King Canute on the Seashore
A free B1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Tired of his courtiers' endless flattery, a king orders the rising tide to stop — and lets the sea itself teach them a lesson about true power.
A hundred years or more after the time of Alfred the Great there was a king of England named Canute. King Canute was a Dane; but the Danes were not so fierce and cruel then as they had been when they were at war with King Alfred.
Seratus tahun lebih setelah masa Alfred yang Agung, ada seorang raja Inggris bernama Canute. Raja Canute adalah orang Denmark; tetapi orang-orang Denmark saat itu tidak lagi seganas dan sekejam ketika mereka berperang melawan Raja Alfred.
The great men and officers who were around King Canute were always praising him.
Para bangsawan dan pejabat yang berada di sekitar Raja Canute selalu memujinya.
"You are the greatest man that ever lived," one would say.
"Engkau adalah orang terhebat yang pernah hidup," kata salah satu dari mereka.
Then another would say, "O king! there can never be another man so mighty as you."
Lalu yang lain berkata, "Wahai raja! tak akan pernah ada lagi orang sehebat engkau."
And another would say, "Great Canute, there is nothing in the world that dares to disobey you."
Dan yang lain lagi berkata, "Canute yang agung, tak ada apa pun di dunia ini yang berani melawanmu."
The king was a man of sense, and he grew very tired of hearing such foolish speeches.
Sang raja adalah orang yang bijaksana, dan ia sudah sangat bosan mendengar ucapan-ucapan konyol semacam itu.
One day he was by the sea-shore, and his officers were with him. They were praising him, as they were in the habit of doing. He thought that now he would teach them a lesson, and so he bade them set his chair on the beach close by the edge of the water.
Suatu hari ia berada di tepi pantai, dan para pejabatnya bersamanya. Mereka memujinya, seperti kebiasaan mereka. Ia berpikir kali ini ia akan memberi mereka pelajaran, maka ia menyuruh mereka meletakkan kursinya di pantai, dekat tepi air.
"Am I the greatest man in the world?" he asked.
"Apakah aku orang terhebat di dunia?" tanyanya.
"O king!" they cried, "there is no one so mighty as you."
"Wahai raja!" seru mereka, "tak ada seorang pun sehebat engkau."
"Do all things obey me?" he asked.
"Apakah segala sesuatu tunduk padaku?" tanyanya.
"There is nothing that dares to disobey you, O king!" they said. "The world bows before you, and gives you honor."
"Tak ada apa pun yang berani melawanmu, wahai raja!" kata mereka. "Dunia bersujud di hadapanmu, dan memberimu penghormatan."
"Will the sea obey me?" he asked; and he looked down at the little waves which were lapping the sand at his feet.
"Akankah laut tunduk padaku?" tanyanya; dan ia menatap ke bawah, ke arah ombak-ombak kecil yang menjilati pasir di kakinya.
The foolish officers were puzzled, but they did not dare to say "No."
Para pejabat yang bodoh itu kebingungan, tetapi mereka tidak berani berkata "Tidak."
"Command it, O king! and it will obey," said one.
"Perintahkanlah, wahai raja! dan ia akan patuh," kata salah satu dari mereka.
"Sea," cried Canute, "I command you to come no farther! Waves, stop your rolling, and do not dare to touch my feet!"
"Laut," seru Canute, "kuperintahkan engkau untuk tidak maju lebih jauh lagi! Ombak-ombak, hentikan gulunganmu, dan jangan berani menyentuh kakiku!"
But the tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king's chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe. His officers stood about him, alarmed, and wondering whether he was not mad.
Tetapi air pasang tetap datang, sebagaimana biasanya. Air naik semakin tinggi. Air itu naik mengelilingi kursi sang raja, membasahi bukan hanya kakinya, tetapi juga jubahnya. Para pejabatnya berdiri di sekelilingnya, cemas, dan bertanya-tanya apakah rajanya sudah gila.
Then Canute took off his crown, and threw it down upon the sand.
Kemudian Canute melepas mahkotanya, dan melemparkannya ke atas pasir.
"I shall never wear it again," he said. "And do you, my men, learn a lesson from what you have seen. There is only one King who is all-powerful; and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. It is he whom you ought to praise and serve above all others."
"Aku tak akan pernah memakainya lagi," katanya. "Dan hendaklah kalian, orang-orangku, belajar dari apa yang telah kalian saksikan. Hanya ada satu Raja yang mahakuasa; dan Dialah yang menguasai laut, dan menggenggam samudra dalam telapak tangan-Nya. Dialah yang seharusnya kalian puji dan layani di atas segalanya."
