Laitan and Tarasul Sama Tabawan

Omarjan I. Jahuran

Laitan

mislang sobangan
ma kapu’an bihing timbang
sahaya bulawan kalangitan
aminta bangkal ma bilu ayan

hamiyu baliyu balat-daya
pajiyara pasiyum ma papa
maglimbay janggay saloka’
ma jambangan salama lama

Angalukis pitu’ walna’ biradali ma kagabunan
Patandaw ananding na si Matahari ni si Manisan
mamahi ma kulit tahik magkitaw kitaw ibuhan
Angalingan na gusung malanga anussi baran

ma tapiyan Laitan…

Laitan

Daybreak comes
On the island on the edge of the ocean
The golden rays in the skies
Paints orange in the blue space

The gusting of the offshore winds
gently kissing the cheeks
the coconuts swing their arms
in the garden of eternity

Seven colors marked by the rainbow in the clouds
The sun glances and looks at Manisan
The sparkle of a thousand stars on the surface of the sea
The high sand calls out now to cleanse

On the coast of Laitan…

 

Tarasul Sama Tabawan

Tinagna’an tarasul itu maka Bismillah
Ma on Tuhan Tunggal Sangat Kawasa
Kamemon pagpudji, sanglit, babarapa
Subay ya Allah muna-muna pinaheya.

Tarasul ku itu pinasaplag ni ka’am
Amahalayak, amasayu, amajantang;
Pasalan usulan lahat Halo Sukuran,
Lahat bay pagjanji’an maka bangsa Ira’an.

Pag addat ma bowahan Kambo’an
Iyana itu dakayu’ pangilahan kitam;
Mbal ka kaonan a’a lahat Tabawan,
Bang alam itu asal ma deyom pangatayan.

Min Pagtandan ni lahat e’ kambo’mbo’anta
Sampay pangosol hag Langgal maka Luma’ Maheya;
Pagjamu, Pagkambo’an maka Pagduwata,
Saga paljanji’an subay toongan tinuman e’ ta.

Pagjamu ma gintana’an maka kapantayan
Iya na pagjamu ma entosan Pampang
Halaman Kassa Samin bang itu pinag-onan
Subay masi na pa’in nientom pinaghinang

Pagjamu tapiyan maka kagusungan Laitan
Halaman Salama-lama bang iya pinag-onan
Ina’an paatag entosan maka dundangan kambo’an
Paltanda’an sin pag-ongka’-ongka’an sigam

Pagjamu bohe’ deya subay du masi pinahalga’
Nionan itu Halaman Putli’ Dayang Sulga’;
Bohe’ binarakatan, bohe’ bay pamusaka’,
Bohe’ pamakosog baran, toolang maka laha’.

Pakaradja’an pagjamu, t’llu ng’llaw t’llum bahangi
Pagtagunggu’ llaw – sangom, alam paghali,
Mag igal saga kar’ndahan, kamatto’ahan, magsubli
Magtumbak, magkuntaw, bang nienda’ maka s’lli-s’lli

Bang angaliyu liyu na kulintangan maka tambul tinitikan,
Anuttu’ na agung, sulembat maka bab’nndil padongan;
Saga magtagunggu’ pabasag amal’kkas lisagan sigam,
Iya na pangalingan ma kauman e’ Tagunggu’an Tabawan.

Suwala tagunggu’an sinahawi saga magduduwata,
Sinagina pahadil baanan kar’ndahan maka botang matto’a;
Pareyo’ pasalidda saga umagad kambo’mbo’an maka aruwa,
Baanan katurunan katekkahan mag igal maka amissala

Magtumbak saga kal’llahan, Mag igal Kar’ndahan,
Ginisan Igalan paluwas ma luma’ pagduwatahan;
Igal kayab, Igal Bokko’, Igal Kamun, Igal kamatto’ahan,
Maglimbay maka maglenggang ma Igal Tabawan

Igal Tabawan nilimbayan isab ma pagkawinan ma kauman
Addat-pusaka’ bangsa asal pinaghinang’ bay min awal jaman
Min diki’-diki’ saga kaanakan sinangbay tin’ppak-t’ppakan;
Pina-igal ma pantan luba’-labi na bang damlag bulan.

Damlag bulan magsahaya ma ayan, ma kalangitan,
pagantung sali’ mbal pagantung ma deyo’-diyata alam;
Bang pinandang taentom na si Kumala’, si Arung, si Rayang,
Pabeya ma hamiyu baliyu suwala si Oto’ magleleng ma jambatan.

Aheka kahinangan kagara’an bang adamlag na bulan,
Saga Kamatto’ahan mag anom tepo, mag lege lege ma pantan;
Maggara magbeggong saga kasubulan maka kabudjangan,
Maglibutan ma sowang kaluma’an , Tabawan Night bang itu nionan.

Tarasul ku maitu na pinahanti’ pinahali saga dawdanakan
Jantang-jari paluwahan Sama Tabawan pinabantang ma ka’am;
Min lahat mata sobangan, lahat bay niatasan,lahat nibarakatan
lahat kambo’mbo’an, lahat pagtibawan, Iyana tunggal Tabawan.

Minsan magsulang-mangking labayan pagbakan, maingga-mainga ma dunya,
Magsurang saingsing saga kaanakan, ka’mpu-mpuhan maka saga panubu’ta;
Daa kinalipat paghinang ma lahat gin’llal e’ kamatto’ahan “Ponsot Dunya”,
Bohe’ sulga’ makaam, Salam Duwa’a, Salam Kasilasa.

