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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Superstitions, Beliefs and Customs V

About Death, Wake, Funeral or Interment and Prayers:

1. A child is prohibited from combing his or her hair at night because it was said that it will shorten the life of their parents.

2. The howling of dogs at night foretells that Grim Reaper is just around the corner and ready to take the life of someone.

3. The entrance of a black butterfly inside the house is an omen that a relative has died.

4. It is bad to sweep the house with a broom at night because it is like sweeping the residents of the house or in other words, it means successive or consecutive deaths.

5. The sweeping of the house with a broom while the dead is lying in state in the house is avoided because many will soon follow to die. The sweeping is like sweeping the entire family.

6. Lying accordingly or linear to the post of the house is like calling for an early death. Similarly, lying with the feet facing the door also means death.

7. If someone smells a candle (especially when no one is lighting a candle) or a flower (even if there's no flower around or near the area), there is someone who died or who will die.

8. If at present someone is dying in the house and you are downstairs, don't ever dare to go upstairs because you might meet Grim Reaper.

9. If someone is at the wake, don't get some lice from the head of others because it will only increase the lice in their head. If there are lots of lice in their heads, the remedy is get at least one lice from their heads and put it in the coffin moments right before they will close it to be buried so that the lice in their heads will be gone forever.

10. It is bad for someone to slaughter chicken while the dead is still lying in state in the house. To anyone who will slaughter a chicken, it will cause them death. Any or all close relatives of the dead is also prohibited to slaughter chicken, pig or any animals for meat for a year. If slaughtering is inevitable, they request or order someone who is not a relative of the dead to do it for them. It is also prohibited for the relatives to cook malunggay, some legumes, sweet potato leaves and others because these leaves can easily fall off and seems like family members or relatives are falling off.

11. If the people who attended the wake talks about the saints and holy or sacred topics, the soul of the departed will go up straight in heaven.

12. If a person died, no one is talking against the dead person because it was presumed that the soul of the dead will return to punish or inflict harm to someone who did it.

13. If the eyes of the dead are wide open, a relative from far-away places is expected to arrive.

14. If a person sneezes at a wake or within the vicinity of the dead person, it means that the person who sneezes was invited by the dead person to follow the latter. To combat it, any of the ears of the one who sneezed is pulled.

15. The combing of the hair except the fingers is prohibited in Arevalo district. It was said that a person combing his or her hair while the dead is still in the house for the wake will also die.

16. Before the dead is buried, all members of the family kisses the hand of the departed and asks for forgiveness.

17. In Miagao, Iloilo but also applies to different towns in Iloilo, the funeral is signified or determined by the music. If the music is rousing and happy, the dead is a child;  if sad, an elder or old person died. This belief was based apparently for the reason that the children were considered as innocents and free from sins so they will go straight to heaven and they will meet and fetch those who will die thereafter.

18. In lowering down the casket to its burial ground or entering the casket into its tomb, flowers, leaves and salivated soil is thrown to the burial ground or tomb with the casket in it by the people as a last paying of respect and love offering .

19. After the burial or funeral, those who attended the funeral returns to the house of the departed where the wake was hosted and washes their hands first with lukewarm water made out of boiled pomelo leaves before partaking into a meal mostly lunch prepared by the grieving family and relatives so that the ominous grief will not transfer to them and their residence.

20. Someone who came from the house of the departed or who attended the wake of a dead person should not visit the sick or it will only worsen its condition or harm any vulnerable or weak person like the pregnant women and babies or toddlers. They call it as "alaw" in Hiligaynon. If this was done, some fingernails or hair of the visitor or someone who came from the wake should be cut and put in a tuob combined with pomelo leaves and optional sugar, ramos or blessed dried palm leaves and candle wax as a fumigation to the sick to avoid the worsening of its condition.

    *tuob is a smoke created in a container or canister scented with some sugar, pomelo leaves, blessed or anointed dried palm leaves and candle wax combined with the required fingernails or hair cut from the person or any object or things that can cause an aggravation of the condition or harm any vulnerable person like pregnant women, babies and toddlers as a fumigation to the sick to avoid worsening of its condition or to protect the vulnerable especially pregnant women, babies and toddlers.

