(O, Ang Tore Ni Babel sa Pilipinas)
(Or, The Tower of Babel in Philippines)
Ni: Nimia Perez Carpio
By: (aka) Leonidas Agbayani
Anang Kasulatan nang unang panahon,
Ang sangkatauhan ay iisang nasyon;
Unawaa'y lubos sa mga pagpupulong,
Sa mga panayam ay walang linggatong.
According to the Book in the days of old,
All of humankind was only one nation;
Mental grasp was complete in all discussions,
In all talks were no wrong interpretations.
Dumunong ang tao, hangad ay lumabis,
Inambisyon niyang maabot ang langit;
Ang Tore ni Babel, tayog 'di malirip,
Sinikap itayo, tampok sa daigdig!
Man became wise, desire gave way to greed,
And over-ambitious that heaven he could reach;
The Tower of Babel, height hard to conceive,
He endeavored to erect, a landmark on earth!
Lubhang nabalisa si Haring Bathala,
Nung makita Niya Toreng ginagawa;
Wika sa sarili'y dapat maapula,
Mapigil ang tao sa labis niyang tangka.
The Almighty One was grievously disturbed,
On seeing the Tower then being erected;
Said He to Himself: "They must be prevented,
Man must be stopped from outrageous greed."
Isang iglap mandi'y 'di na magkamayaw
Itong mga tao sa pag-uusapan;
Iba't-ibang wika na ang inuusal,
At hindi na muling magka-unawaan!
In an instant there was utter confusion,
All men could not grasp what every other say;
In differing languages were they talking now,
And could no longer understand one another!
Ang Tore ni Babel, sanhi at simula,
Pagkalat ng tao sa balat ng lupa;
Ang bawa't pulutong, nai-ibang bansa,
Natatanging nasyon na may kanyang wika.
(Mula: HENESIS, Kap. XI: 1 - 9)
The Tower of Babel was the cause and beginning,
Of man's spreading all over the earth;
And every group became a different nation,
A very distinct tribe with its own language.
(Ref.: GENESIS, Ch XI: 1 - 9)
* * *
Sa katagalan ay nagdalang-awa rin,
Nahabag sa tao, Amang maawain;
Tinulutan silang dunong ay malining,
Sariling kultura't wika'y pagyamanin.
After the lapse of time compassion was felt,
And pity for man by the Magnanimous One;
They were set to learn and seek all knowledge,
And enrich their own culture and language.
At ang bawa't bansa'y nawag kay Bathala,
Na ang pagdalangi'y, kani-kanyang wika;
At alinmang nasyong tumawag nang kusa,
Umani't nagtamo, lubos na biyaya.
Every nation now called on the Almighty One,
Such that each prayed in his own language;
And the nation which solemnly implored,
Received and enjoyed overflowing grace.
Dalangin ng Hapon ay sa wikang Hapones,
At ang taga-Francia ay sa wikang Franses;
Mga Kano't Britaniko'y sa salitang Ingles,
Ang taga-Holandia'y sa wikang Holandes.
The Japanese prayed in native Nippongo,
And the Frenchmen adored by their own lingo;
The Yankees and the Brits supplicated in Anglo,
And Europeans prayed in their own Euro.
May sa wikang Ruso, Kastila, Aleman;
May lengwaheng Intsik, Griego at Arabian;
At ang bawa't bansa'y may tanging paraang
Magpita't humiling sa Amang Maykapal.
There are those in Russian, Español, German;
There's in Chinese, Greek and Arabian;
Such that every nation has its own way
To pray and implore the Omnipotent One.
Si Bathala nama'y tuloy ang pagdinig
Sa daing ng tao sa buong daigdig;
Saganang biyaya'y Kanyang 'hinahasik
Sa lahat nang nasyong awa N'ya ang sambit!
The Almighty of course continually listens
To man's supplications all over the earth;
Bounteous graces He strews throughout,
To all of the nations that His pity they seek!
* * *
Nguni ay nagtaka ang Ama sa Langit,
Likhang Pilipino'y tila nauumid;
Panambitan nito'y 'di N'ya naririnig;
Ngalan ni Bathala'y 'di man lang masambit!
