Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese Vol II. - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/206

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alʿawāmm) in verse written by the Arabic pandit Abuʾl-Fauz al-Marzûḳî[1]. It takes its name from the (Arabic) word with which the original begins[2].

Among the Malays also this didactic poem, which is largely recited in elementary schools, is known as Abdaʾu; and like the Malays the Achehnese are in the habit of repeating after each Arabic verse recited, its translation in nalam or an imitation of the rajaz-metre.

Akeubarō karim.Akeubarō karim[3] (XCVI).

This somewhat lengthy work bears the peculiar title of "Tales of the Generous". It contains, in its ten chapters (pasay), the principle truths of the catechism, together with the laws of purification and prayer. It is composed, not in nalam, but in the Achehnese sanjaʾ and has thus the form of a hikayat.

Nalam Jawòë.Nalam Jawòë (XCVII).

Chèh Marahaban's Nalam Jawòë is more particularly devoted to the component parts of the seumayang or five daily prayers.

Although the name signifies "Malay didactic poem", the work is for the most part composed in Achehnese; but, as the author himself announces in his introduction, there is an occasional intermixture of Arabic and Malay.

Hikayat Basa Jawòë.Hikayat Basa Jawòë (XCVIII.

To complete our list we should mention the little work called Hikayat basa jawòë (Poem on the Malay language), in which without a semblance of method, a number of Malay words are given with their Achehnese equivalents. It is intended to serve as some sort of preparation for the reading of Malay books to those who are practically ignorant of Malay.


  1. It was lithographed by Ḥasan at-Tōchī at Cairo (1301 H.) in the Majmuʿ Latīf which contains sundry Maulidʾs and prayers. There is another edition with a commentary by Mohammad Nawawi the pandit of Banten.
  2. The first half-verse runs thus: "I begin (abdaʾu) with the name of Allah and of the Merciful".
  3. (Symbol missingArabic characters).