I asked ChatGPT to talk about the holy month of Ramadhan, in Malay, in poetry format. Here’s what it came up with:
Overall, I’d give the answer a solid grade C, maybe even a B minus.
The ‘pantun’ format definitely needs more polishing. A ‘pantun’ is basically a quatrain using an A-B-A-B rhyming scheme, with all lines being the same length, usually between 8-12 syllables each. It’s clear what ChatGPT was trying to do here, but even the shortest lines are too long, and that last line is practically a full sentence already.
Meaning-wise, it’s not too bad. Most of the verses contain the appropriate advice concerning what to do during Ramadhan. One sentence in particular seems a bit off though.
Lebih baik bersedekah, bagi yang kurang mampu sahaja
When translated, the line above means “It’s better to give alms, only for those who are less able to afford it”. The meaning here is ambiguous however. I think it’s trying to say “give charity to the needy”, not “only the needy should give charity” but that is not entirely apparent from the sentence structure.
Anyway, this was just a fun distraction from thesis-writing. Back to work, Imran!
Salam Ramadhan to all of you, from ChatGPT and me.
Imran Idris 