*Note this story is in Maguindanaon.
Tatap a kalinian ku i kapedtulik kanu ulan-ulan. Aden su rahasia sa entain sekanin. Papedsigay nin bu su palitan nin sabap sa baraguna? Pembaba i pagedan a kuda nin kanu dunya? Abadi sekanin?
Da den kutika ku a pendalmet a ped su manga kaped a wata, tatap a aden sakit atawa kaped pan a sabapan na di ku kapeliyu. Di ku den mambalasa su mayaw a sigay nu senang, ugaid sa magabi, sa pageletan nu sahaya nu bitun endu su sambel a malemek, su ulan-ulan bu i pakat ku.
Su manga kalukesan na pedtudtul silan sa pabila su ulan-ulan na temelen sa kapagkaaden sa langit, inia nin mana na pembangkit su dunya. Midtatawa aku kanu manga tudtul, ka panun i kapedtelen na ulan-ulan kanu abadi a libet nin? Sekanin su taginep a naaden kanu kabenalan, su panudtul a sampurna sa palitan.
Nan intu, sampay sa mailay ku su singa.
Pembedtuan sekanin sa Arimaonga nu manga kalukesan. Di ku katawan i madtalu ku su badan ku na napenu na gilek. Labi a masela intu pan kanu katig ku a binatang. Endu pegkapetan nin su papedtayan ku a ulan-ulan.
Su waktu na midtegas den, Pidtulikan ku i isa-isa ku a pakat na sinepa nu binatang. Kanu kaped a lalan, su singa na pendalmet sa dalmetan, da katawi a tu den i sabapan na kabinasa tanu langun.
Labi a nagilekan pan sekanin sa laki. Kagedam ku su penggiginawan nin a mana da den arap kanu kapegkapet lun sa pageletan na baka nu singa. Minebpun aku mulyang sa intu kutika.
“Singa butawani ka su ulan-ulan atawa embangkit su dunya!”
Di ku katawan enduken a minebpun aku edtalu sa intu ugaid na mana sipat ku den, a mana pedtalun.
“Singa butawani ka su ulan-ulan atawa embangkit su dunya!”
Su kaped a manga maginged na minebpun mamung sa laki sa sengal. Su manga kalukesan na pidtanggit nilan su manga tagungu endu manga agung nilan endu su ingel na makasampay sa surga.
“SINGA BUTAWANI KA SU ULAN-ULAN ATAWA EMBANGKIT SU DUNYA!”
Su manga bakelengan nami na linegawan, magan kami den di makaginawa ugaid da kami telen. Di ku sekanin tagaken kanu singa, inia inged na di bun pedtagak sa lekanin.
Kanu kutika a binutawan nu singa su ulan-ulan na su nakalepas a nanggula na mana abadi. Kinapetan nin su takilidan nin endu midsaluman sekanin sa penggulan sa kanu surga.
Endu saki, mapagumbaba a wata pedsukur-sukur kanu Kadenan sabap su isa-isa ku a pakat na kurma bun.
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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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**Maguindanao or Maguindanaon is an Austronesian language spoken by majority of the population of Maguindanao province in the Philippines. It is also spoken by sizable minorities in different parts of Mindanao such as the cities of Zamboanga, Davao, and General Santos, and the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, as well as Metro Manila. This was the language of the historic Sultanate of Maguindanao, which existed before and during the Spanish colonial period from 1500–1888.
*This story is not “word for word” or “translated literally” since there are English words that has no exact equivalent in Maguindanaon language. It was translated as to how an old Maguindanaon would re-tell the story. But nonetheless, the content and dialogue in the original and the translated version are all the same.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Traslation by Datu Hashim
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Datu Hashim
Inspired by the Arimaonga description in Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Eugenio. 2001.
Arimaonga illustration by Lou Pineda
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