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Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza - Anta Permana English Translation

Songwriters: Ezra Kong and Hael Husaini Anta Permana / Ad Infinitum Stream of consciousness the heart’s melody Heart and soul that complements each other Just like, just like the sun’s heat A true love Out of sight (but) close to the heart If it is yearned (then) don’t stray To where, to where will it go Being tried, tested Oh when awoken everything is A border of illusions Even if the stars wouldn’t shine anymore As long as the love wouldn’t be betrayed Even if my last breath is drawn I’ll still love you For I am sure You’re irreplaceable Even the tongue can be bitten (by the teeth) Even more the love of mortals Being swayed, swayed by the winds Accompanying your love Oh when awoken everything is A border of illusions Even if the stars wouldn’t shine anymore As long as the love wouldn’t be betrayed Even if my last breath is drawn I’ll still love you For I am sure You’re irreplaceable Let the consideration, love a...

Raihan - Sesungguhnya English Translation

Lyrics by: Nazrie Johani


Sesungguhnya / Truly

Honestly this heart feels love for You
Honestly this one yearns for You
But I don’t understand
Why the love still doesn’t come
But I don’t understand
Why the yearning won’t blossom

Truly, even if I gather
All the diamonds from the bottom of the sea
Truly, even if I water it
With rain from Your seven skies
Still, the love won’t come
Still, the yearning won’t blossom

I tried to offer
A gift to You
But maybe because its content
Is not perfect, not beautiful

I tried to water it
For it to grow and blossom
But maybe because the water
Is not as pure as the fountain of al-Kawthar*

Truly, even if I gather
All the diamonds from the bottom of the sea
Truly, even if I water it
With rain from Your seven skies
Still, the love won’t come
Still, the yearning won’t blossom
If not by hoping for Your Rahmah (Compassion)
If not by begging for mercy
From You o’ Allah

God, grant me Your love to me
God, bestow on me my yearning for You
So that I know
My Syukr (gratitude) belongs to You.


*Al-Kawthar: a river/fountain in paradise given by Allah to the Prophet s.a.w.


Original Malay lyrics

Sebenarnya hati ini cinta kepada Mu
Sebenarnya diri ini rindu kepada Mu
Tapi aku tidak mengerti
Mengapa cinta masih tak hadir
‘Tapi aku tidak mengerti
Mengapa rindu belum berbunga

Sesungguhnya walau kukutip
Semua permata di dasar lautan
Sesungguhnya walau kusiram
Dengan air hujan dari tujuh langit Mu
Namun cinta takkan hadir
Namun rindu tak akan berbunga

Ku cuba menghulurkan
Sebuah hadiah kepada Mu
Tapi mungkin kerana isinya
Tidak sempurna tiada seri

Ku cuba menyiramnya
Agar tumbuh dan berbunga
Tapi mungkin kerana airnya
Tidak sesegar telaga Kautsar

Sesungguhnya walau kukutip
Semua permata di dasar lautan
Sesungguhnya walau kusiram
Dengan air hujan dari tujuh langit Mu
Namun cinta takkan hadir
Namun rindu tak akan berbunga
Jika tidak mengharap rahmat Mu
Jika tidak menagih simpati
Pada Mu ya Allah

Tuhan hadiahkanlah kasih Mu kepadaku
Tuhan kurniakanlah rinduku kepada Mu
Moga kutahu
Syukurku adalah milik Mu



Raihan - Sesungguhnya music video
~credits to the video owner

A new version of Sesungguhnya sung by Alif Satar and Raihan in 2019


My thoughts while translating...


Seriously, “Sesungguhnya” is such a classic song to me. I’ve been hearing this since I was a child and is still listening to it occasionally. Well, a lot of Raihan’s songs are a classic to me. And definitely, a lot of their songs helped in making it easy for people to memorize certain things in Islam such as the 25 names of Prophets, the 20 attributes of Allah and the 10 names of Angels, among many others. Bless these people, really T.T.

So anyway, what I got from this song is the concept of complete submission to God in Islam. This is definitely one of the essential qualities of being a Muslim. Even the term ‘Islam’ or ‘Muslim’ comes from the Arabic root word ’ سلم’ which means ‘to submit’. Islam teaches its believers to completely surrender or submit to Allah, the One True God. No matter what we do, Allah always has the upper hand. So, how this connects to the song? For me, it’s because I heard once that the love for Allah is something that has to be cultivated or nurtured. It’s not the same as the love we felt for our parents where it is natural. We have to DO something for it to bloom and blossom in our heart. But then sometimes, like what was said in this song, “still, the love doesn’t come” or “the yearning won’t blossom”, even if that person had done everything that he or she could to gain that love and yearning. So, this is where I felt that that person can only submit to Allah. At the end of the day, one has to completely rely on Allah. Because we have no power whatsoever. Only Him. And that’s perfectly okay. Truly, God is the Most Just. Honestly, this concept gives me so much peace of mind. Just do what you need to do and leave it to God. Put your absolute trust on Him. “Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.”(3:159).

Ultimately, people will be rewarded according to what they had done. And it seems that the character in the song also knows that. He himself knows that maybe his acts of worship have flaws in it. So, he can only hope for His Mercy. And God knows and understands His creations the most. He knows what we can and cannot do. Maybe He is teaching him to be patient, and Allah has promised in His book that those who are patient will be rewarded grandly.

Another thing that I want to note here is the terms that I wrote in its original form, ‘Rahmah’ and ‘Syukr’. Though I do wrote its literal meaning in the bracket, I still think it doesn’t fully encompass the meaning of the words. Because words like ‘compassion’ and ‘gratitude’ in English can be used between human beings but for ‘rahmah’ and ‘syukr’, they are only used between God and His Believers. You don’t use ‘syukr’ to show gratitude to people. It only means gratitude to God. For Rahmah, it means God’s compassion. You don’t really say ‘that man have rahmah for his family’. Owh, I meant in Malay we don’t use it like that. I’m not sure if it’s used like that in its original language though.

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