FULL BIRTHDAY, YOURS -- FOR A YOUNG BOY AT FOUR

FULL BIRTHDAY, YOURS

(for Manang Perlita Ragirag Tapec)

Full birthday, yours. Indeed, a thousand suns
shining through and sending their message
of spring warmth to our hearts gone cold.
The fall has just left, and here comes
the ritual of our rebirthing, the earth all smiles.

Sometimes we forget what is to be remembered,
and we remember what needs to left alone
to dismember, like the parts of an endless hope.
On this your birthday, we all have come,
retell the story once again, its beginnings
one of flowers in polychrome,
their colors about to riot, like their petals, about to burst,
bloom, and beyond those that we continue
to push for the story’s middle part
to come about.

Is it your eternal song that comes to us
today, tonight and forever, keeping us company
as we keep the faith that like the seed on the ground
braving storms and rains and floods,
it remains there, bold, daring, and looking
to the daybreak, that one ray of light
in the early morning hours when you go past
all that were hungered by the long night,
the food offering you have in the hand,
and telling to that old man by his place
that does not move, that here, here is grace
like this birthday of yours, full, whole, blessed?

I have come to witness birthdays,
in the future as in the past, and yours,
like time refusing the hours,
like time challenging the years,
will come soon again, one more time,
another time, in between our laughters
and grief, there shall be one more time.

There shall be one more time.
Like seed sprouting on the ground,
there shall be one more time.

There shall be another time.

Keep the rosary beads dangling on your rearview
mirror: you will see friends counting the reflections
of leaves, twigs, branches. The sea is just yonder.

And so are the fields of our coming ‘round and ‘round,
of doing the circle, conjoining the edges of our days.

It is prayer that has made us.

And full birtdays we celebrated for each other,
our song the matin of your new moon, new morn.


FOR A YOUNG BOY AT FOUR

(For Joachin Padre)

Must have been four years, your coming around,
like coming to town, strutting like our prince
in these parts.

This a place of kings, you see.

This is a place of princes and princesses, you see,
and there you are, Joachin Padre, with big, big smile
on screen and off, the sun shining in your big round eyes.

We saw you the first time in swaddling clothers,
a baby in a better manger, but an infant indeed.

You are a blessing, Joachin Padre.
And you will know.
Must have been your mom, having been good in her youth.
Must have been your dad, having been good in his childhood.
The merry song reminds us: Nothing, indeed, comes from nothing,
And today, at your birthday, we can only recall best
Your first cry.

Must have been a beautiful world, Joachin Padre.
It is away now from your ancestors’ towns, from Bacarra
to Paoay so that here, under the light of a thousand stars,
you get to be our prince. Finally.


Lam-ang, Ni Lam-ang!

Lam-ang, ni Lam-ang!

Aurelio Solver Agcaoili

(First staged by Waipahu HS Ilokano Program, April 2012)

Cast of characters: all wear Amianan indigenous clothing; the more colorful the weave, the better—and better

L: Lam-ang
IK: Ines Kannoyan
NL: Lam-ang’s mother
TL: Lam-ang’s mother
K1: Koro 1
K2: Koro 2
K3: Koro 3
BK: Babbai a koro
M: Marcos, the baglan
KK: Koro a kabusor

Stage verdant, greens and trees and hills. Daytime in all scenes. Gimbal, or all kinds of indigenous drums of Northern Philippines, needed.

M:
Apo a Kabunian!
Lagip degdegam!

K1:
Lagip degdegam,
O Apomi a Kabunian!

K2:
Lagip degdegam,
Lumawig umaykan!

K3:
Pakasaritaan itdem kadakam,
Apo Lung-aw a kadaklan!

M:
Bay-anyo a didiosen
A ni Lam-ang lagipen!



K1, K2, K3:
Ni Lam-ang a lagipen
Bay-anyo a didiosen!

M:
Kabunian!

K1:
Lumawig!

K2:
Lung-aw!

Enters NL, Lam-ang’s mother, heavy with child. TL dances the war dance. All koro will dance with them later on. Heavy beating of gimbal. Stage full with people. Occupy stage below. Spread out with the audience.

NL:
Daytoy nga ubing,
Agbalin a masanting!

K3:
Agbalin a masanting
Ni Lam-ang nga ubing!

TL:
Daytoy nga ubing,
Agbalin a masanting!

Koro, ALL:
Ni Lam-ang pakasaritaan
Bannuar ti pagilian!

L:
Lam-ang ti nagan
Lam-ang ti ipanagan
Lam-ang iti darepdep
Lam-ang iti tagainep!

NL:
Nagananna ti bagina!
Nagananna ti naganna!

Koro, ALL:

Nagananna ti bagina!
Nagananna ti naganna!


TL:
Lam-ang ti sagibo
Ti anak ti sellangko!

NL:
Lam-ang, saan dungngo!
Lam-ang, ti dangadangmo!

Koro, ALL:
Pinadsoda ni amangna
Ni Lam-ang nga ulila!
Pinadsoda ni amangna
Ni Lam-ang inulilada!

NL: (said, dung-aw)
Pinadsoda ni amangna
Ni Lam-ang inulilada!

Ay, ay anian ta dika nagpakada
Sika nga amana, dika nakita
Kakaisuna aya a bunga!

Koro, ALL:
Ay, ay, ania ta dika nakita
Bunga a solo ti ayatta!

L:
Gubat, gubgubat
Masapul ti ginnubat!

K1:
Gubat, gubgubat
Masapul ti ginnubat!

K2:
Gubatenna ti kabusor
Busol amin a busol!

