*Note this story is in Kapampangan
Metung ya mu buri: daya.
Linawe na ngang Manib deng memagkalat ya bangke da reng kayang kawal. Karakal da na reng bagani na mengamate keng buso, dapot ali pa yari ing pamipamuk. Medinan lang istu mung oras na makapulayi deng manuknangan, uling mengasugat ne ing buso manibat keng karelang tabak. Mabiye ya pa ing buso, balu nang bumalik ya pa kaniti.
Pinulut neng Manib itang metagan keng baluting gindua ning kawal. Sapak neng daya ing masalat a abaka ya panyagka ning karelang katawan. Sibulan ya ing lagyu ning kawal. Aganaka neng Manib, yapin ya itang manigtigang kuglong kanitang piyesta. Ali na sana buring Sibulan ya maging kawal, oneng ala neng akarapat ning sinugud ya karela ing buso.
Tinalnan neng Manib ing kayang tabak, matalik. Pilan pa ba ing dapat mate karela bayu ya mate ining buso? Abi na ning mabalian*, menibat ya ing buso keng aliwang yatu, perala da reng dimonyu para keng kagulwan da reng manginu keng katalauran.
Ali na agyung isipang betingan da reng ginu ing kayang balen. Atin yang pamigalang i Manib kareng miglalang: Macoreret, Domacolen, Macaponguis, Tiguiama, ampong deng aliwa pa. Atin yang kasalpantayanan kareng miglalang, panwalan nang ali da la kabud paimburisan king kasakitan da ngeni.
Minta ne i Manib nung nokarin la mikit-mikit deng kayang kawal. Bitbit da na la reng karelang armas; makayadia na lang mate para king karelang pamilya, gang buso pa ing karelang kapate. Ning ikit na muring Manib keng malda reng kayang anak, sinikan ya lub; ala nang panaun para mag-adwang-isip
.
Kaibat kanita, ginulisak yang masikang-masikan. Demdam da reng sabla ing kayang siuala: “Ali ta papabureng siran na ning buso ing eganagana. Menibat ya man kang Darago—kaputol dang Colambusan, Comalay, Tagamahng, Siring ampong Abac—mate ya murin keng kekatamung tabak! Makipamuk tamu angga magus ya ngan ing kayang daya keng kekatamung tabak!”
Masikan muring gulisak ing pekibat da reng kawal. Anggang nang malyari, ali la murung deng bagani. Kaibat deng begut keng kaluban deng karelang tabak, memanyugud na la keng pisalikutan ning mangaynang buso.
Daya ing buri na ning buso—dapot deng kawal, sane la keng dayang miyayagus keng gabun.
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English Version
All it knows is blood.
Manib looked at the valley littered with the bodies of his warriors. Too many bagani* had succumbed to the battle with the beast and he knew it wasn’t over. His men were able to wound the buso long enough to give time to the rest of the villagers to escape but he knew it would be back.
He crouched and picked up the remnants of a warrior’s gindua armor. The ragged edges of the abaca strips that they used for inner protection was soaked red. Sibulan, that was his name. Manib remembered that he saw him during the last festival and he was playing his two stringed kuglong. Sibulan never meant to become a warrior, but there were no other options when the buso struck.
Manib clenched his bolo. How many more would have to die before the buso was finished? The priestess said that it was a warning from the other world. The great demons were sending their messengers to wreak havoc on the worshippers of the just.
He didn’t believe that the gods would be so cruel to leave them alone. Manib had always respected the creators, Macoreret, Domacolen, Macaponguis,Tiguiama and all the rest. He knew they wouldn’t forsake his people in their darkest time.
Manib walked to where his remaining men were gathered. They had their weapons and were prepared to die trying to save their families from the buso. He saw a few of his sons in the crowd and he knew that it was no time to falter.
He prepared his voice and shouted as far as the last man could hear “We will never allow this creature to destroy what we have. This agent of Darago, brother to Colambusan, Comalay, Tagamahng, Siring and Abac will fall to our swords! We will fight until its blood runs through our swords!”
His warriors responded with a loud shout. His bagani would never consider retreat as an option and they drew their weapons and charged at the wounded beast’s hiding place.
This buso may know blood, but his warriors were also used to spilling it.
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- Kapampangan, Pampango, or the Pampangan language is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is spoken in the province of Pampanga, most parts of Tarlac and Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some municipalities of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija and by the Aitas or Aeta of Zambales. The language is also referred to honorifically in the Kapampangan language as Amánung Sísuan, meaning “breastfed/nurtured language.” In 2012, Kapampangan was one of the major languages of the Philippines, taught and studied formally in schools and universities.
*The warrior class of the Bagobo people
*Colambusan, Comalay, Tagamahng, Siring and Abac are names of demons in Bagobo cosmology.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translated by Joseph Argel Gania Galang
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Joseph Argel Gania Galang
Inspired by the Bagobo Buso myths and the Buso/Busaw/Busao description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Buso Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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