ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sunni Patterson - Poet
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage, culture, and traditions of her native town with a spiritual worldview to create powerful music and poetry.

Why you should listen

Emerging from the musical womb that is New Orleans, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage of her native town with an enlightened modern style to create music and poetry that is timeless in its groove. She began her career as a full-time high school teacher, and much of her life since has been devoted to serving as a cultural worker and grassroots activist, using art and poetry to encourage dialogue and healing.

She has been a featured performer at many of the nation's premier spoken-word venues, including HBO's Def Poetry and BET’s Lyric Cafe. She also had the privilege of speaking at the Panafest in Ghana, West Africa and has collaborated with artists and performers, including Hannibal Lokumbe (singing lead vocals for his score, ”King and the Crescent City Moon"), Kalamu Ya Salaam, Sonia Sanchez, Wanda Coleman, Amiri Baraka, Mos Def, Eve Ensler, The Last Poets and many more.

More profile about the speaker
Sunni Patterson | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2017

Sunni Patterson: "Wild Women"

Sunni Patterson: "Wanita Buas"

Filmed:
371,890 views

Dengan petir di lidahnya, Sunni Patterson menampilkan puisinya yang perkasa, "Wanita Buas", didampingi gerakan memikat oleh penari Chanice Holmes.
- Poet
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage, culture, and traditions of her native town with a spiritual worldview to create powerful music and poetry. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
They wanted her piecemealedpiecemealed,
papier-mPapier-mâchchéd,
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Mereka ingin dia remuk, terkeping-keping
00:16
practicallypraktis brokenrusak,
limp-likeseperti pincang and lovelesstanpa cinta,
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hancur, tak berdaya, dan tak bercinta
00:20
a litanylitani of exaggerationberlebihan.
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litani yang bertumpahan.
00:22
They wanted her lowrendah.
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Mereka ingin dia rendah.
00:24
And hightinggi.
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dan tinggi.
00:25
FlatDatar and widelebar.
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Sempit dan luas.
00:28
FilledDiisi with all of theirmereka emptykosong.
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Terisi oleh kekosongan mereka.
00:31
They wanted her to be more like them.
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Mereka ingin dia lebih menyerupai mereka.
00:34
Not knowingpenuh arti her conceptionpembuahan was immaculaterapi.
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Tanpa sadar hadirnya adalah tiada cela.
00:37
That she was birthedmelahirkan
in sandalwood-scentedberaroma cendana riversungai waterair,
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Bahwa ia lahir di sungai beraroma cendana,
00:40
sweetmanis sapphireSapphire honey-touchedmenyentuh madu tonguelidah,
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lidah semanis sentuhan madu safir,
00:42
she was too much
of a mouthfulsuap for the greedyserakah.
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Dia terlalu sempurna untuk para serakah.
00:45
Just a smallkecil amountjumlah of her
was more than they could standberdiri.
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Hanya setetesnya lebih dari
yang mereka bayangkan.
00:48
Oh, they wanted her blandhambar.
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Oh, mereka ingin dia cemplang
00:49
And barrentandus.
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dan mandul.
00:51
UnspiritedUnspirited, un-Africanun Afrika, unculturedtak berbudaya,
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Tak bernyawa, non-Afrika, tak berbudaya,
00:54
underdibawah siegePengepungan in the streetsjalanan.
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terkepung di jalan.
00:56
They wanted her facemenghadapi down, asspantat up,
handstangan cuffeddiborgol and anklespergelangan kaki strappedkekurangan.
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Ia harus tunduk, tangan, dan kaki terikat.
01:00
They wanted her knowingpenuh arti
she could never want them back.
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Mereka ingin dia tahu, takkan ia bisa
menginginkan mereka lagi
01:03
Oh, they wanted her holyKudus,
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Oh, mereka ingin kesuciannya,
01:05
baptizeddibaptis in her divineilahi,
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dibabtis dalam imannya,
01:07
they wanted her secretsrahasia,
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Mereka ingin rahasianya,
01:08
pearlsMutiara to swinebabi.
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menjadi hina.
01:10
They wanted to unravelterurai
the mysteryMisteri of her designDesain.
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Mereka ingin mengoyak misteri indahnya.
