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THE UNFORTUNATE LEBAI (Mosque

Servant)
(Riau, Malay)
A Malay proverb says, “Any person who suffers a loss or falls to
achieve his deal, not because of another person’s conduct but merely
because of his own negligence is called Lebai Malang (the unfortunate
Mosque Servant). He only looks disappointedly at another person’s
good fortune. “That’s why he called Lebai Malang by the Malay people.
Here is the story of one incident in the life of Lebai Malang, the
unfortunate person.

There lived a Lebai Malang between two big villages inhabited 1

by
many people near a river. SO, one day, the two big villages were having
ritual meals and inviting great and wealthy people including all the
poor people so that the people of the two villages were all happy. When
the people were gathering around for the ritual meal, Lebai Malang
was coming too. He was invited by the two villages. In his way to the
feast, he was tempted by greed, and said to himself, “I have been
invited by people. The village upstream is closer, but they slaughter
only one buffalo. Those of the village downstream slaughter two
buffaloes. If I ask for the downstream village, I will get two horns and
if I ask for the upstream village, I will get one horn, but the cooking is
delicious, while the downstream village offers less delicious cooking. I
know since I am used to eating in both places.”
 Thinking that way, he went down the river rowing in a sampan. 2
When he has rowed a certain distance downstream he remembered he
would get two horns, upstream he would get one but with delicious
cookings. And he returned upstream. Rowing upstream for a certain
distance, he remembered the downstream village with the delicious
meals. He did so twice or three times, and then he rowed upstream. In
arriving, the Imam (leader) of the ritual meals was already reciting the
prayer. So his share upstream was gone. Then he rowed seriously
downstream. On arriving at the downstream village, the Imam was
also already reciting the prayer. He, again lost his share.

So he said to himself, “I had better get my fishing line to catch 3

fish for sale or side dish. And will take hunting dog. If I cannot catch
any fish I can hunt mouse deer.”

So thinking, he rowed back to fetch the fishing line and some cold 4
rice. So he wrapped himself some cold rice in a leaf sheath of areca
palm with sauce of chili and shrimp paste condiment in a bamboo
cylinder. And he put the dog in the back.

Upon reaching the fishing spot he did his fishing. He threw his 5
line
with a snail at the bait. When the fishing line was in the water, he felt
hungry, and opened the puck of rice. While taking the chili sauce, he
knocked the flask against the edge of the sampan. Suddenly, the chili
was thrown out into the water. Lebai then dipped his hand into the
water to get it and when he bowed his head and his hand was in the
water, his dog jumped at the rice and ate it.
 And so he lost all his wishes. Therefore, he has been called Lebai 6
Malang up to now. His experience has been made into a Malay
proverb. Anyone who behaves that way will be called Lebay Malang.
That is how the story goes.

Sources: National Library Manuscript No. V.D.W. 212 (Jakarta: Naskah

Perpustakaan
Nasional, n.d.)