*Note this story is in Bahasa Sug
Asal dayng angay mabaya’ sadja aku magdüngdüng ha bulan. Awn tüüd kagalib-galiban sin kajari niya. Magpasi’nag siya sin sahaya niya tudju sadja pa awn katimbulan? Magbaba’ baha’ pa dunya in karita’ niya? Tattap in kaawn niya?
Wayruun pārsartaan ku magpanayam iban kaibanan kabata’an, awn sadja sakit atawa sabab dugaing magpatalungku’ kākü’ ha lawm bāy. Di’ ku karihilan karudduhan in parat sin süga, sagawa’ ha rüwm, in hambuuk-buuk bagay ku amu in bulan, duun ha kasamuwahan sin sawa-bituun iban düpüy hangin.
In manga kamāasan magpamayta’ sūy-sūy bang in bulan dümühüng mangduuni ha langit, in dunya matigallam na. Kimatawa aku ha manga sūy-sūy yadtu nakaminsan hambuuk waktu malugay na, karna’ biya’ diin kahündüng niya sin pagtingkal niya salāma-lāma? Siya in hambuuk tagainup nahinang kamattanan, amu in pangūhanan tubus sin sahaya.
Amu sa yadtu, sahingga pa kiyakita’an ku in singa.
Pagtawagün siya Arimawnga sin kamāasan. Di’ aku makaingat manghibal-hibal pagka in kaumāgaran ku nanghipu’an na ha katilingkal pamaranan ku. Labi siya malagkü’ dayng sin naangan-angan ku lagkü’ maabut sin hambuuk sattuwa. Ampa giyügünggüngan niya in bulan kalasahan ku.
Natahammul in waktu, wala’ nakahibal. Ha kalahi baran ku wayruun makatabang, nangli’gat aku imatud sin sā’bu hiyahabhab sin binatang in bagay ku hambuuk-buuk. Ha pangaagihi hinang ajājil, nagpananayam-panayam in singa, wayruun pangingat sin manjari ini mahinang kadal tübtüban namü’ katān.
Labi siya miyuga’ dayng kākü’. Kananaman ku in kawayhaddamatün niya sā’bu siya giyügünggüngan sin sungad sin singa. Timagna’ na aku timangis sin waktu yadtu.
“Singa, luwa’an in bulan, bang dī’, in dunya matigallam na!”
Di’ ku kaingatan mahi ta’ ku kiyabissara in manga kabtangan yadtu, sagawa’ niyanam ku bilang hambuuk kaamulahi, sapantun kalagihan hipamūng.
“Singa, luwa’an in bulan, bang dī’, in dunya matigallam na!”
In manga kaibanan tau ha lūngan timagna’ na limamud kākü’ ha pagbalik-balik sin pangayu’-ngayu’ namü’. In manga kamāasan nagguwa’ na sin manga gandang nila iban agung supāya maparatüng in hibuk namü’ pa kalangitan.
“SINGA, LUWA’AN IN BULAN, BANG DĪ’, IN DUNYA MATIGALLAM NA!”
In lawm liüg namü’ pagas na, in napas namü’ itungan bugtu’ na, sagawa’ wala’ kami himüngka’. Di’ ku siya pasāran duun ha singa. Di’ siya pasāran sin lūngan ini.
Ha hinapusan biyutawanan da sin singa in bulan pagpuas sin lugay sapantun kakakkalan. Giyünggüngan sin bulan in manga kīd niya ampa niya liyaus in pagtingkal niya ha kalangitan.
Iban in aku, hambuuk bata’ mapatikuppu’un, nanarang-sukul ha manga katuhanan sin in bagay ku nasalamat da.
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English Version
I have always liked staring at the moon. There’s just the mystery of what she is. Does she shine her light only on the worthy? Is she dressed by the stars? Is she eternal?
There was never a chance for me to play with the other children, there was always some sickness or another that kept me indoors. I could never appreciate the sun’s harsh rays, but in the night, among the starlight and the gentle breeze, my only friend was the moon.
The elders tell stories that if the moon were to cease being in the sky, the world would end. I laughed at those stories once upon a time, for how could the moon ever stop her perpetual cycle? She was the dream made into reality, the perfect harbinger of light.
That is, until I saw the lion.
It was called the Arimaonga by the elders. I didn’t know how to react as terror filled my entire body. It was larger than I thought any animal could ever be. And it was clutching my beloved moon.
Time froze then, I stared helplessly as my only friend was being devoured by the beast. In some perverse way, the lion was playing a game, not knowing that it may just be the doom of us all.
She was more scared than I was. I could feel her hopelessness as she was clutched between the jaws of the lion. I started crying then.
“Lion release the moon or the world will come to an end!”
I don’t know why I started saying those words but it felt natural, like they needed to be said.
“Lion release the moon or the world will come to an end!”
The other villagers stared joining me in the chant. The elders brought out their drums and gongs to make the noises reach the heavens.
“LION RELEASE THE MOON OR THE WORLD WILL COME TO AN END!”
Our throats were hoarse, our breath almost gone but we did not stop. I will not abandon her to the lion, this village will not abandon her.
The lion finally released the moon after what seemed like an eternity. She clutched her sides and resumed her track along the heavens.
And I, a humble child thanked the gods that my only friend was safe.
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*Bahasa Sug or Tausug is an Austronesian language spoken in the province of Sulu in the Philippines and in the eastern area of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, by the Tausūg people. It is widely spoken in the Sulu Archipelago (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Basilan), the Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga City), southern Palawan, and Malaysia (eastern Sabah).
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bahasa Sug translation by Benj Bangahan
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Benj Bangahan
Inspired by the Arimaonga description in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.
Arimaonga illustration by Lou Pineda
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