*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.

————————–————————–————————

• 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

The post The Imprisoned Naga – Masbatenyo – Ticaoeño Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

*Note this story is in Tagalog

Maraming nag-iisip na kathang-isip lang kami sa daigdig na ito, ngunit nag-iingat lang kami upang ‘di makita ng iba. Puwera na lang noong isang pagkakataon, isang sandaling kami’y nagpabaya. Alam niyo kasi, kaming lahat na pitong magkakapatid na babae, pumapanaog kami mula sa langit tungo sa lupa gamit ang isang bahag-hari. Sa tuwing kami’y maliligo sa malalamig na batis sa bundok, hinuhubad namin ang aming mga makikislap naming pakpak upang guminhawa.
Isang araw, nakita ng isang tao ang aming pakpak na sa lupa, at saka kami binantaang gawing kaniyang mga asawa.

Marunong kaming mga mas nakatatandang kapatid na madaliang abutin ang aming mga papak upang agad na makalipad patungong langit. Ngunit ‘di ito napagtanto ng aming bunso, at inilapag niya ang kaniyang pakpak nang malayo sa kaniya. Ninakaw ito ng lalaki.

Hindi basta bastang susuko ang mga biraddali. Nagpalit anyo ang aming bunso, una’y bilang ahas upang makagapang ng mabilis papalayo. Ngunit mangangaso pala ang lalake, at nahuli niya sa isang hawla ang aming bunso. Sunod nama’y nag-hugis alakdan ang aming bunso, at nagtago sa mga nagsihulog na dahon sa gubat. Ngunit matalas ang mata ng lalaki, at nakita siyang tumatakas. Nagpalit anyo muli ang bunso namin upang maging alupihan, at madaling inakyat ang mga punong-kahoy nang ‘di mahuli. Ngunit matulin ang lalake’t naabutan siya sa isang sanga. Sa huli, walang nagawa ang aming bunso. Unti-unting humihina ang kaniyang kapangyarihan dahil ‘di niya suot ang kaniyang mga pakpak.

Bumigay ang aming bunso sa nais ng lalake na siya’y maging asawa. Nagsama sila, ngunit ang aming bunso’y tahimik lang na nag-aantay na makuha muli ang kaniyang mga makikislap na pakpak upang makalipad at umuwing muli sa langit. Hindi kami makapayag na mga ate niya na hayaang maiwan ang aming bunso sa lupa kasama ng taong iyon.

Ngunit nag-iingat kaming ‘di mahuli ng lalaking ito. Takot kaming makuhanan ng aming mga pakpak, kaya’t ipinahatid namin sa hangin ang aming mga bulong, nawa’y umabot sa aming nahuling bunso ang aming mensahe.

Binulungan namin ang gubat at ang lahat ng mga puno, upang ipaabot sa aming bunso na inilibing ng lalaki ang kaniyang mga pakpak sa ilalim ng isang puno, sa tabi ng ilog. Pag-asa’t paglaya ang laman ang aming mga bulong. Ibinulong din naming nangungulila kami para sa kaniya.

Sa wakas, narinig niya kami. Sa sandaling umalis ng bahay ang lalaki, tumakas ang aming bunso. Humangos siya tungo sa gubat. Walang briddali ang mas mabilis pa ang kaysa sa aming bunso, maging mga anghel, ‘di matatalos ang halaga ng nadama niyang paglaya.

Maraming mag-aakalang kathang-isip lang ang mga briddali. Pero ito’y dahil alam namin ang kalupitan na kayang iparanas ng tao. Hindi na maaring may kumupit muli ang aming mga pakpak. Hindi na muling mararanasan ng isa sa amin ang pagdurusa ng pagiging ‘di buo.

Mabubuhay na lamang kami sa kathang-isip ng tao, at sa likas ng kariktan ng bahag-hari, mula ngayon, at magpakailanman.

————————–————————–————————–———–

English Version

Everyone thinks the biraddali are myths on earth, we’re just too careful to let ourselves be seen. Except for one occasion, one time when one of us let our guard down. You see, us seven sisters take the rainbow down to earth to remove our silver wings and relax and bathe in the fresh mountain springs.

