Ibu Pertiwi (song)
# Ibu Pertiwi (song)

Ibu Pertiwi is a popular Indonesian patriotic song composed by Kamsidi Samsuddin in 1908. The song's lyrics are about Ibu Pertiwi, the national personification of Indonesia (also interpreted as "mother country"). It is normally sung by Indonesian children, elementary and secondary school students, or played during Indonesian Independence Day celebrations. In 2016 the Indonesian classical composer, Ananda Sukarlan, made a set of variations for piano based on this song.

## Lyrics

The lyrics are as following:

### Original lyrics

(in Indonesian)

First verse:

    Kulihat ibu pertiwi
    Sedang bersusah hati
    Air matanya berlinang
    Mas intannya terkenang
    Hutan gunung sawah lautan
    Simpanan kekayaan
    Kini ibu sedang lara
    Merintih dan berdoa

Second verse:

    Kulihat ibu pertiwi
    Kami datang berbakti
    Lihatlah putra-putrimu
    Menggembirakan ibu
    Ibu kami tetap cinta
    Putramu yang setia
    Menjaga harta pusaka
    Untuk nusa dan bangsa

### Translation

First verse:

    I see Motherland (Ibu Pertiwi: personification of Indonesia)
    (She is) in sorrow
    Her tears are flowing
    Remembering your (lost) golds and diamonds
    Forests, mountains, farms, and the seas
    Home of the treasures (richness)
    Now Mother is grieving
    Sighing sadly and praying

Second verse:

    I see Motherland
    We come to serve (you)
    Behold your sons and daughters
    They will make Mother happy
    Mother, we still love (you)
    Your faithful sons
    Guarding the heirloom
    For our homeland and nation

## Adoption of Christian Hymn music

Although the lyrics were originally composed, the music and melody of this adaptation resembled the Christian hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus, originally written by Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855. The hymn is sung in Indonesian as Yesus Kawan yang Sejati and in Toba Batak as Ise do Alealenta and is popular in Batak churches, as well as in Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. Even though Indonesia has a statistically larger Muslim community, the hymn is quite widely known. Prior his death in 1958, the melody of the music was adopted by Kamsidi Samsuddin, the composer of the Ibu Pertiwi song.

