*Note this story is in Bicol
Ali sa sinapupunan nin daga ako minatalubo Naga-kintab arog nin araw sa maagahonSa saimong kamot lilason ko an mga kalag Asin tiga-dara an mga tawo sa karaotanAno ako?
Ali sa sinapupunan nin daga ako minatalubo Naga-kintab arog nin araw sa maagahonSa saimong kamot lilason ko an mga kalag Asin tiga-dara an mga tawo sa karaotanAno ako?
“Mata na.”
“Anong..? Anong nangyayari?”
“Nagtataram ka nanaman kan turog ka pa.”
“Ah, pasensya na tabi. Nagpamatanga garo ako kasubanggi.”
“Nagpundo na baga su uran.”
“Nagpundo na? Maray yan ta nganing makakuha na kita nin mga maray na litrato.”
“Ma-ayos na ako. Ika mag-taga-ayos ka naman ta igwa pa kitang diit na oras nin liwanag.”
“Sige. Masanli muna ako. Sana man lamang matapos ta na ining shooting na dae tigaantala nin uran.”
“Oh wow.”
“Nyata?”
“May budlangaw sa likod mo.”
“Siguro bako man nanggad maraot ang panahon ngunyan.”
Malipot sa pakiramdamWara akong tunay na liwanagUgaring dae ako mawawaraAno ako? Na-gimata siyang daplusunon. Su pangiturugan niya nanaman kaya tungkol sa mga laad, su mga dilaw na kino asin su kakanusang maraot-raot. Tig-paalala niya sa sadiri niya na aloy na ito, mas dakul pang mga bagay an kailangan kan saiyang atensyon.
Alangkawon ang saiyang tindog, an saiyang garing na sungay maliwanagon an kintab sa kadikluman kan kwebang tiga-istaran niya. May mga yamang maiiling sa mga bulod na ini, asin kukuwaon niya gabos na kaya niyang dar’hon.
Ugaring may mga kislap man gilayon kan nakaagi na na dae naa-ali sa saiyang isip. Narurumduman niya an saiyang lumang pangaran asin kun pano an saiyang gayon nakakaapod kan iling maski kan mga pinakamakukusog na diyos. Tig-basang-basang niya ang pangaran ni Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan asin naglustab sa salog. Siguro kun bako dahil saiya, yaon pa garo ang gayon niya.
Pagnakuha niya na an saiyang kayamanan, magiging marhay na gabos. Mabalik na siya liwat sa dati niyang itsura. Dae na kailangan magpara-tambay sa kadikluman kan saiyang kweba. Dae na kailangan magpara-alat mag-uraw para makadakop nin mga hayop na makakaon. Dae na kailangan magpara-iling sa saiyang sadiring repleksyon asin marumduman na saro na palan siyang halimaw.
Sa kaarayuan, may nailing siyang kislap nin mga liwanag. Kayamanan? Dae kakayanun kan puso nya an kaugmahan niya. Nag-uraw na, ugaring dae na siya maalat sa saiyang manliligaw. Ta oras niya na para maghanap nin pagkaon.
Minasabay ako sa agosSa bilog na kinabanDae ako arayo sa kapangyarihanTa ako nanggad ang kapangyarihanAno ako?
An maliwanag na diyos nag-dungaw ali sa langit asin nag-himutok. Mamundo siya ta nagluwas nanaman su tig-liligawan niya na dae siya kaiba. Nakatukaw siya sa mga panginoron sa Mundong Itaas asin tiga-rumdom an mga nakaagawang selosong diyos.
Marahayrahay na hapon nin tag-init kan nangyari ito, an maliwanag na diyos tig-ta’wanan an babae nin kapangyarihang gamiton an saiyang prismatikong ilaw asin ginamit ini kan babae imbis masapawan an gayon nin mga diyosa. Ang kaherak na babaeng ini, mas dakol pa an kasakiman kaysa sa kadunungan, sa saiyang ka-ambugan naisipang kalabanon an sarong diyosa. Maswerte pa ngani siya, maski purupano. Ta kun si Ynaguinid an kinalaban niya, dae na siya mabubuhay para kwaon an mga napasang pidaso kan saiyang miserableng buhay.
Ugaring bako man iyan digdi o duman.
Ginibo kan maliwanag na diyos an gabos, syempre. Tig-tao niya liwat an saiyang kagayunan sa abot kan makakaya niya. Ugaring dae kayang madaog kan saiyang kapangyarihan ang sumpa kan babae. An diyosa nin ka-agasan may ugaling dae nagpapatawad ta arog kaito an saiyang kayang gibuhon.
