*Note this story is in Pangasinan / Pangasinense
Gimmalaw so gigante ya matayam ed dalad paunla’d Kalanutian, sa’y lugar no iner to naalmo so premyo to.
Natsawan ed galaw ya ginalaw to, paunla-unla ed abong-abong tan unkalab ya ligaw ed bibii, managtakot ya arom ya managligaw piyan naala to’y bii ya labay to. Sananey so kailangan nen Sumarang, sananey ya balo, sananey ya untapat ed ara’y panag-anos to.
Nalmo ya gigante ara’y esal ed tanong to ed sungot ya malabir ya bibii ed baley da. Wala’y bii, si Donya Ines Cannoyan, anak ya sankayamanan ya too ed Kalanutian. Aman so aanapen nen saman ni. Anggapo’y talos ya panag-abol to ed pa-palda ira’y bibii, anggapo nen naanton aga makapaliket nu isubla’y to lay arom ya bii kasumpal ya sakey bii.
Si Donya Ines, para ed sikato, et mabli ni nen sa’y karakel ya ginto. Ipapangarap to’n sikara’y mansumpal ed utit, bilan Hari tan Reyna to. Perpekto ira’y bagay nen anengneng nen Donya Ines sikato. Manligaw si Sumarang ya salita’y walay karorasan, ya walay kapawaya’y kasil to, ya arama’y arom ya manliligaw nen Ines, aga makaasinger ta wala’y sibat to.
Nen sakey bulan ni man.
Natan, aderal ya too la si Sumarang. Agda sinagot, durog tan dismayado, binilay to’y agew to ra ya unbyabyahe paunla ed lugar ya aga kaarawian ed Kalanutian, mambabakasakali ya maka-ala’y pidwan pag-asa ed Donya Ines Cannoyan.
Agto apantanto sa’y kumpetisyon ya inarap to. Sigurado si Sumarang ya ed laman san sibat to et makapantakot anggano iray maritringgas ya managligaw to nen Ines, balet andi. Agga natanggap ya mayayaman ya nanlapo ni ed ararawin dayat tan ginton kabaleyan so pankatalo. Ginto so wadiya ed puso da, sananey labat ya alahas ya naiarom da ed kuleksyon da.
Anggano iramay Kastila et nararakepan ed ara’y storya’n patungkol ed rikit tan ringgas to. Sansasakey o grupo grupo ira, sasalien dan maging Juan de Salcedo ed prinsesa ton si Kandarapa.
Mas gwapo ni ray arom ya mangaligaw to nen sikato. Agto nunuten nen Sumarang so itsura’y eleng to ya kasimbaleg ya dwaran dalig, sa’y arukey ton bwek, o say balbaleg ton laman. Sa’y anta to labat, naala to’n amin ed pwersa.
Balet ed saya’y Datu tan Conquistadores ira, anta to’y lugar to. Aga makalaban si gigante para ed inaro to, andi ed saray karibal to ra. Twa, kaya to ran sansakey, balet agto naala tan ya oportunidad. Agew agew, unla ra’d abong to ya wala ray awit ya regalo, mamamabli san dakdakel.
Balet, anto’y naiwat ya gigante’n aya? Anggapo, balet say salita to tan sibat to labat.
Adurog, anta to nu kapigan atalo la. Nanbalkot la’y gamit to ra, inumpisahan to la’y arawin akar to paunla ed baley da. Agto man naala so puso nen Donya Ines Cannoyan, balet nayarin makalimot siguro sikato ed sara’y arom ya bibii diman.
Arawi tan mairap so dalan. Ramdam to la’y kesaw ed buto to. Wala ra’y panaon ya unlingon si Sumarang ed pinanlapuan to tan isipen to no duga’y ginawa to. Siguro ara’y arom ya mananligaw to unsuko ed kesaw tan umpawil ta piyan si Sumarang la’y pilien to. Siguro man-abot ira’y mata dan dwara nen Donya Ines tan manmahalan la ran dwa habang itaboy to ray arom ya manliligaw anggad tanggapen to la’y lakap to nen Sumarang.
Aman labat ira’y nunet ya pantasya nen Sumarang para makapampainawa. Ginugo to’y mata to’n kasimbaleg ya plato san dimmukel ed bato.
Ed pagkanengneng to’d arawi, wala’y anengneng to’n laki ya walay amputin tandang san mabwek ya aso. Binati nen Sumarang, san nila to san kinatungtong to. Nampakilala si ma’y laki ya si Lam-ang, san im-mirong ed abay to.
Kwanen Sumarang, “Aro, Masibeg ya Lam-ang, iner so laen mo? Iner ya kakyewan so balak mo? Iner ya bundok so pan-ngasoan mo? Kaarok ya Lam-ang?”
