Joged Bumbung Dance Poem by Ahmad Shiddiqi

brightly-dressed dancer
invites men from crowd
to dance with her
in a pretence of seduction

music is made with
bumbung instruments
begins with a long opening sequence
by the female dancer

long shawl in her hand
she selects a man from the audience
by either pointing with her fan
or touching his waist

he comes on stage
to hoots from the audience
expected to be as adept
at teasing as the women dancer

the better he is
the louder the cheers
and roars from the crowd
audience may laugh loudly

he may try to pinch her
dance hip to hip with her
even behave like an angry lover
and may try to hit her

Joged means dance
Bumbung means bamboo
exclusively secular dance
very popular with tourists