Alim - Page 3 of 3
(an Ifugao epic)
Bilingual (Tagalog-English) version
Nagkaroon ng malawak na tag-gutom. Kumonti ang ani. Nagpatay sila ng daga at inihandog nila kay Makanunggan ngunit nagpatuloy ang kaunting ani.
Ano ang gagawin natin?
tanong ni Bugan kay Wigan isang gabi bago sila matulog. Mamamatay tayong lahat sa guton kung magpapatuloy ang mahina nating ani.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit galit si Makanunggan sa atin. Marahil ay hindi niya nagustuhan ang daga na inihandog natin sa kanya.
Bakit hindi natin ihandog ang ating anak na si Igon?
Nagkasundo sila na patayin si Igon, ang pinaka-batang anak at inihandog kay Makanunggan. At sa wakas ay natapas ang mahinang ani. Ngunit nagpakita muli si Makanunggan at sihabi na ang ginawa nila kay Igon ay karumal-dumal. Ikinalat sila ni Makanunggan sa apat na sulok ng lupa, sa silangan at kanluran at sa hilaga at timog. At sinumpa sila dahil sa ginawa nila kay Igon. Mag-aaway sila sa bawat pagkakataon na malalapit sila sa isa't-isa.
Then came a great famine. The soil produced poor harvest. They killed a rat and offered it to Makanungan but the poor harvest continued.
What shall we do?
Bugan asked Wigan one night while they were about to sleep. We will all die of hunger if this poor harvest continues.
I don't know why Makanungan is angry with us. Perhaps he didn't like the rat we offered him.
Why don't we offer him our son, Igon?
They all decided to kill Igon, the youngest, and offered him to Makanungan. True enough, the poor harvest was abated. But Makanungan once again appeared before them and told them that what they did to Igon was outrageous. Then Makanungan scattered them to the four corners of the earth, to the East and West and to the North and South. And as a curse to what they did to Igon, they would fight everytime they come near each other.
Pages
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3