Tarasul Sama Tabawan

Malong Weaver and Rock Garden

Jahara A. Solaiman

Malong Weaver

Her companions being
A backstrap loom,
Vibrant filaments of every hue,
The weaver
Conjures magically
The warp and weft
Handed down
Through the centuries.

From her deft fingers
And the back and forth
Of the strands,
Colors, textures,
Patterns, motifs,
Simple and intricate,
Spring forth.
Treasures come into being
Whether it be
A landap for a sultan,
Or the rare andon for a bai a labi,
Perhaps an ampik for everyday.

From dawn to dusk
Sitting at the weaving-frame
She basks in the mastery
Of  her craft.
The loom
Making the same music
Her forbears had played,
Her creations meant to stand
The test of time.
She weaves
The song of her people.

Rock Garden

My soul dwells in a place
So secure,
That if you hurl
Boulders of hatred,
Cobbles of insults,
Pebbles of spite,
These will just drop in vain,
On the grassy courtyard.
Like stray cannon balls.

Do come again
For the next round.
By that time,
You will not miss
Seeing that
Your debris of strife
Just made a beautiful rock garden
Out of the rubble.

 

People of the Olive Tree

Aisha L. Kunting

A mother—she wakes and she walks—miles and miles on rubbles of rocks,
Searching for food for her family of four, once a happy family of six before.
She knows that she travels a dangerous road. At any moment she could be taken, shot, and towed.
But the love for her family urges her still, she would tread any valley, desert, or hill.

A father—he cries in the night—hugging his child wrapped in a clean sheet of white
He will never hear her laugh on this earth again, nor see the brightness light her eyes as it did back then.
He mourns and he prays till the early hours of day, for paradise for his child taken away.

A brother—he carries his kin—injured and bleeding, body alarmingly thin.
“I’m thirsty,” he whispers. “Where are our sisters?”
Together they search, but where to even begin?
Rubbles and bones stretch what once was a street, with strangers and friends alike trapped just beneath their feet
Under destruction and debris, in the harsh cold of the night or the heat of morning light,
Their blood entwined in the earth like the roots of olive trees.

A child of five—he endures. His skin is blistering and agitated because of water-contaminated
Like burn marks on his skin, around his neck, and all over his arm.
What did this innocent child do to warrant such harm?
For months now he has known only hunger and pain,
No comfort nor relief, too young still, yet so familiar with grief.
Why do the innocents suffer while evil roams free causing harm with their hands?

Like many of the people of the Olive Tree, every day they fight to be freed.
Their homes were taken from them, lands stolen by an evil disguised as men.
Yet, their hearts beat with hope and resilience.
They stand strong and unbroken, enduring with faith and persistence.
Have you ever witnessed a nation bear with such patience despite being so shattered and confined
As much as our resilient and unyielding brothers and sisters in beloved Palestine?

Pater

Lourd Greggory Crisol

Hinay-hinay kong gibuklad
ang nakaputus nga dahon sa saging
ug nitumaw ang aso
nga naghatod sa kahumot sa manok.

Sa tunga niining nakahapin nga dahon
nakaplastar ang usa ka takos nga kan-on,
giibabawan ug sapal, lamas, ug unud.

Huwaran ko kini ug palapa
ug dugmukun,
sagulun ang timpla sa manok
sa mamaak nga kahalang sa sili ug sibudying.

Mupudyut ug katunga sa kumkum nga kan-on,
dimdimon ang kalami ug kahalang.

Samtang nagkalingaw kog hungit,
nakalingi ko sa akong palibot,

nakita ko mga grupo sa babayi nga nagkumbong,
mga laki nga nagsturya nga kanako banyagang pulung.

Ug sa ilang mga mata ug hagik-hik nabatyagan ko
nga tungud niining usa ka hawop nga kan-on
nga giputus sa dahon,

nibuklad ang pahiyum sa among mga nawong.

 

I slowly uncover
the wrapper made of banana leaf,
slowly releasing the steam,
that carries the aroma of cooked chicken.

In the center of the leaf
A cup of rice awaits
topped with coconut shreds, spices, and meat.

On this dish I slowly pour palapa
and start mashing,
blending the chicken’s juices
to the spice of the sili and sibudying.

I take a portion of the dish using my fingers
and relish the heat and tastes.

While I partake my feast,
my eyes can’t help but wander,

a group of women wearing kumbong, I notice,
men speaking tongues which are foreign to me.

And in their eyes, and laughter I pondered
that because of this moon shaped rice
wrapped in banana leaf,

happiness unfurled on all our faces.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Most Joyous Embrace

Ahmed Hataman

Quietly,
I enter their chambers,
Every night that I can,
And as the rest of the world falls silent,
cause one last, selfish interruption

I softly lean in, tired as they are
kiss their cheek
And quietly, as I leave
Say, “Love you, salaam”

Only then can I sleep,
Only then can I rest,
For if the Creator decides
to take them before dawn
They will at least know
All is forgiven, only thanks is left
And they would have felt my love
before the end

That day will come,
Of this I am aware,
Unless the Lord of the Worlds,
Decides to take me first

Until then,
I enter their chambers,
Every night without fail
Praying if they’re gone by morning,
I would see them again.
At the end of it all, I could run to them –
wrap them both in my arms,
And it would not matter if I held on
For the next thousand years.