*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

 

“Sapagkatahum sa iya.”

 

Si Sisoy nagpahunay-hunay sa kagulangan samtang nagapalandong sang iya mga kasaypanan. Siya nakabalo nga dapat nya tadlungon ang tanan.

 

Nadumduman pa niya ang pinakauna nga tinion nga nakita niya siya, nagapligo siya upod ang duha pa ka maanyag nga mga babayi. Ang ila mga pakpak kag mga panapton yara sa ibabaw sang mga bato sa kilid sang alagyan. Wala gid napunggan ni Sisoy ang iya kaugalingon kag iya gid ginkuha ang isa ka pares sang pakpak bangud sang katahum sini. Amo yadto ang una nya nga sayop.

 

Nadumduman pa ni Sisoy sang nagasugilalonay sila samtang nagatulo ang iya mga luha sa iya guya nga indi na siya kabalik sa ila kay indi niya makita ang iya mga pakpak, sunud sadto gin-agda na lang siya ni Sisoy nga mangin asawa sini. Tungud wala na siya sang mahimo pa, nagpasagot siya sa pangagda ni Sisoy. Amo yadto ang ikaduha nya nga sayop.

 

Wala nagdugay nakit-an ya gid man ang iya mga pakpak kag ginbayaan niya si Sisoy. Ginpangita ni Sisoy ang iya asawa tubtub nakalab-ot sya sa tunga sang kagulangan, nagpanumdum nga may dala nga paghinolsol sa iya mga ginhimo nga mga kasaypanan.

 

Sang hinali, may agila nga naghugpa sa atubang niya. Bangud wala man sang madula sa iya, ginpangayuan niya bulig ang agila sa pagpangita sa iya nga asawa. Gin-upod siya sang agila lupad asta nakalab-ot sila sa isa nga daku nga balay sa kalangitan.

 

Gin-atubang sya sang amay sang iya asawa. Ginsaysay nya sa iya ang mga nahitabo, kag kon ano na lang ang iya paghinolsol sang iya sala sa iya nga aswa. “Ma-angkon mo ang imo napangayo kon mahimo mo ang tatlo ka mga buluhaton,” panalambiton sang amay.

 

Palangga gid ni Sisoy ang iya asawa kag himoon niya ang tana makita niya lamang ini liwat.

 

“Hakuta ang tanan nga mga mais sa pihak nga balay sa sulod lamang sang isa ka adlaw.” Amo ini ang una nga buluhaton. Nagpalangluya si Sisoy, kaangay sang isa ka bukid ang mga mais kag daw ka impossible gid ini nga hakutan sang isa ka tawo.

 

Ang hari sang mga subay nagpalapit sa iya kag nagtugyan sang iya bulig sa pag hakot sang mga mais, ginpasalamatan ni Sisoy ang hari sang mga subay. Handa na siya sa sunod nga buluhaton.

 

“Hakuta ang tanan nga bugas sa pihak nga balay sa sulod lamang sang isa ka adlaw.” Ang ikaduha nga buluhaton kaangay lang sang kabudlay sang na-una nga buluhaton. Apang sa sini nga tigayon, ginbuligan siya sang hari sang mga ilaga nga nahimo nila ang paghakot sang mga bugas sa sulod lamang sang isa ka adlaw.

 

“Tapsa ang tanan nga mga kahoy sa bilog nga kagulangan sa sulod lamang sa isa ka adlaw.” Syado ini kabudlay bangud indi makita sang iya mga mata ang katubtuban sang kagulangan. Apang wala napaslawan si Sisoy, nangayo siya bulig sa hari sang mga baboy talonon kun sa diin gintawag sini ang iya mga sinakpan sa pagbulig tapas sang mga kahoy gamit ang iya mga bangkil.

 

Bangud sini tanan, nagsugot ang amay sang iya asawa nga liwat maga upod siya kay Sisoy sa duta.

 

Nagbag-o ang panulok sang asawa niya sa iya. Indi nya malipatan ang ginhimo ni Sisoy sa iya, apang napatawad na niya ini.

 

Nalipay siya sang kakugi sa iya bana para tadlungon ang tanan nya nga kasaypanan, bagay nga pwede pamarisan sang ila bata samtang nagadako ini.

 

Nagkaptanay sila sang ila mga kamot samtang nagalupad pabalik sa duta.

=———————————=

English Version

English Version

“She was so beautiful.”

Sisoy sat in the forest and dwelt on his mistakes. He knew that he had to make things right.

He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her, how she was taking a bath with two other lovely women. Their wings and dresses were on the stones by the wayside and Sisoy could not help but take a pair of wings because of their beauty. That was his first mistake.

He thought back to the tears that fell on her gentle face, how when she told Sisoy she could not go back because she couldn’t find her wings, Sisoy had asked her to be his wife. Having no other option, she said yes. That was his second.

She had found her wings eventually and left him, one day while putting their baby to sleep. He searched everywhere for his wife until he ended up in the forest, thinking back on the wrongs he had done.

Just then, an eagle swopped in front of him. With nothing to lose, he asked the eagle for help in finding his wife. The eagle flew him to the skies and set him off at a large house in the heavens.

The father of his wife met him at the door. Sisoy told him his story, how he wanted to repent for the wrong he had done to his wife. “You cannot have what you want unless you obey my three commands,” said the father.

SIsoy was a man in love and he would do anything to see his wife again.

“Bring all these grains of corn to another house in just one day.” Was the first command. Sisoy was at a loss, the mountain of corn was impossible to move by himself.

The king of ants came near him and helped him transport all the corn, Sisoy was grateful to the ant-king and set on to the next task.

“Bring all the rice to another house in just one day.” The second command was as difficult as the first, but Sisoy had a benefactor as well. The king of rats helped him finish the work in one day.

“Cut down all the trees in this forest in one day” The command was difficult, as the forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Sisoy asked the help of the king of wild pigs who called on all his followers to cut down the trees with their sharp teeth.

The father of his wife then agreed to have her return to earth with Sisoy.

The wife looked at him with new eyes. She could not forget what he had done to her, but she was able to forgive.

She was impressed by her husband’s dedication to make things right, something she thought their child could learn from.

They took each other hand in hand and then returned to earth.


 

*The Hiligaynon language, also colloquially referred often by most of its speakers simply as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, mainly in Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN, most of whom belong to the Visayan ethnic group, mainly the Hiligaynons. It is the second-most widely spoken language and a member of the so-named Visayan language family and is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translated by Rehel Jemera Sausa
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Rehel Jemera Sausa

 
Adapted from ‘Sisoy and his Enchanted Wife’ in Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways. Aldecoa-Rodriguez. 2000.
 
Aghoy Illustration and Watercolor by Marc Magpantay
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