21. It was believed that three days after the burial, the soul of the departed returns for the last visit and farewell to its living loved ones.

22. If the dead is a miserly or stingy, its soul or spirit returns to guard the hidden treasures or wealth he or she left and scare away those who desires for it.

23. A sudden smell of a candle scent and smoky surroundings expresses the appearance of a ghost or an apparition.

24. Those who prayed during the wake and after the burial and the katapusanan should eat to have an indulgence for those asking for prayers.

25. The leader of the prayer for the dead should accept payment to have an indulgence for those who asked for prayers. The eyesight of the prayer leader will easily ruin if he or she will not accept payment.

26. While the people are praying they are kneeling in the laid banig to accumulate and never lose the indulgence.

27. During the period of wake and prayers, there should always be flowers in the altar beside or near the altar to be offered for the dead. From the time of its wake until three days after the burial there should be a candle lighted to serve as a light to brighten the coming again of the soul of the departed.


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Superstitions, Beliefs and Customs IV

About Courtships, Relationships and Marriage:

1. It was believed that if a young lady singing while in front of a stove, she will get to marry an old man enough to be her grandfather.

2. Facing someone winnowing rice will result to marrying an old man.

3. One can determine if the lover is faithful to the relationship by just looking at their fingernails. A one pure white mark signifies faithfulness to one and only love but if it has many white marks it means the lover would be unfaithful.

4. The lovers should not exchange beads of rosary or any religious objects to each other as a remembrance or souvenir because it is a sign of short lived relationships. The exchange of necklace is also not allowed or prohibited because it might foretell their love will not last.

5. One should avoid eating rotten egg and someone eating them might be infertile. Only the elders can eat rotten eggs.

6. A young woman is also prohibited from eating the butt part of the chicken and she might scare away young men.

7. If the lover of a young woman looks exactly like her, they will end up together because it was thought they were soulmates.

8. If a picture was taken together with the one he is courting, pursuing or wooing, they will certainly end up together.

9. A young man or woman who has a mole in the tear's pathway will become a widow or widower early.

10. If there are two stars near or close to each other near the moon it was said that a wedding will take place. The two stars symbolizes the fiance and fiancee. If the stars are big, the betrothed belongs to the well-to-do family or rich families; if they are small, the couple came from a humble or poor family.

11. For others, if two stars were seen near the moon, it was believed that two star-crossed lovers eloped.

12. It should not fall within the year the weddings of siblings.

13. If the day of the wedding took place or will take place on a fall moon, the couple will have a prosperous life together.

14. The couple who will wed on a Black Saturday of a Holy Week and on the month of May, expect a good fortune.

15. If the couple who is about to marry or has wed is either first cousin or third degree cousin, they will bore a child with disability.

16. On the eve of the wedding, the couple to be betrothed or to be bounded together should not go out on the street because there are lots of danger, disaster and trouble awaits them that will stop their long awaited dream of a bliss and prosperity.

17. The wedding veil is considered a symbol of obedience of the bride to her other half.

18. The rice or any grains that symbolizes prosperity and good harvest is thrown to the newlyweds. It expresses the desire for the triumph and victory of the marriage.

19. The groom should stand first from kneeling in the altar and in going down the stairs, if any, after the wedding so that he will never be dominated by his wife or be a henpecked husband.

20. In other places, after the wedding, the newlywed couple should not go out or leave the house for three days. After the ceremony, the newlywed should not go up the stairs of the house where the reception is located not until or before their parents and their sponsors does.


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Superstitions, Beliefs and Customs III

About Baptism of the Child:

1. The child should be baptized at the soonest possible time because it was believed that baptism has a big role in the healthy well-being  and safe from illness of the child.

2. If the baby is crying while being baptized, it will grow up mischievous, naughty and stubborn. If it is quiet, the child will grow up nice and kind.

3. In the baptism of the child, there should be food to be served to the guests, visitors and godparents so that there will always be food for the child.

4. The godfather and godmother should give money to the child so that there will be an easy, smooth and convenient flow of money to their godchild to get their godchild get richer quickly.

5. It was believed in the baptism of the twins, one of the twins should enter the door and the other twin should enter the other opposite door so that no one will die to anyone of them.


