"Dawai" is an Indonesian song, not a Malay song. Here are the full lyrics with the English translation.

There is a new Indonesian song that I like, called “Dawai” (which means "strings" in Indonesian), originally performed by Fadhilah Intan, and composed by Hendro Djasmoro and Albert Juwono, which has been making its rounds in social media -- not only in Indonesia but also in neighbouring countries, especially Malaysia. This song is being used as the original soundtrack for an Indonesian movie called “Air Mata di Ujung Sajadah” (or “Tears at the Edge of the Praying Mat”).

This song is very popular in Malaysia and has been covered by many Malaysian singers, leading to people thinking that this is a Malaysian song. In fact, this is an Indonesian song, if you notice, the lyrics are Indonesian and not Malay. Many of our Malaysian friends got confused with the lyrics: “Dawai yang telah lama kupetik” – how wires (“dawai” in Malay) can be plucked (dipetik). Dawai in Indonesian means “strings”, which usually refer to the guitar strings, that can be plucked (or strummed) when the guitar is being played.

Below are the full lyrics of the “Dawai” song – in Indonesian, and its English translation.

Dawai (“Air Mata Di Ujung Sajadah” OST)

Tujuh tahun sudah, kau buatku percaya
Dengan keyakinan yang semu membiru
Tenggelamku dalam sebuah kepalsuan
Yang kau rajut untuk membalut malu

Reff:

Dawai yang telah lama kupetik
Sumbang dan terus lirih berpekik
Doa yang pernah ku ucap
Surga tak menjawab
Betapa sungguh tega oh hatimu
Mencuri yang digariskan untukku
Hati yang dulu terluka
Dirundung dilema

Mencoba 'tuk paham, namun sulit maafkan
Iman yang kugenggam kini pun tenggelam
Di palung lautan kini t'lah kutemukan
Secercah harapan yang lama t'lah hilang

Kembali ke Reff

 

English translation:

Strings (“Tears at the Edge of the Praying Mat” OST)

It's been seven years, you made me believe
With confidence, that is fake and turning blue
I am sinking deep into a fakeness
The one you knit to cover your shame

Chorus:

The strings I have been plucking for a long time
Out of tune and continued to scream softly
The prayer I once said
Heaven does not answer
So heartless, oh your heart
Stealing what was destined for me
A heart that used to be hurt
Plagued by dilemma

Trying to understand, but it's hard to forgive
The faith I hold is now sinking
In an ocean trench, now I have found
A glimmer of hope, the old one is gone

Back to Chorus

 

The original music video from Fadhilah Intan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bN4wLeFtfI

The ‘young Sunja’ who became a genius... Yuna, the rising child actress

The smart country girl from ‘Pachinko’ returned as a genius girl in ‘The Kidnapping Day’. 12-year-old child actress Yuna is already an experienced actress in her 7th year of acting. In the ENA Wednesday-Thursday drama 'The Kidnapping Day', she vividly played the role of Ro-hee, a girl who became a genius after undergoing a brain experiment but lost her memory.

'The Kidnapping Day' is a drama centered on the chemistry between Ro-hee and the clumsy kidnapper Myeong-jun (played by Yoon Kye-sang) who kidnapped her. The story revolves around the relationship and narrative between the two people. Usually, child actors portray the protagonist's childhood as supporting roles, but in this drama, Yuna took on the challenge of acting as the female lead role throughout the whole drama. As a result, she naturally developed a '(fake)-father-daughter' chemistry with adult actor Yoon Kye-sang, and was reborn as a true hit star.

Although she is still young, acting is already a part of Yuna's life. She has never had any other dreams other than being an actress, and has faithfully followed her single path. Is that the reason why (her acting is amazing)? Yuna played the difficult character of a genius girl who looks 'cocky' (arrogant/bratty) on the outside but is lonely in the inside, and she did it 'cleverly' (brilliantly), as the public said. This was an achievement because she did not limit herself to the limitations of being a child actress.

The following is a Q&A written interview with Yuna. 

Q: You became known by playing the role of a young Sunja in the Apple TV+ series ‘Pachinko.’ I think you have established yourself as a child actor who can be completely trusted through this ‘The Kidnapping Day.’

