An mangaraway han Santa Catalina, naanaw ha pag-awayan hadto’n 1987 ha kabubkiran han Negros Oriental, kinahimangraw an iya anak nga babaye, naedad hin tulo ka tu-ig, tikang ha dapit nga kun diin an iya mga tul-an waray mailubong ni Voltaire Oyzon (Translation of “Fallen in battle in the mountains of Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental, A.D. 1987, a hill warrior talks to his daughter, three years old, from the trail where his bones lie unburied” by Merlie M. Alunan)

An mangaraway han Santa Catalina, naanaw ha pag-awayan hadto’n 1987 ha kabubkiran han Negros Oriental, kinahimangraw an iya anak nga babaye, naedad hin tulo ka tu-ig, tikang ha dapit nga kun diin an iya mga tul-an waray mailubong

(Translation of “Fallen in battle in the mountains of Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental, A.D. 1987, a hill warrior talks to his daughter, three years old,  from the trail where his bones lie unburied” by Merlie M. Alunan)

Aw, Oo, dara ko ha akon bakpak,

an piyaya, sugad han iginsaad ko,

an Baye-baye nga hatag ni ‘Nay Asyon.

Siring nimo Apoy Asyon kumusta ngay-an kuno.

Naibi ngani adto kay waray pa hiya kumita ha imo.

Nagdara gihapon ako hin sudlay, para kan imo nanay.

Nagbuto an agi-an tikang ha Siaton.

Basi kumita ako ha imo ha urhi nga higayon,

tinabok ko an kabubkiran tikanhi ha aton  payag,

waray ako magbilin hin mga tamak

nga makakagtututdo nganhi han hin-o man.

kadamo han butang ha akon kinabuhi

nga akon tinipigan—an akon botas ,an akon pusil,

dayuday nga nahibayaan didto ha tinago nga dapit.

Aanhi ako, di mo nakikit-an, ha hayag han lamparilya,

nagkukulaw kan im’ nanay nga naghuhulat

samtang nakaturog ka,nagsusuru-sudlay

han iya buhok pinaagi han iya mga tudlo.

Bangin la, simba ko, matul-tulan kamo nira,

uutdon  an buhok nimo nanay,

ngan ig-gagaud hiya ha salug,

dalagan ha? ngan tago.

Ano man an imo makit-an, ay’  gud pagtuok.

Madako  ka, ha?– di man matadong–,

Ikaw

an  magsasabwag han kahangit

han mga anak mo nga kababayin-an,

Ikaw

an magpapakatawo han  pagbulos

han mga anak mo nga kalalakin-an.

–Hinubad ha Waray ni Voltaire Q. Oyzon

Fallen in battle in the mountains of Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental, 1987 A.D., a hill warrior talks to his daughter, three years old, from the trail where his bones lie unburied

Sure I had them in my backpack,
the piyaya, just as i had promised,
and the baye-baye from ‘Nay Asyon.
She was asking about
the grandchild she’d never seen.
Also a comb for your mother.

The road from Siaton blew up.
Crossing the valley to our hut
to see you for the last time,
I left no footprints anyone could find.
So many things I couldn’t
bring with me– my gun, my boots,
left behind forever in the hidden trail.
Unseen, I watched your mother
waiting while you slept,
combing her hair by the gaslight
with slow patient fingers.
If they ever come
and cut your mother’s hair
and bind her to bed,
run and hide.
Whatever you see, do not cry.
You will grow up, little one,
bearer of this vicious bond–

anger of your daughters,
revenge of your sons.

-Merlie Alunan

http://merliealunan.blogspot.com/2006/09/blog-post.html

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Voltaire Q. Oyzon teaches literature and social science courses at the Leyte Normal University. He is working on his second poetry collection tentatively entitled Mga Bukad han mga Bangin ( Uncertainties in Bloom).

Voltaire shares: “There are two reasons why I translate poems into Waray. One is out of envy. The poem is so beautiful that I feel jealous with the writer. “I should have written those lines!, ” i would say. I feel that i acquire a “right” to a poem written by another writer, when i translate the poem into my native tongue. the poem also becomes mine,in this sense. The feeling that i have after translating a poem into Waray is the same feeling that I have whenever I finish writing my own poem. Second is exercise. There are times that I cannot write, so I do translations. I learn a lot from this process.”

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Litrato ng Manugsalin: by Sommer.

Litrato sa Itaas: Bobby Wong Jr. ng http://www.postcardsfrommanila.com/