About Caring and Raising A Child:

1. Buying a child - if a family has lost at least two to three family members at an early age, and the next child seems likely to suffer the same fate,  a ceremony of buying the child takes place. A neighbor who is successful in raising many children brings money or any object to buy the child. It was declared by the mother of the child selling it to the neighbor who attended the ceremony. The neighbor is really paying real money or any object. In this way, the child will become healthy and will regain back his health from sickness or any illnesses. However, the child is still owned, stay and part of his or her real parents and family.

2. Abay - No one is allowed to give a comment, teasing, irony or sarcasm about the child that it is healthy. This when it is intense or tough will cause sickness or illness to the child.  So, before saying anything, anyone should say the following first: "puera abay", "puwera usog".

3. Panagang - The child is adorned with a necklace dangling with crocodile teeth or any object that will serve as "panagang" (shield) or pangontra (weapon). The people believed that this will be an effective weapon against evil spirit which intends to inflict harm to the child. Others hang a piece of ginger in the dress of the child to stop the evil witches to any cruel or evil intentions to the child or to fight off  any evil intentions of the evil spirits.

4. It is avoided to bath the child every Tuesday and Friday.

5. There is a practice in Guimbal that a child will not have a haircut until it reaches at least a year old so that it will not be mischievous. The fallen hair that was cut off  is inserted or put in a dictionary or book so that the child will become intelligent or smart.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Superstitions, Beliefs and Customs II

About Childbirth:

1. If the first childbirth is difficult, the husband of the woman or anyone in the family should go downstairs of the house passing and using bamboo as the stairs. The eyes are looking up in the sky while the hands is ready to grab or get any objects that can be picked from the earth or ground. The object that has been grabbed or picked is then boiled in water and picked by the mother or delivering mom. This practice is said to give a smooth and quick childbirth of the mother.

2. If the childbirth or delivery is difficult, it was thought that the woman has committed a sin or grave offense that can be resolved if she will feel remorseful for all the things she committed in front of someone she offended or it can be the following. The husband should go down the stairs crawling head first.

3. The mother is given nutritious food when she will deliver her first born. She was given an egg yolk that was believed to serve as a lubricant so that child will come out easily.

4. The stickiness or smearing of the egg yolk in the stomach of the pregnant woman in her first child can make an easy, smooth and quick childbirth.

5. After the child was born, the baby is tossed or held upwards slowly holding both of its legs by the midwife. By doing so, the child will not be sick in heights or nauseous in going to high altitude places o high places such as the mountains.

6. In Balantang, Jaro, after the baby was born, the banana heart is applied or smeared on its lips so it will not become dark.

7. The krill and shrimps, fresh catch from the water is applied or smeared on the lips of the newly born baby. Through this, the child will become vigorous, lively and agile.

8. If the child was born with its feet first to come out, it was reputedly presumed that it will possess the ability or power of getting rid of the fishbone or any objects stuck in the throat of a person. This is called suli in Hiligaynon and suwi in Tagalog.

9. With the birth of the child, the elders believes in some signs and conditions and determine the fate of the child:

     a. A child for example who was born at night is brave and courageous and is not afraid of the dark and
         any danger in the future.

     b. The child who was born in the daytime will be weak.

     c. A child who was born with defects, disability or as a special child is believed to bring luck and fortune
         to the family.

     d. If the child has "slit-eyes" and too quiet, it will probably be attractive or attracting to the tamawo or
         fairies and goddesses or deities and when she became a young lady or woman, she will be wooed by
         those mythical creatures such as the tamawo.

     e. Having three consecutive sons or male child is said to be fortuitous or very lucky.

     f. The birth of the eldest or first born son will certainly bring luck and fortune to his parents.

10. Chicken stew is given to the wife who just gave birth so that she can immediately regain her strength.

11. For nine (9) days right after giving birth, the breastfeeding mother avoids eating boiled raw saba banana or green bananas and "calocalo" or fried rice because these kind of foods was thought to reduce the milk of the mother.