Ka-itaasan kan iling. Kasakiman. Ka-ambugan. An mga diyos mas may pagkaparehas pa sa mga tawo kaysa sa pagtaram ninda nin totoo.
Kun dae sana luminampas an babaeng ini sa banal na gubat nin diyosa.
Kun dae niya sana nailing an mga dwendeng burubitbit an mga kayamanan.
Kun dae niya sana tig-ambog na siya an pinakamagayon.
Dae kuta mararaot an saiyang puso. Dawa ano pang mangyari, an saiyang pagpadaba sa babaeng uto, dae man giraray nasuklian. Nag-aasa man gilayon siya na kung matabangan niyang maibwelta an tunay na anyo kan babae, maiiling niya na an nararamdaman niya para saiya.
Ugaring dae niya kakaputan an saiyang pag-asa na arog kaito kaaloy. Naghimutok an maliwanag na diyos asin padikit-dikit binutasan ang saiyang ilaw paduman sa kinaban. Baka mailing niya na nanggad kun ano an tiga-hanap niya.
An sakuyang pangako sarong pangituruganNa may kabasoganAsin katiwasayanSarong testimonya sa maray na pagtiwala Ano ako?
“Nailing mo uto?!”
“Una ko baga ataason na kita para makailing pa king mga kabayo?!”
“Iyo baga, dae ko sana aram kun nyata yaon yan digdi.”
“Tig-iling mong maray?”
“Masyado siyang makaskas, kaso garo nakuha ko man sa kamera.”
“Mag-ali na kita ta abo kong maabutan kita pag nag-balik pa uto. Dae kaya ako sanay sa mga hayop.”
“Oh sige na. Bati prinsesahun ka pa. Sapat naman garo ining mga nakuha ta para pagpilian kan mga editor. Mag-palit ka na tapos mababa na kita. Makakaabot man garo kita bago mag-banggi.”
“Sige, madali lang ako.”
Igwa kutang makukuwang kayamanan, ugaring bako ito su tig-paparahanap niya. Madayaon man ini gabos. Nyata siya pa an tig-sumpa sa makanusong anyong ini? Su diyosa ngani magayunon kaso makauyam man. Nagbulos an saiyang luha sa dati niyang makinisong pandok habang sunod-sunod an tagiting nagtatagdo sa daga.
Aram kan maliwanag na diyos an sarong igwa sa sumpa na dae aram kan babae. Kinaganang ginto kan diyosa nin ka-agasan an mata kan babae imbis pirmi niyang pagparahanapon an kayamanang dae niya makukuwa maski nuarin. Saro ito sa natadang insulto saiya para madagdagan an sumpa niya. Gigibuhon man kan maliwanag na diyos an gabos, ta sa saiyang puso nagpapara-antabay siya sa saiyang presensya.
“Ayos ka na?”
“Iyo, pero mas maray kung alaton ta na lang na mag-uraw.”
“Abo ko lamang mag-agi sa madugi.”
“Dae ka na magpara-reklamo. Maray ngani ta may nakuha kitang mga magayong litrato.”
“Pailing daw…. Iyo, tama ka, maray ngani ta magayon an itsura ko jan. Alat, dae ko marumduman ining saro.”
“’Yan garo su kabayo. Makaulok lamang ta magkaparehas ang buhok nindo.”
“Tiga-apod mo akong kabayo?”
“Alo daw jan. Alaton ta na sanang mag-uraw-uraw an langit tapos maali na kita.”
Duminarusdos an dugi sa bulod sa pag-uli kan babae sa kweba niya. Sarong aldaw, mababalik man sana an saiyang gayon asin ipapailing niya sa gabos na mga diyos kun ano an nararapat para saiya.
English Version
Out of earth’s womb I grow
Glistening like the morning sun
In your hands I poison souls
And lead all men to ruin
What am I?
“Wake up.”
“Wha..? What’s happening?”
“You’re talking in your sleep again.”
“Oh, sorry. Must have been up too late.”
“It stopped raining.”
“Did it? That’s good we can finally take some nice pictures.”
“I’ll get everything set up. Get yourself ready, we still have a few more hours of sunlight.”
“All right. Let me get dressed. Hopefully we can finish this shoot without the weather getting in the way.”
“Oh wow.”
“What?”
“There’s a rainbow behind you.”
“Maybe the weather’s not so bad after all.”
