*Note this story is is Masbatenyo – Ticaoeño

Sa paglampas sa langit kag dampog, ginpapamatian san mga bituon an aton pangadyi.

Nagpapangamuyo lang sinda kag nagsasaksi sa pagligad san kinaagi, pero maski sinda kaipuhan maghigad ‘pag an Ginoo na an nagpapakita san kusog.

Dili man nakiaram an mga bituon. Ada na sinda san bata pa an kinab-an, kag san an katawuhan gindamgo pa lamang san Ginoo.

Nagtetenir an mga bituon kag nagdudugay.

An aton sigulanon nagtutuna sa usad na dili nasabat na pangadyi.

Gutom gayudon an naga. Dili siya nagpapakita sin kaluoy sa katawuhan na nag-iistar sa iya teritoryo. Sa iya mga mata naghahali an nagkakalayo na harigi para manirab san iya biktima.

Tulo na kalag na lang an nabilin san maurit siya na linalang — usad na iloy, usad na ama, kag usad na bata nga lalake.

Kag an inda pangadyi amo an ginbabati san mga bituon.

“Ginoo iharayo mo kami sa maburut-on nga naga. Ikaw lang an may kagahuman na magpaudong sa iya,” Pagmamakaluoy san ama.

An inda pangadyi kay ginpamati, pero dili san Ginoo.

Ginmasdan san mga bituon an pagtama san ikog san maburut-on na naga sa mag-asawa. Nakita ninda kun pan-o mangudog sa kahadlok an mga kabukidan unong sa kagahuman san naga. Aram ninda na dili siya matugot nga buhayon ang mag-asawa.

Ginpapalibutan sin dabdab kag kalayo an pamilya, maski an kalibutan nagatangis sa sakit na namamatyagan. Sa pag-agi san naga, nagsasabay an pagsapay kag pag-iwat. An mga lasog-lasog na lawas san mga biktima niya nagkaralat sa iya agihan, hasta sa masayudan niya an iya urhi na biktima.

“Kun amo na gayod ini Ginoo, sige na lang,” Pangamuyo san iloy. Ginkup-an niya an iya pamilya sin hugot, an tanda san nabibilin niya na pagpalangga.

Lumayog an naga sa kalangitan kag binuka an iya dako nga baba.

Piniyong na lamang san pamilya an inda mata kag ginhulat an inda katapusan, hasta sa mabati san Ginoo an inda pangamuyo kag ginpakita an iya pagpalangga.

Naglayog an naga pakadto sa iya kaunon pero dili niya nakuha. Naglayog pa siya lampas sa dampog kag kahitaasan hasta maabot niya an mga bituon, dagko na kalayo kag aso an iya gindara.

Kag san umabot siya sa pinakahataas na kaya niya abuton, umudong siya, nadakop siya san mga bituon kag nakulong sa iya sadiri na kalayo.

Nagpasalamat an pamilya sa Ginoo ka sa iya gahom. Ginhandum ninda hasta na lang an Iya pagsalba sa inda sa katapusan.

Kag nano man an nangyari sa mga bituon?

Nagpaubaya sinda sa Ginoo kag gin-akseptar an bag-o na lugar san naga sa inda kalangitan.

Pero maski sinda, aram ninda na dili ina madugay.

Kay ginpapamatian ninda an paghingaw san naga. Ginhuhulat ninda an katapusan san mga adlaw na malusad gihapon an naga sa duta, kag uubuson an kinab-an kag lalapaon an tanan na maraot an kasta kag dili nagsusunod sa Ginoo.

Kun kaya matimtim na ginhuhulat san mga bituon an adlaw na sa inda na lang gihapon an kalangitan.

=————————————

English Version

Over the sky and in the firmament, the stars hear your prayers.

They stay as silent witnesses to the unfolding of history, but even they must stand aside when the Almighty displays His power.

The stars do not mind. They have prevailed since the world was young and humanity was but a glimmer in the Almighty’s eye.

The stars remain and they endure.

Our story begins with an answered prayer.