12. After giving birth, the mother should eat different kinds of fruits to have plenty of milk for her baby.

13. The mother who just gave birth tries to do some heavy house works, like washing clothes, cutting woods for fuel, and fetching water so that all jobs or work of this kind eventually would not be the cause of relapse or bughat in Hiligaynon or binat in Tagalog that sometimes results to more damage and harm. This practice is called "padungan."

14. The first bath of the mother has some ingredients of boiled leaves of pomelo, justicia gendarussa or willow-leaved justicia or bunlao in Hiligaynon, blumea balsamifera or sambong in Tagalog or alibhon in Hiligaynon, and lemongrass or tanglad. This is done to avoid the relapse of the mother.

15. If a baby cries non stop at night because an aswang or witch or any mythical creature is targetting or watching over the baby, just make a tuob or incense and scrape some shavings out of carabao horns and put into the tuob or incense and put the incense outside the house near the baby and the baby will stop crying.

16. If a pregnant woman who just delivered a baby suffers from eclampsia, all you do is crush some garlic and apply it all over the body of the woman most especially her hands, arms and feet, and legs so her seizure will be gone and eclampsia will stop.

17. If a woman was declared clinically dead after giving birth, there is still a chance of reviving her and save her life, and do not decide immediately to bring her to the morgue. You need to put around and over the body of the woman a pack of ice, ice chunks, or ice cubes all over her for 24 hours to revive or stabilize her pulse rate and bring her back to life.






Sunday, June 26, 2016

Superstitions, Beliefs and Customs I

About Conceiving:

1. During the time of conceiving or panamkon as it was locally called, the husband should give all the food wanted or desired by his pregnant wife because if not she will surely lose the baby.

2. Wearing a necklace or doing cross-stitch is prohibited for pregnant women because it will lengthen the umbilical cord of the child and it will cause the child its death. It is also prohibited to wear beads on the neck and hands or any creations or objects with full circle shape and it was considered that a full circle has a bad effect on a pregnant woman.

3. If a pregnant woman will go out of the house during dusk or late afternoon, she should wear a towel, patadyong or any piece of clothing on her head. It was believed that a pregnant woman is like a transparent person in the eyes of an aswang and the child inside her womb is fully open in its eyes.

4. Never sit or lie near the door or stairs of the house if pregnant because it will bring difficulty in childbirth. Never tawing tawing in the stairs of the house.

5. Taking a picture or having a selfie is prohibited.

6. It is also forbidden to look up on a full moon or during an eclipse because it may bring damage or defect to the baby just like having an harelip.

7. Never laugh or make fun of the blind person with harelip, cleft palate, cross-eyed because the child she will bear will also have the same defect.

8. Do not conceive or crave for saints because the child will become mute. It is also not good to crave, conceive or desire for dolls for the same reason.

9. The pregnant woman is advised to look at the pictures of beautiful children so that her child will inherit and possess those kinds of traits and attributes.  During the time of her conceiving, the color of the food she craves for will affect the resulting color of her baby. Don't eat dark food like java plum because it will give the baby a dark skin color. If it desires to have a white skin baby, the pregnant conceiving woman should eat food with whitish color like coconut, jicama and siopao.

10.  The pregnant woman who eats twin or conjoined fruits like the conjoined banana will have twins that can either be identical or fraternal. The fraternal twins is the result of the conceiving pregnant woman eating a certain kind of twin fruits while the identical twins is the result of the conceiving pregnant woman eating twin or conjoined bananas or any fruits that belongs to one kind.

11. A pregnant woman should not have a haircut because she might deliver a child without a hair.

12. A woman who can still conceive, get pregnant and deliver a child was never allowed to eat fruits that was not yet fully formed or ripen in the fear of losing the child just like the beliefs in Sambag, Jaro.

13. In the town of Guimbal this belief is being followed. A house is prohibited from being repaired or fixed if the mother of the house is pregnant because it will certainly have a difficulty in childbirth.

14. In order to avoid difficulty in childbirth, the pregnant woman goes out of the house before a dying person passes away.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Epic

An epic is a very long poem that tells the story of heroism and adventure written or orally said in a creative artful style.

Andres Cristobal Cruz discussed the "Ang Epikong Labaw Donggon ng Lambunao, Iloilo," in his column in Liwayway Filipiniana or Liwayway Magazine.