One day, a human saw our wings on the ground and threatened to make us his wives. We eldest six sisters were wise enough to keep our wings close and when he got near, we put on our wings and flew back to the heavens. But the youngest sister kept her wings further away and the man stole them from her.

A biraddali will not back down. The youngest sister changed into a snake at first, slithering away, but the man was a hunter and trapped the snake in a cage. The youngest then changed into a scorpion and hid amongst the forest floor, but the man’s vision was great, so he saw her scuttling away. The youngest then changed into a centipede, going up the tree branches to escape his advances, but the man was quick, he stopped the centipede at a branch. Finally, the youngest had no choice, without her wings the biraddali’s power was fading.

The youngest acquiesced to being the man’s wife, and she stayed with him, waiting for the day she could get her silver wings and fly back on the rainbow towards the heavens. We elder sisters would not let the youngest remain on earth with the man.

We did not want to risk getting captured by the man ourselves, and each one of us was scared of getting our wings clipped, so we carried our whispers on the winds, hoping that one would reach our trapped sister.

We whispered of the forest and of the trees, telling her that the man buried her silver wings under a tree beside the river. We whispered of freedom and hope. We whispered that we missed her.

And one day, we were heard. The youngest sister escaped the man’s house while he was away and dashed towards the forest. Never had there been a swifter biraddali, and never had any angel knew what freedom had meant.

Everyone will think the biraddali are myths, for we know the cruelty that man can possess. Our wings will never be taken from us. Never again will one of us know the fear of being shackled to the earth. Never again will the rest know the misery of knowing that we are not complete.

We will remain alive in the myths of men and in the beauty of the rainbow. For now, and forever.

————————–————————–———————–

Written by Karl Gaverza
Tagalog Translation by Ruiz Act
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Ruiz Act

Inspired by “The Seven Angels.” in Sulu Studies 2. Rixhon ed. 1973.

The Seven Biraddali Sisters Illustration and Colors by Elise Mendoza.

The post The 7 Biraddali Sisters – Tagalog Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

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.

————————–————————–————————

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

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

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

The Imprisoned Naga Illustration by Julius Arboleda

The post The Imprisoned Naga appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

Everyone thinks the biraddali are myths on earth, we’re just too careful to let ourselves be seen. Except for one occasion, one time when one of us let our guard down. You see, us seven sisters take the rainbow down to earth to remove our silver wings and relax and bathe in the fresh mountain springs.

One day, a human saw our wings on the ground and threatened to make us his wives. We eldest sixsisters were wise enough to keep our wings close and when he got near, we put on our wings and flew back to the heavens. But the youngest sister kept her wings further away and the man stole them from her.

A biraddali will not back down. The youngest sister changed into a snake at first, slithering away, but the man was a hunter and trapped the snake in a cage. The youngest then changed into a scorpion and hid amongst the forest floor, but the man’s vision was great, so he saw her scuttling away. The youngest then changed into a centipede, going up the tree branches to escape his advances, but the man was quick, he stopped the centipede at a branch. Finally, the youngest had no choice, without her wings the biraddali’s power was fading.

The youngest acquiesced to being the man’s wife, and she stayed with him, waiting for the day she could get her silver wings and fly back on the rainbow towards the heavens. We elder sisters would not let the youngest remain on earth with the man.

We did not want to risk getting captured by the man ourselves, and each one of us was scared of getting our wings clipped, so we carried our whispers on the winds, hoping that one would reach our trapped sister.

We whispered of the forest and of the trees, telling her that the man buried her silver wings under a tree beside the river. We whispered of freedom and hope. We whispered that we missed her.

And one day, we were heard. The youngest sister escaped the man’s house while he was away and dashed towards the forest. Never had there been a swifter biraddali, and never had any angel knew what freedom had meant.

Everyone will think the biraddali are myths, for we know the cruelty that man can possess. Our wings will never be taken from us. Never again will one of us know the fear of being shackled to the earth. Never again will the rest know the misery of knowing that we are not complete.

We will remain alive in the myths of men and in the beauty of the rainbow. For now, and forever.

————————–————————–———————–

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by “The Seven Angels.” in Sulu Studies 2. Rixhon ed. 1973.

The Seven Biraddali Sisters Illustration and Colors by Elise Mendoza.

The post The 7 Biraddali Sisters appeared first on Philippine Spirits.