A: I am truly grateful. I like it because I wanted to express Rohee well. While reading the script, I cried a lot because of Rohee. This is my first time acting in such a large part, and I was nervous and felt a lot of responsibility. It was fun.

Q: It must have been difficult because there wasn't much difference in appearance or amount of lines (for your role as Ro-hee) compared to adult actors, but there were a lot of good reviews. I'm curious as to whether you expected this to happen and what thoughts you had as you watched the reactions. Is there a memorable compliment?

A: I didn't expect it (the compliments and good reviews) at all. I just worked hard and had fun, and I hoped that many people would love this work. Thank you very much. I had friends who asked me for spoilers because they thought it was so fun, and what I remember most is when someone asked me for an autograph, saying that he liked me. It was more fun than difficult. I tend to try to have fun doing everything, and I think this is the secret.

Q: Rohee is a genius girl character who has lost her memory, and the setting is fantasy-like. Nevertheless, it doesn't seem to be awkward (for you) at all, and you acted in a way that blended well into the character, so I think that (awkward) barrier disappeared. How did you do it?

A: Rohee is an 11-year-old girl. However, due to the greed of adults, she was trapped in the fence of experimentation. In order to be able to express these characteristics, I tried to express Ro-hee, who has a cold and rude way of speaking, but gradually changes as she receives sincere care when she meets a good adult like Myeong-jun, and despite of the fear inside her, Ro-hee eventually opens up her heart to Myeong-jun.

Q: How was your relationship on set with actor Yoon Kye-sang, who plays Myeong-jun, the ‘good kidnapper and fake-dad’? If you have any memorable episodes, please tell us.

A: He (Yoon Kye-sang) gave me a lot of advice on acting. I feel very fortunate and lucky to have been with actor Yoon Kye-sang when I was performing such a large role for the first time. It was really nice that he was considerate so that I could act comfortably. He's the best uncle. Even as I speak, I miss my uncle (Yoon Kye-sang) now. We still keep in touch these days, and I was touched that he came to see my first performance in the (Sea Village Diary) theatre play.

Q: From the beginning, the character was like a 'cheeky child' and spoke informally (in banmal or casual) to actor Yoon Kye-sang. Were there any concerns that he might come across as 'obnoxious' (distateful)? Even though he was a character with a strong personality, I think that balance was struck well.

A: There were no good adults for Rohee. So in the beginning, she is a little strange, like a cold, spoiled, socially-inept child. But that changes when she meets Myeongjun, a good adult. I understood this character as ‘Rohee is a warm child, but the environment in which she grew up was not.’ So I wanted to express that part well. Although it looks cold and spoiled, I wanted to express the pure and warm heart of a child, not in a strange way.

Q: I know you debuted at the age of 5, and you have already been an actress for 7 years. It must be quite difficult to handle both your studies and acting. Is there a reason why you want to continue acting? I'm also curious about what kind of work you'd like to do if you weren't acting.

A: I think the appeal of acting is that we can live in many characters. That’s why acting is fun. I’ve never thought of any other jobs other than acting! If I don't act... I really don't know (what would I do). I really like acting.

Q: Both young Sunja (in Pachinko) and Ro-hee (in The Kidnapping Day) seem to play many characters with complex emotions and narratives as adults. As an actor, what kind of charm do you want to show in the future?

A: I found those characters interesting, so I had a desire to express them well through acting. I still want to try many different things! I hope people will always be curious about my acting and look out for the next projects I will appear in. I also want to become an actress who can have a positive influence on other people.

Source: https://news.nate.com/view/20231105n01900

Note: "The Kidnapping Day" is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Yoon Kye-sang and Park Seong-hoon, Real Adults in a World Without Adults ('The Kidnapping Day')

A kidnapper, a detective, and a kidnapped child. Their combination is by no means unusual. This kidnapper, Kim Myeong-jun (Yoon Kye-sang), goes to great lengths to protect the young girl he kidnapped, Choi Ro-hee (Yuna). Even though he has no choice but to engage in a continuous chase with detective Park Sang-yoon (Park Seong-hoon), who has been chasing them, he heartily says, “I’m sorry.” Detective Park Sang-yoon, who pursues them, eventually understands the kidnapper, Kim Myeong-jun, even as he tries to arrest him. The detective, who tries to look into the actual truth of the case, sees that their relationship is not simply that of a kidnapper and a kidnapped child, even when everyone else assumes that Kim Myeong-jun is a dangerous kidnapper.

