When I went to Siborong-borong...
The heavy rain was falling.
I was surprised and amazed,..
Because I had never been there before..
Waktu abang pergi ke Siborong-borong
...
Datang hujan yang amat derasnya.
Terkejut abang terheran-heran..
Sebab abang belum pernah ke sana..
Then came Nomburu Panjaitan, the lucky one..
Our Martorambo was on the road..
He invited me to his house..
To eat dog meat with cabbage..
Untung datang namboru panjaitan
...
Martarombo kami di jalan.
Diajaknya aku ke rumah dia..
Makan daging anjing dengan sayur kol.
The cabbage… the cabbage..
Eat dog meat with cabbage..
The cabbage… the cabbage..
Eat dog meat with cabbage.
Sayur Kol.. Sayur Kol..
Makan daging anjing dengan sayur kol..
Sayur Kol.. Sayur Kol..
Makan daging anjing dengan sayur kol..
Most cabbage farming in Indonesia is dry land of highland.
Credit: Ady Candra / Shutterstock.com
This song is familiar to listen to around the 1990s, it was often sung by my friends from Medan and the surrounding areas. The song is very simple and represents the visualization of friendship in the Batak tribe.
It reflects the kindness of Nomburu Panjaitan, who invited those caught in the rain to take shelter in his house. While they were waiting, he served a dish of dog meat and cabbage.
According to the songwriter, the late Naru Mulyono, as cited in the Journal of Seni Nasional Cikini , December 2020, the song expresses the longing and love of travelers for their families, symbolized by cabbage and dog meat.
The cabbage is not native in Indonesia. This was brought by ducts to cultivated in 17 century.
Credit: Ady Candra / Shutterstock.com
Although cabbage is not native to Indonesia, it has become an important part of Indonesian dishes such as gado-gado, soto, and soup for bakwan.
Cabbage was brought by the Dutch in the early 18th century. This plant is cultivated in the highlands of Indonesia, which have a cool climate, such as Siborong-borong in North Sumatra, as mentioned in the lyrics of the 'Sayur Kol Song.'
Additionally, some places in Indonesia, such as Wonosobo in Central Java and Minahasa in North Sulawesi, are also known for cabbage production
Most cabbage farming in Indonesia is dry land of highland.
Credit: Ady Candra / Shutterstock.com