Tinepet nin Lam-ang so paryas to’n tepet ed sikato.
Imabaga nen Sumarang, “E ta tinepet mo ak, Nanlapo ak ed norte, ed baley ya Kalanutian, limma ak diman para ed lima nen Donya Ines Cannoyan.”
Timmunda si Lam-ang bago immesal. Nenengneng to’n diretso ed mata si Sumarang tan imbagan to’n unla met sikato ed Kalanutian para’d Donya Ines Cannoyan. Imbaga nen Lam-ang ya dapat man-hiwalay la ra’y dalan. Unla si Lam-ang ed Kalanutian, malay to, pano sikato’y pilien nen Donya Ines Cannoyan.
Immelek si Sumarang, pimmawil so elek to ed kakasilan ya elek to’n immabot ni’d asinger ya kakyewan. “Aga nayarin sika, ed sata’y lupam, pano aliwan sika’y pilien to. Wadman la ra’y mayayaman tan Kastila ya nanengneng laba’t ni nen Donya Ines Cannoyan. Ibaga’k la met ed sika, anggapo’y kwenta tu tay panlalakbay mo,” imbaga to.
Ninengneng to si Lam-ang ya wadya ed arapan to. Naisipan to’n asibok si Lam-ang ed nunot to’n kaya to’n manalo ed puso nen Donya Ines Cannoyan. Dakel so managligaw to’n mayaman, gwapo, wala’y kapangyarian. Para ed sikato, gilata labat si Lam-ang, aga karapat-dapat ed oras nen Donya Ines Cannoyan.
Esal nen Sumarang lamet, “ipreparam so laman mo ta dipendaan mo’y sarilim ed sibat ko – alitdiwa no agmo nasampat ayay sibat ko”
Aga laba’t gimalaw ya balot si Lam-ang. Mas gimmalit si Sumarang. Akin aga labat ataktakot si Lam-ang? Nu arama’y arom ya managkalab ya ligaw ed Kalanutian, natataktakot ira’n tampol tan umbatik labat la’y nayarian da.
Ed amin ya kasil to, imbantak to’y sibat to ed lam-ang san nan-alagar ed tanol ya pankaturok ya laman.
Dismayado’y Sumarang ed pagkasampat nen Lam-ang ed sibat to gamit ed kumapat san sankamelagan ton gamet labat.Pinik-pikwar to’y sibat nen Sumarang ed beklew to san imbaga ton ipawil to lad sikato so sibat to ta pyan angappo’y panka-utang to ed sikato.
Imbaga ni ed Sumarang ya ta no agga maingat, sa’y bangkay to’n gigante et untayak diya.
Simyudot si Sumarang. Syupan alintaweng ya kasi pyan man-angat diya? Simwerte laba’y yan utot tan asampat to’y sibat to, nunot nen Sumarang. Agga mampatalo si Sumarang.
Bimwelo si Sumarang tan simmugod paunla eh Lam-ang, balet kimaway laba’t ed dagem si Lam-ang san imbantak to may sibat ed Sumarang. Aturok si Sumarang tan simmabit arawi-rawi angga’d kuma-siyam ya burol.
Sikaran dwa nen Donya Ines Cannoyan, tan nu panon kaliket no sikara’y nansumpalan so utit ya anunutan nen Sumarang.
English Version
The giant moved slowly across the path to Kalanutian, the place where he would find his prize.
He was tired of the games he played, visiting houses and courting maidens, intimidating other suitors so that he could claim the woman as his own. Sumarang needed something new, something that was worth his effort.
The giant found his answer carried on the lips of the gossiping women of the village. There was a woman, Doña Ines Cannoyan, the daughter of the richest man in Kalanutian. This was what he had been seeking all along.
The maidens of the village were too ordinary, they could not capture his heartbeat, not like before. There was no point in him chasing their skirts, not when he knew he would just move on to the next one once he got bored.
She was, to him, more valuable than a pile of gold. He dreamt that they would go hand in hand towards the future, as king and queen. Things would be perfect once she saw him. Sumarang would court her with flowery words and shows of strength, and if any other suitor tried to get near her, well, his spear was never far from his hands.
That was a month ago.
Now, Sumarang was a broken man. Rejected, lost and disappointed, he spent his days traveling not far from Kalanutian, hopeful that he would get a second chance to be near Doña Ines Cannoyan.
He did not realize the competition that he faced. Sumarang was sure that his stature and his spear would frighten even the most stalwart of suitors, but it was not to be. Rich men who sailed from faraway seas and golden towns didn’t know how to accept defeat. Gold was in their hearts and Doña Ines Cannoyan was another trinket to add to their collection.
There were even Spaniards, enamored by the stories of her beauty and grace. They came alone or in groups, all trying to be a Juan de Salcedo to her princess Kandarapa*.