The naga was ravenous. It did not show mercy to the humans living in its territory. From its eyes shot pillars of flame, incinerating all those that it considered prey. The poison flowing from its nine forked tongue spread through its victims without pity.

There were only three souls left after the monster had devoured the wicked, a mother, a father and a son.

And it was their prayer that the stars overheard.

“Almighty deliver us from this great naga, only you have the power to stop it,” the father implored.

Their prayer was answered but not by the Almighty.

The stars watched as the great naga swung its tail and sent a terrible gale towards the couple. They saw the mountains shiver in fear at the beast’s power. It would not allow the humans to survive, the naga’s cruelty would not allow it.

Fury and flames surrounded the family, even the earth seemed to cry out in pain. In the naga’s path trailed misery and suffering, the broken bodies of its victims littered the monster’s passage until the great beast came face to face with its final prey.

“If this is the Almighty’s will then let it be so,” the mother sobbed. She held tight her family, the only comfort left in their plight.

The naga leapt into the sky and opened its titanic maw.
The family closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable, but the Almighty heard their pleas and showed his benevolence.

The dragon leapt, but it did not meet its target. It rose high into the heavens, past the clouds and into the realm of the stars, gigantic gouts of flame and smoke trailing in its wake.

When it seemed the naga could not go higher it stopped, suspended between the stars and surrounded by its blaze.

The family thanked the Almighty for His mercy, forever remembering the day they were saved from the savagery of the beast.

And what of the stars?

They surrendered to the will of the Almighty, accepting the naga’s new place betwixt their realm.

But even they know it will not last.

For the stars hear the naga’s whispers. They await the end of days when the dragon will sweep towards the earth and devour all those wicked souls that do not obey the Almighty.

And so the stars remain patiently until the heavens are theirs once again.

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• In Samal myth the milky way is seen as a gigantic trapped dragon.

*Masbateño, Masbatenyo or Minasbate is a Bicol-Visayan language spoken by more than 600,000 people, primarily in the province of Masbate in the Philippines. It is very close to Capiznon, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo and Waray-Waray, all three spoken in Visayas. It is considered a Bisakol language, meaning a language intermediate between Visayan languages and Bicolano languages.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by M.A.C. Villamor

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © M.A.C. Villamor

Adapted from ‘The Dragon’ in Sulu Studies 2. Rixhon ed. 1973.

The Imprisoned Naga Illustration by Julius Arboleda

*This story is in Masbatenyo – Ticaoeño

Pararehas lang an damgo ko ‘pag gindadamag ako.

Nagtutuna an tanan sa akon higdaan. Kaya nagtenir na ako sa hospital. Pero dili pa gihapon aram san mga doktor an mali sa akon. An sabi ninda,  kukuhaan pa ninda ako sin iba na medical tests. Gintitiawan ko na lang sinda. Aram ko na magiging masakit para sa akon, pero dili ko sinda ginbabasol kay ginhihimo man lang ninda an inda trabaho.

Kag umabot na an mga dagom. Gin-iniksyunan ako kag gintusok hasta magdesbilo. Kaya gintestingan san mga nurse na pakusugon an buot ko. Sabi ninda magiging maayo man an tanan kag apiki na ini matapos. Kag aram ko man na dili sinda mahimo san ikakaraot ko, kaya mahangos na lang ako sin halarom hanggang matapos ini.

Pagkatapos san tanan, umabot an pinakamaraot na punto. Bumalik ako kun diin ako nagtuna. Pagkatapos san tests kag pagbulong sa akon, mag-usad na gihapon ako, nakahigda sa akon katre sa hospital. Sabi sa akon oobserbaran pa daw ako. May mga doktor lang na magbuburubisita sa akon oras-oras.

Kag didto ko na nakita an kun anano na linalang. San una, may halaba kag pula na naghahali sa atop. Dili ko aram kun nano idto kag dili ko aram kun parte idto sin usad na linalang, pero naghihiwag idto na baga man lang an buhay. Ako man, nanluluya pa sa pinag-agihan ko na tests kaya dili na ako nakaato. Dili ko na idto maudong sa paglabot kag paghikap sa akon.