In 1955, when he was still a student of Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, Felipe Landa Jocano, an anthropologist who conducted a lot of research about native epics and folktales, proverbs, and riddles in the Philippines have heard about an epic. This is the Labaw Donggon of Lambunao, a municipality or town in the hinterlands or mountains of Iloilo.

According to Jocano, the Catholicism in Lambunao was not able to make a drastic change in the customs, traditions and beliefs of the people of Lambunao most especially their morality that can be found in Labaw Donggon (Honored Most High in English). A good social relationship is one of the finest values of the people in Lambunao just like stated in their proverbs: "Doesn't matter if the dish is only kangkong leaves, if we stay together beautifully in good terms." The social relationship or being congenial is in one kind of bayanihan - their "dagyaw". It is voluntarily work or help to a neighbor or neighborhood in the village. It can be compared to the "suyo" in the farm of the Bulakenyo, just like the story of Macario Pineda, "Suyuan sa Tubigan." The dagyaw is, thus, a personality of the bayanihan or united helping hands that is feature in the New Society because it is included and an ingredient of the barangay system. Another kind of cooperation or collaboration, however to earn, according to Jocano, is where of the Lambunao people called pakyaw. The dagyaw is based in huya (self-respect), at sa kabaraslan (obligation or utang na loob). These values is in the epic Labaw Dunggon.

Just like other Filipinos in places where the culture has not yet been stained or influenced by the western values, customs and traditions, the people of Lambunao are skilled in storytelling. The most popular is the Labaw Dunggon according to Jocano.

The Labaw Donggon, the name of the hero, is sung to the tune of pasyon reading. The Labaw Donggon was heard by Jocano from someone named Ulang Udig who was more than 50 years old then in 1956. However unlike the pasyon every Holy Week, the singing of Labaw Donggon, according to the descriptions of Jocano, is artistic, and the incidents, feelings or emotions and actions are being emphasized or given importance in singing.

Labaw Donggon is one of the three children of Diwata Abyang Alunsina and Buyung Paubari. Just right after his childbirth, Labaw Donggon immediately grew up, became strong and already learned how to speak. She bids her mother farewell to look for Anggoy Ginbitinan, and he was given a powerful clothes. Riding in the wind, Labaw reached Handog and he immediately gained the approval of Anggoy Ginbitinan. Not long after his marriage to Ginbitinan, Labaw left again to woo Anggoy Doronoon. She also became a wife of Labaw. When he heard of a beautiful lady, Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata, Labaw left again. However, Nagmalitong Yawa has a husband and he is Buyong Saragnayan.

Buyong Saragnayan doesn't want to give up and give away Nagmalitong Yawa so the two went fighting. Labaw submerged or soaked his enemy in the water. Buyong Saragnayan stayed underwater for seven years yet remained alive. Labaw beat or whacked Buyong with trees however it only became shredded strings and Buyong is still alive. Labaw became tired and exhausted and he was defeated by Buyong. Buyong tied Labaw like a pig under his house.

Meanwhile, Anggoy Doronoon gave birth to Baranugan and the child bade farewell to his mother to look for his father. Anggoy Ginbitinan also gave birth to Asu Mangga and he too bade farewell to look for his father. The two brothers met and they went together to liberate their father. Baranugan challenged Saragnayan. Baranugan is about to beat Saragnayan when he wished to see his wife Nagmalitong Yawa first. The two fought again and when he learned that he will never beat the son of Labaw, Saragnayan asked for help from the evil creatures and a troop came. The siblings Baranugan and Asu Mangga helped each other in the battle and they won and once more, Baranugan and Saragnayan fought again. However Saragnayan could not be killed so Baranugan seek the help of her grandmother, Abyang Alunsina. To kill Saragnayan, the brothers should kill a wild boar. The brothers found a wild boar and killed it. After that, suddenly there's a tremor or earthquake and there's a darkness around when the brothers killed Saragnayan.

The siblings continued to search for their father, however it was gone under the house of Saragnayan. Humadapnon and Dumalapdap, siblings of Labaw Donggon, helped in the search. They found Labaw insane or mentally ill. The two wives of Labaw cured their crazy husband. Labaw recovered and got cured and he confessed that Nagmalitong Yawa has two more siblings who are very beautiful. The two siblings left to look for the beautiful siblings of Nagmalitong Yawa.

