*Note this story is in Maguindanaon
Isa a magabi, midtabed su surga. Aden ru a maha i naulug sa lupa endu natabanan.
Minendud intu sa kapalawan, katawan den a nanggula intu nakamagatus kali-di, nakasangibu kali paganay.
Kalinian nin bu na kapendegka sampay sa kapeguma nu tundug a ulan-ulan.
Ugaid sa tu a magabi na aden salakaw a nakatagu.
Kimekep su ru kanu ubay nu isa a takub endu mibpipideng sekanin, pedsinganin su mamis a katana nu tulug.
Endu mapasad den intu pabila kena bu sabap sa suara na napagedam.
“Ampun aku?”
Su ru na midtulik sa kaligidan ka pinangilay nin su ebpunan na ingel. Da malayam sa kapangingilay sa nganin-nganin a labi lawan i kadidu nin sa ulan-ulan.
Kimisek intu, “Entain i san?! Pailay ka!”
“Kena den wagib i kapegkisek. Sia aku bun.”
Su ru na limengi kanu bungawan nu takub aden manisan a mama.
Mabagel a ginawa, napikir nu ru. Isa sa kanilan.
Su ru na da atu nin ebpun kanu manga manisan, sa didalem nin silan, . Katawan pan nilan labi lawan sa kapembitiala kanu ru, basi malasay silan su mulka nin.
“Pendalungan nengka su takub,” pedtalu nu manisan.
“Pengenin nengka a mawa aku?” su ru a maha pedtulik sa kalasayan.
“Pengenin ku a mangay ka sa kaped, mapakay a mukit ka sa langit mana papanuk. Di ka pendalungi i takub ku.”
“Bali enduken mangay aku sa apia endaw? Ngin i sabapan a napikir nengka a da guna nin a ru mana ginawa nengka i aden hak nin a edtalu sa endaw ebpawang i Kedu”.
“Mapakay bu, Kiyugan ku a tagak aku engka sa isa bu.”
“Kena sekitanu bun langun.”
“Bali, mangay tanu den?”
“Di, di aku pelu”
Mimbagel sa ginawa su manisan a ru. Natawan nin i da den lalan a makataban sekanin. Nakakedu sekanin sa pinadtaday ni Kedu sekanin edtalu sa mauget. Sa aden basal a bagel na mapakay a makabinasa sa manisan a ru sa magagan. Da bun mambu masama sa matading kanu manisan a ruh bali naatul nin a mayan sa ubay a watu endu mimbitiala sekanin kaped su ru a maha.
“Enduken napili nengka inia a inged sa kapendegka?”
“Nailay ku sa ebpun sa pulu and nailay ku a mapia, ngin pan i ped a sabapan ku a kaangay sia?”
“Masu sangat a kalugat.”
“Saki”
“Ngin i nanggula?”
“Pagidsan sa tatap. Kasigkem ku su ulan-ulan ugaid na di ku kakapetan.”
“Enduken engka di?”
“Ngin i bida a kaaden nin?”
“Kiugan ku a matawan”
Mimbagel sa ginawa su Kedu endu napikir nin a da nin madtalu i manga tudtul kana madakel a manga ulan-ulan. Su manisan a ru na nawan na kaya midsa, mindamangias bun sekanin.
“Minebpun sa kutika sa unan pan na manga waktu. Sa manga ru a labi lawan i kamaha nin sa leka atawa laki a aden kamal nin sa langun-langun paganay, saguna endu tundug pan.”
“Mana nengka na kena ka ganat sa inia inged?”
“Di kena, madidu a ru, kena saki.”
“Su manisan a ru na nakakedu. Sa manga kadatuan nilan kena den baraguna su ebpunan. Pibpikir intu, apia ngin a ru ka, tatap a bad ka na inia inged. Su kaitungan nin na nagedam endu kiyugan nin pan matawan.
Initalus ni Kedu, “Madakel i manga diwa bali su manga saitan bun. Su manga bunua nilan na mawalaw endu labi madakel a dara i naudud. Kena intu labi mapia kanu kutika a migatul silan a egkaisa. Aden kutika a napikir ku ngin den i manggulan pabila ped bu a atul i naumbal ku. Basi saguna na maganap aku pan.”
