Ja kontah kada namba di seu,
arenjah kadamundu sa karta.
Dibinyah kung duensa di mang,
ansiadadi di bariga,
lembransa di ngua jenti ja tokah kortah na dos.
Wedjat sa otru nomi
tolu.
Westi sa otru noza
tolong.
Wira sa otru nasang
Toba.
Wirung sa otru namba
numistih sempri fikah ngua.
Kauzu istiungua
impodih tokah,
impodih skribeh.
Juntah ke tirah, kalih ke bagih;
istingua inda korpu di trimih.
istingua inda sabia di trumenteza.
isti ngka kuniseh di buraku na rentu di kada alma Kristang.
isti nggeh fikah namba.
Isti kereh k-ray.
Isti kereh ê, kung ú, kung ç.
Ngua naufraja di palabra,
ngua choldabolderah di istoria.
Lumiansa di fing.
Kultura taming.
Papiakisador sa odring.
Tolah porta, tokah tokah
sombra teng na onsong sa bara,
intresmiu Sundaland kung tudu ki Portugal ja sunyah.
Teprensa ja prendeh kontah bai des.
Nanggora ja falah tantu:
futura ja prendeh kontah bai seu.
Every number of heaven has been counted,
The Cardamom map arranged.
Divination with the pains on hand,
the anxieties of stomach,
the thinking of one who has been cut into two.
The Eye of Horus's other name
is rage.
The West's other nutmeg
is plea.
The hero's other origin
is Toba.
1 in base-16's other number
does not always have to be 1 in base-10.
Because this one
cannot be touched,
cannot be written.
Added or subtracted, mutliplied or divided;
this is still a body of trembling,
a science of trauma.
This is not a recognising of
the hole at the heart of Kristang soul.
This does not want to become a number.
This wants to be one-ted.
This wants A in base-16, and B in base-16, and C in base-16.
A shipwreck of words,
a windsweeping of history.
A memory of what will end.
A culture of alsoing.
A linguist's obligation.
Push open the gate, and suffer the touch
(of) shadow in its own harbour
between Sundaland and everything Portugal planted.
In childhood, one learns to count to ten.
Just now, it has been said so many times:
the future has learned to count to the sky.