*Note this story is in Pangasinan

Manlapu ed eges na dalin binmaleg ak

Onsinag a singa agew ed kabuasan

Diad limam et sasamalen ko iray kamarerwa

Tan mangitonton ed amin a totoo ed kadederal

Anto ak?

“Bangon ka.”

“Anto..? Antoy nagagawa?”

“Mansasalita ka lalamet ed ugip mo.”

Oh, pasensia la. Nayarin alabas lay panaon ko.

“Tinmunda lay uran.”

“Kasin ontan? Maong tan ta pian sa wakas makapanpicture tayo’y masasanting.”

“Iparaan ko la so amin. Iparaan moy sarilim, wala ni pigaran oras na liwawa na agew.”

“Okay la. Abuloyan yo ak a manpales. Komon ta nasumpal tayo la iyan panag-shoot ya  aga sagabal so panaon.”

“Oh wow.”

“Anto?”

“Walay rainbow ed beneg mo.”

“Nayarin aliwan ontan lan mauges so panaon.”

Ambetel ya benbenan

Anggapoy peteg a liwawak

Balet agkon balot nabalang

Anto ak?

Binmangon ya ambetebetel so inget to. Satan lamet so kugip to, saray sinag na liwawa, saray otot ya taew ed uma tan say makapataktakot a karutakan a tinmumbok. Impanonot to ed inkasikato a diad apalabas et wala ni ray mas importantin bengatla a kaukolan ton asikasoen.

Sikatoy atagey a manalalagey, a say saklor to et mankirlap ed ambilunget a ungib a panaayaman to. Wala so kayamanan a naromog ed sarayan palandey, tan alaen to so amin a nayarian ton sakbaten.

Anggaman ontan, siansia nin sankanonot to iray agawad apalabas. Nanonotan to so datin ngaran to tan say paraan na panamabli na karakpan to ed sankamakapanyarian a dios. Insamba to so ngaran na Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan tan nilukdaan to so dalin. No aliwan lapud sikato et wala ni so dakep to.

No naala to la so kayamanan to, onaligwas la so amin, tan sikatoy magmaliw lan sigpot lamet. Anggapo lay panaon ya onlabas ed kabilungetan na sayan ungib. Agla la kaukolan ya alagaren so uran pian makapan-anup. Anggapo lay onnengneng ed itsura to tan onnengneng ed ayep a nagmaliw lan sikato.

Diad kaarawi et nanengneng to iray sinag na liwawa. Kayamanan? Say puso to so ngalngali agmakapansiansia. Tinmunda lay uran, balet agto la aalagaren so miasawa ed sikato. Panaon la pian man anap.

Onagos ak ed karakel na danum

Diad Interon Mundo

Agak ni arawi ed pakayari

Ta say pakayari so inkasiak

Anto ak?

Say masnag a dios so onnengneng manlapud katawenan tan oneeyag. Tinmaynan lamet ya agto kaibay. Sikatoy akayurong ed saray lurem na Skyworld tan nanonotan to iray daan a pisusumpa tan saray maimon a dirios.

Ampetang so ngarem ed tiagew sanen agawa itan, say masnag a dios so angiter ed bii na regalo to a masnag a liwawa tan inusar to itan pian magmaliw a singa saray dirios so itsura to. Say mairap-bilay a bii, a mas mabambanday nen say makabat, et lapud inkamapaatagey to et ninonot ton labanan so sakey a diosa. Sikatoy masiswerte, diad sakey a paraan,. No asakitan to la si Ynaguinid et agla mabilay pian apigeren so aderal a bilay to.

Balet ag-itan agawa ed anggan iner.

Siempre, ginawa toy anggad nayarian to. Impawil to ed sikato so kabaleg a nayarian to. Balet ag-itan nalabanan na pakayari na pasakitan to. Say diosa na inkaagum so mapaatagey a singa say pakapanyari to.

Inkamapaatagey. Andi-kakanaan. Inkamapaatagey. Ompan mas dakel so pamparehoan na saray dirios ed saray totoo nen say labay dan aminen.

Komon ta say bii et aglinmasur ed sagradon kiew na diosa.

No agto komon anengneng iray dwende ya akasulong na saray sako na kayamanan.

Komon ta agto la imbaga a sikato so sankaabigan.

Say puso to et naermenan nin siansia. Anggaman ontan, siansia nin agnibales so panangaro to. Iilaloan to a no natulongan ton ompawil ed peteg a kipapasen to et nanengneng to lanlamang a sarag da lay mankakasakey.

