*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
“Sarong laad kan kaláyo ni Gugurang.”
Aram kan lambana na maráot an katapusan kaini kun dai nya susunudon an tultol na paagi. Kansu sarong beses na may naghingua na hàbunon an kaláyo ni Gugurang na mayong maninigong katugutan iyo su samok ni Asuang, asin habô nya ining magin siring man kadto. Rinanihan nya an mga parasúnod ni Gugurang asin pormal na huminagad nin katugutan para sa kaláyo. Tawuhan an lambana kan saiyang Diwata, asin sarô ining kahagadan hali saiya. Nagkapira saná man na taon an hinalat bàgo tinugutan an saiyang hinahagad asin ugmahon an lambana nin huli ta marikas saná ini.
“Sarong nyog hali sa kahoy ni Galangkalulua.”
An paglakaw sa paagi kan mga aki ni Ulilangkalulua bakong madali. Kaipuhan an urog na paglikay kan lambana tanganing masigurado na dai sya mahihiling. Salamat na saná ta tinaraman sya kan saiyang amo na sarô saná sa saradit na nyog an kaipuhan nya, iyo siring kan saiyang inisip. Nin huli ta sadit man saná an lambana, dai nya mabibitbit an iba pa. Suminulnop sya mga dampóg sa taklob kan banggi dangan binugnot an nyog bàgo pa may makahiling.
“Sarong hinghing ni Saragnayan.”
Aram kan lambang linalang an nangyari kay Saragnayan, kun pàno nya pinadangat an saiyang agom, si Nagmalitung Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata, asin kun pàno sya dinaog kan mga aki kan bayani na si Labaw Donggon. An dai ninda aram, yaon pa si Saragnayan, nagnitawo sa tamanyo kan sarong kalag. Minaalingawngaw an saiyang hinghing sa isip kan mga naaara guminibo nin karâtan asin gumusi nin daing-kaayusan. Dai man kaipuhan magrayô an lambana nganing hanapon an hinhing na ini, nin huli ta an tingog ni Saragnayan madadangog sa gabos na lugar kun sain yaraon an mga tawo. Dinakop nya tulos ini kansu málaog pa saná ini sa talinga kan sadit na aki na iniisip pa saná kun mahàbon nin bàgong kawatan.
“Sarong pisog kan dugo ni Sappia.”
Ini an pinakamadali kuhaon sa saiyang lista. Kadakol an mga pisog nin puláng pároy sa kapatagan, alagad pighurop-hurupan ngùna kan lambana an misyon na itinao saiya. Dai nya aram kun tàno ta muya kan saiyang amo ining mga manlain-lain na bagay, asin an pagkakamidbid kan lambana sa saiyang amo, bako ini sarong bantog na parakolekta nin mga bagay na ibáhon, alagad sábot kan lambana na mayò sya sa lugar nganing hapot-haputon an mga katuyuhan kan saiyang amo.
“Dagâ hali sa kamundagan kan kinaban.”
Sa kinapûnan nin gabos, igwang apat na linalang sa sarong pulô na dai masobra sa sarong kupyâ an dakulà. Mayong minatalubò sa pulô na ini; an tulóng linalang saná asin sarong gamgam an yaon. Sarong aldaw, pinadara ninda an gamgam pabalyó sa katubigan asin buminalik ini na may darang dagâ, sarong pidaso nin rattan asin nagkapirang prutas. Aram kan lambana na an dagâ iyo an magigin dagâ na tutungtungan kan lambang linalang. Kaipuhan nya pa magduman sa bantog na dyos na si Melu tanganing tugutan an kahagadan kan saiyang amo. Inabot nin pirang oras, dangan taon, tibaad ginatos pa na mga taon. Sa lain pang lugar, an panahon bakong siring nagi kun ano ini kadto nagi. Sa katapusan, nakua man giraray kan lambana an saiyang hinahagad.
Karukyaw-rukyaw an saiyang pagpuli sa taid kan saiyang amo, dará an gabos na pinakua saiya. Dawà ngani sarong bagay saná an makua nya, dakulaon na ining pagrukyaw alagad kinua saná ini kan saiyang amo na daing pighihiling liwat an lambana.
“Marhay na gibo, dayúpot ko na parasúnod,” taramon kan saiyang amo.
“Nabubuhay ako nganing magsunod, asin masunod ako nganing mabuhay,” iyo an simbag kan lambana.
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English Version
“A spark of Gugurang’s fire.”
The lambana knew this would end badly if she didn’t follow proper procedure. The last time something tried to take the fire of Gugurang without permission was the whole Asuang debacle, and she didn’t want this to be anything like that. She approached his servants and made a formal request for the spark. The lambana was representing her Diwata, and it was a request directly from Her. It only took a few years’ wait before the request was granted and the lambana was overjoyed that it was so fast.
“A coconut from the tree of Galangkalulua.”
Working her way through the children of Ulilangkalulua was no small feat. The lambana had to be very careful to be sure she wasn’t seen. Thankfully, her mistress told her that one of the small coconuts would suffice, thought it had to be. With the lambana’s small size, she couldn’t carry anything else. She crept among the clouds in the cover of night and snatched the coconut away before anyone was the wiser.
“A whisper of Saragnayan.”
Every creature knew of what happened to Saragnayan, how he loved his wife, Malitung Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata, and how he was defeated by the sons of the hero, Labaw Donggon. What they didn’t know was that Saragnayan still lived in the form of his spirit. His whispers echoed in the minds of those tempted to do evil and sow chaos. The Lambana didn’t have to go far to find a whisper, for Saragnayan voice could be heard in all places where humans lived. She snatched it as it was about to enter the ear of a young boy wondering whether he should steal a new toy.
“A grain of Sappia’s blood.”
This was the easiest thing to get on her list. The grains of red rice were plentiful in the field and the lambana took a moment to think about the mission that had been given to her. She did not know why her mistress wanted these diverse items, and the lambana had not known her mistress to be a great collector of oddities, but the lambana knew that it wasn’t her place to make judgments on the whims of her mistress.
“Soil from the birth of the world.”
In the beginning, there lived four beings on an island no larger than a hat. Nothing grew on this island, there were only those three beings and one bird. One day they sent the bird out across the waters and it returned with some earth, a piece of rattan and some fruit. The lambana knew that that soil would eventually become the earth that every being was standing on. She would have to go to the great god Melu to petition her mistresses’ request. It took moments, then years, maybe even centuries. Time was not what it was in other places. In the end, the lambana got her request.
She returned triumphantly to her mistresses’ side, clad in all the items she was sent to procure. Even getting one would have been a great accomplishment, but her mistress just took the items without giving the lambana a second glance.
“Good work, faithful servant,” said her mistress.
“I live to serve and I serve to live,” was the lambana’s reply.
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*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Jeremiah Cordial
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jeremiah Cordial
Inspired by the Lambana myths and
“Asuang steals fire from Gugurang” in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.
“The First Coconut Tree and the Creation of Man” in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.
“The Rice Myth” in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.
“The Epic of Labaw Donggon.” in Philippine Folk Literature:The Epics. Eugenio. 2001.
“IN THE BEGINNING” Philippine Folklore Stories. Cole. 1916. http://
Lambana illustration by Dyani Lao:
Website: www.dyanilao.com
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