When do Timorese people sing their

folksongs
• We the Timorese people love of singing our folksongs.

• Our ancestors left us the massage through songs.

• We sing when we are in difficult situation, when we miss

someone who stays far away, we sing when someone dies,

and we sing while thinking of what will happen in our life.

• Most of our folksongs are very emotional.

• Sometimes our old people singing and crying at the

same time, because they express their emotions

through the songs.

• The orphans, they sing and cry and remember of their

lost parent.

• The father or the mother sings and cries while thinking

of the son who is far away, because of studying or

working.
• We sing our folksongs during the war just express our sentiment of

patriotism.

• We use our folksongs as a weapon to against the illegal occupation

of Indonesia.

• We sing our folksongs also when we fall in love with someone and

the respond also will be the same way by the folksong.

• We sing our folksongs also as a sign of welcoming the guests.

• We sing our folksongs also in a religious events.

 1. Eh Foho Ramelau
• Ramelau is the Highest mountain in East Timor.
• Now, on the top of Mountain Ramelau, the statue of Mama Mary,
we call “Nain Feto ramelau or Our Lady of Ramelau.
• Our lady of ramelau is on the top of mountain to look after Her
children.
• This is one of the most famous folksong that shows the bravery of
Timorese people to overcome the sufferings and oppressions.
• This song is composed by Francisco Borja da Costa (+), and we sing
it to against Indonesian military power, though they did not
understand at the beginning, but afterward they understood and
this song was not singing in public, specially when they were
around the city.
 Eh Foho Ramelau (G)
Ref. Eh foho Ramelau, foho Ref.Eh Mount Ramelau, what is higher
Ramelau, sa’e be as liu o tutun sae than your pick What is greater than your
be be liu o lolon eh (2X) majesty

• Tansa Timur ulun sudur wai • Why Timor is your head forever bowed
wain? Tansa
Timor oan at ba wai wain • Why Timor are your children enslave
• Tansa Timor oan hakruuk bei beik • Why Timor do your children doze like
eh chicken
• Tansa Timor oan atan bei beik • Why Timor do your children doze like slave

• Loke matan loro foun too o knua •
eh
• Loke matan loro foun iha ita rain
• Hader rai hun mutin ona la eh
• Hader loro foun sae ona la…
Open your eyes, a new sun is over your village
• Open your eyes a new sun is over your
land
• Awake the foot of the mountain is white
• Awake a new sun is rising

• Mader kaer rasik o kuda talin eh • Awake take the reigns of your own
• Mader ukun rasik o rain ba horse
• Awake take command of your own land
 2. Mai Fali Eh
• Mai fali eh literally means come back again.
• This song was composed and dedicated for those
who are in diaspora in the East part of Indonesia,
those who rejected the independence of Timor Leste
and running to stay there since 1999.
• After independence, when they come back to Timor
Leste, then people sing this song and they feel so
shame and strange in their own land.
 Mai fali eh
• Mai fali eh, fila fali eh, • Come back, oh come
Mama bolu ita fali back, mother is
hee (2x) calling back us.

• Loron atu tun ona, • The sun is almost to

fulan atu sae ona set and the day is
over
• Mama bolu ita fali • Mother calls us back.
hee
 Hori Tempo Uluk
• Hori tempo uluk, means long time ago.
• This song was composed for the orphans and those
who are staying faraway from their parents.
• In this song expressed also in a sentence that staying
with the parents there is nothing to be worried, but
to stay with people, then, only a spoon of rice, you
take it together with your tears.
 Houri tempo uluk
• Hori tempo uluk labarik be
nain tolu, lao rai
• Despede inan aman atu ba rai
dook ona
• To iha dalan klaran, hateke fila
ba kotuk
• Lao deit ho matan ben
• only tears accompany their
• Saida mak hau inan, saida mak
hau aman
• Hela ho inan aman, la susar
tan buat ida
• Hela ho ema seluk han etu
bikan ida
• Han deit ho matan ben (2X)
• Long time ago , there were 3
boys on made a long journey
• Let behind their parents and
leaving to somewhere far
away
• In the middle of their journey,
they looked backward, and
walk
• What good is my mother and
what good is my mother
• Stay with my parents , having
no difficulties
• Staying with the others, just
taking a spoon of rice, just
eating with tears.
 4. Ba Nebe Nono
• Ba nebe Nono means Hey Boy where are you going?
• It explains about the timorese boys that sometimes
they are going somewhere and no where.
• Therefore, the song encourages them to come back
to their hometown and to make change in their own
land.
• It says also that though you can fly reach the sky, but
remember your land where your blood was dropped
on.
 Ba nebe Nono
• Ba nebe nono, ba nebe nono,
lao tuir destinu eh lemo lemo
rai
• Namkari lemo rai keta
haluhan, tuba tua rai timur,
fatin rai timur
• Ita ema nudar fulan no fitun,
lakon iha rai ida tadu rai seluk
• Ba moras ema rain, rai mes
mesak los, sumasu hamaluk
biti kuidadu
• Ba mate ema rain se mai katak,
manu metan lian hodi mai
dada
• Hey Boy, where are you going? I
am going anywhere following
my destiny )
• Everywhere you go, do not forget
the land of East Timor which is
your place.
• We are like the star and the moon,
we lost in one place, appear in
another place.
• You stay far away, get sick alone,
pillow and mat are your best
friend.
• You die in another land, who
would know, the black bird only
will bring the news of your lost.
 5. Sai Husi Uma
• Sai husi uma simply means going out from house.
• Timorese people are all farmers. Out from house
means they are going to the farm.
• With empty stomach they would leave home as early
in the morning to the farm.
• A cup of coffee and a piece of cassava is enough for
their day.
• And everything they save for their children’s studies.
• It encourages us to study hard, because the parents
are working hard and starving just for us.
 Sai Husi Uma
• Sai husi uma dader san
nakukun kafe manas kopu ida
hamanas netik kabun 2X
• Ai farina baluk ida iha kohe
laran Hodi kaer netik kabun ba
loron manas, too loro kraik fila
ba uma.
• Oan doben sira estuda halo
diak ba loron ikus ita nian
• Basa inan aman serbisu kolen
• Fila liman makaas ba ita oan.
2X
• Out from the house, early in
the morning, just a cup of
coffee to reheat my stomach.
• Just a piece of cassava inside
my basket, to maintain my
belly throughout the hot day
in my farm, and by the
afternoon returning home.
• Oh…Children please study
hard for the best of your future
• Because your parents are
working hard
• They striving and starving just
for us.
 OBRIGADO BARAK

MARAMING SALAMAT