That was the end of the epic Labaw Donggon which was summarized in the writings of Jocano based from his tape recordings of the narrative singing of Ulang Udig.

The Labaw Donggon in the reckoning or assumption of Jocano was included in Hinilawod, another epic. If compared to the epic Biag ni Lam-ang of the Ilocos region, it can be noticed in its resemblance of strength, bravery or courage and the power of the children. It also commemorates the ritual of the search for the father and in this kind of epic, it can be said that the native or tribal customs and traditions or beliefs emerges that a crime is bad and it results to death or punishment which was also featured or expressed by Labaw Donggon. To love and not having self-control in his desire for the wife of others became the undoing for Labaw Donggon.

The love of the children to their parents is also shown through the search of the siblings for Labaw. The epic also showed the responsibilities of the wife to the wronged husband or insane husband - to help and nurse it back to his normal self with the right and sound mind.

According to the analysis and studies of Jocano to the epic and the life in Lambunao is that it is difficult to separate the human life to the life of the supernatural beings. In its further deep meaning,  it can be said that the life of a human has two parts - the earthly and the heavenly. In the strong relationship and understanding of both is a life of wisdom, progressive and peaceful.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Loa

Loa are limerick simple verses recited in the bilasyon or during a wake. The participants form a circle, and a lighted candle is being passed around while they are chanting a song. Whoever is holding the lighted candle at the end of the chant or song will recite the loa or short humorous poems as a form of punishment. I think this is our older generation way of cheering up the grieving family. Some verses sounds like they are teasing and humorous and others are about love. This was considered as an extinct practice now because people are no longer interested in loa nowadays. The loa in Hiligaynon is given or stated here first before its English translation below it.


Ang maayo kuntani
Sang mga kabalyero
Nga talahuron sa reinado
Tratahon sing maayo
Sa sining una naton nga pag-encuentro.


It could have been good
Of the gentlemen cavalier
Who were respected in their throne or court
Treat this good and seriously
In this first encounter of ours.



Tuluka, tuluka
Ang pantalya
May pagdulum
May pagsiga
Subong man sang paghigugma
Sang soltero kag dalaga.


Look at it, look at it
The stage light 
There is darkness
There is enlightenment
Just like in love
Of the young man and woman



Bisan inyo ako tangkalon
Sa binarita nga salsalon
Himpit nga pagalumpagon
Kay dili gusto kag uyon.

Even if you beat me up
With a steel bar
I will completely destroy or defeat
Cos I dislike and unwanted it.



Inday, indi ka maghikay
Sang akon pagka diutay
Pus-on ta nga daw langaw
Ipakaon sa anay.

Inday, don't underestimate
In my smallness
We'll crush it like a fly
And feed it to the termites.



Nonoy, bisan anhon mo ka luhudluhod
Sa puwerta sang amon sulod
Balhason ka lang tagatuhod
Si Inday dili mo matandog

Nonoy, (name given to a young man) no matter how you kneel
At the doorstep of our room
You will just sweat or perspire knee deep
You will never touch Inday (name given to a young woman, maiden).


Sa idalom sang balay
May bato nga malapad
Kon sin-o makasandad
Ciento beinte ang bayad.

Under the house
There is a flat stone
Whoever will stumble
One hundred twenty is the payment.



Paghalin ko sa balay
Nagtugon si Nanay
Kon diin ang belasyon
Didto ako manyapon.

When I left the house
My mother instructed
Wherever is the wake
Is where I will eat my dinner.



Sa ibabaw sang bintana
May everlasting nga nagabitin
Kon sin-o makatangla
Magahibi ang iya kasing-kasing

Above the window
There is an everlasting flower hanging
Whoever can look up
His or her heart will cry



Sa higad sang baybay
May malunggay nga namohi
Pisik pisik ang hipon
Abi na ilangkay.

On the shores of the sea
There is a malunggay leaves that grows or sprouted
The shrimps are jumping off
Afraid to be cooked or mixed into the cooking.



Rosas na rosas
Rosas na lupolupo
May radyo sa puno.

