Aj Jhamier U. Mosib

Pakabira bun i masla,
Ka da gaid patagan na madakel sa madidu.
Gadsalidan sa saguna
na pakalunsar su manawt-
pakandaludaya bagagayan su matiwalu,
Ka niya galamig i lenganan kumin sa timanan.

Masla a Kamais

Sa kaligket na gatamanan, na inawiran i gadsabpan nu mga manusiya a pakamutu, ka u makapusek su uni, ka makabubul sa sigi-sigi, na apay ka pila-ulan i maipus na aden magupu atawa matupu a magangu a tinandeg sa kapedsungit sa uman-gay. Sa uman i kabagupis sa magigilek sa lanitan, na inam a masalig i pakatedtel sa ku pulyukan nu taliawid a pengganding sa sudip a dinidisan.  Magidsan i kamais endu palay na temu bun i masalig ka u madsugat i kamais na di mamenu sa saku ka u aseken sa tidtu na aden antu na malugi su penggupu. Na u mamesul sa sangat su palay na madakel i magunu lun, ka u matagu bu sa ukap, na naliyaliya i pembayu lun.

Na paginugut ka sa laki ka edsulamigen ku mambu i masla a kamais ka magidsan su penggupu endu su midtaligeba na di mabaluga i lugat na uman-i-isa ka u makasambi den sa kulta na luwal sa matakep ka midtunggala, na makauntung sa masla kagina bida bun man i masla ka mamenu sa dikenan.  

Madalem a Kaltida

U entain i pakakegkem sa malu madakel a madudut sa kaltida, aden antu na tuba i gaenggan sa gelal ka pila den pedsambiyan sa pilak i gemen na uman-i-isa. U naaden i kaltida a madidalem atawa maugat a uyut na lepa ka den sa dua-embala ka apia kagagabiyan ka edtalipeku ka bu na lemasebpit i tamuk a mapaulipen sa leka.

U madalem i kaltida na manusiya na di madala i mga lisen a kemigkil siya sa lama-lama na walay nengka. Bamagagayan, bamalamati, endu gataglay atag sa di gabales a tangga. Na pakatibpes ka den i kapagena nengka sa ku leka a kaltida ka aden makailay lun na namba i tandan na maginged sa kapakaid nin sa leka. Temu den i di nilan mailay ka asal di makalusak su kigkuwan a bamilang bu sa kutika.

Katitimpuan imantu na apia kadsuled na pakasambi sa kaugat na uyut. Ka u seka na manawt ka bu na da ka edtangen-tangen masiken sa kalut ka maulug ka luba na da gadtag sa leka, kagina da kemawa sa leka u da maabpel nengka sa kaltida.

Ugaid na ‘ya nengka iasip sa itungan u egkanawt den i kaltida na u endaw ka makatumpa? Endu endaw ka makaampit? Kagina di gapinda sa kadakel na tamuk i sarindaw na kadsuled.     

Mawlad a Umun

Sa kinatulun sa umun nu edtebed-sa-pused na binaad sa limu su malikapu a lupa a pusaka pan ni tuwa. Di-sa-di na aden bun makauntung, na lu bun su kaurisan. Ka u niya makatampal sa leka i ladteg a budta, na di nengka kadadalian demaru ka matag makakulis su daru na di bun masawi i liyaw ka nasansala den na ped a taw. Na tembu niya nin saleg i bida bun i mawlad labi den u malikapu ka di makabungas a belinawagan sa pabila ka niya tangga i bangangawidan.

Na upama menem ka niya lupa i pembudsudan sa palaus na pamili ka i mawlad a datal ka asal di matakiki si pikil sa kabamandapat sa sumpit na uyag-uyag ka u niya katindegan na tulugan i bakilid atawa lepak na lutayan ka mapatidtu sa magidsan i lantayan metu bun su gatamanan.

Tembu makabira bun i aden umun nin a mawlad ka menda sa makatulun nin pan sa mga mauli-a-taw nin na di pan kasimpintan sa taman a geminawa pan sekanin.   

Masalig a Tunaan

Uman di pedtika si Turu sa kayaw na gagedam na su masalig a tunaan i di mawatan a gatibpuan. Kena langun na tunaan a madalem, kena tanan a masalig a gabpaiguan ugaid ‘ya benal na u idukum na kalabaw su sirung nin ka iseneb nin i lawas na kagina di bamantun su kalabaw a banganup sa pakagagas.

Dikena mamagidsan i kalabaw. Aden turu, aden pipis, uway aden bun ugis. Na langun na namba na manuntul bun lawa sa makadenggaw sa badan u di den magaga i katitik na senang.

Na pabila ka u mangilay sin na bida bun i masalig a tunaan ka madakel i mait nin. Ka u madidu bu san na di man kembilen na binatang ka makin lengkawan ka matag ta bu galat.

Uway sa madidu na mapia bagi u sekita i makabanay ka katitilan ta su bibil na kaundalan ta su lanangan, ka mapia a bagi u kabpuluan.

Matiwalu a Paliwatu

Sa kapenggeri na tiyan taman sa kapebpubpun sa begasan na endaw ta a niya basi makatun sa makapadtagebel sa dapulan? Na sa kapedsengku-sengku na nan sa puyutan endu sa kapebpapaluta na lenuk na kanu menem i kakembil ta sa tulang? Semiken satiman bu i udtang, mapitas menem su paliwatu ka dingilan menem su mamala a binangga endu padtumelan su mga mangagangu a ginulay. Na u makasambi den sa pila bu na tanudan sa pila-ulan ka u di kapangulugan na maleb sa lima na kigkuan.