Cold to the touch
I have no true light
Yet I will never be lost
What am I?
She wakes up with a cold sweat. It was that dream again, the flashes of light, the yellow field mice and the wretched ugliness that followed. She reminded herself that it was in the past, there were more important things that needed her attention.
She stood tall, her ivory horn shining bright in the dark cave that housed her. There was treasure to be found in these mountains, and she would take all that she could carry.
Still, flashes of the past crept into her thoughts. She remembered her old name and the way her beauty would inspire love in even the mightiest god. She cursed the name of Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan and spat at the floor. If it wasn’t for her she would still have her beauty.
Once she had her treasure all would be well, she would finally be whole again. No more passing time in the darkness of this cave. No more having to wait after the raindrops for her chance to hunt. No more looking at her reflection and staring into the monster that she had become.
In the distance she could see flashes of light. Treasure? Her heart could barely contain itself. The rain had stopped, but she would not wait for her suitor. It was time to hunt.
I flow in a current
Throughout the world
I am never far from power
For power is what I am
What am I?
The bright god looks down from the heavens and sighs. She has gone without him again. He sits among the clouds of the Skyworld and reminisces about old rivalries and jealous gods.
It had been a warm summer afternoon when it happened, the bright god had given the girl the gift of his prismatic light and she used it to make her beauty rival the gods’. The poor girl, more vain than wise, it was in her hubris that she thought to challenge a goddess. She was lucky, in a way. Had she offended Ynaguinid she would not be alive to pick up the pieces of her broken life.
But that was neither here nor there.
He did his best, of course. He gave her back what beauty he could. But there was no fighting the power of her curse. The goddess of greed was as prideful as she was powerful.
Pride. Vanity. Hubris. Maybe the gods had more in common with mortals than they would like to admit.
If only the girl had not passed by the goddess’ sacred grove.
If only she had not seen the dwarves carrying the sacks of treasure.
If only she had not claimed that she was the fairest.
His heart would still be broken. In the midst of everything his love was still unrequited. He hoped that if he could help her return to her true form she would finally see that they could be together.
But he would not hold out hope for that. The bright god sighed and set loose his light towards the earth. Maybe she would finally find what she was looking for.
My promise is a dream
Of full stomachs
And freedom
A testimony to good faith
What am I?
“Did you see that?!”
“I thought we were too high up for horses?!”
“We are, I don’t know what that thing is doing here.”
“Did you get a good look at it?”
“It was too fast, I think I got it on camera.”
“We should go, I don’t want to be here when it gets back. I’m not good around animals.”
“Alright, princess. I think we have enough shots for the editors to choose from anyway. Get changed and we can start hiking. I think we can make it down before sunset.”
“Fine, I’ll be fast.”
There was treasure to be had, but not what she had been looking for. None of this was fair. Why was she the one that was cursed to stay in this horrible form? The goddess was petty and despicable. Tears flowed from her once-beautiful face as the raindrops pattered on the ground.
The bright god knew one aspect of the curse that the girl did not. The goddess of greed blew gold into the girl’s eyes so that she would forever chase treasure that she could not find. It was a final insult to add to her injury. He would do what he could, for in his heart he longed to have her near.
“Are you good?”
“Yeah, but I think we have to wait for the rain to stop.”
“I’m not looking forward to the muddy trek.”
“Stop complaining, at least we got some good shots out of this trip.”
“Let me see…. Fine, you’re right, at least I look good. Wait, I don’t remember this one.”
“I think that was the horse. Funny, its mane almost looks like your hair.”
“Did you just call me a horse?”
“Relax. Let’s just wait for the clouds to clear and we can get out of here.”
Mud splashed though the mountain as the girl returned to her cave. Someday she would have her beauty back and then she would show all the gods what she truly deserved.
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The Bikol languages or Bicolano languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken mostly in the Bicol Peninsula in the island of Luzon, the neighboring island province of Catanduanes and the island of Burias in Masbate. There is a dialect continuum between the Visayan languages and the Bikol languages; the two together are called the Bisakol languages.
The Tabaco-Legazpi-Sorsogon (TLS) dialect is spoken in the eastern coast of Albay and the northeastern part of Sorsogon. TLS is the dialect that has been most influenced by the Inland Bikol languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Jeremiah Cordial
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jeremiah Cordial
Inspired by the myth of the Anggitay and the Visayan goddess of greed, Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan.
Anggitay Illustration by Abe Joncel Guevarra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joncel/