K3:
Padsuenna ti kabusol
Busor amin a kabusor!




M:
Ni Lam-ang iti ginnubat
Ti ulona ti malib-at!
Paksiatenna ti kalaban
Bagina ti maktatan!

KK:
Umayka sika a Lam-ang
Bannuarna a mangiyaw-awan
Sipulka ti riro
Silpoka ti limdo!

L: (komedia voice)
Daananyo ti espadak a natadem
No diyo madaanan, biagyo ti maiwalang!

Koro, ALL:
Daananyo ti espada ni Lam-ang
Ti espadana a katademan
No diyo madaanan
Biagyo ti mapukawan!

NL: (dung-aw)
Lam-ang a bunga
Sabali nga ili a maiwawa!

L:
Daananyo ti espadak a katademan
No diyo madaanan
Aminkayo ket maparmek itan!

KK:
Daananmi ti espadam
Ngem dimi madaanan!

Voices fade:
Daananmi ti espadam
Ngem dimi madaanan!

War goes. Beating of drums. War dance choreographed.

M:
Kabunian! O didiosen!
Lumawig! O didiosen!
Lung-aw! O didionsen!

O didiosen ti pakasaritaan
Warwarenyo ti pagbanagan!

Koro, ALL: 

Didiosen ti pakasaritaan
Warwarenyot’ pagbanagan!
Dios a Kabunian
Dios ti pagilian!
KK:
Lumawig!
Umaykan!

K1:
Kabunian!
Umaykan!

K2:
Lung-aw!
Umaykan!

K3:
Lumawig!
Lung-aw!
Kabunian!

M:
Malpas ti dangadang
Biroken itan ni Lam-ang
Ni Ines a Kannoyan!

L:
Asinno ti napintas a dayag?
Asinno ti nasudi nga ayat?

IK:
Ti puso ket agragutok
Asinno ngata ti virtud?

L:
Ti puso ket agayat!
Ti Ines ti paggayat!

M:
A ta dallot duminidallang
A ta daldallot dalidallang
Ta itan ket ni Lam-ang
Timmibok pusona itan!

Koro, ALL:

A ta dallot duminidallang
A ta daldallot dalidallang!


Ta itan ket ni Lam-ang
Nagayat ken Kannoyan!

K1:
Iti sabong a napintas
Ti ayat nga ipapas

K2:
A ta dallot duminidallang
Ayaten met ni Kannoyan

K3:
Ti baro a kataknengan
Ni Lam-ang nga ulidan!

Koro, ALL:
Amin a galad, dalidallang
Ta daldallot, dalidallang
Ni Lam-ang a pagayam
Agungar pakapadsuan!

M:
A ta dallot duminidallang
Ni Lam-ang ket agungar
Ni Lam-ang ket agungar
Agbiag iti nakapasagan!

Koro, ALL:
A ta dallot duminidallang
Ragsak ni dallot, ragsak ni dallang
Ta ita ket ti pakasaritaan
Ni Bannuar ti Ilocos a ni Lam-ang

K1:
A ta dallot duminidallang
Ragsak ni Lam-ang, ragsak ni Kannoyan
A ta ragsak ni Lam-ang
Ragsak ni dallot
Ragsak ni Kannoyan!

K2:
Iti kasamientoda nga agkammayet
Da Lam-ang ken Kannoyan nga Ines
A ta dallot duminidallang
Iti maymaysa itan a dulang!

K3:
A ta dallot duminidallang
Ragsak ni dallot, sudi ni dallang
Iti ayat ni Lam-ang, iti ayat ni Kannoyan
Ditoy nga aggibus pakasaritaan!

L:
A ta dallot duminidallang
Ragrasak ni dallot duminidallang
Sika nga Ines Kannoyan nga ayat
Sika ti pakabuklan ni gasat!

IK:
Sika met a Lam-ang
Bannuar ti ili, bannuar ti pagilian
Kenka nga idaton ‘toy rikna
Kenka nga isagut ‘toy ayat!

Koro, ALL:
Awanen ti sabali no di sika
Ta daldallot sika laeng ti sika
Ta daldallot duminidallang
Sika laeng ti pakabuklan!

L:
A ta daldallot, duminidallang
Awan koma ngarud itan
Ines Kannoyan nga ayat!
Kakaisuna a pakabuklan!

IK:
Awatek a sipupuso
Ayatmo kaniak, napudno!

Koro, ALL:
A ta daldallot duminidallang
Ragsak ni dallot, sudi ni Lam-ang
Kastoy ti pakabuklan
Ayat ni Ines ken Lam-ang


GIBUSNA

Namarsua, Denggennak [Doxolohia Para iti Nakem]

DOXOLOGIA PARA ITI NAKEM

Pinutar ni A. Solver Agcaoili, iti tono ti ‘Bring Him Home,’ iti Les Miserables 

Namarsua
Denggennak
Kasapulak
Addaka a kanayon
Umayka
Agindegka
Sallukob
Sika dayta. 

Nakemmo
Nakemmo
Nakemmo.I 
Dagitoy ket nakemmo
Karim ken datonmo. 

Itukitmi
Pakinakem
Agrusingto
A lumangto
Agrukbos 
A kas kayo. 

Bendisionam
Ikkam babas
Ikkam bunga
Aramidmi
Naganus pay
Bisibisam
A sibugan
Agrangpaya
‘Ti imatang
Pagbiagem
Awan ressat
Daytoy Nakem
A gannuat
Ta nakemmo
Ta nakemmo
Daytoy gannuat.