Tranquila deambula,
Rapidamente levanta la vista
Al escuchar su nombre
"Ya no pienso en él"
Dice con evidente nervio.
Por atras oculto
Bajo el matorral de gente
Con un ramo de rosas
Deja caer una lagrima
Con nuca y
ramo de confusion
Como testigos, olvida el ojalá.
El tiempo se vuelve juez,
Y el rechazo la condena

1.
Noong unang panahon, may lupaing walang makapapantay
Sa kariktan at kasaganahan nitong tinataglay
Ito ang “Ibalon” na kilala ngayong Bikol, Albay
Subalit ito’y iniiwasan ng mga manlalakbay
(Once upon a time, a land was known
For its beauty & bounty nothing outshone
It was Bicol, Albay which was then, Ibalon
Yet, travelers to there had been withdrawn)

2.
Dahil ito ay pinamumugaran
Ng mga halimaw na hayok sa laman
(Because it was teeming
With monsters to flesh were starving)

3.
Walang nangahas doon makapasok
Maliban sa lalaking si Baltog mula Boltavara na ubod ng lakas at pusok
(No one dared to enter in there
Except for Baltog, a daring & brave man from Boltavara yonder)

4.
Sinalanta niya ang mga halimaw na parang delubyo
Una si Tandayag, ang dambuhalang baboy-ramo
(He wiped out the monsters like a deluge
First was Tandayag, a warthog so huge)

5.
Mula noon, sa lupain na dating kinatatakutan
Mga tao’y dumayo at doon nanirahan
(From then on, in the land once feared
To flock & reside, people dared)

6.
Subalit hindi pa wagas na masaya
Dahil may mga halimaw pang natitira
(But it was not yet the happy ending
There were still monsters remaining)

7.
Si Baltog na matanda na ay labis nabahala
‘Pagkat siya’y mahina na at ‘di na makalaban pa
(Baltog was bothered now that he’s older
For he’s already weak and could fight no longer)

8.
Mabuti nalang at may binatang nagkusa
Siya si Handiong – matapang na, malakas pa
(Good there’s a young man who presented at last
He was Handiong so valiant and robust)

9.
Kanyang pinatumba ang duling na Sarimao
Pating na may pakpak at higantedng kalabaw
(He crushed down the cross-eyed Sarimao
The winged shark and the giant carabao)

10.
Subalit may nilalang na hindi niya nagapi
Ito ay mapanganib at tuso kasi
(But he cannot defeat a certain creature
For it was so dangerous and clever)

11.
Siya si Oryol, ang babaeng ahas
Lumalaban ba siya ng patas?
(She was Oryol, the snake lady
Does she fight impartially?)

12.
Sa kanyang mga yapos, walang nakapipiglas
Maging si Handiong na kaylakas, hindi nakaalpas
(On her grip, no one could break free
Even strong Handiong couldn’t escape from thee)

13.
Swerte ni Handiong, hindi siya binalak patayin
Bagkus ay ginamit nalang sa matagal na mithiin
(How fortunate was Handiong, there’s no plan to **** him
Instead, she just used him for her long-time dream)

14.
Laban sa mga mortal na kaaway, dapat tulungan siya ni Handiong
Na lipulin ang mga buwaya sa Ilog Ibalon
(Against her mortal enemies, Handiong must help her
To annihilate the crocodiles in Ibalon River)

15.
Matapos tuparin ang mapanganib na misyon
Si Oryol ay naging kapanalig sa Ibalon
(After fulfilling the dangerous mission
Oryol became an ally in Ibalon)

16.
Si Handiong ay naging mahusay na pinuno
Bangka, araro, alibata – kayraming naimbento sa kanyang pangungulo
(Handiong became an excellent ruler
Boat, plow, alphabet – many inventions were made during his tenure)

17.
At sa mga sumunod pang henerasyon
Naging mapayapa’t maunlad ang Ibalon
(And on the succeeding generations
Peace & prosperity reigned over Ibalon)

18.
Hanggang sa may sumulpot
Na panibagong kinatakutang salot
(Until there appeared
A new abomination so much feared)

19.
Siya’y nagtataglay ng katakut-takot na kapangyarihan
Hindi rin maipaliwanag ang kanyang kaanyuan
(He possessed a terrifying power
No one could even describe his feature)

20.
Siya ay isang mangkukulam na kilabot
Na tinatawag nilang Rabot
(He was a sorcerer fearsome
Called Rabot by some)

21.
Mapalad ang Ibalon, may natira pang bayani
Siya si Bantung, matalino’t maliksi
(Lucky was Ibalon, a hero was still there
That was Bantung vigorous and aware)

22.
Siya’y lumikha ng isang payak na plano
Pinaslang niya si Rabot habang natutulog ito
(He just devised a simple planning
He murdered Rabot while the monster was sleeping)

23.
Si Rabot ang pinakahuling halimaw sa Ibalon
Nang siya’y mapuksa, naging payapa na doon
(Rabot was the very last monster in Ibalon
Upon his death, peace reigned there from then on.)

-03/10-11/2012
(Dumarao)
*for Lit. Day 2012

L'anguilla, la sirena
dei mari freddi che lascia il Baltico
per giungere ai nostri mari,
ai nostri estuari, ai fiumi
che risale in profondo, sotto la piena avversa,
di ramo in ramo e poi
di capello in capello, assottigliati,
sempre piú addentro, sempre piú nel cuore
del macigno, filtrando
tra gorielli di melma finché un giorno
una luce scoccata dai castagni
ne accende il guizzo in pozze d'acquamorta,
nei fossi che declinano
dai balzi d'Appennino alla Romagna;
l'anguilla, torcia, frusta,
freccia d'Amore in terra
che solo i nostri botri o i disseccati
ruscelli pirenaici riconducono
a paradisi di fecondazione;
l'anima verde che cerca
vita là dove solo
morde l'arsura e la desolazione,
la scintilla che dice
tutto comincia quando tutto pare
incarbonirsi, bronco seppellito:
l'iride breve, gemella
di quella che incastonano i tuoi cigli
e fai brillare intatta in mezzo ai figli
dell'uomo, immersi nel tuo fango, puoi tu
non crederla sorella?