But the Heavenly Father was sore perplexed,
His created Filipino was silent and dumb;
Supplications from him have remained unheard;
The name of Bathala was not even uttered!
Ay bago'y patuloy naman ang pagpita
Nitong Pilipino kay Bathalang Ama;
Naging gawi nga lang nitong pagsambitla
Ay sa wikang dayo't banyagang salita!
But constant supplications were truly prayed
By the Filipino to the Heavenly Father;
But his habitual prayers were always uttered
In a foreign and borrowed language!
Kaya ang dalangin nito kay Bathala,
Ay nakalilito sa Amang Lumikha;
'Di N'ya mapagwari't anaki'y himala,
Na parang kulisap ang nagsasalita!
And so his prayers to the Almighty One,
Were confusing to the Heavenly Father;
He could not really fathom as though a mystery,
As if insects are the ones trying to pray!
Nguni't walang lihim na 'di nababatid
Ng Dakilang Ama sa taas ng Langit;
Sabihin ang poot na hindi malirip
Sa'ting wikang dayo ang s'yang laging sambit!
But there was no secret that is ever unknown
To the Almighty Father in the Heaven above;
Imagine the ire that was hard to fathom
Upon them who prayed in an alien tongue!
Disin ay biyaya ang sa ati'y hasik
Ni Bathalang Ama, magmula sa Langit;
Unos, baha, lindol, bagyo, salot, init --
Mga dusang ganti sa pagmamalabis!
Instead of graces to us would be strewn
By the Almighty Father, from he Heaven above;
Storm, flood, earthwuake, typhoon, famine, heat --
All punishments in exchange for excessive ills!
* * *
Ay! kay sawi nitong bansang Pilipinas,
Ang Tore ni Babel dito ay natuklas;
Sa salitang hiram nagpapaka-utas,
At ang mamamaya'y walang pagkawatas!
Alas! how hapless our country the Philippines,
The Tower of Babel has been here discovered;
In a borrowed tongue she is deeply mired,
And her own ciitizens cannot really comprehend!
Balintunang palad: paglaya'y 'di laya;
Kuru-kuro't pag-iisip ay sa dayong diwa!
Pilit nililinang ay hiram na wika't
Likas 'tang talino'y napapanganyaya!
Incomprehensible fate: freedom is no liberty!
Thoughts ang thinking are of an alien mind!
Insisting on perpetuating a borrowed tongue
And indigenous talent is being abandoned!
Kung sa wikang dayo laging magsasanay,
Sa unlad ng buhay tayo'y maiiwan;
Maghihintay na lang ng dunong na hiram,
Subali't luma na kung ating makamtan!
If we always study in a foreign tongue,
In the progress of life we will lag behind;
We'll merely await for borrowed wisdom,
But they're obsolete when imparted to us.
Lahing mauunlad, anang kasaysayan,
Wikang katutubo ang pinagyayaman;
At nang sa pagtuklas, bagong kaalaman,
Hindi mahuhuli kaysa ibang bayan!
Progressive races, history attests,
Conserve and develop their native languages;
Such that in the quest for fresher knowledge,
Won't be left behind by the other races!
Kung sa dayong wika tayo maniniig,
Mga batas, kautusan, sa masa ay lingid;
Dukhang mamamayan sa alam ay umid,
Mga dayo'y higit na makababatid!
If we insist to be mired in a borrowed tongue,
Laws and ordinances to our masses are unknown;
The poor citizen in knowledge is so dumb,
But the aliens can better understand!
Ito'y alipusta sa'ting mamamayang
Sa guguli'y kapos, 'di makapag-aral;
Lantay man at likas talas ng isipan,
Mangmang pa rin sila sa sariling bayan!
This is an insult to our own people
Who are hard of means, and can't study much;
Pure though and innate the sharpness of mind.
He remains illeterate in his native land!
* * *
Atin nang pagyamanin ang sariling wika;
Wikang magbubuklod sa'ting pagkabansa;
Ang alin mang lahing hiram ang salita,
Lahing walang palad, sa balat ng lupa!
Let us then enrich our own language;
The lingo that will weld our nationhood;
Any nation with a borrowed tongue,
Is an acccursed race on the face of the earth!
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