Thursday, July 07, 2005
Tagalog poem!
Now that I have a Filipino poetry group called Pinoy poets, I have been inspired to write Tagalog poems. This is already my second one. Don't bother about the first. It was bad! I will have to thank Krisberse, Kiko and Steph for helping me with this one.
Malapot na Tubig
Ipikit mo ang iyong mga mata anak,
humimlay ka sa matigas na sahig,
pawiin mo ang mga bantulot,
pabayaan mong liparin
ang mga agam-agam sa himpapawid.
Kukumutan kita ng telang manipis,
mabigyan man lamang ng konting lunas
ang pangangatal ng iyong mga ngipin.
Sasabayan ko ng yakap na mahigpit
nang ika’y makatulog nang ubod himbing.
Sana’y iyong patawarin,
amang hungkag at nagdarahop,
Pinalaki ang hubad mong isipan
na walang natutunan dahil sa karalitaan.
Ininom nating malapot na tubig
ang tanging lunas upang mapatid ang ating gutom.
Bukas, kung sakali mang ito’y dumating
sa langit na ang ating gising
An American poet/friend of mine, Tom Spencer, using a very loose translation I had accompanied with this poem, made an english translation of his own. Tom Spencer is legally blind. He told me that he sees objects as if looking through a straw hole. And that was 4 years ago when we first met in Richmond, Canada where we did a poetry reading at the Serendipity Room in Steveston. Sadly, I was told that his eye sight wasn't getting any better. Anyway, he has done several poetry books, one of which, is probably the first online poetry book, entitled "Word Castles" and several others on print. He lives with his wife Kathy, another poet, in Lowell, Indiana. They now manage their own Bed and Breakfast in the same State.
Hemlock Love
Close your eyes my child
Seek comfort
For the floor is hard
Forget your worries
Cast your troubles to the wind
Set them free
This sheet shall be your cerement
to cool your fever
Ease the pain
To make quiet
Silence your chattering teeth
I will embrace you with my love
So that you may sleep tonight
Forgive your father
I am extremely poor
Grow silent now
Poverty is the teacher
Her lesson is grim
The solution to hunger
This tea of hemlock
they promise
will bring a tomorrow
we meet in paradise
Poem by Rolly DeSantos, English interpretation by tom spencer
If you need further assistance please see this
Malapot na Tubig
Ipikit mo ang iyong mga mata anak,
humimlay ka sa matigas na sahig,
pawiin mo ang mga bantulot,
pabayaan mong liparin
ang mga agam-agam sa himpapawid.
Kukumutan kita ng telang manipis,
mabigyan man lamang ng konting lunas
ang pangangatal ng iyong mga ngipin.
Sasabayan ko ng yakap na mahigpit
nang ika’y makatulog nang ubod himbing.
Sana’y iyong patawarin,
amang hungkag at nagdarahop,
Pinalaki ang hubad mong isipan
na walang natutunan dahil sa karalitaan.
Ininom nating malapot na tubig
ang tanging lunas upang mapatid ang ating gutom.
Bukas, kung sakali mang ito’y dumating
sa langit na ang ating gising
An American poet/friend of mine, Tom Spencer, using a very loose translation I had accompanied with this poem, made an english translation of his own. Tom Spencer is legally blind. He told me that he sees objects as if looking through a straw hole. And that was 4 years ago when we first met in Richmond, Canada where we did a poetry reading at the Serendipity Room in Steveston. Sadly, I was told that his eye sight wasn't getting any better. Anyway, he has done several poetry books, one of which, is probably the first online poetry book, entitled "Word Castles" and several others on print. He lives with his wife Kathy, another poet, in Lowell, Indiana. They now manage their own Bed and Breakfast in the same State.