Kag namatyagan ko idto sa akon lawas. San maghikap na sa akon an pula na linalang, bagan ako an nagraspada sa maraton. Lumuwas sa akon lawas an tanan na nabibilin na kusog hasta sa punto na sa sobra na panluya, nawara na pati an akon kahadlok. An kaya ko na lang himuon an magtitig sadto na pula na linalang. Matugnaw idto ‘pag nagtatama sa akon panit kag naghihiwag kag naghihikap sa kada parte san akon lawas.

Nagtesting ako magguriyak pero masyado na ako kapoy kag maluya. Iba an pagmatyag ko sa akon kalawasan. Ni dili ko aram kun gaano kadugay an pangyari. Nakaturog na lamang ako.

Hasta na may sumulod na nurse. Nawara idto na pula na kun anano. Ginhunga ako san nurse kun matiano ako. Ako man wara na sin kusog para magsumat na dili maayo an akon pagmatyag.

“Ayaw kahandal, nakamata ka lang anay kay may gintumar ka na bulong hasta na makakaturog ka,” Sabi niya.

Nagtesting gihapon ako magsiyak kag magguriyak pero waran nagluluwas sa akon.

English Version

Every nightmare I have is the same.

It all starts in my bed. I’m in the hospital, as always. The doctors still don’t know what’s wrong with me. They say that they’re going to try another test and I humor them. I know it’s going to be painful for me, but I don’t blame the doctors, they’re just trying to do their jobs.

Then the needles arrive. I get poked and prodded for hours. The nurses try to reassure me. They tell me that everything’s going to be fine and it will all be over soon. They wouldn’t do anything that would make things worse so all I have to do is breathe, just until it’s over.

The worst part comes when it’s all over. After the tests and the treatments, I’m alone in my hospital bed. Back where I started. They tell me I’ll be put on observation and there will be a doctor checking on me every few hours.

That’s when I see it, something long and red coming from the roof. I don’t know what it is and I don’t know if it’s attached to anything, but it moves like it was alive. I can’t move. I’m too weak from all the tests to stop it from touching me.

Then I feel it. The moment the red thing touches me, it’s like I ran a marathon. The energy flows out of me until I’m too tired to even be afraid. All I do is stare at the red thing. It feels cold to the touch and it moves around until it touches every part of my body.

I try to scream but I’m too tired. The strange sensation is all over my body now and I don’t know how long it’s been. I just want to go back to sleep.

Then suddenly, a nurse walks in. The red thing disappears from my sight. She asks me if I’m okay and I can’t muster the strength to say no.

“Don’t worry the medicine will only keep you awake for a little while longer then you can sleep,” she says.

I try to scream again but nothing comes out.

*Masbateño, Masbatenyo or Minasbate is a Bicol-Visayan language spoken by more than 600,000 people, primarily in the province of Masbate in the Philippines. It is very close to Capiznon, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo and Waray-Waray, all three spoken in Visayas. It is considered a Bisakol language, meaning a language intermediate between Visayan languages and Bicolano languages.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by M.A.C. Villamor

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © M.A.C. Villamor

Inspired by the Mansusopsop legends

Mansusopsop Illustration by NightmareSyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/

*This story is in Masbatenyo – Ticaoeño

Usad na gab-i, nagtambo an bukaw sa iya buho sa puno. Nagluluya na an uran hasta sa tire-tire na lang.

Gutom, ginbuka niya an iya mga pako kag naglupad sa lugar kun diin siya makahanap sin karaunon.

Gindamgo niya an iya una na pagkaon sana na gab-i, kag kun pan-o niya dudugmukon an iya kaunon. Ina na pag-imahinar an nagpahiyaw sa iya.

San maglupad siya sa istaran san mga tawo, nakabati siya san pamilyar na tunog.

Dili siya magkakamali kun diin hali an ‘kik kik kik’.

Dili kunta niya aangayon idto, pero gusto niya makita. Usad pa, nagtuda gihapon an uran.