Balet agto itan inilaloan. Say masnag a dios so naningongot tan imbulos to so liwawa to diad dalin. Ompan naromog to lanlamang so aanapen to.

Say sipan ko et sakey a kugip

Saray napnapno na eges

Tan kawayangan

Paneknek na maong a linawa

Anto ak?

“Anengneng mo itan?!”

“Inisip ko ya atagtagey itayo la parad saray kabayo?!”

“Sika tayo, Agko amta no antoy gagawaen na satan a bengatla dia.”

“Kasin anengneng mon maong itan?”

“Napaliisan ko, ompan aka-record ak la.”

“Nepeg tayon onalis la, ta agko labay so ompawil no onsabi. Aliwan maong ak ed saray ayayep.”

“Okay, prinsesa. Iisipen ko a wala lay magenap a litrato parad saray editor a pilien da. Mansalat ka la pian makapanakar-akar tayo. Ompan makasabi tayo la antis ya onseselek so agew.”

“Okay, magano ak labat.”

Wala so kayamanan a naromog, balet aliwan satan so aanapen to. Anggapo ed saya so patas. Akin a sikato so nisamba pian mansiansia ed sayan makapataktakot a nengneng to? Say diosa et abebbeba tan mapaatagey. Onagus iray lua ed datin marakdakep a lupa to legan ya oneepas so uran ed dalin.

Amta na masnag a dios so sakey ya aspekto na ayew ya ag-amta na bii. Say diosa na inkaagum so angibulos na balitok ed mata na bii ta pian naynay ton anapen so kayamanan ya agto naromog. Satan so unor a panaginsulto pian lalon onloor so sakit to. Gawaen to so anggaay nayarian to, lapud diad puso to et labalabay ton nakaiba.

“Kasin maong ka?”

“On, balet iisipen kon kaukolan tayon alagaren ya ontunda lay uran.”

“Agko la iilaloan so mapitek a biahe.”

“Tundaan mo lay manreklamo, ta diad sayan biahe et wala ray balibalin litrato tayo.”

“Nengnengen ta pa…. Maong, duga ka, anggan panon et balibali itsurak. Alagar ka, agko nanonotan iyan sakey.”

“Iisipen ko a satan so kabayo. Makapalek, say buek to et singa met la buek mo.”

“Tinawag mo ak ya kabayo?”

“Manrelaks ka. Alagaren tayo ni labat ya onarawi iray lurem pian makaalis tayo la.”

Say pitek so tinmerak ed palandey sanen pinmawil so marikit ed ungib to. Sakey ya agew et nipawil ed sikato so marakdakep ya itsura to insan to ipanengneng ed amin a dirios no anto so peteg a kanepegan to.

=——————-=

English Version

Out of earth’s womb I grow

Glistening like the morning sun

In your hands I poison souls

And lead all men to ruin

What am I?

“Wake up.”

“Wha..? What’s happening?”

“You’re talking in your sleep again.”

“Oh, sorry. Must have been up too late.”

“It stopped raining.”

“Did it? That’s good we can finally take some nice pictures.”

“I’ll get everything set up. Get yourself ready, we still have a few more hours of sunlight.”

“All right. Let me get dressed. Hopefully we can finish this shoot without the weather getting in the way.”

“Oh wow.”

“What?”

“There’s a rainbow behind you.”

“Maybe the weather’s not so bad after all.”

Cold to the touch

I have no true light

Yet I will never be lost

What am I?

She wakes up with a cold sweat. It was that dream again, the flashes of light, the yellow field mice and the wretched ugliness that followed. She reminded herself that it was in the past, there were more important things that needed her attention.

She stood tall, her ivory horn shining bright in the dark cave that housed her. There was treasure to be found in these mountains, and she would take all that she could carry.

Still, flashes of the past crept into her thoughts. She remembered her old name and the way her beauty would inspire love in even the mightiest god. She cursed the name of Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan and spat at the floor. If it wasn’t for her she would still have her beauty.

Once she had her treasure all would be well, she would finally be whole again. No more passing time in the darkness of this cave. No more having to wait after the raindrops for her chance to hunt. No more looking at her reflection and staring into the monster that she had become.

In the distance she could see flashes of light. Treasure? Her heart could barely contain itself. The rain had stopped, but she would not wait for her suitor. It was time to hunt.

I flow in a current

Throughout the world

I am never far from power

For power is what I am

What am I?