Hemlock Love
Close your eyes my child
Seek comfort
For the floor is hard
Forget your worries
Cast your troubles to the wind
Set them free
This sheet shall be your cerement
to cool your fever
Ease the pain
To make quiet
Silence your chattering teeth
I will embrace you with my love
So that you may sleep tonight
Forgive your father
I am extremely poor
Grow silent now
Poverty is the teacher
Her lesson is grim
The solution to hunger
This tea of hemlock
they promise
will bring a tomorrow
we meet in paradise
Poem by Rolly DeSantos, English interpretation by tom spencer
Comments:
Hi,
i read your poem in OOV dec 2005 issue. Keep up the irony!
By the way,i am offended when u equated TAGALOG poets with FILIPINO when u are actually refering to the TAGALOG POETS alone.
Does this mean that the "PINOY" poets are writing only in TAGALOG?
How about those who do not write in TAGalog but write in Kinaray-a, Cebuano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Ilukano, etc... can we not consider them FILIPINO poets?
What is Filipino (the "national" language), in the first place? Is it Tagalog? So, those who do not speak and write in Tagalog are not Filipino?
my two cents...
juan_bahag
i read your poem in OOV dec 2005 issue. Keep up the irony!
By the way,i am offended when u equated TAGALOG poets with FILIPINO when u are actually refering to the TAGALOG POETS alone.
Does this mean that the "PINOY" poets are writing only in TAGALOG?
How about those who do not write in TAGalog but write in Kinaray-a, Cebuano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Ilukano, etc... can we not consider them FILIPINO poets?
What is Filipino (the "national" language), in the first place? Is it Tagalog? So, those who do not speak and write in Tagalog are not Filipino?
my two cents...
juan_bahag
# posted by 
: 3:45 PM
: 3:45 PM
( i am reposting my comment becoz i forgot to put my email address in case you want to email me back.)
Hi,
i read your poem in OOV dec 2005 issue. Keep up the irony!
By the way,i am offended when u equated TAGALOG poets with FILIPINO when u are actually refering to the TAGALOG POETS alone.
Does this mean that the "PINOY" poets are writing only in TAGALOG?
How about those who do not write in TAGalog but write in Kinaray-a, Cebuano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Ilukano, etc... can we not consider them FILIPINO poets?
What is Filipino (the "national" language), in the first place? Is it Tagalog? So, those who do not speak and write in Tagalog are not Filipino?
-your fan,
juan_bahag@yahoo.com
Hi,
i read your poem in OOV dec 2005 issue. Keep up the irony!
By the way,i am offended when u equated TAGALOG poets with FILIPINO when u are actually refering to the TAGALOG POETS alone.
Does this mean that the "PINOY" poets are writing only in TAGALOG?
How about those who do not write in TAGalog but write in Kinaray-a, Cebuano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Ilukano, etc... can we not consider them FILIPINO poets?
What is Filipino (the "national" language), in the first place? Is it Tagalog? So, those who do not speak and write in Tagalog are not Filipino?
-your fan,
juan_bahag@yahoo.com
# posted by : 3:51 PM
: 3:51 PM
Hi Juan_bahag,
I'm sorry if I have offended you but I didn't mean to. Besides, please take note that my title was a Tagalog poem because it is in Tagalog. Meanwhile, in referring to the group, I used the word Filipino. i am using the most recent usage of the term. Congress has enacted in 86, I think, that Filipino would mean a combination of all the languages spoken in the country. Wait, that might not have come out right. Anyway, what I am sure of is that Filipino is not Tagalog only.
And yes, there are members who write poetry in different languages (take note, I didn't call it dialect - big difference there) spoken in the country.
Thank you for dropping by.
Post a Comment
I'm sorry if I have offended you but I didn't mean to. Besides, please take note that my title was a Tagalog poem because it is in Tagalog. Meanwhile, in referring to the group, I used the word Filipino. i am using the most recent usage of the term. Congress has enacted in 86, I think, that Filipino would mean a combination of all the languages spoken in the country. Wait, that might not have come out right. Anyway, what I am sure of is that Filipino is not Tagalog only.
And yes, there are members who write poetry in different languages (take note, I didn't call it dialect - big difference there) spoken in the country.
Thank you for dropping by.
