Flowers and Coconut Leaves

By Jin Yu Tian

　　FLOWERS and coconut leaves are daily necessities in Balinese life. Along with cooked rice, they are normal gifts to gods as the natives of Bali, “Island of Sacrifices”, set offerings in front of their houses every day, not to mention on special dates.

　　You get a glimpse of the islanders' carefree lifestyle from the common scene of small clusters of farmers enjoying a leisurely chat by the paddy fields, having laid down their hoes. A recess could easily last two or three hours, according to our guide.

　　On my recent visit, I noticed automobiles festooned with designs woven out of coconut leaves on their fronts. It turned out that sacrifices had just been offered with a prayer for road safety. The fast growth of tourism and traffic had brought about frequent accidents on the island, prompting the natives to add “safe driving” to their sacrificial calendar.

　　The Balinese entrust everything in life to divine providence. Even when a house is virtually burnt down, our local guide told us, people would celebrate their good fortune if any part of it were spared by the fire. Such contentment is what leads the islanders through life in their peculiar happy-go-lucky manner.

　　Once at nightfall, when passing the swimming-pool at my hotel, I caught sight of some Balinese dancers in ethnic costumes getting ready for their performance. With delicate care, the girls picked their head adornments from the flower-bed and fixed the blossoms on to their hair. What grows in Nature comes natural to them as the need arises.

　　Presumably, flowers bloom from Heaven and leaves sprout from Man's heart. To the accompaniment of the jingling lutes and babbling brooks, they embellish this world for the Balinese, and lend wings to their imagination for an even sweeter next world.(Translated by Allen Zhuang)

　　花和椰叶，为巴厘人生活中不可或缺的素材。巴厘，祭献之岛，大之不说，小至每天，都得在门前祭供，花、椰叶、米饭，即为供品。

　　巴厘人的悠闲，从青青稻田中，卸下锄头的农夫，三五闲聚集可看出一斑。导游说，他们蹲个三几个钟头，等闲事。

　　这回见到车子前端，皆挂着椰叶编织的图案，原来安全之祭甫过。旅游业兴旺，车辆日增，交通事故频繁，“驾驶安全”已被岛民列入祭历。

　　巴厘人，一切托佑，当地导游说，设若家居着火，只余半间，他们会庆幸，还好没烧尽，凡事往好处着眼，为巴厘人乐天知命的根本。

　　入晚，走过旅馆游泳池畔，着传统服饰的巴厘舞蹈员正整妆。少女们小心翼翼，从花圃里摘花，别上发梢，予索予取，自自然然。

　　天养的花，心灵的叶子，叮叮琴音，淙淙流泉，装饰了巴厘人的现实，也为巴厘人的来世，添长了翅膀。