“Maganap?”
“Katawi ka su tampat nengka. Padtalu aku nengka sa tudtul.”
“Ampun aku ru a maha, mapakay a talus ka.”
“Napianan kami sa talad a kaabadian. Endu sekami manga babal sa mibparityaya kami sa dalebut nilan. Sa maha kaludan a pedtindegan nami, pegidtung su manga bagel sa mabagel a papeliyu na kabagal tanu. Su kaabadi na nakalepas den, sampay su hadia tanu mimbangun ebpun sa kadaleman. Su Amrita.”
“Amrita?”
“Su unga teneb nu kaabadian. Su sabapan bu a enggalbek tanu sa kaped silan.”
“Bali ngin i nanggula?”
“Da nilan enggi su bagi nami. Timuga su lipunget ku sa manga ugat dara tanu a mana su mambitialan a kasuli. Apia bida a lalan i napili ku.”
Tinangguban nu katana su manga ru a mana su namug a kaaden sa laun.
“Ru a maha? Aden san mawag a kanggula?”
“I—” Midtatawa si Kedu. “Di ku bun katanudan ngin i ngala ku.”
“Ngin i mana nengka?”
“Su manga ngala na den baraguna nin. Bida intu sa waktu. Maganap aku paganay. Su ped menem sa lekami na mibpasad, Minebpun aku enggalbek. Mibpakilala ku su ginawa ku a isa sa kanilan, kemua sa unga teneb endu masampay su kahanda ku.”
“Mabaluy ka a abadi.”
“Sa apia ngin a mapia a pinggula. Su dua na nailay nilan su kinadtalimbut ku endu pinatuntay nilan su sangat a mabagel sa kanilan. ”
“Su dua?”
“Su senang endu su ulan-ulan, mambu.”
Su manisan a ru na mindangu-dangu. Tatap a napikir nin na su Kedu endu su ulan-ulan na alung-alung nu dunya, da kapupusan nin a sagayan a malung nu langit. Makakedu intu pabila matawan tatap nin a napikir na si Kedu endu su ulan-ulan na alung-alung nu kasipatan, taman-taman a kapedsagayan sa malung nu langit. Makakedu ka pabila katawan na sangat a kena mapakay matawan.
Si Kedu na timalus, “Ngin pan san i mapakay a edtalun? Natebped su ulu ku endu na inia aku saguna, badan a maganap. “Enduken minangay ka sa inia inged?”
“Tinundug ku su senang endu su ulan-ulan sa endaw silan pedsigay sa palitan nilan. Su kaped a manga inged su ulu ku i pedtundug sa ulan-ulan, kaped na pabila ngin i kasama kanu badan na temundug sa mga babal. Ugaid di tanu makapetan silan, su dua na sinusup nilan su unga teneb. Basi taman-taman a nakambagi a enggulalan sa kapembuntal-buntal.”
“Sukran sa tudtul nengka, ru a maha. Kakedam ku i kabarabangsa sa kapegkakineg lun.”
“Mapia, bali matay ka a kaped i kabarabangsa.”
Sa paidu a kutika, su masela ikug nu Kedu na naulug sa lupa nu manisan a ru.
Sa timundug a katana kani Kedu na migkulut sa hadapan na takub, sa katamatan na nasampay nin bun su kapendegka a pengilayn nin.
=———————-=
English Version
One night, the heavens churned. A great spirit fell to the ground and was defeated.
It retreated to the mountains, keenly aware that this had happened a hundred—no, a thousand times before.
All it wanted to do was rest until the next moon would come.
But that night had something else in store.
The spirit huddled beside a cave and closed its eyes, hoping for the sweet tranquility of sleep.
And it would have succeeded if not for a voice that jolted it awake.
“Excuse me?”
The spirit looked around for the source of the noise. It was not accustomed to looking for things smaller than the moon.
It bellowed, “Who is there?! Show yourself!”
“You don’t need to shout. I am right here.”
The spirit tuned its head and at the entrance of the cave was a beautiful man.
Sigh, the spirit thought. One of them.
The spirit had nothing against the beautiful ones, they were beneath him, both literally and metaphorically. They also knew better than to engage with the spirit, lest they suffer its wrath.
