Limericks an Nalpu hi Muyung (Limericks from the forest)

Note: This set of limericks were also read in the Panagbenga Poetry Reading as part of UP Baguio's Rambak Sining on February 20, 2014.  A rough English translation by the author is at the last part of this article.

GAYUMMA

Gayyum-uh, gayyummu, gayyumna

Munayayyam tauh’ gayumma

Nan nipa’en hinlahing

Hamaon di nalaing

Mih'lam mu mahama’ damdama

Ifugao Name: Gayumma

BALANGBANG

Maadiyan di umipaaminul an balangbang

Te hinan muyung ya dinaladalan di inolwang

Mu adi iwili

Ta ume ihubli

Hi naarkusan an bale an balolandah’ nuwang

BUKTAYYON

Maphod an tigtiggon nan babayong hinan buktayon

Pohdopohdonan lani’lioodon, hanobhobboon

Mu adi umiagu

Hi inagang di tagu

Hiya nan bokon hidiye di e hawahawangon

 

Ifugao Name: Buktayyon

TANGLAG

Bumunga hi ay mihamihanglag

Tun maallutlutabbong an tanglag

Mu magabut

Te humabut

Hi mitanom hi tanud di holag

KABABBUY

Ibabbalen di uungay kababbuy

Punbalinon da hi dakol an babuy

In-inop ad uwani

Mu hana ’tun mangali

Puniyanamutyu ayay ginuyguy

Ifugao Name: Kababbuy.  The young rolled up leaves are played by village kids as 'pigs" in thie babbale (bahay-bahayan).  

GAYUMMA

My friend, your friend, his friend

Let’s play the gayumma game

A bit of it we hide

For the clever to find

Disguised but will nevertheless be discovered

BALANGBANG

Rejected is the relished balangbang

For in the forest, floodwaters stream through it

But it is not thrown away

For it is for sale

In the decorated house, it’s valued like cattle

Ifugao name: Balangbang

BUKTAYYON

It’s nice to behold the bee on the buktayyon

It loves to fly around and creep to it deep

But it doesn’t ease

Hunger of people

It is not worth looking for it all day

TANGLAG

It bears fruit that seemingly can be roasted

This flourishing stalks of tanglag

But it would be cut

So it won’t choke

What’s been planted to feed the family

Ifugao Name: Tanglag.  This is a cogon-like grass.

KABABBUY

The children got kababbuy in their playhouse

Making them into a lot of pig toys

That’s dream today

And may in the future

They bring home the true innards