Buhayin ang Tanaga!

Monday, March 07, 2005

Makatang Kiko

Francis Montesena, more popularly known as Makatang Kiko writes about three things in this set of three Tanagas: the illicit, the unethical, and the slippers - or more affectionately called as flip-flops by our western friends. How the flip-flops wrap it all up effectively is something that only a native Filipino speaker may very well understand in its purest sense! If you require a translation just post a comment, and Filipino poets will help you appreciate the art.

What the flip-flops ad to the end of the tanaga is proverbial, and thus very Filipino in nature: high context, moral, and allegorically profound. This is thus the Tanaga: Tight, limited in words yet full of meaning:

Bawal

Nakatikim ka na ba
Nang bawal na pagsinta?
Masarap lang sa una
Masakit `pag tapos na.


Kural

Ang kural ay sa baboy,
Ang sa tao ay ano?
Kung ugaling baboy ka
Sa kural ay pwede ba?


Tsinelas

Pagkatapos isuot
Alilai't mapudpod
Talampaka'y diniyos
Iiwan lang na lagot.

- Makatang Kiko, Philippines.



Notice too that the rhythm set by each line as a complete packet of thought reinforces the next lines, thus rhythm and meaning is climaxing towards the last line which wraps the methapor perfectly. Such is the art of the Tanaga!
posted by Jardine Davies @ 3:10 AM

2 Comments:

saludo ako sa iyo,
makatuturan ang mga entri mo. nakakatuwang basahin,
pang laman sa ulo.


Ang Langit
O sinta kong nilalangit,
Nilalangaw pati p'wet..??
Sa ganda mo ako'y duda?
Sa utot mo akoy tumba...

Kahit makulet ang aking entry, isang sining din yan ng mga makata. may halong komedya pero nakakatuwa pa rin basahin diba?

Sana ay hindi ako maka-offend sa aking komento. www.mrniceash.tk
Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:28 AM  
Thanks, please help spread the art.

Also, the one you posted above, "Ang Langit" is in the form 8888, it is called a Dalit, it's also quite an endangered art form. Not so mnay people use it.

I remember this one you posted from Childhood, my uncle mentioned the same words to me. It still manages to make me smile to this day. Such are Tanagas, and Dalits in our culture... most just pass off as oral history, and its a waste if they are not put in written form...
Blogger Jdavies, at 4:37 AM  

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