# Ulek mayang

Ulek mayang (Jawi: اولق مايڠ‎) is a classical Malay dance from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia. It is a ritualistic dance performed to appease or invoke the spirits of the sea and is always accompanied by a unique song also called Ulek Mayang. An orchestra comprising drums, gong, violin and accordion accompanies the dance.

## History

The ulek mayang is said to have its origin in an ancient tale about a sea-princess who fell in love with a fisherman. The princess abducted the fisherman's soul, leaving his body unconscious. His friends entreated a bomoh (shaman) to heal him. When the bomoh conducted the healing ritual to bring the fisherman's soul back, the princess appeared and responded by calling on five of her sisters to her aid. The battle between the bomoh and the six princesses continued until the prettiest seventh and the eldest princess appeared and put an end to it.
"I know your origins,” says the eldest princess, and she commands everyone, "Let those from the sea return to the sea, and those from the land return to the land."
The grateful bomoh and the fisherman's friends present the princess with coloured rice as an offering to the spirits of the sea. This practice, along with the ulek mayang dance, continued until the Islamization movement of recent decades.

## Costume

The costume of ulek mayang dancers has two type of clothes, six of the seven female dancers will typically wear a traditional dress such as a long sleeve songket (a silk material) blouse, selendang (a long scarf) that wore in the waist and finger, sanggol (a hairknot), subang (an earring) and long songket skirt in the lower body with others accessories. The main character of the dancer that plays as a Tuan Puteri Mayang Sari (Her Highness The Princess Mayang Sari) or Puteri Tujuh (7th Princess) will wear the same dress and accessories like the six others dancers but the difference is she will wear the short sleeves songket blouse and a different color for her dress. She will usually wear the yellow dress. This is to illustrate that she is the main princess of the dancer. The male performers will wear the fisherman clothes and a bomoh (shaman) will wear the traditional Malay male shirt like Baju Melayu (a long sleeves Malay male shirt).

