historian today, many statue spread in many area at passumah land, south west sumatra. Many theory still unexplain about this creature, one of the say that is influence from Dongson, Camboja culture.

But truely this passumah origin culture, need more research, who interesting to open the mistery?

photo by Bayu Indra Praba

photo by Bayu Indra Praba

Photo by Imam Prihadiyoko

Bukit Tunjuk - The Serelo Mountain

One wonder nature at sumatra island is Serelo mountain, at lahat regency, south sumatra province, Indonesia.

Long time ago, this plateau inhabited by passumah and rejang people, as native tribes. They are known passumah land or rejang land as interior in history.

In local name for this mountain known as Bukit Tunjuk (second finger) due the form similar with second finger. A few person call as bukit sanggul due the hill look like also similar with sanggul (Indonesian etniq hairstyle).

As a sumatra wonder nature you can see the unique hill at summit area, as you see at photo below. That is very popular view when dutch make colony in this area more a hundred years ago. The view also can see from musi rawas regency and lubuk linggau area from far away. Mountain serelo view be a popular for passenger by car or bus, when pass away lahat, pagar alam, musi rawas regency via middle trans sumatra roadway. So you must be remember the real name is Serelo mountain, please give a note if you visit passumah or rejang land, coz this is rare view of wonder nature sumatra and there will not found in other land.

The sunset view at side of Lematang river with Serelo Mountain as background
(view nature of passumah land as rejang land interior, photo by Abah Ihsan)

Following is one a passumah literate tell some remember about his home town especially serello mountain in passumah language.

Bukit Tunjuk

bebuah salak serumpun
ame ku bilang seribu tujuh
ame betuah tunggu lah dusun
malang mak aku merantau jauh

lagi besak menebas larang
banyak dusun bada ku lalu
aku merantau membawa marah
balik ke dusun ngundang malu

oi nasibku malang
nanggung sedih sepanjang tahun
lagi kecik ditinggal umak
ame besak lenget di jalan

[nasib badan]

Bukit Tunjuk (Serelo Mountain) photo by Lia haryani

Credit :

• Bukit Tunjuk (Passumah literate archive) Mr. Wishnu S. Selahap Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia.
• Lahat community facebook.