Gurindam is a type of irregular verse forms of traditional Malay

Malay people

Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...

 poetry. It is a combination of two clauses where the relative clause forms a line and is thus linked to the second line, or the main clause. Each pair of lines (stanza

Stanza

In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...

) provides complete ideas within the pair and has the same rhyme in its end. There is no limit on the number words per line and neither the rhythm per line is fixed.

Although Gurindam looks similar with Syair

Syair

Syair is a form of traditional Malay poetry that made up of four-line stanzas or quatrains. The syair can be a narrative poem, a didactic poem, or a poem used to convey ideas on religion or philosophy, or even one to describe historical event....

 which also have the same rhyme at the end of each stanza, it differs in the sense that it completes the message within the same stanza while Syair unfolding the message in several stanzas. The first line of gurindam is known as syarat (protasis

Protasis (linguistics)

In linguistics, a protasis is the subordinate clause in a conditional sentence. For example, in "if X, then Y", the protasis is "if X"...

) and the second line is jawab (apodosis

Apodosis

Apodosis may refer to:*In linguistics, the main clause in a conditional sentence*In logic, the apodosis corresponds to the consequent; ....

). In other words, the first line states a condition while the second line provides the answer.

One of the most well known literary works on Gurindam was the Gurindam Dua Belas (Twelve Gurindam) of Raja Ali Haji

Raja Ali Haji

Raja Ali Haji bin Raja Haji Ahmad was a 19th-century Buginese–Malay historian, poet and scholar.-Early life:Raja Ali Haji was born in Selangor in 1808 or 1809, and was the son of Raja Ahmad, who was titled Engku Haji Tua after accomplishing the pilgrimage to Mecca...

 written in 1847. Below is the 5th clause of the famous 12 Gurindam:

Malay Malay language Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

Literal English translation English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

Jika hendak mengenal orang berbangsa, Lihat kepada budi dan bahasa Jika hendak mengenal orang yang berbahagia Sangat memeliharakan yang sia-sia Jika hendak mengenal orang mulia Lihatlah kepada kelakuan dia Jika hendak mengenal orang yang berilmu Bertanya dan belajar tiadalah jemu Jika hendak mengenal orang yang berakal Di dalam dunia mengambil bekal Jika hendak mengenal orang yang baik perangai Lihat pada ketika bercampur dengan orang ramai

If the well born you would identify Look for their kindness and courtesy Those who are happy and prosper Waste and idleness do forswear If the noble you would perceive Look you at how they behave If it's ones with knowledge you require Of questions and learning they never tire As for the wise, it's easy to tell In this world, for the next they provide well If the good natured are whom you seek, When they're with company you must peek