Jake Calubāquib Coballes Archives - Philippine Spirits

Wak-wak (Surigao) – Ibanag Translation

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 12:47:49 +0000

*Note this story is in Ibanag

“Ari gamma tu mariga i pattolay na kumadrona,” nonopan ni Carina. Edda massimmu nuri mekappa na nga pasyente sangaw nga liggu. Yuri pasyente na ay diyes i nuebe anyos laman, anna mattar-tarangal gapa ta aggana na. Maimammo gapa nga kinovovuk ni Carina yuri babay, anna nanabarang yayya sa. Gagangay na tu mariga yuri olu nga aggana, anna, gagangay tu makanassing yuri magana. Ngem, ammu ni Carina yuri kukukwan na. Tadday nga dekada ngana i pakkumadrona na anna i ngaral na ay pinataram ngana na ekspiryensya. “Ari ka nga mavurung, egga nga laman taw”, kunna gapa ta babay.

Ina ni Carina yuri napatu nga tuwalya ira, anna enna neplasta danaw ta aruk na likuk nuri babay. “Nepay ku ira yaw ta likuk mu tapenu komfortable ka nga maginnak ta allawan nuri abbing,” nesiguru ni Carina turi ta pasyente na. “Awayya na ngana tu purban nga ilawan yaw abbing?”, maimammo gapa ngana nga niyavu na babay. Naggalo si Carina, “Ari labbi. Mawak ta paga tu maginnak. Istoryam-mu pano gapa labbi niakan yuri atawam?”

Makauffun tu mappa-imammo ta yena ira i maki-istorya nira, anna, mapia nga magginna si Carina. Yuri babay gabba anna yuri atawa na ay nattammang adde taw nga parte na davvun. Ari tu netulu na magana ra yuri kasal da. Yuri lalaki ay piga ngana nga vulan nga magale-alek ta trabahu, yatun ta minay yayya ta siyudad tapenu magalek yayya tari. Aggaparan yuri babay ta pallabbe nakwan na atawa na ta tumunuk nga liggu, ngem, maraddam yayya ta ari kanu makalabbe yuri atawa na ta tiempo na aggana na. “Ay, gagangay na gamma yatun ta attawa nga lalaki,” negalo gapa ni Carina. Naggalo gapa yuri babay.

Ammu ni Carina nga ari tu malogon yuri aggana na babay. Meammung taw, piga nga oras paga i mappasa nage nuri karigattan nga parte na trabahu. “Mapia laman ta dana ne-prepara’ ngana i ngamin nga mawak ira,” pinanono na. Dakal nga uffun i mapparan anna mapprepara.

Ganganalaman, gavva tu egga i nabasa nga nataga ta abaga ni Carina, anna nagimmang tu mangananwan i aginango na. Naggalo laman yayya. Mepangngo garay tu ari makatageno ta assing yuri babay. Dana mariga ngana i magana maski paga awat-tu vuru-vurung ta kunnaw a gannug.

Naggegek si Carina ta nono na megafu ta nakattamman na yuri lubban. Nabattang na tamma yuri turi ta unak na traysikal nga nattakayan na ganguri. “Awan ngana tu meuffun na pappanono turi,” nekagi na ta nono na. Egga gamma paga ta pagipayyan na yuri pinasigguk nga pirasu na pasingan. Dakal kanu lagu nga uffun i mapprepara.

“Sangaw, egga labbi i etta nga purban. Ikiddam mu ngana laman labbi i matam ah, anna ari mu nga iladdang adde ta ikagi’ nikaw.” Nattagga ngana i ngaral ni Carina, ngem, kurug a nananawak nga nataram paga i ekspiryensya na. “Ngatta, egga kari i problema?”, niyavu na babay, matageno ta ngaral na i assing.

“Ay, awan gapa. Egga laman i angul nga mawak ku nga taronan.” Nekiddam ni Carina danuri mata-mata nuri babay. Mapia laman ta patangagabi nga kani Carina laman nga agalipay yuri babay. “Nayunam-mu laman yuri agistoryam ta atawam. Ananiddu paga i gabi ta nga duwa.”

————————————————————————-

English Version

“The life of a midwife isn’t so hard,” Carina reflects. She’s seeing her 4th patient this week. The woman is only 19 years old and preparing for the birth of her first child. Carina speaks calmly and reassures the woman. It’s always difficult for first timers, so many fears going through their heads, but Carina knows what she’s doing. She’s been a midwife for more than a decade and she speaks with a voice sharpened by experience, “It’s going to be okay, I’m here.”

She grabs the warm towels and puts them underneath the woman’s back. “This should keep you comfortable while we wait for the baby,” Carina reassures her patient. “Should I push now?” the woman is calmer now, Carina smiles, “Not yet, we still have to wait. Why don’t you tell me about you husband?”