Roses that is so rosy
Rose that is a grass feed to the pigs
There is a radio in the tree.



Sa ibabaw sang bintana
May namuhi nga iba
Tumangla si Inday
Nagtulo iya luha.


Above the windows
An iba (Averrhoa bilimbi) grows up or sprouted
Inday look up
Her tears fell.


Sa ibabaw sang kampanaryo
May nag-itlog nga pato
Ginlomloman sang pari
Nagbuto obispo.


Above the belfry
A duck laid eggs
Incubated by the priest
Hatched a bishop



Sa tanan nga bata ni Nanay
Ako gid ang makaluluoy
Isa ka bilog ang nobyo
Ginkaon pa sang baboy.


Of all the children of mother
I am the most pathetic
Only one lover or suitor
Still eaten by a boar.


Sa ibabaw sang langit
May anglit nagakabit
Hinaboy sang luy-a
Tahu guwa na.


Above the heavens
There is a rice cooking pot hanging
Thrown with a ginger
It comes out with a human.


Sa bangi sang balay
May namuhi nga katumbal
Namunga sang kuritot
Halampangan sang buktot.


On the other side of the house
There sprouted a chili
It bore a twisted or curled  produce
Toy of the hunchbacked.


Didto sa amon
May dalaga nga laon
Abuton sang paghigugma
Nagataray sa karsada.

There in our place
There is a spinster
When love breakdown or seizure
She walks in the street.


Sa bangi sang dingding
May namuhi nga everlasting
Kon sin-o makalingling
Nagahibi iya kasingkasing

On the other side of the wall
There sprouted or grows an everlasting
Whoever can sneak peek
His or her heart will cry.


Malayo nga lugar ang akon ginhalinan
Leon kag Tigre ang akon kaaway
Wala ko baliha ang akon kabudlay
Agud maabot ang larawan mo Inday.

I came from a far away land
Lion and Tiger are my enemies
I never mind my hardships
Just to glimpse a picture of you, Inday.


Sa idalum sang balay
May nagatumpuk nga lukay
Ukay ko nga ukay
Nagguwa ang soltero nga bukay.

Below the house
There's a pile of dried coconut leaf
I spread and spread
An albino young man came out.


Sa ibabaw sang bukid
May bato nagaligid
Nagaligid nagafall
Pakadto sa waterfall

On top of the mountain
There is a rock rolling
Rolling and falling
Towards the waterfall.


Sa ibabaw sang paho
May uwak nga nagadapo
Tunto nga uwak
May rebolber na hawak.

On top of the mango tree
There is a raven perching
Stupid raven
Holding a revolver gun.


Tapakan ko paka ek!
Tapakan ko sentral gupi
Gua kalamay puti.

I stepped on a frog ek!
I stepped on the central dented
White sugar came out.


Nagtanom ako bulak
Sa tunga sang kabulakan
Namuhi sang bulak
Kay bulak ang ginhalinan.

I planted a flower
In the middle of the flowers
A flower grows.
Because it came from a flower.



Sa tupad sang bintana
May puno sang iba
Kon sin-o makatangla
Nagalaway iya baba.

Beside the window
There is an iba (averrhoa bilimbi)
Whoever can look up
His mouth is salivating.


May pispis ako nga kurit
Humapon sa silit
Binuno ko ang kampit
Imo senyor sang kadit


I have a kurit bird
Perched on a window sill
I stabbed the __
For you senior cadet


Paghalin ko sa balay
Nagbilin si Nanay
Inday indi ka magdugay
Kay pila gid ang kalipay.

When I left the house
Mother instructed
Inday don't be gone for so long
Cos how much or how deep is happiness.



Didto sa bukid
May libro nagalitib
Basahon sang karbaw
Pati Dios nagakadlaw.

There in the mountain
There is a book exposed
Read by the carabao
Even God is laughing.


Didto sa bangi sang balay
May namuhi nga balunggay
Nalagyo ang akritot.
Nahadlok ilangkay?

On the backyard of the house
A malunggay (Moringa oleifera) leaves grows
The krill scampered away
Scared to be cooked?



