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Jambatan Tamparuli Song, Lyrics & Translation


I was sitting in my room in the other night and was humming this song to myself. Unfortunately, I only knew the first part of the song, which annoyed me and led me to go searching for the song, it's lyrics and reading a bit of history at 2am on a Thursday night.

Thinking about it now, Jambatan Tamparuli (or Tamparuli Bridge in English) has always been a song that is a part of the culture in Sabah, it is iconic, and you can mention it to anyone in Sabah and they would know the song.

I remember listening to this when I was old enough to start paying attention to things at weddings. The drunken men of the bride or groom's family stumbling up on stage to do a little karaoke of this song along with a couple of other Sabah classics like Proton Saga Kelabu (Grey Proton Saga) and Sayang Kinabalu (I Love Kinabalu). Since, then I noticed this song being sung at every Kadazan wedding or event. It's a song that makes us Sabahans (especially those living elsewhere like me) get the feels. 

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History

Jambatan Tamparuli was written by Justin Lusah in 1977. It was published as part of an album of the same title and was recorded at the She Huat Studio together with the 'Tom Jones' of Sabah, John Gaisah. 

Some of the other songs you can find on the album are:

Jambatan Tamparuli
Sumandak Mantad Sunsuron 
Au Zou Mihum Do Suai 

Justin Lusah loved music even when he was a child and many of the songs he composed were based on his own life experiences. All of his songs are written in Kadazan and usually contain a hint of comedy and playfulness, as you will see in Jambatan Tamparuli. 


The song Jambatan Tamparuli is based on a real bridge in Tamparuli, which guides introduce to tourists as the "Lover's Bridge". The bridge in the song refers to the most well-known hanging bridge in Tamparuli. However, if you visit Tamparuli today, you will not find the same bridge from the song. The original was washed away by a flood in 1999 and in it's place a new bridge (and a couple other bridges) were built. 


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Lyrics

Pak pak kang ku doh
Sumunsui doh jambatan
Jambatan doh Tamparuli
Bakasut tinggi oku

Sumunsui doh jambatan
Jambatan doh Tamparuli
Pak pak kang ku doh
Bakasut tinggi oku

Silaka nodi kasutku
Naratu lo jambatan
Tinggal poh doh sutakin
Nowid ku di numuli

Ontok di hari 3
Tamu lo Tamparuli
Mingusuk poh hilo kadai
Mogihum doh kasut tinggi

Ulang (semua)

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Translation

I make a "pak pak" sound
As I walk along the bridge
The Tamparuli bridge
In my high-heeled shoes

As I walk along the bridge
The Tamparuli bridge
I make a "pak pak" sound
In my high heeled shoes

But my damned shoes
Fell off the bridge
All that's left are socks
Which I take home with me

Now it's Wednesday
At the Tamparuli market
Walking through all the shops
Looking for a pair of high heeled shoes

Repeat (all)

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After singing this song on repeat for like an hour while researching about it and reading the comments on YouTube and recalling all the people who mention this song to me, I really do believe that Jambatan Tamparuli is an iconic song not only to the people of Sabah but to Malaysians as a whole.

I think it's safe to say that Jambatan Tamparuli will be one of those songs that will just go down in history as long as people keep singing them at weddings. haha ❤

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