AN PAGTAGUMINATAY KAN CIPRIANO DE LOS SANTOS, 41, MAY ASAWA NGAN 3 NGA ANAK

Pastilan, maabot na siyam ka semana
ngan us' ka balde nga mga upos hin kandila
nga'n pagkapapaas han mga manmaratbat,
hi Sipring waray la gihap' kalulukat.

Apinas makaamot an pinanmasurahan
ni Binyang an nabalo nga may minasusan,
bis' pa ig-api an kan Daday kuhida,
an ira suhag nga nagtinda'n sampaguita.

Gin-aragmot na han mga taga-sityo
an ira mga inipit tinago nga sinsilyo,
nagkulang la gihap' an ira salapi
kay pagpipiraon it' ira mga hiagi.

Salit ha sityo, an pahuygo mag-aga
hin pagmalaka-abot han ira ungara
nga bisan naman la ha iya kamatayon
hira may kamamadan nga maipabalon.


THE WAKE FOR CIPRIANO DE LOS SANTOS, 41, MARRIED, AND A FATHER OF THREE

Pastilan, its almost nine weeks,
and a pail full of candle wax
the praying ladies went hoarse
Sipring remains with the mortuary.

Binyang the widow with a young babe
earns a pittance from scavenging
even if you throw in Daday's profit,
her eldest who hawks sampaguita.

The entire village passed the hat
and put together every coin they've saved,
but their cash did not suffice
what with their wages that don't amount to much.

Thus the gambling goes on all hours
that they may reach their goal
to send him off honourably
even if only in his death.

 

AN TUGON NI MANA NORMA

Badong ayaw pag pinagab-i,
Pastilan, kay kat-patay yana dinhi
ha Manga, pati Aslum ngan Perikahan
hasta nga't ha Lumbang, ug Kalipayan
salit undang hin binagis-bagis ha kadalanan.

May nasudoy mga de motor, pusilan
hira la't tukib han dara nira nga listahan
waray iba nga sayod, ngan kun hira nabut'ho
waray abiso, bis hi Kapitan waray nahihimo.

Nanunuktok hira bisan kagabihon
it' purtahan binabanyakan dayon
kadungan an panaburak hin bala
igo't igo lagas bata waray kinikilala.

Kun ginkakatuman nga may kursonada
nga kuno imnato, kuno may kargada
intawon hisasakban, ngan pag-guguyoron
pagtitiunon, ngan pagpapamumusilon.

Salit Badong hunong anay
ayaw hin sarosalimpaparay
kay de malas la han takna an mapirdi
ngan magtutubyan ha' at' nga mga pobri
hi kita, nga huruhumpiyang la't kinabuhi.


MANA NORMA'S ADONISHMENTS

Badong stay in after dark
Quit cruising the streets.
There's a blood bath here in Manga, Aslum,
And over in Perikahan, all the way to Kalipayan.

Masked men, armed; come on motorbikes
Picking out fellows from a list they keep to themselves.
Nobody can stop them, even
Kapitan can't make them toe the line.

They storm in from the night, pointing guns
Kicking doors into pieces with a bellow
Spraying bullets that don't choose their target
Young and old crumble lifeless, eyes wide open.

And if perchance they fancy a lad,
They’d say he fought back, he was loaded.
The poor soul is gagged, dragged,
Choked then riddled with dozens of bullets.

Badong take heed,
Stop roaming my son.
For folks like us, our lives a game of chance
at the mercy of the moment's misfortune.