Ako ay Buhay sa mga Sandaling

Ako ay Buhay sa mga Sandaling

Salin ni Reya Bato

Ako ay buhay sa mga sandaling
kasiping ko ang kanyang katawan
na unti-unting nagkakamalay
at tuluyang ginigising ng pithaya
ng laman. Kinakagat ko ang kanyang
balikat hanggang sa maabot namin
ang halimuyak ng Tagsibol --
napakasidhi, napakalaki, iisa
sa makulay na sandali.


Kalugod-lugod na takot
ang naghahari sa paglilimayon
ng kanyang mga labi (at mula
sa pagitan ng kanyang mga hita
na kumikibot at humihingal,
isang nag-uumigpaw na ulan
ang dumidilig sa bulaklak
na sumasayaw sa bawat
kumpas ng aking balakang)


Orihinal na Teksto:

Sometimes I Am Alive Because With
by E.E. Cummings

Sometimes I am alive because with
me her alert treelike body sleeps
which I will feel slowly sharpening
becoming distinct with love slowly,
who in my shoulder sinks sweetly teeth
until we shall attain the Springsmelling
intense large together coloured instant

the moment pleasantly frightful

when, her mouth suddenly rising, wholly
begins with mine fiercely to fool
(and from my thighs which shrug and pant
a murdering rain leapingly reaches the upward singular deepest flower which she
carries in a gesture of her hips)

Aking Pagsinta, Lilimutin Natin Siya!

Aking Pagsinta, Lilimutin Natin Siya!

(salin sa tula ni Emily Dickinson na Heart, We Will Forget Him!)

Aking pagsinta, lilimutin natin siya!
Ikaw at ako, ngayong gabing ito!
Lilimutin mo ang bigay niyang init
Aapulahin ko naman ang ningas niyang hatid.

Kung nangyari na, ipaalam mo sa akin
Upang ang aking alaala ay magdilim;
Dali! Ako ay nababahala na sa iyong pagkaantala,
Ako ay mangulila at alaala niya ay hindi mawala!

(orihinal na teksto)

Heart, we will forget him!
You and I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.

When you have done, pray tell me
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging.
I may remember him!

Ako, na Ipinanganak na Babae at Nangangamba

Edna Saint Vincent Millay

Ako, na Ipinanganak na Babae at Nangangamba



(halaw sa I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed

ni Edna St. Vincent Millay)


Ako, na ipinanganak na babae at nangangamba

sa pangangailangan ng aking kauri at aming sapantaha,

ay nahikayat ng iyong kalapitan para makaunawa

sa karik’tan ng iyong pagkatao, at damhin ang pihong ligaya




habang nakapatong ang bigat mo sa akin katawan:

Napakarupok ng hininga ng buhay, nilaan

upang linawin ang tibok at guluhin ang isipan,

at iwan mo ulit akong kulang, sarili ay hindi kamtan.




Wag mong isipin, gayunman, ang abang kataksilan

ng aking mapusok na dugo laban sa aking tulirong isipan,

iisipin kita nang may pagmamahal, o kaya’y rekaduhan

ang aking pangungutya ng awa, -- hayaan




mong linawin ko ito sa katwirang:

Tanto kong ito ay kahibangan at alanganing dahilan

ng ating pag-uusap sa muli nating pag-uulayaw.





Orihinal na Teksto:


I, being born a woman and distressed

By all the needs and notions of my kind,

Am urged by your propinquity to find

Your person fair, and feel a certain zest

To bear your body's weight upon my breast:

So subtly is the fume of life, designed

To clarify the pulse and cloud the mind,

And leave me once again undone, possessed.

Think not for this, however, the poor treason

Of my stout blood against my staggering brain,

I shall remember you with love, or season

My scorn with pity, -- let me make it plain:

I find this frenzy insufficient reason

For conversation when we meet again.

Commercial Break (Part 2)

I shut my eyes and pressed my thumb on my temple. I was tempted to shout at the top of my voice or bang my fist on the table, kick the trash bin beside my left foot, and hurl the pile of papers in front of me.

The phone rang.

“Hello! Blah, blah, blah, blah office, good morning!” The way I greeted the person on the other line astonished me. There was no hint of annoyance in it.