The same goes for Ro-hee, the kidnapped child. Ro-hee, who is a genius and is excellent at understanding and responding to situations, actually controls Kim Myeong-jun, who kidnaps her. At the same time, she realizes that Kim Myeong-jun is the only adult who can protect her, resulting in her relying on him for protection and care. This is why the sight of them gathering in one place and collaborating cannot be ordinary. This scene contains a message full of satire that the ENA Wednesday-Thursday Korean drama throws through this special combination. That is a sharp criticism of a world without true adults.

‘The Kidnapping Day’ is based on the story of heartless adults who have sacrificed children for a secret research called the 'Genius Child Project'. Ro-hee was a child who was being used as an experimental subject by her father for the research, and she is a successful “product” of the research. However, Ro-hee's parents were murdered, and Ro-hee, who escaped from the house with no memory, was kidnapped by Kim Myeong-jun, a clumsy kidnapper who was trying to kidnap her. But in reality, he saved her.

The drama traces who murdered Ro-hee's parents and what happened to Ro-hee, showing that some force behind this project supports it. They include people like Jayden (Gam Young-seok), an overseas investment manager who wants to make a lot of money, and Dr. Mo Eun-seon (Seo Jae-hee), who supported this research for her developmentally delayed daughter. They try to kidnap Ro-hee, the successful “product” of the research, as well as find her father’s research report so they can make more genius children like Ro-hee. As a result, Kim Myeong-jun and Ro-hee, who have gradually become closer and form a paternal bond just like father and daughter, run away from their pursuit.

And finally, the true identity of Kim Myeong-jun's wife, Seo Hye-eun (Kim Shin-rok), who was hidden behind all these incidents, is revealed. She grew up in the same orphanage as Kim Myeong-jun and was adopted in place of Kim Myeong-jun by the family that was conducting research for the 'Genius Child Project'. Kim Myeong-jun was originally intended to be adopted, but Hye-eun hid in the car’s trunk to follow him. She managed to get adopted by changing the IQ test paper. However, Hye-eun was eventually dismissed because she failed to achieve results, and decided to manipulate this incident for her revenge.

This points out the difference between a crime that occurs outside the law, such as kidnapping, and a crime that takes place through a legal procedure called adoption but is terminated because it does not serve a specific purpose. In the end, doesn't either side view the child as a purpose rather than as a child? The irony of Kim Myeong-jun, a clumsy kidnapper who just wants Ro-hee, an 11-year-old girl, to be happy like an ordinary child of her age, becomes the opposite of them and becomes the child's only protector, and this critical and satirical point of view is reflected in it.

To put it conversely, this also indirectly shows what kind of situation a person who only wants a child to be happy is pushed into in this calculating, self-interested world without true adults. Kim Myeong-jun ends up being chased by the actual kidnappers. The same goes for an impartial detective like Park Sang-yoon, who tries to understand the truth of the case and protect the child until the end. Despite pressure from his superiors not to investigate further, he continued the investigation and ended up being suspended.

Kim Myeong-jun just happens to become a kidnapper, and Park Sang-yoon is a detective who is no longer able to use his power because he’s suspended. The sight of them working together and fighting to protect a young girl named Rohee makes the drama viewers cheer because they seem like the only real adults left. However, the fact that they are paying a heavy price to protect such innocence is, on the one hand, bittersweet. What a society that can't make even one child happy. Metaphorically speaking, isn't it a distorted self-portrait of our society that pushes people into ruthless competition to make them elite from a young age?

Source: https://www.entermedia.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=31115

Note: You may watch “The Kidnapping Day” on Amazon Prime. At the time of writing, it has aired 10 out of 12 episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. Singapore time, with the last episode scheduled to be aired next week.

I would recommend you to watch this drama. It’s a combination of multiple genres: drama, light comedy, suspense, mystery, family values, emotion and moral values mixed into one. The chemistry between the kidnapper and the kidnapped girl is particularly sweet, with great performances from both actor Yoon Kye-sang and the very talented child actress Yuna.