The bright god looks down from the heavens and sighs. She has gone without him again. He sits among the clouds of the Skyworld and reminisces about old rivalries and jealous gods.

It had been a warm summer afternoon when it happened, the bright god had given the girl the gift of his prismatic light and she used it to make her beauty rival the gods’. The poor girl, more vain than wise, it was in her hubris that she thought to challenge a goddess. She was lucky, in a way. Had she offended Ynaguinid she would not be alive to pick up the pieces of her broken life.

But that was neither here nor there.

He did his best, of course. He gave her back what beauty he could. But there was no fighting the power of her curse. The goddess of greed was as prideful as she was powerful.

Pride. Vanity. Hubris. Maybe the gods had more in common with mortals than they would like to admit.

If only the girl had not passed by the goddess’ sacred grove.

If only she had not seen the dwarves carrying the sacks of treasure.

If only she had not claimed that she was the fairest.

His heart would still be broken. In the midst of everything his love was still unrequited. He hoped that if he could help her return to her true form she would finally see that they could be together.

But he would not hold out hope for that. The bright god sighed and set loose his light towards the earth. Maybe she would finally find what she was looking for.

My promise is a dream

Of full stomachs

And freedom

A testimony to good faith

What am I?

“Did you see that?!”

“I thought we were too high up for horses?!”

“We are, I don’t know what that thing is doing here.”

“Did you get a good look at it?”

“It was too fast, I think I got it on camera.”

“We should go, I don’t want to be here when it gets back. I’m not good around animals.”

“Alright, princess. I think we have enough shots for the editors to choose from anyway. Get changed and we can start hiking. I think we can make it down before sunset.”

“Fine, I’ll be fast.”

There was treasure to be had, but not what she had been looking for. None of this was fair. Why was she the one that was cursed to stay in this horrible form? The goddess was petty and despicable. Tears flowed from her once-beautiful face as the raindrops pattered on the ground.

The bright god knew one aspect of the curse that the girl did not. The goddess of greed blew gold into the girl’s eyes so that she would forever chase treasure that she could not find. It was a final insult to add to her injury. He would do what he could, for in his heart he longed to have her near.

“Are you good?”

“Yeah, but I think we have to wait for the rain to stop.”

“I’m not looking forward to the muddy trek.”

“Stop complaining, at least we got some good shots out of this trip.”

“Let me see…. Fine, you’re right, at least I look good. Wait, I don’t remember this one.”

“I think that was the horse. Funny, its mane almost looks like your hair.”

“Did you just call me a horse?”

“Relax. Let’s just wait for the clouds to clear and we can get out of here.”

Mud splashed though the mountain as the girl returned to her cave. Someday she would have her beauty back and then she would show all the gods what she truly deserved.

=—————————–=

*Pangasinan (Salitan Pangasinan) – sometimes called Pangasinense is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pangasinan, on the west-central seaboard of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, the northern portion of Tarlac and southwestern La Union, most of whom belong to the Pangasinan ethnic group. Pangasinan is also understood in some municipalities in Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and by the Aeta or Aeta of Zambales.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Nelmar A. Mallari, MDC
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Nelmar A. Mallari, MDC

Inspired by the myth of the Anggitay and the Visayan goddess of greed, Burigadang Pada Sinaklang Bulawan.

Anggitay Illustration by Abe Joncel Guevarra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joncel/

The post Anggitay – Pangasinan Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

*Note this story is in Kapampangan

Buong bie ku panayan kung damdaman ko keka deng salitang aren. Balu ku kabolangan ing maging matula, ing kabud namu magnasang damdaman deng salita, pero nang akarapat ku? Talagang buong bie kung manayang damdaman la deta.

Aganaka ku detang milabas a aldo na magkulung ku keng kwartu, makasubsub mamasang libru bang akalingwan ke ing tampalasang yatu ayni, pero ngeni balu ku na na aku at aliwa ing yatu ing tune tampalasan.

Pagmasdan ke ing ilug ngeni. Ali makaying mangye patse makanining oras ning bengi. Ing bulan singlagu de reng mamagus na kyapu. Aganaka mu pa niyang minuna meng ikit ing ilug ayni? Kitnan mu ku nan la dening tanaman at kinwentu ke keka i Larina.

Kalwat na na nita. Mapali ya pa kanta ing api. Mapapaltos ta balat keng aping alang kasingpali. Sinilab na ing eganaganang itamu, kingwa no deng panaung milabas ampon deng paninap at ala yang tinagan, uling ala nang aliwa nung ali ining mamaping lugud.