Talking always helps the mothers calm down and Carina is a good listener. The young woman and her husband eloped to this part of the country, their parents didn’t approve of their marriage. The husband had been trying to find work for months and went to the city to see if there was anything there. He was expected back next week and the woman is disappointed he won’t be here for the birth of their child. “Oh you can always expect that from husbands,” Carina laughs. The woman laughs as well, humor wins over fear most of the time.

Carina knows this is going to be a hard labor, and it will take a few hours before the actual work will happen. “It’s a good thing I prepared everything,” she thinks to herself. It always paid to be prepared.

Something wet suddenly falls on Carina’s shoulder and her breath stops for a moment. She smiles. Carina can’t let the woman see any hint of fear, childbirth is already hard enough without worrying about something like this.

Carina silently curses under her breath for forgetting about the suba. She must have left it in the tricycle on her way here. “No use worrying about that now,” she thinks. There’s still the sharpened piece of bamboo in her bag. It always paid to be prepared.

“Okay, we’re going to try something, so just close your eyes okay? And don’t open them until I say so,” Carina’s voice is sterner now, but the edge of experience still shines through. “Is something wrong?” The woman voice has a hint of fear.

“Oh no, nothing wrong. I just need to take care of a pest.”

Carina closes the woman’s eyelids, thankfully she was looking at Carina the whole night. “Now just keep telling me about that husband of yours. We have a long night ahead of us.”

——————————————————————————

*Pomelo fruit

*The Ibanag language (also Ybanag or Ibanak) is spoken by up to 500,000 speakers, most particularly by the Ibanag people, in the Philippines, in the northeastern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, especially in Tuguegarao, Solana, Abulug, Cabagan, and Ilagan and with overseas immigrants in countries located in the Middle East, United Kingdom and the United States. Most of the speakers can also speak Ilocano, the lingua franca of northern Luzon island. The name Ibanag comes from the prefix “I” which means “people of”, and “bannag”, meaning river. It is closely related to Gaddang, Itawis, Agta, Atta, Yogad, Isneg, and Malaweg.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Jake Calubāquib Coballes
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jake Calubāquib Coballes

Inspired by the Wak-wak entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Wak-wak (Surigao) Illustration and Watercolor by Nightmaresyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/

The post Wak-wak (Surigao) – Ibanag Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

Pasatsat – Ibanag Translation

admin — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 07:31:12 +0000

*Note this story is in Ibanag

Maturu pitufulu nga ragun ngana i nappasa adde gari, ngem, sinni kari i mabbilang? Tadday nga’ laman nga laka-lakay nga kuruga mapalubbangan nu mappakoli. Minum-ma tapenu makaraddam-ma. Anna, minum-ma gapa tapenu makattammak-ku.
Egga ta tangabbagan nga kuwarto yuri afu-afu ku ira, tuange ta afu-afu ku ta ‘tuk. Maimammo nga’ nga mappabalo ta Yafu ta grasya nga neyawa Na. Maraddammak-ku yuri gabi-gabi ira na paggigiak-ku gari turi ta kampo na POW. Naggiak-kami ta atatazzi ira nga bagon na tren; ari mi masingan i lawan. Ta adde na pakapangwa na Hapon ira, pinaddurummo da sikami ngamin ta unak na bago-bagon. Maraddammak-ku yuri kakavulu ku nga nakipabbakal. Masippo ira nga totolay. Ngem, nepallo i kabbi ra megafu ta taki anna bisin. Ari ku lagu ammu nu kunnasi nga’ nakalawan turi. Ari tu kasikannan na baggi’ laman i kegafuan na. Ngem, ta paginingak-ku ta mata-mata na ana-ana ku ira, anna turi ta ana-ana ra gapa, anna turi ta negaka-gaka na ana-ana ra, ammu’ nga yuri balor na pakipabbakal ku ay ari tu meparig ta ziga-riga nga iniyatattak-ku. Nu awayya na, ekku paga ulian yuri nga ziga-riga maski mamittanga-milyon paga.
Nagitubang ta biko ku si Isa, anna nakimallo tu magistorya nga’ paga. Ta ngamin nga afu-afu ku ta ‘tuk, yayya tamma i kasiriban, megafu ta vuluvvuga i aya na ta pabbibbik ta libru ira, anna nepallo i aya na nga maggigginna ta istorya’ ira, talugaring ta gerra gari. Sangaw nga aggaw, duma i istoryak-ku sa.

