Cambridge refers to the historic university city in the United Kingdom, whose University Library houses several early Malay manuscripts, notably a 16th‑century translation of the Burda (poem) and a fragment of the Bad’ al-Amali containing a Malay translation. These documents provide crucial evidence for the early presence of Arabic‑Malay devotional poetry in the Indonesian archipelago and serve as comparative material for the Acehnese version of the creed poem.
Manuscript Details
Burda Manuscript
The Cambridge manuscript (catalogue nos. 3116 (1) and 5823 (2)) contains the Burda and a fragment of al‑lāmiyya fi ‘I‑lawii by Al‑Ushi, dated to 569/1173. The codex is part of the broader Cambridge collection of Arabic‑Malay texts that illustrate the diffusion of Sufi poetry across Southeast Asia.
Bad’ al-Amali Fragment
A separate fragment held by the University Library comprises only part of the Bad’ al-Amali text and exhibits a slightly disordered verse sequence. Although incomplete, the Malay translation offers a valuable point of comparison for scholars reconstructing the original order of verses in related Acehnese devotional works.
Relevance to Aceh
The Cambridge manuscripts provide comparative sources for the Acehnese version of the creed poem. By juxtaposing the Malay translation of Bad’ al-Amali with the Acehnese text, researchers can more accurately establish the correct sequence of verses and assess the transmission of Arabic devotional literature into the Acehnese literary tradition.
See Also
Source
20260707_232246_DLP-54-Een_16de_eeuwse_Maleise_vertaling_van_de_Burda_van_al_Bu_s_i_ri_OCR.txt, pp. 20‑22.