Dutch farewell song to Indonesia (1979) • “Afscheid van Indië”

"Afscheid van Indië", written by Eduard Koning, composed by Harry Bannink, performed by Wieteke van Dort (1979) • STORY • In the Dutch East Indies there had been a large group of people who had Dutch or mixed heritage, who were called 'Indische Nederlanders'. Many of these people had lived their whole life in the region, and felt distinctively 'Indisch', but when Indonesia became an independent state they were seen as Dutch by the new Indonesian regime. Between 1945 and 1968 around 300.000 Indische Nederlanders had to be 'repatriated' to the Netherlands. This word was mostly symbolic, because many of these people had never even been in the Netherlands before. Wieteke van Dort, who performed this song, was born in 1943 in Surabaya on Java, during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). She grew up there, even after the Indonesian independence, so she has always felt Indisch and used that background many times in her career, even though she didn’t have Indisch blood herself. Her father, Theo van Dort, was murdered by Indonesian rebels in 1946. Thereafter her mother remarried Louis Rommelaar, who was owner of a rubber factory. When the family went on a trip to the Netherlands in 1957, Indonesian president Sukarno nationalised all foreign property in Indonesia, which included the rubber factory. Out of necessity the family had to stay in the Netherlands without any property. Today there are almost 2 million people living in the Netherlands with Indisch heritage. • LYRICS • Afscheid van Indië. Wat heeft het voor zin? Hoe moet het nu verder met het land dat ik bemin? "Dag baboe, dag djongos, het ga jullie goed. Land van mijn dromen, ik ga omdat ik moet." Afscheid van Indië, vaak ongewild. (- Johan van Oldenbarnevelt) Verzet blijft van binnen, de tijd maakt ons mild. (- Oranje, Willem Ruys) Maar altijd zal blijven, het beeld van die tijd. (- Sibayak en de Dempo) Het houdt je gevangen, je raakt 't niet kwijt (-Groote Beer, Zuiderkruis) Tandjoeng Priok - Batavia - Singapore - Straat van Malakka - Belawan, Medan - Sabang - Colombo ,Ceylon - Rode Zee - Suezkanaal - Port Said - Genua of Marseille - Gibraltar - Golf van Biskaje - Southampton - Het Kanaal - Noordzeekanaal - sluizen van IJmuiden - Amsterdam - of Nieuwe Waterweg - loods aan boord - Rotterdam Nee ze zijn er niet meer, ze zijn er niet meer, de zeereuzen van weleer. Ze brachten ons naar Holland en we keerden niet weer. • TRANSLATION • Farewell to Indië. What is it all for? How should it go on now with the land that I adore? "Bye baboe, bye djongos, I wish you the best! Land of my dreams, I go, because I have to." Farewell to Indië, an unwanted fate. (- Johan van Oldenbarnevelt) Resistance inside me, the time makes it fade. (- Oranje, Willem Ruys) But I will remember the days of my youth. (- Sibayak en de Dempo) It won't ever lose you. It pains you for good. (- Groote Beer, Zuiderkruis) Tanjung Priok - Batavia - Singapore - Strait of Malacca - Belawan, Medan - Sabang - Colombo, Ceylon - Red Sea - Suez Canal - Port Said - Genoa or Marseille - Gibraltar - Bay of Biscay - Southamption - The English Channel - North Sea Channel - sluices of IJmuiden - Amsterdam - or Nieuwe Waterweg - pilot on board - Rotterdam No, they're no longer here, they're no longer here, the mighty sailors of yesteryear. They brought us to Holland and we never returned.