Nyanyi Sunyi

'''''Njanji Soenji''''' ([[Republican Spelling System|Republican Spelling]]: '''''Njanji Sunji'''''; [[EYD|Perfected Spelling]]: '''''Nyanyi Sunyi'''''; Indonesian for "Songs of Solitude" or "Songs of Silence") is a 1937 [[poetry collection]] by [[Amir Hamzah]]. Written some time after the poet was forced to marry the daughter of the [[Sultanate of Langkat|Sultan of Langkat]] instead of his chosen love in [[Java]], this collection consists of 24 titled [[poem]]s and pieces of [[prose poem|lyrical prose]], none of which are dated. First published in the magazine ''[[Poedjangga Baroe]]'', the collection has been republished as a stand-alone book several times.

'''''Njanji Soenji''''' ([[Republican Spelling System|Republican Spelling]]: '''''Njanji Sunji'''''; [[EYD|Perfected Spelling]]: '''''Nyanyi Sunyi'''''; Indonesian for "Songs of Solitude" or "Songs of Silence") is a 1937 [[poetry collection]] by [[Amir Hamzah]]. Written some time after the poet was forced to marry the daughter of the [[Sultanate of Langkat|Sultan of Langkat]] instead of his chosen love in [[Java]], this collection consists of 24 titled [[poem]]s and pieces of [[prose poem|lyrical prose]], none of which are dated. First published in the magazine ''[[Poedjangga Baroe]]'', the collection has been republished as a stand-alone book several times.

Analysis of ''Nyanyi Sunyi'' has focused on the theme of God and His relationship to humanity, as well as of aspects of human existence: fate, dissatisfaction, and escape. Literary critics [[H.B. Jassin]] and [[Zuber Usman]] view the collection as an attempt to address Amir’s worldly problems. The collection has been noted as difficult to read owing to its usage of rarely used Malay and Javanese terms and basis in Islamic culture and Malay history. Despite this, ''Nyanyi Sunyi'' has been described as freer in its form than traditional Malay poetry, with what poet [[Chairil Anwar]] termed "compactly violent, sharp, and yet short"{{sfn|Raffel|1970|p=175}} sentences which brought a new style to the Indonesian language.

Analysis of ''Nyanyi Sunyi'' has focused on the theme of God and His relationship to humanity, as well as of aspects of human existence: fate, dissatisfaction, and escape. Literary critics [[H.B. Jassin]] and [[Zuber Usman]] view the collection as an attempt to address Amir’s worldly problems. The collection has been noted as difficult to read owing to its usage of rarely used Malay and Javanese terms and basis in Islamic culture and Malay history. Despite this, ''Nyanyi Sunyi'' has been described as freer in its form than traditional Malay poetry, with what poet [[Chairil Anwar]] termed "compactly violent, sharp, and yet short"{{sfn|Raffel|1970|p=175}} sentences which brought a new style to the [[Indonesian language]].

==Background==

==Background==

==Publication==

==Publication==

''Nyanyi Sunyi'' was first published in the November 1937 issue of ''[[Poedjangga Baroe]]'', a literary magazine which Amir had helped establish.{{sfn|Jassin|1962|p=212}} It was later published as a standalone book, and by 1949 it had seen its third printing.{{sfn|Hamzah|1949|p=1}}

''Nyanyi Sunyi'' was first published in the November 1937 issue of ''[[Poedjangga Baroe]]'', a [[literary magazine]] which Amir had helped establish.{{sfn|Jassin|1962|p=212}} It was later published as a standalone book, and by 1949 it had seen its third printing.{{sfn|Hamzah|1949|p=1}}

In 1941 Amir published another collection of poems, entitled ''[[Buah Rindu]]'' ("Fruits of Longing"), which consisted mostly of his earlier works. Jassin notes that the works in ''Nyanyi Sunyi'' appear more developed and mature than those in the later collection.{{sfn|Jassin|1962|p=14}} Teeuw notes that the later collection was more explicitly about romantic love, rather than the religious love of ''Nyanyi Sunyi''.{{sfn|Teeuw|1955|p=115}}

In 1941 Amir published another collection of poems, entitled ''[[Buah Rindu]]'' ("Fruits of Longing"), which consisted mostly of his earlier works. Jassin notes that the works in ''Nyanyi Sunyi'' appear more developed and mature than those in the later collection.{{sfn|Jassin|1962|p=14}} Teeuw notes that the later collection was more explicitly about romantic love, rather than the religious love of ''Nyanyi Sunyi''.{{sfn|Teeuw|1955|p=115}}