“I can still be courteous even I am raging with anger,” I thought.

The owner of the voice on the other line was jovial. It drowned my ranging anger.

He wanted to speak to Mr. Blah-blah. Mr. Blah-blah made a sign that he could not take the call.

“Mr. Blah-blah can’t come to the phone now. May I have your name and number. He will call you back as soon as possible.” I replied.

I jotted down his name and number then said goodbye. When I put down the receiver, Mr. Blah-blah called me to give another set of paperwork. I did not stir on my seat.

I had an urge to shout at the top of my voice again.

I bowed down my head, shut my eyes, and pressed my thumb on my temple.

Mr. Blah-blah called me again to hand the paperwork. I lifted my head, tried to smile, walked towards him, and extended my right hand to get the other set of papers.

I took a deep breath before burying myself to work.

“These papers are a relief anyway”, I thought, “I can forget everything once I am occupied with them.”


(Yup, folks, I'm changing my genre. I am writing prose now. I tried to write poetry these past days but to no avail. The muse of my poetry escaped again. Actually, I chose three poems that I will translate or adapt in Filipino but... I couldn't find any drive to write a new poem. So, enjoy my very first short story.)

Dalamhati

Halaw sa 'Sorrow' ni Edna St. Vincent Millay

Tumatahip sa aking dibdib
ang sakit na walang patid
sa pagtangis. Ang mga tao
ay alumpihit at napapahiyaw
sa sakit, -- Sa pagdating

ng bukang-liwayway
sila’y matatagpuang walang
ingay ni galaw; hindi man lang
nadagdagan o ni nabawasan,
wala ring nasawata

ni nag-umpisa. Ang mga tao
ay gumagayak at sa bayan
ay nagpupunta; ako’y nakaupo
sa aking silya. Lahat ng alaala
ay mabagal at lanta: Tumayo

man o umupong muli
ay walang halaga, o kaya’y
anong gagamiting bestida
o panaping isusuot sa paa.

(Orihinal na Teksto)
Sorrow
Edna St. Vincent Millay


Sorrow like a ceaseless rain
Beats upon my heart.
People twist and scream in pain,—
Dawn will find them still again;
This has neither wax nor wane,
Neither stop nor start.

People dress and go to town;
I sit in my chair.
All my thoughts are slow and brown:
Standing up or sitting down
Little matters, or what gown
Or what shoes I wear.

Halaw sa Lyric 17

Salin sa Lyric 17
ni Reya Bato

(mula kay Jose Garcia Villa)

Una, ang tula ay mahika
At musika gaya ng ibong magdaya.
Ito ay gumagalaw na liwanag
At namumulaklak na ibong papalipad.
Ito ay payat tulad ng batingaw
At may apoy na tinataglay.
Ito ay may dunong ng búsog
At katulad ng rosas sa pagluhod.
May kakayahan itong pakinggan
Kinang ng kalapati at usa sa parang.
Kaya nitong takpan
Ang nakikita, kaparis ng nobya sa kasal.
Sa kabuuan ay nais kong lumutang
Ang Maykapal, tula’y buong liyag na masdan.

(Orihinal na Teksto)

"Lyric 17"
Jose Garcia Villa

First, a poem must be magical,

Then musical as a sea-gull.

It must be a brightness moving

And hold secret a bird's flowering

.It must be slender as a bell,

And it must hold fire as well.

It must have the wisdom of bows

And it must kneel like a rose.

It must be able to hear

The luminance of dove and deer.

It must be able to hide

What it seeks, like a bride.

And over all I would like to hover

God, smiling from the poem's cover.

To A Son Who's Learning to Play Chess

Son,


Every piece has different move to take:
(Pawns advance one step
Rooks march straight
Knights dash in L-shape
Bishops glide through diagonal lanes
And the queen parades on all quarters.)
but all move to capture the enemy
and to guard king’s safety.


Your every move has an outcome
don’t rouse your pieces without a plan
make them work together to trap your rival.
Predict the movements of your enemy
maximise all the possibilities
then be ready to strike.
You must also know how to sacrifice
the little pieces to fortify your next attack.


Play smart and play hard
make the right moves
and keep this in mind:
you'll lose the game
once your king is trapped.


It is checkmate!