LIBRETTO: “THE VOICE OF DIPONEGORO”
Written by Dipondgoro and sung as libretto in the production
translated into English from Javanese by Kathryn Emerson, Jakarta.

PRELUDE:
Verses 1-2 in Sinom metre :
(from The History of Dipanegara in the land of Ngyogyakarta Adiningrat, Volume I)

I.
A poem in sinom verse serves as our opening,
With the intent to preserve,
The passions of the great king,
Famous throughout Java,
He the honorable and venerable,
Prince Diponegoro the Great,
Who went forth in action,
This in remembrance of his personal path,
Starting from a committment to his religion.

2.
Raised under the tutelage of his great-grandmother,
The great Queen of whom many tales already tell,
He lived in the village of Tegalharja,
And upon her passing,
In Tegalharjo he remained,
Becoming ever dedicated,
To the teachings of his religion,
The desire that all of his subjects live in well-being.

SCENE: IN DIPONEGORO AND HIS WIFE’S BEDROOM

Verse VII: in dhandhanggula metre
(from The History of Dipanegara in the land of Ngyogyakarta Adiningrat, Volume I)

I.
People fleeing all around in confusion,
The sky becoming ever darker and ominous,
The way the tale goes,
The Prince had not yet woken,
Was engrossed in a deep and sound sleep,
His wife apprehensive,
Then becoming terrified,
That they would meet their death,
She wanted to wake him yet at the same time was afraid,
So she simply waited by his side.

II.
Even though it was a great mountain which was on fire,
Controlling the very movement of the earth,
The two royals seemed only to be mocking,
What it had to say,
The various and multiple maidservants,
Bustled around in their charge,
And thereupon,
The Prince summoned the Princess,
Escorted her back to the bed chambers,
To continue his desire.

SCENE: THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH SEAS

Verse XII in pangkur metre
(from The History of Dipanegara in the land of Ngyogyakarta Adiningrat, Volume I)

I.
My Lord, I advise you to pray,
Pray to the all-powerful God,
To allow this request,
For me to become a mortal again,
And may my Lord’s troops,
Not join the battlefield,
But rather leave it all in my hands.

II.
An end was put to the goading,
As he gently uttered,
”I will not ask for help,
From you or anyone else,
The faithful leave these things in God’s hands,”
And at that the mythical Queen vanished,
That’s how the tale is told.

SCENE: THE APOSTLES

Pupuh VII, in Dhandhanggula metre
(from The History of Dipanegara in the land of Ngyogyakarta Adiningrat, Volume I)

I.
Marmanira sira sun timbali
wadyaningsun kabeh sira duwa
ing Jawa rebuten angger
lamun ana wong iku
Jeng Ngabdulkamit aturnya:
”Amba nuwun sampun tan kuwawi jurit
lawan tan sahed ika

II.
Aningali dhumateng pepatih
lawan malih rumiyin kawula
sampun nglampahi yektose
pandamel wonten langkung
inggih sami samining janmi
Jeng Ratu Adil nabda
”Ora kena iku
wus dadi karsaning suksma
tanah Jawi pinasthi marang Hyang Widhi
kang duwe lakon Sira.

SCENE: GENERAL DE COCK

Pupuh XXX, in Maskumambang metre
(from The History of Dipanegara in the land of Ngyogyakarta Adiningrat, Volume II)

I.
Don’t return home quite yet my opponent,
The right choice now,
Is to stay here with me,
That is to face me, one on one.

II.
For in fact all the problems that divide us,
Will be settled by me,
And in one single day,
Much to the shock and amazement of my King.

III.
It it you who is enflaming the conflict now,
And since that is the case,
You are the evil force,
And I am not afraid to die.

IV.
It is only in death, in becoming a corspe.
That you return me to,
The ultimate muse,
By allowing me to be one with my wife.

V.
Princess Retnaningsih,
Won’t be deserted,
If I die she will follow,
Will never allow herself to be left behind.

VI.
Life or death lies in not wanting to be separated,
From one’s people,
It lies in serving,
That which can be referred to as your life’s source.