Nu tagi-mittan, ay lubbe nga’ ta Lingayen. Anni i aya ku nga maggian ta biko na bebay turi, anna pakolian ta nono ku danuri kofuk-ku ira nga kavulu ku nga nakipabbakal, danuri kofuk-ku ira nga natay. Maimammo ngana i levu sangaw, ngem, kagitta na magigginna’ paga adde sangaw yuri guni-guni na eroplano ira nga manompi ta bira-biray anna barko ira. Kamikaze kudda lagu turi. Gari ta nappasa nga ragun, ay ari nga’ nattattadday. Nakafi ngana i mata-mata’, ngem, makata’ paga yayya maski paga tu tadday nga milya i karayyu na.

Gari, awat-tu oras mi nga mangitanam. I makwa mi laman ay takkabban yuri baggi-baggi na nakkakatay ta dapan ira.
Fuwersadu ibattang mi laman ngana ira megafu ta mabi kami nga massifu anna malilli ta pala-palattuk na Hapon.

Naddinnulang kami ta nabayag. Ari ku ammu nu nammuak-ku yayya gari, nu nakavulu ku yayya onu kalinga’ yayya gari. Ari yayya nappika, anna ari laman gapa yayya nagguyu-guyu. Siminaddak laman yayya turi anna enna finugaddan yuri dalanak-ku. Ekku nelawan yuri ila nga neregalu niakan nuri marino nga nammuak-ku ta kabalin na gerra. Ari ku napanono, maski mittan, nga meusa’ gabba lagapa yuri nga ila ta korianan.

Ekku dinudduk yuri amang ta gian na niketaddagan na. Nawawan yuri takki-takki na, kunnud, naubbaran anna nevullak yuri dapan. Ganganalaman, nagaguk ta navuyu-vuyu yuri levu. Ta duma nga totolay, yuri nga aguk ay kagitta na tu nalabbak nga pattak. Ngem, napenam-ma’ ngana. Ammu’ nga nu mittan, i kunnaw nga gannug ay makapaliag nikaw.

Nagamundu si Isa. Ari na tamma nga kurugan yuri nestorya’ sa. Nakimallo mangana yayya ta tadday paga nga istorya nga meyannung turi ta kamikaze ira, anna danuri bira-biray. Netulu ku lagapa yuri uray na. Ari mu gamma makwa nga igamma i abbing nga magaya nga magginna ta istorya.

Maturu pitufulu nga ragun ngana i nappasa adde gari nga agga-aggaw, ngem, ari tu mawawan yuri ikara-kararruwa anna guni-guni ira.

English Version

About 70 years have passed since those days, probably more, but who’s counting? I’m just an old man who only has his memories to keep him warm. I drink to remember, I also drink to forget.

My grandchildren are in the next room, along with my great-grandchildren. I silently thank the Lord for my good grace. I remember the nights in the POW camp, stuffed in boxcars without any way to see the outside world. The Japanese would kick as many of us in each car as they could. I remember the men I fought with, good men. They were broken by disease and hunger. I don’t know how I got out of there alive. It took more than any sort of physical strength that I could ever bear. But looking into the eyes of my children and their children and their children’s children, I know what I was fighting for was worth all the suffering I could ever endure. I would do it again one million times over.

Isa sits next to me and asks me for another story. Among all my great-grandchildren I think she’s the smartest, she always has her head stuck in a book and she really likes hearing my stories, especially from the war. Today, I’m going to tell her something different.

I sometimes go back to Lingayen. I like to stand by the gulf and remember the friends that fought with me, the friends I had lost. It’s quiet now, but I can still hear the lingering echoes of the kamikaze aircraft flying into the ships. Last year I wasn’t alone. My eyes aren’t what they used to be, but I could recognize what it was from a mile away.

No one had time for burials then. We were resourceful and had to use what we could. That usually meant covering the bodies in mats and leaving them where we found them while we avoided machine gun fire.

We stared at each other for a long time. I don’t know if it was someone I knew, someone I bled with or someone I made bleed. It didn’t say a word, it didn’t even move. It just stood there, blocking my way. I took out the knife that was a gift from the marine I met after the war. I never thought I would have to use it.

I stabbed the ghost where it stood, its legs disappeared and the mat unfurled, releasing a horrible stench. To some people that putrid odor would be disgusting, but with all I’ve been through, I know that sometimes horrible smells can lead you to freedom.

Isa frowns, I don’t think she believes my words. She asks for another one about the kamikazes and the ships and I surrender. There’s no arguing with a young child looking for a story.

It has been around 70 years since those days, but the ghosts and echoes still linger.

————————–————————–————————–—-

Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Jake Calubāquib Coballes
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Jake Calubāquib Coballes

Story inspired by the Pasatsat entry in in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015.

Pasatsat Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen

Watercolor by Isabel Leonio and Mykie Concepcion
Tumblr: http://mykieconcepcion.tumblr.com/

The post Pasatsat – Ibanag Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.