## Lyrics

The Ulek Mayang song which accompanies the dance narrates the story. Tradition holds that the song is supernatural in nature because it gives chills, especially when performed at sunset by the beach. However, the song remains popular and there are numerous contemporary renditions of it. Malaysian rock diva, Ella recorded a rock version, while the thrash metal band Cromok produced several instrumental versions of the song. The song maintains some of the traditional Terengganu pronunciation. Note that mayang is a coconut-palm blossom used to chase away spirits.
| Jawi script | Rumi script | Literal English translation |
| اولق مايڠ کو اولق اولق دڠن جالا جيملا اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن توانڽ ڤوتري اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن جالا جيملا اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن ڤوتريڽ دوا ڤوتري دوا برباجو سيروڠ ڤوتري دوا برسڠݢول سينديڠ ڤوتري دوا برسوبڠ ݢاديڠ ڤوتري دوا برسليندڠ کونيڠ اومبوک مايڠ ديومبوک اومبوک دڠن جالا جيملا نوک اولق مايڠ داولق ڤوتري امڤت برباجو سيروڠ ڤوتري امڤت برسڠݢول سينديڠ ڤوتري امڤت برسوبڠ ݢاديڠ ڤوتري امڤت برسليندڠ کونيڠ اومبوک مايڠ ديومبوک اومبوک دڠن جالا جيملا نوک اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن ڤوتريڽ انم ڤوتري انم برباجو سيروڠ ڤوتري انم برسڠݢول سينديڠ ڤوتري انم برسوبڠ ݢاديڠ ڤوتري انم برسليندڠ کونيڠ اومبوک مايڠ ديومبوک اومبوک دڠن جالا جيملا نوک اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن ڤوتريڽ توجوه ڤوتري توجوه باجوڽ برلڠن ڤينديق ڤوتري توجوه برسڠݢول سينديڠ ڤوتري توجوه برسوبڠ ݢاديڠ ڤوتري توجوه برسليندڠ کونيڠ اومبوک مايڠ ديومبوک اومبوک دڠن جالا جيملا نوک اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن توانڽ ڤوتري توان ڤوتري برباجو لڠن ڤينديق توان ڤوتري برسڠݢول سينديڠ توان ڤوتري برسوبڠ ݢاديڠ توان ڤوتري برسليندڠ کونيڠ اومبوک مايڠ ديومبوک اومبوک دڠن جالا جيملا نوک اولق مايڠ داولق اولق دڠن توانڽ ڤوتري کو تاهو اصل اصول مو يڠ لاءوت باليق ک لاءوت يڠ دارت باليق ک دارت ناسي برورنا همبا سمبهکن اومبوک مايڠ کو اومبوک اومبوک دڠن جالا جيملا ڤوليه مايڠ کو ڤوليه ڤوليه باليق سديا کالا | Ulek mayang ku ulek Ulek dengan jala jemala Ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan tuannya puteri Ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan jala jemala Ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan puterinya dua Puteri dua berbaju serong Puteri dua bersanggol sendeng Puteri dua bersubang gading Puteri dua berselendang kuning Umbok mayang diumbok Umbok dengan jala jemala Nok ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan puterinya empat Puteri empat berbaju serong Puteri empat bersanggol sendeng Puteri empat bersubang gading Puteri empat berselendang kuning Umbok mayang diumbok Umbok dengan jala jemala Nok ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan puterinya enam Puteri enam berbaju serong Puteri enam bersanggol sendeng Puteri enam bersubang gading Puteri enam berselendang kuning Umbok mayang diumbok Umbok dengan jala jemala Nok ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan puterinya tujuh Puteri tujuh bajunya berlengan pendek Puteri tujuh bersanggol sendeng Puteri tujuh bersubang gading Puteri tujuh berselendang kuning Umbok mayang diumbok Umbok dengan jala jemala Nok ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan tuannya puteri Tuan puteri berbaju lengan pendek Tuan puteri bersanggol sendeng Tuan puteri bersubang gading Tuan puteri berselendang kuning Umbok mayang diumbok Umbok dengan jala jemala Nok ulek mayang diulek Ulek dengan tuannya puteri Ku tahu asal usul mu Yang laut balik ke laut Yang darat balik ke darat Nasi berwarna hamba sembahkan Umbok mayang ku umbok Umbok dengan jala jemala Pulih mayang ku pulih Pulih balik sedia kala | I entreat the mayang Entreat with shining nets Entreat the mayang Singing with her highness the princess Entreat the mayang Entreat it with shining nets Entreat the mayang Singing together with the second princess Second princess wears a slanted blouse Second princess with a slanted hair knot Second princess wears ivory earrings Second princess has a yellow scarf Persuading the mayang Persuade it with shining nets Entreating the mayang Singing with the fourth princess Fourth princess wears a slanted blouse Fourth princess with a slanted hairknot Fourth princess wears ivory earrings Fourth princess has a yellow scarf on Persuading the mayang Persuade it with shining nets Entreating the mayang Singing with the sixth princess Sixth princess wears a slanted blouse Sixth princess with a slanted hairknot Sixth princess wears ivory earrings Sixth princess has a yellow scarf Persuading the mayang Persuade it with shining nets Entreating the mayang Singing with the seventh princess Seventh princess wears a short sleeves blouse Seventh princess with the slanted hairknot Seventh princess wears ivory earrings Seventh princess has a yellow scarf Persuading the mayang Persuade it with shining nets Entreating the mayang Singing with her highness the princess Her highness the princess wears a short sleeves blouse Her highness the princess with a slanted hairknot Her highness the princess wears ivory earrings Her highness the princess has a yellow scarf Persuading the mayang Persuade it with nets Entreating the mayang Singing with her highness the princess I know your origins Let those from the sea return to the sea Let those from the land return to the land I present the coloured rice I persuade the mayang Persuade it with shining nets I heal with mayang Bringing back to health |