An sabi sa sigulanon san mga gurang na bukaw, dili man daw naglalabot sa inda ina na linalang, kay tawo manlang an gusto sana. Gin-istorya ninda an halaba na dila sana na linalang kag an paglumpat niya sa atop san kabalayan san mga tawo.

Nagpiyong siya kag ginhanap an ginhahalian san tunog.

Makaligad an pira kamomento, kumpiyansado siya na nahanap niya an ginpapaghalian.

Kaya nagkadto siya sa bintana san balay kag nagsaksi sa pangyari.

May tulo katawo na dururog — usad na bata, usad na babaye nga budos, kag usad na lalaki.

Maski makusog an tunog san uran, nakita san bukaw kun pan-o mahulog an likido sa tiyan san budos. Nagtindog an babaye, ginbutang an tabo sa iya dati na ginhigdaan kag naglipat. Pero nabati gihapon san bukaw an pagturo san likido sa tiyan san budos.

Kag napamatian niya.

Ada na naman. ‘kik kik kik’

Bagan man lang an hingaw-hingaw, na bagan hali pa sa harayo antes ninda mabatian.

Kinulbaan an bukaw.

Nakamata an lalaki kag an bata, kag ginkuha dayon san lalaki an iya bolo kag dali-dali na lumuwas.

Lumupad an kuwago pakadto sa atubangan san balay para makita an hihimuon san lalaki.

Nabati niya an kurahaw san lalaki, “Kun dili mo uudungan an akon pamilya, kakadtuon ta ikaw sa imo balay buwas!” Kag ginwaya-waya san lalaki an iya bolo sa luwas.

Kag sadto mismo na momento, nag-udong ang linalang kag humali. Dili niya nakuha an iya panigab-ihan kag aram san bukaw na dili makakaon an linalang sadto na gab-i.

San maglupad ang bukaw para maghanap san iya makakaon, hinunga niya an iya sadiri kun aram man gayod san lalaki kun hain an balay san tiktik.

English Version

One night, an owl poked its head out of its tree hole. The rain was weakening into a manageable shower.

Hungry as it was, it stretched its wings and flew to the perches where it could find prey.

It imagined its first meal of the night, how it couldn’t wait to crush their prey and swallow it whole. The thought made it positively giddy.

Now the owl had a very good sense of hearing, in fact it was adept at listening for even the slightest hints of movement to catch their quarry.

As it flew over a human village it heard a familiar sound.

The unmistakable cadence of ‘kik kik kik’.

The owl would have ignored it as it always had, but it was curious and the rain was starting to get stronger. The elder owls told the young that these creatures are harmless to their kind, only targeting humans. They described in detail the long tongue, perching on the roofs of human houses and their confusing sound.

Closing its eyes, the owl concentrated to find the source of the sound, remembering what it should be looking for.

After a few moments it was confident that it located where the creature would be.

So, it stayed by the window and watched the events unfold.

There were three humans sleeping side by side. One child, a woman that was clearly pregnant and a man.

Even through the noise of the raindrops the owl could clearly hear the sound of some liquid dropping on the stomach of the woman. The owl saw her stand up and put a dipper where she was. The woman moved and found another place to sleep, but again the owl could hear the same sound of droplets hitting her stomach in a familiar tempo.

And then the owl’s ears piqued.

There it was. ‘kik kik kik’

It was almost like a whisper, as if the sound traveled great distances to settle on their ears.

The owl’s blood ran cold.

The man and the child both woke up to the sound and almost through instinct the man grabbed a bolo and rushed outside.

The owl flew to the front of the house to see what the man would do.

The man shouted “If you don’t leave my family, I will go to your house tomorrow!” All the while swinging his bolo through the rain.

And in an instant, it stopped, the owl could only hear the pitter-patter of the drizzle as it washed over the midnight moon.

The creature left, unable to get its meal, and the owl scoffed and told itself that wasn’t going to happen to it tonight.

As the owl flew to its hunting grounds it wondered.

Did the man really know where the tiktik’s house was?

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by M.A.C. Villamor

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © M.A.C. Villamor

Story inspired by a story told by Gil Geolingo

Tiktik Illustration by Gil Geolingo