Ali naku magpanggap. Buri daka sanang akit magkasakit. Anti ku mong i Larina na mandakap talubang kaybat sisipit ko keng bwak ku bang akit ku lang manasakit. Nanu ngan gewa ku bang akit ku ing sakit kareng mata mu, bang akit ku keng lupa mu ing sakit na akakit ku keng salamin aldo-aldo.

Oneng ing kwentu ku meyari ya ring kalupa ning kang Larina. Mesumpa kung kalupa na nitang babayi na mekulung keng lalam ning lauk, aldo-aldong manyukle keng bwak na bang milako la deng kyapu. Abalu da, ababalu da talaga deng kalupa na. Deng anggang kalaraman ku, deng penako ku.

Eku agyung maging maganaka keka kaybat ning gewa mu oneng eku rin agyung maging marok keka kaybat ning gewa ku. Ing kanung lugud makatakut ya ampong mayap ya, mabangis ya ampong maamu ya, at masakit ngan itang intindian. Oneng ngeni balu ku nang tutu ngan ita.

Eku balu nung apatawad mu ku, pero eme sisisyan ing sarili mu keng dapat kung gawan. Nung atin man dapat mate kekatamu, aku namung atin lasun keng pusu.

Ume na ku.

=———————–=

English Version

I waited all my life to hear those words from you. I knew it was crazy for me to be happy, to be so desperate to hear those words that I blocked out everything else, but what could I do? I really was waiting all my life to hear them.

I remember spending all those days locked away in my room, drugging myself with books so that I could forget the cruelty of the world, but now I know that the world wasn’t the cruel one, it was always me.

I’m staring at the river now. There isn’t much noise at this time of night. The moon’s as lovely as the water lilies making their way down the current. Remember when you first saw the river? You asked my what the plants were and I told you about Larina.

That was a lifetime ago. When the fire was still warm. It seared through our skin, hotter than anything we’ve ever felt. It burned through everything we were, taking our pasts and our dreams and left nothing, because there was nothing outside this burning passion that was there.

I won’t pretend. I wanted to see you suffer. I was like Larina, taking those butterflies and pinning them to her hair just to see them in agony. I did everything I could to see the hurt in your eyes, to see in your face what I saw in my mirror every day.

But I guess my story ends like Larina’s. I’m as cursed as the woman trapped underneath the bay, spending her days combing the water lilies out of her hair. They found out, their kind always does. How I lied about everything, what I stole.

I couldn’t be kind to you after what you did, but I couldn’t be cruel after what I had done. They said that love was terrifying and tender, wild and sweet and none of that made any sense. But now I know every word of that is true.

I don’t know if you will ever be able to forgive me, but don’t blame yourself for what I need to do. If one of us had to die, it might as well be the one with poison in her heart.

Goodbye

=————————————=

Inspired by ‘Mangita and Larina’ in Philippine Folklore Stories. Miller. 1904

Illustration by Joncel Guevarra

The post Larina – Kapampangan Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

*Note this story is in Chavacano Zamboanga

Chene maga momento ta keda anyos si kere kita. El hora muchu amo,pero el bien mapwersa kon todo el meido. Ese iyo ya aprende kwanto anyos ya ya pasa.

Ele… Ele.. Nusabe iyo quilaya iyo detalla si konsa man akel. Ensegida le ya aparese.

No, Hendeh presto. Ta akorda yo el sunor del bayle de maga ojas. El blando risas de un hombre, y el olor de tabako. Ese hendeh gad iyo ay puede ulvida.

Alto ele. Mas alto kontra na maskin quien gente ay pwede keda. Ya supla le humo del de suyu sigarilyo y ya mira le kumigo.

Bien muchu iyo kosa ta ase de akel diya. Ta trabaha yo na un palayan serka na buukan. Mientras ta ase seka kunel maga ropa. kay para timing el ani si sinta ya yo na sombra de pono de balete

Ya dispierta yo y talya ele. Yan mirahan kame na unu y otro, que ya tarda como kwanto dia. Despues, ya kiembra el silencio cuando ya komberza le.

“Hola, Ta ama iyo kuntigo”

Chene maga cuentos acerca na maga kapre ta kere na maga mojeres. Ta acorda gane yo el cuento del un mojer kun nombre Juana. Que ya pursuegi kunele el un kapre y ka converti el kapre de suyu itsura y forma na nobyo di Juana. Ya tira kunel kapre maga bala estaba na pusil de maga pulis. Pero cuando ya mira sila kunel kapre ya incuntra sila pono de saging kun maga aguero de bala.

