Mandailing Rhymes follow a quartet a, b, a, b pattern. This rhyme is a kind of advice to a newlywed couple. The rhyme uses the myth ofpaddy (Eme in Mandailing) as the core of the symbolic message which reveals the secret of devotion to God, tradition, parents and relatives.

On ma eme si tamba tua

Tu riang ni saba sirorot

Tuhanta I do na martua

Sude tondinta ni parorot

                On ma eme simaritik-itik

                Eme siolba di Angkola

                Pagenggan hata ni nipi

                Jana napasonang roha

On ma eme sitarolo-olo

Na niordangkon di udan –udan

Songon on ma adat ni ompunta naparjolo

Ima na hita pasuman suman

                Dison aek simbur simbur

                Torus tu bondar pandabuan

                Salamat nian amu panjang umur

                Lopus marsege –sege ni abuan

 (Cited from Lubis, Syahmerdan, 1997:280-282)

    2.       MANDAILING Proverbs

1.Tungkot di nalandit ( Eng: Like a stick in the muddy lane)

2.Sulu di na golap ( Eng: Like a lantern in the darkness)

3.Lambang Eme dot sirape burburon ( Eng: Disrespecting tradition brings bad luck)

4.Manat markahanggi (Eng: Respect your relatives)

5.Hombar do Adat dohot Ugamo  (Eng: custom alongside religion)

6.Muda dibaen na tu gas gas, jari jari on ma na lima (Eng: If you go to a grassy plantation, use your five fingers)

7. Muda dibaen na marbagas, angkon malo manggolom nalima (Eng: If you are already married, hold five  wise words)

8. Muda istri sigolom sada, angkon suami na i sigolom dua (Eng: If a wife holds the first, a husband holds thesecond)

9. Muda ibaen na mar ruma tangga,ulang bei sai marlua –lua (Eng: If you are a couple,don’t assault your spouse)

An anthology of Mandailing poems by W Iskandar (Source : Edi Nasution)

3.       Mandailing Symbolic Words:

Based on anthropological linguistic of Mandailing, the Mandailing culture has a cosmological view which suggests the ritual and socialrelationship to maintain its ethnic identity.

Picture 2 : Gordang Sambilan the Nine Big Gongs of Mandailing (Source: AR Lubis)

1.            Banua                   = world in Batak cosmology

2.            Banua Ginjang = upper World (White) the place of God as a creator

3.            Banua Tonga      = middle World (Red) the place where human beings dwell

4.            Banua Toru         = lower World (Black) the place of dead souls

5.            Tondi                    = soul

6.            Begu                      = dead soul/ghost

7.            Datu                      = a shaman

8.            Sibaso                   = a person who can communicate with non-human creatures 

9.            Dalihan Natolu = Three Pots (the pillars of Mandailing society; Kahanggi, Anak boru,and Mora)

10.          Kahanggi             = a clan fellow

11.          anakboru             = a clan of wife-taker

12.          mora                     = a clan of wife-giver

13.          Gondang              = gong and drum ensemble in a music performance

14.          Gordang 9 (sambilan) = the Nine Big Gongs of the 9 clans in Mandailing

15.          Panaek Gondang= a short congress for asking permission of the rajas to set up thegondang

16.          Onang-onang   = a composed songs to accompany the dancers in the ritual

17.          Horja                     = the rituals or parties like birth, wedding, and funeral. 

18.          tortor                    = the dances, performances in any rituals

4. Mandailing’s Orthography

The Mandailing font can be downloaded here:

1. http://code.google.com/p/aksara/downloads/detail?name=batak-mandailing.ttf
2. http://ulikozok.com/surat_batak/

 Examples:

1.                                           au /au/         = i

2.                                           ho/ho/         =you

3.                                           hit/hita/      =we

4.                                           alai/alai/=they

5.                                           am/ama/     =father

6.                                           in/ina/          =mother