All her other suitors were more handsome than he could ever be. Sumarang never had to think about his nose as wide as two wheels, his long, flowing hair or even his gigantic stature. He would always take what he wanted through force, that was all that he knew.
But gathered here among datus and conquistadores he knew his place. The giant could not fight for his love, not when he had so many rivals to contend with. True, he might be able to take them on one by one, but he would never get that opportunity. Every day they would go to her house and bring her gifts, expensive and excessive.
And what did the giant have to offer? Nothing but his words and his spear.
Crestfallen, he knew when he was beaten. Sumarang packed up his things and started the long journey towards the village. He would never be able to get Doña Ines Cannoyan, but maybe the village girls would help him forget.
The path was long and arduous. The tiredness seeped into his bones. Many times, he looked back and wondered if he had made the right decision. Maybe the other suitours would get tired and go back to where they came from, leaving Sumarang an opening. Maybe they would catch each other’s eyes and fall in love instantly, with her pushing away her suitors until she embraced the giant.
These were fantasies that he allowed himself as a respite. He rubbed his plate-sized eyes and rested by a rock.
As he looked at the horizon, he spotted a man with a white rooster and a hairy dog. Sumarang bade him hello, and went to the man to talk. The man introduced himself as Lam-ang and sat down with the giant.
Sumarang asked, “My friend, brave Lam-ang, where are you headed for? Which forest do you intend to trap in? Which mountain do you intend to hunt in? My friend Lam-ang?”
Lam-ang asked the giant the same question.
Sumarang replied, “Since you ask me, I came from the north, the town of Kalanutian. I went there to compete for the hand of Doña Ines Cannoyan.”
There was a pause before Lam-ang answered. He looked the giant in the eyes and told him that he also intended to go to Kalanutian to fight for Doña Ines Cannoyan. Without pause Lam-ang said they must go their separate ways. He had to go to Kalanutian and who knows? Maybe he would be chosen by Doña Ines Cannoyan.
Sumarang laughed, a booming sound that echoed through the nearby forest. “You cannot be, with your looks, one Doña Ines Cannoyan can possibly choose. So many rich men and Spaniards are there already and Doña Ines Cannoyan has yet to look out her window for anyone. I say it again: it is futile for you to continue your journey,” he said.
The giant looked at the man before him. He thought Lam-ang arrogant for even thinking he could win the heart of Doña Ines Cannoyan. There were other suitors that had wealth, looks, power. To him, Lam-ang was an ant, not worthy of even a second of Doña Ines Cannoyan’s time.
Sumarang suddenly added, “Prepare for your end and try defending yourself from my spear- it will be too bad if you can’t catch my hooked spear.”
Lam-ang did not move an inch. This angered the giant even more. Why did Lam-ang not cower? This was not like the suitors back in the giant’s village where fear would take them and running away was their only option.
With all his might, Sumarang tossed his hooked spear at Lam-ang and waited for the sound of ripping flesh.
The giant would be disappointed as Lam-ang caught the spear with his little and ring finger. The warrior twirled the spear nine times around his neck and body and told Sumarang that he would return the giant’s spear as Lam-ang did not want to be in the giant’s debt.
Lam-ang added that if Sumarang was not careful the giant’s corpse would be littered around, the giant felled by his own spear.
Sumarang’s anger boiled over. Who was this cretin that had the gall to threaten him? This puny rat that got lucky and captured his spear. The giant would not let this stand.
He prepared to rush headlong into Lam-ang but the warrior waved at the seawinds and tossed the spear towards the giant. The spear hooked Sumarang and flung the giant across nine hills.
The last thing he thought of was Doña Ines Cannoyan and how happy they would have been together.
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*Pangasinan (Salitan Pangasinan) – sometimes called Pangasinense is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pangasinan, on the west-central seaboard of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, the northern portion of Tarlac and southwestern La Union, most of whom belong to the Pangasinan ethnic group. Pangasinan is also understood in some municipalities in Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and by the Aeta or Aeta of Zambales.
*Juan de Salcedo was a Spanish conquistador that explored the northern regions of the Philippines in 1571. He traveled through the Ilocos region and established several Spanish municipalities. When he was 22 he fell in love with the 18 year old Dayang-dayang (Princess) Kandarapa, said to be the niece of Lakandula. Their love was against their forebearer’s wishes. The legend goes that Kandarapa sent Salcedo a message within a cluster of white lotus flowers, but she mistakenly thought that Salcedo had been unfaithful to her and died of a broken heart. Salcedo learned of her death and kept the white lotus with him until he died.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Phil Terrado
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Phil Terrado
Inspired by the Ilocano Epic: The Life of Lam-ang.
Sumarang Illustration by Ren Lopez III
Instagram: @ren_lo.iii
https://www.instagram.com/ren_lo.iii/