Hendeh con migo puede ayuda el maga bala ahora. Nusabe yo si kosa ay puede. Tres palabras lang kel pero ya ase con migo paralisao na miedo y ya empesa yo llura cuando ya kontesta yo.

“Nukere iyo kuntigo, nukonose gane yo kuntigo”

El itsura del de suyu kara ya abla con migo el kosa yo debe sabe. Ya ase yo kunele sinti duele. Mas de dolor na puede saka si ya tira kunele bala de un pusil.

Ya puma le otra vez y yan sonrisa.

“Konose lang tu con migo, y ama tambien tu con migo”

Despues ya perde para alya na suyu pono.

El kosa maka estranya na todo, que amo el kosa le ya abla. Cuantos anyos ya pasa, ya expectao yo chene con migo pursuigi un burujo, Ni nuay yo expectao kay ele ay keda miyo amigo, y mas pa.

Na de atun vida, chene gad maga kosas quita ta expecta que hendeh na sosede. Muchu gad sorpresa na di atun maga vida.

El kapre talya na primer vez  ya sinti duele el miyo corazon, kada playto del di miyo pamilya. Talya ele cuando ya muri el miyo mayor anak y cuando ya keda grande el miyo otro .

Ta dale le sinti suyu presensya na kada ulan de pyedra na di amun kasa, El olor de sigarilyo que ta liba el biento. Sabe yo tali lang ele pirmi. Ta protehe na silencio.

Ta devolve yo kuneste na manera que to pricura yo proteje kunel di su yu kasa, El pono de balete como kasa ya tambien di miyo. Cuantos notches ta mira yo maga estrellas na ciello mientras tanto ele ta mira con migo.

Ta sinta iyo aki, Otchenta verano ya ya pasa na miyo vida, y taki iyo na pono del bale junto kunel miyo amor.

“Konose yo kuntigo y ta ama yo kuntigo”

=—————–=

English Version

There are moments that stretch into years if you let them. Time has many masters, but none more potent than fear, this I learned many years ago.

It….He… I don’t know how to describe whatever it was. It just suddenly appeared before me, no, not suddenly. I remember the sound of rushing leaves, the soft laughter of a man and the smell of tobacco. I could never forget it.

He was tall, taller than any human had any right to be. He took a puff from his cigar and just stared at me.

I’m getting ahead of myself. I was doing chores in the field next to the forest, drying the laundry and making sure that the harvest would be ready when I sat under the Balete tree for some shade.

I woke up and he was there. We stared at each other for what felt like days, until he broke the silence.

“Hello, I love you.”

I had heard stories of the Kapre falling in love with human women before. I even remember a story of a girl named Juana who was stalked by her Kapre and the creature even changed form to be that of her lover. It was shot at by police officers but when they looked at the creature they only found a tall banana tree with bullet holes.

Bullets couldn’t save me now, I didn’t know what could. Three simple words were all that it took to paralyze me with fear and I cried as I said my reply.

“I don’t love you, I don’t even know who you are.”

The look on the Kapre’s face told me all I needed to know. I had hurt it. Far more than if I had taken a gun and shot it.

He took another drag out of his cigar and smiled.

“You will know me, and you will love me.”

Then, he vanished into his tree.

The strange part was he was right. Years had passed and I expected to be stalked by a monster, I had never expected that it… he… would become my friend, and then something more.

Life is full of expectations that are never met; it is even more full of surprises.

The Kapre was there through every broken heart, every fight with my family. He was there when I lost my first child, and when my other children grew to be strong.

He would show his presence in the small ways, a shower of stone outside my house, the smell of his cigar wafting on the wind, but I always knew he was there. A silent protector.

In return I would never let anyone harm his home, the Balete tree was as much my home as it was his. I spent countless nights, watching the stars with him watching over me.

And here I sit, 80 summers have passed through my life and I am under the Balete tree with my love.

“I know you, and I have loved you.”

=———————–=

*Chavacano or Chabacano refers to a number of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in  Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speakers. Chavacano is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Chavacano-Zamboangueño Translation by JC Duterte
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © JC Duterte

Inspired by the Kapre Myths and description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Kapre Illustration by Abe Joncel Guevarra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joncel/

The post Kapre – Chavacano Zamboanga Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.