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Pantun (Jawi script: ) is a Malayic oral poetic form used to express intricate ideas and emotions. It generally consists of an even number of lines and is based on . The shortest italic=no consists of two lines, known as the italic=yes in Malay, while the longest, the italic=yes, can have 16 lines. italic=no is a disjunctive form of poetry that always comes in two parts: the first part is a prefatory statement called italic=yes or italic=yes which has no immediate logical or narrative connection with the second or closing statement called italic=yes or italic=yes. However, they are always connected by rhyme and other verbal associations, such as puns and repeating sounds. There is also an oblique but necessary relationship, and the first statement often serves as a metaphor for the second. The most popular forms of italic=no are the quatrain (four lines) and the couplet (two lines), which both feature prominently in literature and modern popular culture.
The earliest literary records of italic=no date back to the 15th century Malacca Sultanate, although some historians believe that italic=no may be as old as, or even precede, the Classical Malay language itself, having grown and spread during the Srivijaya era, from which the founder of Malacca originated. italic=no during the Malacca era was featured in the most important Malay literary text, the Malay Annals, and is regarded as a high art integral to classical Malay literature. It also thrived naturally in the daily communication of traditional Malay society and served as an important expressive tool in Malay songs, rituals, performing arts, and all forms of storytelling.
Another theory suggests that italic=no originated from the word italic=yes ('guider'), from the noun-building prefix italic=yes and the verb italic=yes (jawi alphabet: تونتون) or 'to guide'. Alternatively, Brandstetter suggested that the word originates from italic=yes and its similar sounding variants in Austronesian languages, with multiple meanings: Kapampangan italic=yes ('well organized'), Tagalog language italic=yes ('skillful arrangement'), Kawi language italic=yes ('thread'), italic=yes ('well arranged'), italic=yes ('to lead'), and Toba Batak italic=yes ('polite' or 'worthy of respect'). Winstedt supported this opinion, noting that in many Austronesian languages, words suggesting 'something set out in rows' gradually acquired the new meaning of 'well-arranged words', in prose or in poetry. Ari Welianto suggested that italic=no originated from the Minangkabau word italic=yes, which means "guide".
For at least 500 years, italic=no spread through malayisation via trade routes, ports, and migrations, becoming the most dynamic single literary form. Today, it is known in at least 40 dialects of Malay and 35 non-Malay languages in the Malay Peninsula and many islands of Maritime Southeast Asia. The popularity of italic=no among hybrid communities like the Peranakans, Chitty, and Kristang people, signifies its prominent position as a cultural symbol in the Malay world. A type of italic=no called italic=yes, consisting of interwoven quatrains, was introduced to Western poetry in the 19th century by Ernest Fouinet and later popularised by Victor Hugo, forming the basis of the modern pantoum.
In Malay culture, italic=yes is an important instrument of communication in various social, cultural, and economic activities. It is used traditionally to express feelings, give advice, exchange quizzes, and sweeten conversations. For example, italic=yes are used in the customary verbal exchange in a Malay wedding (or engagement) ceremony, especially as part of the culturally sanctioned greetings between representatives of the bridegroom and bride upon arrival at the bride's house. As an expressive tool, italic=no are also used extensively in the lyrics of traditional Malay songs tuned to popular rhythms like Zapin, Mak Inang, and Joget. Other notable applications of italic=yes can be found as a structural support for art performances like Dondang sayang, Bangsawan, Mak yong, Mek Mulung, and Dikir barat. The skill in performing these poems lies in reciting them in a way that suggests singing while simultaneously demonstrating the ability to engage in quick, witty, and subtle dialogue.
Indonesia possesses a wealth of verbal art. A largely non-written tradition of reciting expressive, often witty quatrains called italic=yes is common in most Malay areas throughout the archipelago. Some italic=yes performances are narrative; the italic=yes traditions of central and eastern Java, for instance, use a structure similar to italic=yes (called italic=yes) to recount religious or local historical tales to the accompaniment of a drum. However, this appears to be a modern adaptation, as writers from the early 20th century like H. Overbeck and J.J. De Hollander noted that a tradition similar to italic=no did not exist in Javanese at that time. Indeed, much of Indonesia's traditional literature forms the foundation of complex mixed-genre performances, such as the Randai of the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, which blends instrumental music, dance, drama, and martial arts in ceremonial settings.
According to Sim, halai-Balai tempurung hanyut literally means 'a floating coconut shell at sixes and sevens'. Selasih ('sweet basil') implies 'lover' because it rhymes with the word for that, kekasih. Other frequently recurring symbols are the flower and the bee, indicating a girl and her lover, the squirrel (tupai) implying a seducer, and the water hyacinth (bunga kiambang) meaning love that will not take root. The pantun often makes use of proverbs as well as geographical and historical allusions, for example, the following poem by Munshi Abdullah:
This alludes to the foundation of Singapore in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles. The last line means a girl who is protected by a powerful man, and Sim suggests this may refer to Raffles's wife, Olivia Mariamne Devenish.
Sometimes a pantun may consist of a series of interwoven quatrains, in which case it is known as a pantun berkait. This follows the rhyme scheme, with the second and fourth lines of each stanza becoming the first and third lines of the following stanza. Finally, the first and third lines of the first stanza become the second and fourth lines of the last stanza, usually in reverse order, so that the first and last lines of the poem are identical. This form of pantun has exercised the most influence on Western literature, where it is known as the pantoum.
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