*Note this story is in Waray
An mga nangitab-anggit na mga suga an nagkaagi han langit na gab-i, waray aringasa na nagkikita-kita han nahinabo na nakakarab’ot ngan diri: an anak han bituon ngan an anak han tao magkaatubang na nalingkod. An mga kuryuso na alitaptap kay naglupad harani ha ira para madunggan an duha.
“Nakit-an kita kakulop”
“Diin?”
“Nag-sayaw ka han kasanag han bulan”
“Diri ak maaram nga may naglantaw”
“Halos ako makalimtan han imo kahusayan”
“Ayaw hiton”
“Naglalamrag ka ha butnga han sinag han bulan, nagious kaupod han iya laga. Nagusto ko mag-hello, pero nawara kana”
“Kinahanglan ko umuli”
“Amo an imo yakan haak ghap dati”
“Kay pareho la gihapon it kamatuoran, yana o dati. Sayop ini”
“Iyakan anay ini haak, kamahaladto ba?”
“Kamahaladto an?”
“Ikaw at ako?”
“….”
“Kitaa ako. Nangako kita ha usa’t-usa na magiging tuod kita”
“Naiha na adto”
“Pero nahanumdum ka pa”
“…”
“Pakisayud?”
“Oo, kamahaladto adto”
“Nagbubuwa ka. Di k aba nahanumdum kun ano kita dati? Kita la adto na duha—“
“Buta ka ba na diri mo nakikita it nahanabo? Waray paglaum nga pwede magpadayon an mga butang.”
“Pero naghihigugma kita.”
“Kamamatay ka na”
“…”
“Ayaw ak pagkita-a na sugad. Amo talaga it mga butang. Kun usa haam mahigugma haiyo–”
“Katapusan.”
“Matatapos pirmi.”
“Puydi ayaw anay paglakat, bisan la hin pipira ka adlaw?”
“Sige.”
An lamrag nagsarig ha direksyon han duha. Maaram an mga alitaptap na maaram an anak han bituon na nakidungog hira, pero diri nira ginkaariga. Naglupad hira ha langit ngan nag-sayaw han ira mga suga, ginkuwento an istorya han pagkawara ngan paghihigugma ha bisan hin-o nga maglaum paglantaw.
=——————–=
English Version
Wisps of light streaked through the night sky, standing silent witness to a sight both strange and not: a daughter of moonlight and a son of man sitting across from each other. Curiosity filled the fireflies and they flew closer to the pair to hear.
“I saw you yesterday.”
“Did you?”
“You were dancing in the moonlight.”
“I didn’t think anyone was watching.”
“I almost forgot how beautiful you were.”
“Don’t do this.”
“You were flickering between the moonbeams, moving through the light. I wanted to say hello, but in a moment, you were gone.”
“I needed to go back.”
“That’s what you told me before.”
“It was as true then as it is now. This was a mistake.”
“Just tell me one thing. Was it worth it?”
“Was it worth what?”
“You and me?”
“….”
“Look at me, please. We promised each other that we’d be honest.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“But you still remember.”
“…”
“Please?”
“Yes. It was.”
“You can’t mean that. Don’t you remember how things were? It was just you and me—“
“Are you so blind that you couldn’t see what was happening? There was no way things could have continued.”
“We were in love.”
“You were dying.”
“…”
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s the way things are. If one of us falls in love with one of you—“
“It will end.”
“It always ends.”
“Could you stay, just for a little while?”
“I can do that.”
Light streaked from the direction of the pair. The fireflies knew that the daughter of moonlight heard them eavesdropping, but they didn’t care. They flew to the skies and danced with their lights, telling a story of loss and love to anyone that would take the time to hear it.
=————————————–=
*Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people and second language of the Abaknon people of Capul, Northern Samar and some Cebuano-speaking peoples of eastern and southern parts of Leyte island. It is the third most spoken language among the Visayan languages, only behind Hiligaynon and Cebuano.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Waray translation by Sophia Kaye Fernandez
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Sophia Kaye Fernandez
Inspired by the Engkanto description in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
Engkanto Illustration by Pia BMorante