01:14
FascinatedTerpesona by glorykejayaan,
hypnotizedterhipnotis by her kindjenis.
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Terperangah keagungan, tersihir mulianya.
01:17
Oh, they wanted her completelengkap.
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Oh, mereka ingin keseluruhan dirinya.
01:19
They wanted her wholeseluruh,
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Mereka ingin keutuhannya,
01:20
thoughmeskipun they camedatang fractionedfractioned,
half-heartedsetengah hati, half-soulsetengah-jiwa,
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meski mereka datang terkoyak,
setengah hati, setengah jiwa,
01:24
with no regardssalam and no knowledgepengetahuan
as to who she really was.
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tanpa hormat dan kesadaran akan siapa dia
01:27
Oh, but if they knewtahu.
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Oh, jikalau mereka tahu.
01:29
If they knewtahu her,
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Jika mereka tahu dirinya,
01:31
praisememuji songslagu would rainhujan
from the cloudsawan of theirmereka eyesmata,
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hujan lagu pujian dari mata mendung mereka
01:35
clearingKliring the visionpenglihatan, bathingmandi the heartjantung.
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menyapu penglihatan, menyegarkan hati.
01:37
They would bowbusur everysetiap time they saw her.
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Mereka akan menunduk tiap kali melihatnya.
01:40
Be theirmereka bestterbaik selvesdiri when she was around.
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Menjadi diri mereka yang terbaik
ketika di dekatnya.
01:43
If they knewtahu her,
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Jika mereka tahu dirinya,
01:45
knewtahu she was the gluelem to theirmereka revolutionrevolusi,
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sadar bahwa dialah perekat revolusi mereka
01:47
the life flowmengalir of blooddarah
throughmelalui theirmereka veinspembuluh darah.
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aliran darah melalui nadi mereka.
01:50
If they knewtahu her,
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Jika mereka tahu dia,
01:52
she would know,
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Dia akan tahu
01:54
she would feel
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Dia akan merasa
01:56
that her bodytubuh is more than battlefieldmedan perang.
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tubuhnya lebih dari sekadar medan perang
01:59
More than bonetulang breakistirahat and bleedingberdarah bigotrykefanatikan.
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Lebih dari fanatik berdarah perusak tulang
02:03
More than bridgejembatan
over your troubledbermasalah consciencehati nurani.
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melampaui jembatan kerusakan hati nuranimu
02:06
More than used up, walkedberjalan on,
drivendidorong throughmelalui, shottembakan up.
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melampaui sosok terbuang, tersetir,
tertembak
02:09
More than your "SelmaSelma, LordTuhan, SelmaSelma"
EdmundEdmund PettusPettus.
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melampaui Edmund Pettus
"Selma, Lord, Selma"-mu
02:13
More than your killerpembunuh KatrinaKatrina DanzigerDanziger.
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Lebih dari pembunuh Katrina Danzigermu.
02:16
More than your bustpayudara them out of BaltimoreBaltimore
"HighwayJalan Raya to NowhereTempat."
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melampaui usiranmu pada mereka
dari Baltimore "Highway to Nowhere"
02:19
If they knewtahu her,
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Jika mereka tahu dia,
02:21
she would know.
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dia akan tahu.
02:23
(SingingBernyanyi)
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(Menyanyi)
02:51
WildLiar womenwanita,
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Wanita buas,
02:53
wildliar womenwanita, they walkberjalan with buffalokerbau.
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wanita buas, berjalan diiringi banteng
02:55
Have lightningpetir on theirmereka tongueslidah,
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Dengan petir di lidah mereka,
02:57
flyterbang whiskswhisks as weaponssenjata.
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terbang secepat kilat senjata mereka
02:59
WildLiar womenwanita, they walkberjalan with machetesParang.
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Wanita buas, berjalan dengan parang.
03:01
With wisdomkebijaksanaan, with gracekasih karunia, with easemeredakan.
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Dengan kearifan, keanggunan, ketentraman.
03:05
WildLiar womenwanita have hurricanesbadai
in theirmereka belliesperut,
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Wanita buas dengan badai dalam perut
03:07
releasingmelepaskan a floodbanjir of a lessonpelajaran.
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melepaskan luapan pelajaran.
03:09
