Pablo Neruda in Surigaonon

LOVE SONNET XX by Pablo Neruda

(This poem is one of my favorites. I supposed others who like Pablo Neruda's works know this. I translated the poem in Surigaonon and first posted in Arts & Literature, www.surigaoislands.com, 21 Oct. 2005.

Love Sonnet XX
(Pablo Neruda)

Kuman duyom, makasuyat ako nan pinakamingaw na mga linya,

Mosuyat pananglitan, 'An kangitngit nahugno sanan an mga asul na mga bituon misidlak sa kalangitan'

An hangin sa kangitngit mibijo sa langit sanan miuwang.

Kuman na duyom ako mosuyat sa pinakamingaw na mga linya
Nayujag ako sa ija, isahay nayujag sab sija sa ako.

Pagmaduyom pareho kuman, ako sija gigakos sa ako mga bukton
Gihadkan-hadkan ko sija sa ubos nan wayay udtanan na kalangitan.

Nayujag sija sa ako, isahay sa nayujag sab sija sa ako.Kay uman di man mayujag sa ija mga magana na mga mata.

Kuman duyom ako mosuyat sa mga pinakamingaw na mga linya.
Hunahunaon na waya na sija sa ako. Bation na nawaya nako sija.

Madungog an makabungog na duyom, mas makabungog kun waya sija.
Tapos mahuyog an mga gipangsuyat sa kayag pareho nan tun-og sa kasagbutan.

Umay mabag-o kun an ako yujag dili makapahunong sa ija
An duyom nahugno, waya na sija sa ako.

Amo ra ini. Sa malajo jaoy naga-awit. Sa malajo.
An ako kayag waya matagbaw na ija nawaya sija.

An ako mga mata nangita sa ija amora ra sab mokadto sa ija.
An ako kasing-kasing, nangita sa ija, nakay waya sija sa ako.

Amora na kangitngit an nagpaputi sa mga kakahuyan.
Kita, sa adto na panahon, dili na magkapareho.

Waya na ako mayujag sa ija, amo jaon an tinuod, nakay kagana mayujag sa ija.
An ako tingog nagapangita sa sa hangin na mosabod sa ija pagdungog.

Sa iban na. Sa iban na sija. Amora nan ako mga hayok sa una.
An ija tingog. An ija mahayag na lawas. An ija malayom na mga mata.

Waya na ako mayujag sa ija, amo jaon an tinuod, nakay bagan nayujag gihapon ako sa ija.
Kadali ra an pagkayujag, madugay an pagkalimot.

Tungod sa mga duyom na amora kuman ako sija gigakos sa ako mga bukton.
Waya natagbaw an ako kayag na ija giwaya sija.

Maski pa man ini na katapusan na ija ako gipasakitansanan inin na an katapusan na mga linya na ako isuyat para sa ija.

----
(in English)


(Love Sonnet) XX

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.

Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche está estrellada,
y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos".

El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso.

En las noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos.
La besé tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.

Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería.
Cómo no haber amado sus grandes ojos fijos.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no la tengo. Sentir que la he perdido.

Oir la noche inmensa, más inmensa sin ella.
Y el verso cae al alma como al pasto el rocío.

Qué importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarla.
La noche está estrellada y ella no está conmigo.

Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.
Mi corazón la busca, y ella no está conmigo.

La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos árboles.
Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuánto la quise.
Mi voz buscaba el viento para tocar su oído.

De otro. Será de otro. Como antes de mis besos.
Su voz, su cuerpo claro. Sus ojos infinitos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.
Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.

Porque en noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos,
mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Aunque éste sea el último dolor que ella me causa,
y éstos sean los últimos versos que yo le escribo.



XX

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write for example, 'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to a pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.

On Local Political Parties in Surigao del Norte

The rise of local political parties (aside from Padajon Surigao, there is Abante Surigao!) is indeed a phenomenon.

It offers hope for us after long years of personality-based (mainly, patriarchal) politics in our province (as well as in the rest of the Philippines).

However, we must pray that neither of these parties would end up as a tool of the party’s leaders for their own pecuniary interests, for, it is a double-edged sword.

