dere kad diya

manonton dalan
(manim-imisak ya susulaten
ya ed kabubutay na agew)

apaksiat so ugip kon malet
kasil na boses mon immawet
agmo la ninonot ya apuyatak
ed sakripisiok ya mana-anap
akin et untay ugalim inaro
laman mon dili so pinonot mo

wala may immalis kan ap-apurado
agkan balot angitilak na niluto
kaskasianak ya tinepel so eras ko
maong lalaingen wala may biskutso
tan amay nababangles ya aroskaldo
nilaokan koy katerter ya tauyo

natan anto, akinet mitimiti ka
balibali tay bibil mon mamalbalanga
no unimis ka napunas so pasnoko
singa labay kon lakesen takay todo
manalingernger ni pabalingit mo
dere ka pad diya ta walay bawien ko

manag-agos iray luluwa

manonton dalan

(diyad mapalnan kabuasan binmusel
iray balikas ya kalaktip toray
kansiyon ya binalegan)

ateneb so matak ed tabol na ermen
mabelengak singaak namemeneng
ipapawil koy maligan bektan apalabas
balet dalan koy ambilunget agnatundas
anggad nagngel koy kansiyon tan dua
diyad kanonotan dakedakela limmesa

nanonotan mo may wala tad angalakan
babantayan takan manpepesak er petang
inbayesan takay linglingaling ya siruman
inibaan takan manpesak, kemelkemelen
koy limam, perengperengan koy matam
makasiyudot ka, anggapo laingey agawam

ag abayag sikay nakgaan lapur kakaestoriam
limmaak ed garitan analiw na peksi tan gam
ninengneng moak ya walay uyamon pansibeg
singa nalmay so liknaan kon katekep toy pueg
immasinggerak inanguban taka agka akasalita
naimanok so matam manag-agos iray luluwa


(misasalamatak agagik ira ed anos yon
manbabasa na ula-ula toyan alenleneg
yon kabaleyan-md. say Diyos manuna lawas
manruan kayo. say imis tambal na sakit na
lawis kanyan imis kayo)

unsaip ed ngarem

manonton dalan

(babasaen koy batik na lurem
ya mamatanir ed maliwawan banua
nen simmibang 'yan anlong)

mansibsibek kalamor so pagew ko
ya undedengel er ula-ulam inaro
anggan arawin panisiyaan kotan
ya tungtung, pusok akilinewan
ya binaliwalam iray panangarok
bangmas iray dakela sakripisiok

nagngel ko met iray babbabawim
ya singa kakisir na duaran salim
agko la labay so mipawilan er sika
ta no akatakiling kay pangkanawnawa
singa ka ason atiwel mankatkatay
siyak balet kaskasian ya manay-ay

ditan kala inaron maruksan unong
anap mo lay panangaron mas mamaong
asumpalan ko lay tepel tan ermen
panangasim lad siyak agmo padukeyen
so panterter na luwak tan sinagem
ta say bilay ko et unsaip lad ngarem

050809A maligan agew na ina

manonton dalan

(nadaydayew tan maganganan kainaan
ed sankamunduan, ipasabik er sikayoy
petang tan gayagay aro ed sayan bekta, untan
pa komon aparaburan kayoy anak ya lawas yon
ikikinon tan ar-aruen. md)

no pawilpawilen koray agew ya apalabas
nanonotan ko’y maaron inang ko lawas
mitatalikerkeran piyan walay isaliw mi belas
anggano siak so manteyengteyeng; mangiras
agko napukpukan so makaimis ya makalek
lapur ta natan sikato met so bilaya nalak

wala may pantungtungan mi “antoy gawaen”
piyan makalmo’y baleg ta dakel so pakanen
nonot kon malangwer nayari met manaya
isagur ed irap; panmuliay amina ganagana
balet natan bukbukur kola, walay kairapan
unsibangsibang balet ira’y salsalin adalanan

no dimmengelak, bilay siguroy maagwanta
agko labay so singa tirtirintesen ya popita
balet atawir koy panangaro, kinon tan silib
ya anggan iner so laen ko say bilay so maabig
natan agew daray iina, misalsalamatak ya maong
manlapud otel na puso toyan maletey yon inong

Mother’s Day

By AG

My last happy memory about my mother was the reunion that my siblings and I had with our parents when my mother was eighty years old. Despite the fact that she had Alzheimer’s at that time and she could no longer discern what was going on around her, she still could remember the names of her children and where they live. She said and had always said that she loves her children and her children love her too. Mother’s love must indeed be true, a love that would never fade.

