*Note this story is in Maguindanao
“Edtalu ka makapandag kanu kayu n’ngka” niya kadtalu nu batyukan kanu tam’ng-nu-kayu
“Niya ba su pinaka mapia sa langun a kayu sa dungya” Tig nu tam’ng-nu-kayu. Kasabutan sa mapayag na da d’n kayu sa damakayu a maka lawan pan kanu kanisan nu niya ba a kayu. Su kapiya nu ulak nin amayka mulak amenka man’nang d’n enggu mamangunga d’n. Hmm su kapiya kamut na baow nin dad’n di lun malini mang’bau.
Nakaidsa nu batyukan “Sia men’n ku mga tao? Nginto aden bun ungaya nilan sa man bas a kabedtiyakap ngka ban sa kayu?
“katawan ngka e mga tao.” Niya nakasawal nu tam’ng –nu- kayu. Niya nilan bu bagitungen na mga ginawa nilan. Di d’n mun sila makaapas magetaw mengka manguwa silan kanu mga unga nu kayu ko.
Ngin d’n a kadaruwaka” nakabpasung nu batiyukan
“ namba manusia dala a benal mga adat nin” nadtalu nu tam’ng nu-kayu sa malu nin nakadsandag.
Da mauget, na kimegkel su kayu. Nam’layug su batiyukan, uged du tam’ng nu-kayu dala ebpalin siya kanu sapak nu kayu.
“palaguy ka!” niya nakalasis nu batiyukan
Ngini niya ba ganggula?”Nakatagaw su Tame’ng nu kayu
Mga tao! Bedtibpaden nilan kayu nengka”. Betabangan nu batiyuka su tam’ng nu- kayu uged na manaut a benal tam’ng banya sa inaden nu kadenan. Niya pinggula nu batiyukan na makin nin pinangebut su mga tao a bedtibpad kanu kayu, uged na da nilan den magaga ka initalus nilan bun su kabedtibpad nilan kanu kayu.
Palaguy ka pakay! Palaguy ka lu sa mawatan!” nakalalis edsaluman su batiyukan
Salta na gasabutan nu batiyukan na su pakat nin na di nin a benal tagaken su kayu. Siya kanu tam’ng na su kayu na lawan pan walai. Dalem kanu uyag-uyag nu kayu na mga sapak nin a ugat endu ulak nin a pusong. Gabaluy a gandital nin su mga lawon nin, endu siya kanu kabegka-uyag nin na siya kanu pageletan nu upis endu unga nin.
Matag bu gadtulikan nu batiyukan su kayu a inudtang , endu umana bu ka pakaulyang na temuga e lu nin sa kinadkalat ginawa kani pakat nin a tam’ng. Su niyaba pinggula nu mga tao kanu namba a gay, na tinanudan nu entilo a damakayu.
Kanu magabi nin na bedsagkung su mga sengal nu tam’ng siya kanu mga kayu, taman sa taman na magkakalendem nin inya ba pinaka manisan a kayu sa lusod damakayu.
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English Version
“So tell me about your tree,” said the bee to the dayamdam.
“Well, it’s the best tree in the world of course!” The dayamdam said proudly. It had known that no other tree in the forest could match the beauty of its tree. It had beautiful flowers that bloomed in the summer and when it bore fruit! Oh was that sweet smell the most ravishing thing any being had ever smelled.
The bee asked “What of the humans? Do they share your thoughts on the tree?”
“You know how humans are,” the dayamdam replied. Always thinking of themselves. They don’t even ask for permission when gathering fruit from my tree.”
“How rude!” the bee exclaimed.
“These humans don’t have any manners” the dayamdam said haughtily.
Just then, the entire tree shook. The bee flew away to safety, but the dayamdam stayed in the branches of its tree.
“You must run away!” The bee shouted
“What is happening?!” The dayamdam cried out.
“The humans! The humans are cutting your tree.” The bee tried to help the dayamdam but it was too small to carry the creature. The bee still tried to help its friend by stinging the humans as they tried to cut the tree down, but to no avail.
“Run my friend! Run far away!” The bee exclaimed again.
But the bee knew that its friend would never leave the tree. For the dayamdam, the tree was more than just a simple home. The tree was its entire life the branches its veins and the flowers its heart. It would make clothes from the tree’s leaves and spend the entirety of its lifetime in between the bark and the fruit.
The bee stared as the tree was felled by human hands and if it could cry it would shed a tear for his fallen friend. The humans claimed more than one victim that day, and the whole forest would acknowledge that.
That night the trees echoed with the songs of the dayamdam, forever remembering the most beautiful tree in the forest.
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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.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Traslation by Forester SANGGACALA R. ABDULA
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Forester SANGGACALA R. ABDULA
Inspired by the Dayamdam description in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.
Dayamdam Illustration by Kayla Teodoro
Tumblr: mikaylateodoro.tumblr.com