*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
Iyo an bangging udang bulan kan nahiling ko siya
An lalaking naghibi nin kalayo
Nagduman ako saiya asin naghapot kung tano
Iyan baga luha nin kamunduan?
O kaanggutan?
Dae siya nagsimbag
Mas dakol akong beses maghapot
Mas dakol na kalayo ang nagrarata sa saiyang mga mata
Asin nagpuon akong magngalas
Pigiisip kaya nyang natatakot ako?
Kan salog na nagkikinang na pula
Kan kadikluman ning bangging panginoron
Dae siya nagtatao sakuya nin simbag
Asin minumuya na itulod ako parayo
Alagad kaipuhan ko maaraman
May iba ibang klase nin kamunduan
Iba ibang klase ning kaanggutan
Asin pati gayod iba ibang klase ning kaogmahan
Naghiling sya sako kang maitomon nyang mga mata
Nagbubulos ning kalayo pasiring sa daga
Naghibi siya nin magkapirang panghabambuhay
Antos ang liwanag magluwas sa kapalibutan
Asin bigla na lang siyang nawara
Liban kang nagkalat na basang pula
Ang ebidensya kan saiyang pagkawara
Saaga mabalik ako
Asin sa masunod na banggi
Para haputon ang naghihibing lalaki
Anong igwa sa likod kan saiyang mga luha.
=——————————-=
It was a moonless night when I saw him
The man who cried fire
I went up to him and asked why
Were they tears of sadness?
Or anger?
He did not reply
The more I asked
The more fire fell from his eyes
And I began to wonder
Does he think I am frightened?
By the pool of glittering red
By the darkness of the night sky
He would not give me an answer
And sought to push me away
But I needed to know
There were different kinds of sadness
Different kinds of anger
And maybe even different kinds of joy
He looked at me with his jet black eyes
Pouring flames onto the ground
He wept for several eternities
Until the light broke from the horizon
And in an instant he was gone
With only a puddle of red
As evidence of his passing
Tomorrow I will return
And the night after that
To ask the crying man
What is behind his tears
=———————————=
*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Monmon Nietes
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Monmon Nietes
Inongok Illustration by Joshua Hamangal
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