I did remember my mother as that of a very busy woman. When I was 4 years old, I remember her as a storeowner of groceries and other everyday supplies. She lost her store, partly due to her unselfish nature of trusting anybody who asked for credit. She decided to be a full time mother, making the care of her children as her top priority. She was a very religious woman, so the church was her second home. Early in the morning of each day, after preparing the breakfast for the family, she would go to the church to attend the mass, pray her novenas to the different saints and then would socialize with her church friends, who like her were members of several church organizations. She would come home after picking up from the market the food that the family needed for the day. Her routine was very predictable that the children knew where she was at any certain hour of the day.

On some Saturday afternoons, she would attend the novena prayers at different houses assigned for the week and I would tag along with her. We would be praying all the prayers for the saints or whoever the novenas were intended for. I was not sure why I loved to go with her, but one thing I remember that motivated me to go were the sumptuous merienda of native cakes and food that came along after the long prayers. It was not surprising that many a time during my early childhood, I would win a lot of contests when it came to reciting the different prayers because of my exposure. During the month of May, she would teach Catechism classes which I would partake.

I was a ten years old when I overheard a teacher, who was our neighbor, telling my classroom teacher that I was spoiled by my mother, which I did not understand. I knew that my mother, like a lot of mothers, spoiled her children by way of giving them everything she had. She never laid a hand on me, never scolded or got disappointed, and she always wanted her little children to be within her sight. Through all the years, she was always proud of her children and we got special treatment whenever we came home from college and during breaks in our professional years. I always enjoyed going home whenever time permitted and I always anticipated her buying native fruits and ethnic food for my eating entertainment. My relationship with my mother was very simple, she treated me as if I were a grade school kid, and she always acted as a mother would, even if her son was already a father.

I left the Philippines when my mother was in her fifties and I did not see her undergo the process of growing old. How I wish I were around to enjoy her during those times, because when I was able to have time to visit with her, I realized that she was already an old lady. She visited me twice here in America where I gave the best treatment that I could afford, but I felt that it was not enough to make up for the missing years. I think I paid a heavy price in order to pursue my dream in life.

During Mother’s Day, my thoughts go back to my childhood, and the love that was showered to me by my mother. Now, I would smile whenever I remember the whining and manipulations that I did in order to sway my mother to agree with me. When I was in fifth grade, I was made aware of what a mother’s love when our music teacher taught us the following song titled, Mother’s Love . “ Mother, you are dear, And I truly love you, for your constant care, and your kindliness, too. Whether near or far, I am thinking of you, for I know that your son must be brave and true…When this life seems hard, and my troubles are great, when my heart is sad as for help I wait, When my friends all have fled caring not for my grief, and hope is gone , then I think of you.” This song struck the soft corner of my heart and forever changed the way I looked at my mother, realizing that mothers are truly special human beings.

05059A agmoak ipupulisay

manonton dalan

akinet main-inaumay er sika
ya paakisen moak tan untan
met no labay mon paeleken
antam, inaro abayag ya tepel
kon aakbibiten, inangnangis
er palnay dagem, idadalem
kod bilunget na saray lurem
balet agmoak im-imanuen

anggan linggis moak labat
ta imanum so linggas kon
pinanpuyatan kon sanlabi
agay lay ruksam, mangasi
labay mo sirin ya nabalang
ko’y nonot ko lapur sika
ibanbandok so nanlapuan ta
agka masiblet dengel ka

ipulisay moy paga tan pasnok
ta say kerew ko et daiset, sinok
agmo komon geteley anges ko
ta sikay lirion an-anapen to
no bilang insukib moak lad
lingwan, ay! iyalageyan mo,
ibagam aliwan siyak so lilikiran
ta say liknaan koy nasasakitan