Buhayin ang Tanaga!

Friday, April 22, 2005

Tragedy in Short Poems

Nanoy paints four disasters as surreal tragedies - images that evoke more than the physical damage, but also the emotions trapped in the middle of each cataclysm.

While reading the following works I am reminded of other tragedies, perhaps more of the intellectual or cultural tragedy of the Tanaga. Should it be left in decay, or relegated to n obscure corner of memory alone, what does this say about the Filipino as a people? It's sad enough that the country is right smack in the middle of Typhoon Zone, Pacific Rim of Fire and host to alot of natural and man-made disasters.

Losing the Tanaga will be an even bigger disaster than all these calamities combined.


Trahedya

Tsunami

Sa hinahon, kumaway
Sila nang sabay-sabay.
Dugo, sikmura't patay
Palamuti sa kamay.

Richter

Namangha ang syentista
Sa obra ng makina:
Larawan ng artista
Na nilamon ng lupa.

Turbulence

Sa malayong lupain,
May batang humihiling
Matulad, balang araw
Doon sa bulalakaw.

Diskaril

Nakiisa si Hulyan
Sa daing ng sasakyan.
Sigaw ng kalayaan:
Bakal sa lalamunan.

- Nanoy
posted by Jardine Davies @ 12:52 AM | link | 4 comments

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Kilig

'Kilig' is that certain rush that one feels immediately after something good happens, or is realizaed, especially pertaining to love ones and relationships. It's ironic in fact that the realization that something good happened comes after this rush is detected - yet it is that realition which triggers it.

Ergoe Tinio punctuates this well in her Tanaga with a singular period at the end of the poem. One may ask then, after the period, that rush, has kilig gone away?

Kilig

Heto, napapangiti
mag-isang sumasabog
parang kinikiliti
papaakyat sa likod.

- Ergoe Tinio
posted by Jardine Davies @ 11:55 PM | link | 6 comments

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

More Tanagas on Love

If Valentines is celebrated in April this would be the best selection.

But why not, if all is love, why not use Tanagas for love? Filipino is a language of romantics and emotion. In our tongue, Love is best said not with just one word. Like Greeks of old, we have many words for love: Pag-ibig, Pag-irog, Pagsinta, Pagmamahal. To stress the point that we are such lovers, I wish I can list some of our derivative words which stem from love, romanticism and emotions. At the top of my head I can think of Alab, Bugso, Tiklad, (that feeling of the first throb in any victory be it in war or in love) etc...

Here's a poem from Krusada. Ang my virtual toast to Love:


Mga Hiwa ng Pag-ibig

I. Pagkukubli
mga talang sinungkit
ngayon ay bitbit-bitbit,
sa bulsa ay sinukbit
tinago sa 'yong pilit.

II. Pagsusumamo

Pilit na inaangkin
ang 'yong ngiting kerubin
na tinangay ng hangin
upang 'di maipain.

III. Pilit na Paglapit

dusa ang inabot ko
nang minsang maghingalo
ang matang nahahapo
sa paghahabol sa'yo.

IV. Paglilirip

'tong mga bagay-bagay
na pilit hinalukay
kinumpara sa buhay
mong nilunod sa kulay.

V. Patuloy na Pag-irog

ano man, ano pa man
pakikitalamitam
ko sa hanging mayaman
ay pag-ibig ang laman.

-Krusada, Philippines.
posted by Jardine Davies @ 7:36 AM | link | 1 comments