Gundul Gundul Pacul (꧋ꦒꦸꦤ꧀ꦢꦸꦭ꧀ꦒꦸꦤ꧀ꦢꦸꦭ꧀ꦥꦕꦸꦭ꧀꧈ ꦕꦸꦭ꧀ꦒꦼꦩ꧀ꦧꦼꦭꦺꦔꦤ꧀)
I learned this Javanese song from my dear friend Peni Candra Rini. While it is said to contain deeper meanings around leadership and society, the song describes a young kid with no hair who is carrying a bowl of rice on their head and then drops the rice all over the ground. In the song, I ponder how, if and when we fall, we can pick ourselves up again, altogether as one.
LYRICS
Gundul-gundul pacul cul gembelengan
Nyunggi-nyunggi wakul kul gembelengan
Wakul ngglimpang segane dadi sak latar
Wakul ngglimpang segane dadi sak latar
And when we all fall down,
grain by grain will fill the ground
And when we all fall do-own,
ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, one by one we’ll turn ourselves around
And when we all fall down,
grain by grain will fill the ground
And when we all fall do-own,
ooh-ooh
Gundul-gundul pacul cul gembelengan
Nyunggi-nyunggi wakul kul gembelengan
Wakul ngglimpang segane dadi sak latar
Wakul ngglimpang segane dadi sak latar
Gundul-gundul pacul cul
(When we all fall down)
CREDITS
Elena, vocals, violin
Hilary Hawke, banjo
Brett Parnell, guitar
Yoshi Waki, upright bass
Colin Brooks, drums
Sonia De Los Santos, vocal harmonies
John Foti, vocal harmonies