Found in Translation

Today, in the course of conversation about the TSA and the Sherrif of Nottingham and such subjects I occasioned to examine the Wikipedia article on the old ditty Sing A Song Of Sixpence. Included was this Malaysian version of the song, notable for what I'm assuming is a fairly literal translation full of humor.

lagu tiga kupang - three penny song
saku penuh padi - pocket full of rye
enam ekor burung - six birds
masuk dalam kuali - go into frying pan

bila sudah masak - when it is cooked
burung nyanyi saja - the birds sing
tentu sedap makan - it must be delicious to eat
beri pada raja - give it to the king

raja dalam rumah - king in the house
buat kira-kira - doing calculations
suri dalam dapur - queen in the kitchen
makan roti gula - eating sugar bread

dayang tepi kolam - maid beside the pond
mahu jemur tepung - want to dry out the flour
datang burung hitam - the black bird come
patuk batang hidung - peck at her nose
hidung, hidung, hidung... - nose, nose, nose..

I particularly enjoy the "six birds/go into frying pan", "king in the house/doing calculations" and "nose, nose, nose" lines.

And for those wondering about trying this old recipe out and bringing it to Malaysia to present to the king (note: I have no idea what the Malaysian governmental system is like... they may not have a king), bear in mind this bit of advice from the TSA website:

"Note: You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening."

Most likely this means the agents will have a taste test.