*Note this story is in Hiligaynon
Wala — Tu-o — Talikod — Atubang
Lantawa ang pagsaot kag paghulag, ang iya li-og nagabukal-bukal . Ang pugot nagahulag sa kapatagan
nga madasig kag manaya-naya pareho sang kilat. Ang saot sini makabihag kag makawiwili, apang masobra pa sa pagka-tarso ang yara sa iya panghulag.
Baboy talunon — pispis — man-og — ido
Ang pugot indi bal-anon nga nagabag-o sang porma, nagailis sa pinakaordinaryo nga sahi sang sapat. Ginasundan sini ang iya pagsaot, ang pagki-ay sang lawas sini nagalaragway sang imahe sang mahika kag kag kalikasan.
Ang transpormasyon naghatag laragway sa kanta sang kagulangan, kag sa mga nagapuyo diri.
Wala — Baboy talunon — Tu-o — Man-og
Wala ini sang baba, apang mabatyagan mo ang iya harakhak. Ang pugot isa ka tarso nga sahi, nagikan sa mahika kag katingalahan. Nagabalik ini sa iya matuod nga porma, pabalik sa mga sapat kag maski tawo. Ang pagbukal sang iya li-og nagadungan sa ritmo sang iya saot.
Atubang — Talikod — Tu-o — Wala
Nagbalik na ini sa iya orihinal nga porma, ang iya saot magatapos na. Madamo pa sang kinahanglan pamatyagan sa iya panghulag, nagasugid ini sang dalagku pa nga pagdiskubre. Mga istorya sang mga higante nga kanibal, kag makatilingala nga manggad, mga katalagman nga indi mapatihan kag perpekto nga premyo.
Wala — Tu-o — Wala — Tu-o
Ang pag-uya-uya sang pugot nagapatulog sa imo. Ang imo ulo puno sang mga posibilidad nga ikaw mangin bagani.
Sa kaagahun, ini madula, balik sa mga kakahuyan nga ginaistaran sini, apang sa karon magasaot lamang. Nagabukal-bukal ang li-og kadungan sang ritmo sini. Magabaylo ini sang porma kaangay sang mga sahi sa kagulangan, kag dayon ikaw magabugtaw.
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English Version
Left – Right – Back – Forth
See it dance and move, as its neck-stump froths and bubbles. The headless one moves through the field as swift and as graceful as lightning. Its dance captivates and entertains, yet there is more than mere mischief in its movements.
Boar – Bird – Snake – Dog
The headless one seamlessly changes shape, transforming into the most mundane of beasts. It still follows its dance, the rhythmic swaying of its bodies call forth images of magic and nature. The transformations give insight to the song of the forest, and those that live in it.
Left – Boar – Right – Snake
It has no mouth but its laughter can be felt. The headless one is a playful creature, a being made of magic and wonder. It shifts from its true form back into those of animals and even of humans. The bubbling of its neck-stump seems to follow the rhythm of its dance.
Back – Forth – Right – Left
It shifts to its true form, the dance about to come to an end. There is more to feel than just the wonder of its movements, it foretells great adventure to be found: A tale of cannibalistic giants and wondrous treasure, of unimaginable danger and perfect rewards.
Left – Right – Left –Right
The swaying of the headless one leads you to sleep. Your head is filled with the possibilities of the hero you could become. In the morning, it will be gone, back to the trees it calls its home, but for now it will dance. Its neck-stump will bubble and froth to its own rhythm. It will change shape to the denizens of the forest, and then you will awaken.
To seize your destiny.
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*The Hiligaynon language, also colloquially referred often by most of its speakers simply as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, mainly in Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN, most of whom belong to the Visayan ethnic group, mainly the Hiligaynons. It is the second-most widely spoken language and a member of the so-named Visayan language family and is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Hiligaynon translation by Pauline Brooks Dalisay
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Pauline Brooks Dalisay
Story inspired by Awan-ulo-na entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Awan-ulo-na Illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
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