Oh, wildliar womenwanita, they flyterbang freebebas.
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Oh, wanita buas, mereka terbang bebas.
03:12
Just watch theirmereka wayscara,
how they ripmeninggal dunia and shredrusak.
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Terpaku pada jalan mereka, mengoyak,
mencabik
03:15
Oh, who can understandmemahami her,
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Oh, siapa kan mengerti dia,
03:17
this windingberkelok-kelok NigerNiger riversungai of a womanwanita
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sungai Nigeria berangin seorang wanita
03:20
one who is unafraidtidak takut to tearair mata away
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Seorang yang tegar tuk terkoyak
03:23
only to roammenjelajah and then becomemenjadi the windangin.
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hanya untuk berkelana lalu menjadi angin.
03:26
She who speaksberbicara in gustshembusan and cyclonesSiklon
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Dia yang berkata dalam tiupan dan topan
03:30
blastingpeledakan us back to hightinggi groundtanah,
hightinggi consciousnesskesadaran,
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hempaskan kembali ke dataran tinggi,
kesadaran tinggi
03:34
she turnsberubah and so does the worlddunia.
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dia berbalik dan begitu pula dunia.
03:37
Feel her spinningpemintalan,
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Merasakan putarannya,
03:38
spanningmembentang severalbeberapa lifetimesseumur hidup.
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berlanjut hingga beberapa waktu.
03:40
HearMendengar her speakingberbicara, sparkingmemicu alarmalarm.
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Dengar dia berbicara, menyalakan pengingat
03:43
See her dancingtarian, summoningmemanggil the deadmati,
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Lihat tariannya, memanggil yang tiada,
03:46
resurrectingmembangkitkan newbaru life.
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memberi kehidupan baru.
03:48
HeavenSurga hearsmendengar her knockingmengetuk on the doorpintu,
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Surga mendengar dia mengetuk pintu,
03:51
safelyaman transportingpengangkutan the onesyang
who call for her assistancebantuan.
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dengan selamat menyertai mereka yang butuh
03:55
WildLiar womenwanita, they openBuka
portalsPortal to newbaru worldsdunia,
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Wanita buas, mereka buka pintu dunia baru
03:59
newbaru speechpidato, newbaru dreamsmimpi.
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ucapan baru, mimpi-mimpi baru.
04:02
Oh, dearlymahal belovedsbeloveds,
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Oh, saudara sekalian yang terkasih,
04:05
so dearlymahal departedberangkat
from the wayscara of the guardianwali,
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yang pergi dari jalan sang penjaga,
04:08
bewareberhati-hatilah.
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waspadalah.
04:10
For wildliar womenwanita are not to be tameddijinakkan.
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Akan wanita buas yang tiada jinak.
04:15
Only admiredkagum.
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Hanya untuk dikagumi.
04:17
Just let her in and witnesssaksi her
setset your dayshari ablazeterbakar.
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Biarkan dia datang dan lihat dia bakar harimu
04:25
(CheersBersulang) (ApplauseTepuk tangan)
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(Sorakan) (Tepuk tangan)
04:27
Thank you.
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Terima kasih.
04:28
(ApplauseTepuk tangan)
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(Tepuk tangan)
Translated by Adela Yolanda Sekarningtyas
Reviewed by Ade Indarta

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sunni Patterson - Poet
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage, culture, and traditions of her native town with a spiritual worldview to create powerful music and poetry.

Why you should listen

Emerging from the musical womb that is New Orleans, Sunni Patterson combines the heritage of her native town with an enlightened modern style to create music and poetry that is timeless in its groove. She began her career as a full-time high school teacher, and much of her life since has been devoted to serving as a cultural worker and grassroots activist, using art and poetry to encourage dialogue and healing.

She has been a featured performer at many of the nation's premier spoken-word venues, including HBO's Def Poetry and BET’s Lyric Cafe. She also had the privilege of speaking at the Panafest in Ghana, West Africa and has collaborated with artists and performers, including Hannibal Lokumbe (singing lead vocals for his score, ”King and the Crescent City Moon"), Kalamu Ya Salaam, Sonia Sanchez, Wanda Coleman, Amiri Baraka, Mos Def, Eve Ensler, The Last Poets and many more.

More profile about the speaker
Sunni Patterson | Speaker | TED.com