Liyu sa gandanuna na kemendap sa kailay na manusiya ka matag bu su sapu-kataw antu a tatamuken na di bun makalepeng sa sigalaw na nabitin anan a pakaipeng.

Na tembu bida bun i matiwalu a paliwatu kagina da bangengendan lun sa magidsan i kapaginatul sa lamisan endu sa kabangilut sa inantisan.

Tembu pakabira bun i masla…

Ka di magkusa-kusa
Di ka makaundul sa pesu ka mangelen ka
Na na di ka niyan magkenu u di siyan temingara
Taman sa aden kadtimpenengan nengka sa dunia.
Ugaid nin sa masla na u di ka manamal ka semalig ka na aden ka antu na mapuling ka na labi-lawan i kanawt nin sa isa nengka.

Size Really Makes a Difference

It’s different when its big
The worth of small is often overlooked
These days,
The little remains on the floor
While the big sits comfortably
For size is favored than the weight of counts.

English Translation by the author

Large corn

In the midst of hardship, crops become the refuge of people burdened by life’s struggles, if a seed is buried, if the sigi-sigi is planted, a few months of patience will bring a dried produce that is relied to provide for each day’s sustenance. With every peeling of the ticklish against the skin, hope grows stronger in the heart of the farmer that plays with the sharpened sudip. Rice and corn are blessings – more when they are bigger, a meager corn can never fill a sack, and no matter how tightly it is packed, it will leave the harvester loss. When rice grain is full, the harvest overflows with promise. But when the panicles bear nothing but hollow husks, pity the one who pounds them.

Believe me, I will always choose the larger corn for to both the one who tilled the land and the one who reaped its bounty, neither walks away at a loss and once it is exchanged for silver, except for its value that multiplies, it grows all the more because there is truly something different about larger things — it fills every container.

Deep wallet

Whoever can get a little more from their wallet is often the one who earns the greatest respect, for silver can easily purchase the smile of every face. And if your wallet is deep or your pockets are heavy, then spread out both your hands, for even if you spend the entire day lying in laziness, your possessions will compete to serve you.

When a person’s wallet runs deep, there will never be a shortage of shaking legs crossing the floor of your home. Sitting, waiting, and lingering, distracted by intentions they cannot speak aloud. So guard your wallet well and keep it out of sight, because if others catch a glimpse, it will become the measure by which they deal with you. Better that they never see it, so misfortune befall the one who merely counting times.

In these days, even brotherhood can be traded for the weight of a heavy pocket. And if you are but small, do not linger too close to a well, if you fall into its depths, no one will come to your aid. No hand will reach for you if you can’t even reach something from your wallet.

But keep in mind when your wallet grows thin, where will you go? And in whom will you find refuge? For the worth of brotherhood is never measured by the abundance of wealth.

Vast inheritance

When time came to divide the inheritance between siblings, the fertile land apportioned with love was handed down, it’s a heritage from ancestors. One stands to gain while another is left at a loss. For if the parcel that falls to you is barren, you will have little desire to till it, even furrows will fail to soften its hardened surface, worn out by those who came before. There is still no blessing like a wide stretch of fertile land, for it never wearies the hands that cultivate it when the purpose is to farm it.

And if the land is to bear pillars, choose one that is broad and level, so your mind will not be burdened with endless worries of your livelihood. For if you build your dwelling upon a slope or Lepak, you will struggle to level the flooring and also life demands.

Fortunate indeed is the one who inherits a vast estate, for aside from being able to pass it on to generations next, they will also be spared much hardship for as long as they are still in breath.

Great Tunaan

Whenever Turu can no longer bear the sweltering heat, it is the great watering hole that he is certain to seek. Not every watering hole is deep, and not every large one is fit for bathing. Yet the truth remains that when the carabao lowers its horns and swims in the water, it does not choose with vanity, it seeks only a place where it can wash.

No two carabaos are the same. Some are bulls, some are calves, and some are albinos. Yet all of them, without exception, will seek a place to cool their bodies when the sun’s crispy heat is too much.

And when they go in search, there is still no substitute for a great watering hole, for it has room enough for all. A small one is scarcely worth the animal’s attention, it is better left behind, for it offers little comfort and leaves someone unfulfilled.

Yet for small, it is best that we arrive first, so we can broaden its mouth, widen its banks. Better still if it is ours alone.

Big Paliwatu

From the gnawing hunger in the stomach to the last grain swept from the rice jar, where can we find something to set the hearth aflame once more? And the crying in the cradle and hunger piles upon hunger, when will there be fire enough to warm the hearth? There is but one answer, the paliwatu must once again be separated to fetch water for the earthen jar, and to pile up dry woods to ignite.

And if it can be exchanged for only a few cents, remember the coming months. For if they are not remembered, they will soon vanish from the owner’s hands.

More than a source, it gleams in the eyes of others, for no matter how many people may stand among ten, none can rival the brilliance of that which hangs and dazzling indeed.

That is why there is something to a large paliwatu, for all reasons, may it be preparing for the table or in enhancing the beauty.

That is why being big is something…

Because you are not easily dismissed.
You cannot simply be pushed into a hole, for you are too large to fit.
They can’t greet you without looking up.
And there will always be a place for you in this world.
Yet greatness should never breed complacency, for if you grow too comfortable, even the smallest may blind your eyes.