“You’re blocking my cave,” the beautiful one said.
“Are you demanding that I leave?” the great spirit eyed this inconvenience.
“I’m asking you to go somewhere else, you can move through the sky as easily as a bird. Please do not block my cave.”
“And why would I go elsewhere? What makes you think that an insignificant spirit such as yourself has any right to tell Kedu where to go.”
“Please, I would just like to be left alone.”
“Don’t we all.”
“So, will you move?”
“No, I don’t think I will.”
The beautiful spirit sighed. He knew there was no way he could win. He was also surprised that Kedu let him speak this long. With its enormous power it could destroy the beautiful spirit in an instant. There was nothing left to lose for the beautiful spirit anyway so he decided to sit on a nearby rock and have a conversation with the great spirit.
“Why did you choose this place to rest?”
“I saw it from above and it looked comfortable, why else would I go here?”
“You seem very tired.”
“I am.”
“What happened?”
“The same as always. I caught the moon but could not hold it.”
“Why couldn’t you?”
“What difference does it make?”
“I would like to know.”
Kedu sighed and realized he had not told that story for many moons. The beautiful spirit was brash enough to ask, might as well humor it.
“It started in the time before times. Where spirits greater than you or I held dominion over everything that was, is, and will be.”
“You mean that you were not from this land?”
“No, small spirit, I was not.”
The beautiful spirit was surprised. In their realms origins did not matter. It was assumed that, whatever spirit you are, you had always been a part of this land. His curiosity was piqued and he wanted to know more.
Kedu continued, “There were many gods then as well as demons. Their battles were fierce and much blood was spilt. Though it was not any better when they decided to work together. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had made different choices. Maybe then I would still be complete.”
“Complete?”
“Know your place. Let me tell my story.”
“I apologize great spirit, please continue.”
“We were enticed by the promise of immortality. And fools we were for believing their lies. By the great ocean we stood, tossing the waves as violent as our powers allowed. The eternities passed by, until our prize rose from the depths. The Amrita.”
“Amrita?”
“The nectar of immortality. The only reason why we would ever work with them.”
“What happened then?”
“They denied us of our share. Anger flowed through our veins as we planned our revenge. Though I chose a different ploy.”
Silence blanketed the spirits like dew settling on leaves.
“Great spirit? Is there something wrong?”
“I—” Kedu let out a chuckle. “I don’t even remember what my name was.”
“What do you mean?”
“Names do not matter. It was a different time. I was complete then. While others of my kind planned, I set out into action. I disguised myself as one of them, taking in the nectar and achieving my goal.”
“You became immortal.”
“For whatever good that did. The two had seen through my ruse and warned the most powerful of their kind.”
“The two?”
“The sun and the moon, of course.”
The beautiful spirit nodded. He had always assumed that the Kedu and the moon were reflections of nature, an endless dance in the cloak of the sky. It was surprising to find out it was so personal.
Kedu carried on, “What else is there to say? My head was severed and now I am what I am, a body left incomplete.”
“And why did you come to this land?”
“I follow the sun and moon wherever they shine their light. In some lands it is my head that hunts the moon, in others what is left of our body pursues those fools. But we cannot hold them, the two had also imbibed the nectar. Maybe we are forever destined to carry out this charade.”
“Thank you for your story, great spirit. I feel honored to have heard it.”
“Good, then you will die with that honor.”
In a split second Kedu’s massive tail crashed onto the beautiful spirit’s form.
In the silence that followed Kedu curled up in front of the cave, finally able to get the rest that he sought.
**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.
*This story is not “word for word” or “translated literally” since there are English words that has no exact equivalent in Maguindanaon language. It was translated as to how an old Maguindanaon would re-tell the story. But nonetheless, the content and dialogue in the original and the translated version are all the same.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Traslation by Datu Hashim
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Datu Hashim
Inspired by the Ketu/ Kedu descriptions in Tagalog Borrowings and Cognates by Jean Paul Potet (2016) and Diccionario mitológico de Filipinas in
Volume 2 of Retana, W.E. Archivo del bibliófilo filipino by Ferdinand Blumentritt, Ed Jordan Clark Aswang Project. (2021)
Kedu Illustration by Yuriko Yoshida
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