“Ndang Dao Tubis Sian Bonana”: A Batak Metaphor for Family Continuity and Cultural Inheritance
July 2025
Mery Tambaria Damanik Ambarita
Across the world, cultures have developed rich proverbial traditions to express the belief that children often resemble their parents in character, behavior, or destiny. Whether these reflections are used to praise inherited talent or comment critically on behavioral flaws, the underlying idea is universally understood: we often see the imprint of a parent in their child. This post explores an interlinear translation of such proverb from the Batak region of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
The Batak proverb "Ndang dao tubis sian bonana" (Figure 1) is translated to Indonesian as “Tidak jauh rebung dari pokok (induknya)”; (ndang=not; dao=far; tubis=bamboo shoot; sian=from; bonana=its parent plant). In English it literary translates as: Not far (is the) bamboo shoot from its parent plant. This translation preserves the syntactic structure of the original Batak while providing semantic clarity. Batak proverbs often utilize concise structures, where the omission of subjects or auxiliary verbs is compensated by the richness of contextual meaning. The absence of a subject draws on collective knowledge to supply the referents. Figure 2 shows the proverb’s literary Batak translation which in literary English is translated as “Not far (is the) child’s character from his/her father’s; (pangalaho=behavior, character; ni=definite article the or “nya” in Indonesian; anakna=his/her child; sian=from; amana=his/her father (ama=father). This translation is more specific in expressing the meaning of the Batak proverb, clarifies the underlying moral principle for audiences who may not immediately grasp the natural symbolism of bamboo, linking ecological imagery to familial resemblance. This interlinear translation plays a critical role in conveying the proverb’s linguistic and cultural layers.
Figure 1. The Batak proverb with its Indonesian translation (Sitanggang, 1996)
An equivalent variant of the proverb having similar meaning is “Sodao tubu sian bonan” (Siahaan & Barus, 2020); sodao is a variant of ndang dao (so=ndang); tubu is a variant of tubis, representing the new shoot; bonan is the shorter version of bonana, the possessive pronoun of bona. Although morphologically slightly different, both proverbs communicate the same idea, reflecting dialectal or stylistic flexibility in Batak oral and literary traditions. The proverbs blend ecology and ethics with imagery centered on the bamboo shoot which grows closely around the base of the bamboo plant (bonana). It aptly symbolizes familial closeness and the transmission of traits from one generation to the next (ancestry root), to describe family likeness, often with pride or deep cultural meaning, emphasizing the importance of genealogy inherited identity in Batak society.
Figure 2. The Batak proverb with its Batak translation (Sibarani, 1979)
The use of tubis is significant in typical traditional Batak dishes like arsik (dried stewed seasoned fish) and gantalan (curry made with cowhide and tubis). Bamboo is used in construction, for tools in practical daily life, and for musical instruments (Simanjuntak, et al., 1993). In earlier times it was also used for Batak manuscripts (Pustaha bulu) and calendars which are preserved in museums and libraries. Bamboo typically grows near villages, riverbanks, or rice fields, and is planted to reinforce land, retain water, or serve as natural fences (known as parik) (Simanjuntak, et al., 1993). The translations miss the emotional weight of pride or critique often implied when the proverb is used in context, along with its relevance to everyday life. Bamboo shoots that grow close to their rootstock/clumps (Uchimura, 1981), symbolizes the shared identity within the social structure and kinship system of Batak people (known as Dalihan Na Tolu (“three-legged stove”). Bamboo reflects interconnectedness of hula-hula (the wife’s side’s families), boru (relatives from a female’s side of the clan), and dongan tubu (siblings or relatives of the same clan), which emphasizes inherited social roles, moral responsibility, and family unity, represented by the clumps’ system and growth of bamboo. These cultural values however cannot be captured through the interlinear translation.
The proverb finds parallel in Indonesian proverb, “Sebab buah dikenal pohonnya” or “Madu satu tong jika rembes, rembesnya pun madu jua” (Natia, 1990), expressing also the idea that children resemble their parents. The Malay saying “Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya” (“To bend bamboo, start with the shoot”) emphasizes the importance of early education and the influence of upbringing. The Batak proverb is generally applied under family situations where children grow up within the same environment as their parents.
The significance of interlinear translation lies in its ability to preserve linguistic authenticity while facilitating cross-cultural understanding. By retaining the original Batak structure, it allows scholars and learners to appreciate the language’s conciseness and metaphorical richness. It also highlights the challenges of translating culturally specific concepts, prompting deeper exploration of Batak values. The dual role—linguistic and cultural—makes interlinear translation a vital tool for anthropologists, linguists, and educators seeking to bridge indigenous knowledge with global audiences.
In conclusion, “Ndang dao tubis sian bonana” encapsulates a deep Batak cultural truth through a simple bamboo metaphor. Interlinear translation analysis reveals its linguistic structure and ecological symbolism, while exposing its limitations in capturing the depth of Batak kinship and social values. The interlinear translation of the proverb serves as a vessel for moral and cultural transmission, also encoding shared human experiences within unique cultural frameworks.
References:
Natia, I Ketut. 1990. Peribahasa & Ungkapan dalam Bahasa Indonesia. Surabaya: Bina Pustaka.
Siahaan, Jamorlan & Barus, Asni. 2022. Form, content of umpama and umpasa in Batak Toba Language: Study of Local Wisdom. TALENTA Conference Series. LWSA Conference Series 05: 51-61
Sibarani, AN Parda. 1979. Umpama Batak dohot Lapatanna. Jakarta: Proyek Penerbitan Buku Sastra Indonesia dan Daerah, Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.
Simanjuntak, Belam, Sitanggang, Toga, & Sianipar, Parulian. 1993. Dapur dan alat-alat memasak tradisional daerah Sumatra Utara. Jakarta: Proyek Penelitian Pengkajian dan Pembinaan Nilai-Nilai Budaya.
Sitanggang, SRH. 1996. Tradisi Umpasa Suku Batak Toba dalam Upacara Pernikahan. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa. Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.
Uchimura, Etsuzo. 1980. Bamboo Cultivation. Proceeding of a Workshop on Bamboo Research in Asia. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre: 151-160