Socio-economic-political development has been caused by the leadership of a sector or a class. one school of thought would say it’s led by the middle class or the bourgeoisie. Karl Marx espoused the working class could change the world…Hegel theorized that it’s by the aristocrat class…

The most recent example is the rivalry between the Siths (representing the “evil” side) and the Jedis (representing the “good”) in the modern classical epic, the Star Wars. the Republic is governed by politicians. but, the Republic is guarded by the Jedi and the politicians manipulated by the Sith. they are trying to be the vanguards of the Republic (and the Empire). again, as a group, it is just a tool guided by its ideology or beliefs and used for a purpose or interests.

in short, we must be conscious of what these parties are really after? Are their party leaders as disciplined and noble as Yoda? Are their party activists as truthful and persevering as Obi Wan Kenobi?

We must always be guided by the Force!

(you may read my thought and my dream of forging a Surigaonon Ideology: Karajawan in my first post in this blog)

On Proclamation of Surigao Norte Elective Officials

Congrats to the newly-proclaimed elective officials!

For these officials, may you be servant-leaders. Surigaonons deserve better than patronage, nepotism and incompetence. As Christians, may you always remember how Jesus cleansed the feet of the apostles. That’s the ultimate symbol of servant-leadership.

The fact of mixed composition of the elective leaders reflect the will of the Surigaonons that no family or clan should dominate Surigao (and the fact that a Barbers, Matugas and Navarros also lost.)

The election of new faces would show the clamor for change and new ideas. May the greenhorns fulfill the Surigaonon’s quest for reforms.

And the election of the veterans would also show the re-affirmation of their performance (except of course for those who won out of vote-buying). May your wisdom guide you to serve us better.

For us voters, may we welcome these political developments with continuing and active involvement in supporting and, if necessary, in criticizing, the elective officials. May we now be united to support our elective officials..and if they would not serve as sincerely and competently, then we should be united to do the necessary legal acts.

Democracy is essentially “people’s rule.” It should never be the opposite. For us, so-called educated or “intelligensia” class, let our rational voice be heard. If needed, we be passionate not only thru the Net but in the real political sphere.

We are facing local, regional and global issues which our elective officials need our help. Let’s step out from our comfort zone to face the inconvenient truths: poverty, unemployment, corruption, unexplained presence of MNLF forces in Alegria-Mainit area (is Surigao part of the Moroland?), lack of State University in Caraga (of all regions, only Caraga has no state university), global warming, and other concerns.

Beyond 2007 Elections

The recent congressional election in District 2 would certainly become a historical one. (It's a much discussed issue in patsada karajaw's blogspot. I made this comment there.)

Thus, as history is intended for us to learn from it, we must view this controversy positively.

First, the passionate debate among partisans and the tempered pieces of advice of the neutrals would show that all of us Surigaonons do care for our kababayans and our dear Surigao.

It is a good sign that we are becoming pro-active.

Second, the virtual democratic space on the Net (in particular, this blog, thanks to patsada karajaw!) offers the best medium for us to share our views on issues in and dreams for Surigao.

mahamok pa na mga kukabildo pa unta an mahitabo, kay dili ra man si Manny Kong o si Tony Consing an jaoy marajaw na panghuna-huna sa Surigao!

devoid of any threat from the powers-that-be, we can use our anonymity here for the greater good. but, we must always be responsible not to abuse this freedom.

as Spiderman said: “great power comes with great responsibility.”

and he said again: “life is a choice..”

it is about time to think beyond one’s political camp or clan. Surigao is not just the Barbers, the Matugases or the Romarates.

many brilliant Surigaonons are out there who can share their talents too. like, there was a Surigaonon (from Mainit) who worked as researcher in Harvard and now a leading Philosophy prof in U.P. Diliman, a Surigaonon (from Bacuag) who is the dean of U.P. Law, the premier law school in the Philippines, a teen-ager Surigaonon theater actress (from Kaskag and now Ireland-based) who performed in Her Majesty’s Theater, West End, a Surigaonon (from Mainit) who has a postgrad course in a British university and is now a researcher in the United Nations, a Surigaonon tenor (from Del Carmen) who has been singing around the globe since he graduated from U.P. College of Music and many more Surigaonons who may do better than the politicians…

my point: do not let political rivalry divides us…and never let the politicians steal your identity as a plain Surigaonon. let’s think and act as a Surigaonon for Surigaonons!