Pito ka bukid ang akon ginlakbay
Leon kag Tigre ang akon kaaway
Ulan kag init ang akon ginsulay
Para lang makita ang larawan ni Inday.

Seven mountains I journeyed and crossed into
Lion and tiger are my enemies
Rain and Scorching Hot of the sun I defy or braved against
Just to see a picture of you Inday.



Didto sa Guimaras
May tawo nga haras-haras
Kon abuton sang paghigugma
Nagaligid sa baras. 

There in Guimaras
There is a man who is naughty and restless
If love breakdown or seizure / If he is captured by love
He is rolling in the sand.



Paghalin ko sa balay
Nagtugon si Nanay
Nga kon ako magsaka sa iban nga balay
Maghatag tahod sa tagbalay.

When I left the house
Mother instructed
That if I went and go inside other people's houses
I should pay respect to the residents.



Yari ako mabayad sang utang
Basi ako sukton sa tunga sang dalan
Ang huya sang tawo dili mabayaran
Sang perlas kag diyamante kag mga bulawan.

I'm here to pay what I owe
Perhaps someone would demand payments from me in the middle of the road
The shame of a person could not be repaid
Of pearls and diamonds and golds.


Didto sa amon balay
May manok ako nga si Bukay
Ginbulang ko sa Janiuay
Nagdaog pero patay.

There in our house
I have a chicken named Bukay (White or Albino)
I brought it to a cockfight in Janiuay
It won but died.



Paghalin ko sa balay
Nagtugon si Nanay
Kay ako malaw-ay
Pahigad-higad lang anay.


When I left the house
Mother instructed
'Cos I am ugly
Just step aside for now.



Sa kilid sang kasilyas
May namuhi nga bayabas
Kon sin-o makatapas
Pakaslan ko buas.

At the side of the toilet or restroom
There grows or sprouts a guava tree
Whoever can cut it down
I will marry him tomorrow.



Sa idalom sang bubon
May tatlo ka bituon
Kon ako papilion
Sa tunga gid akon.

Below the deep well or shallow river digging
There are three stars
If I have to choose
I will choose the one in the middle.

*bubon can be a deep well or a shallow river diggings or dug up that produces clean pure water in the river, brook or stream for cooking, drinking, washing and even bathing.


Nonoy pagkita ko kanimo
Nagahining-hining ulo mo
Abi ko anay pumada mo
Kay gali kalbo mo.

Nonoy when I saw you
Your head is shining or glistening
I thought it was your pomade
I realized it was your bald head.


*Nonoy is a name or terms of endearment or adoration to a young boy.



Palayo palayo lalaki nga mabaho
Kalapit sang bubon
Waay ka paligo

Go away filthy and smelly man
The deep well is near
You never took a bath.



Kon ako mamana
Pilion ko hanggod mata
Kon waay kami sang suga
Patindugon ko siya sa tunga.

If I have to get a husband
I will choose someone with big eyes
If we don't have a light
I will make him stand in the center (of our house).



Sa ibabaw sang tigbaw
May sulat nga nagalabaw
Ginbasa sang karbaw
Waay unto sa ibabaw.

On top of the riverbed reeds
There is a letter over it
The carabao reads it.
No teeth on its upper mouth.



Sa likod sang balay
May namuhi nga Atimon
Pito anang bunga
Pito anang dahon
Pito ka pari naga sermon

At the backyard of our house
There grows a wild melon
It has seven fruits
It has seven leaves
Seven priests are doing the sermon or homily.



Sa likod ka sira
May tiki nga nagadupa
Gindulugan sang sultero
Abi na daraga.

On the area of the door
There's a lizard outstretching its arms
A young man stop or halt by it
He thought it was a young woman.




Sa dalom sang hagdan
May batong malapad
Kon sin-o ang makasandad
Kay tatay umagad.

Below the stairs
There is a wide rock
Whoever can stumble upon it
To my father will be his in-law.



Didto sa tabuk
May babayi nga matambok
Nagapangihi nagalagapok
Nagakamatay ang udok.

There across the street
There is a fat woman
Urinating noisily
The piglets are dying.



Ulan-ulan tumba kawayan, 
bagyo bagyo bantay kabayo.


Rain rain, bamboo is falling
Storm storm watching horse.