ALAS
DOSE SA PARADAHAN
Alas-dose sa paradahan
it motorsiklo
It kag Mahay nak Adlaw, nasagasaan
Kag usa sa mga salumpati sak ruto
Ay pirmeng nagpapanimusimo
It niumang mabubuntok.
Kada ngani'y nagyas-ag
Kag mga putting bayukag, nagrilag
Sa silak ka rugong naglinta
Sa semento, it kag yanggam
Nak naligis.
Gingtitipon ni
Bekbek kag mga balahibo
Halin sa likot ag kalat it karsada. Nagririlag
Kag nayusrok. Tibawon. Asida indi ngani'y
Nupay ida ra gihapon kag mga salumpating
Adlaw-adlaw ay nagruruaw
Sa bunsuran it inra tinrahan.
Nagsilin - paukaw
- halin sa kayungot
Nak waiting shed kag usang
Sa hitsura nimo'y bakasyubistang taga-Maynila:
"ineng, wag ka nang maiyak. Mababa kasi
Ang lipad nya!"
Ginur-anan ka
nagging sabat
It kag grupo sa waiting shed. Imaw rang
Pag-arangkada it kag usang pahalinang honda.
Nagyupar kag aso ag taybo
Nak nagpuling sa mata
It kag adlaw nak kato sa kuwaresma.
++++++++
Translation by Ish Fabicon:
12pm in a parking
lot
Noontime, in a
parking lot
for motorbikes - on Holy Week,
One of the pigeons was run over
On the spot where it used to peck
and nibble, crumbs of bird food..
It was for that
reason
that white feathers dispersed
And the blood stained concrete
Seemingly glowed in red
The mangled body of a bird...
Bekbek gathered
the feathers
piece by piece -
From a garbage heap
and those that were strewn
on the street.
She was teary-eyed.
And why not?
The pigeon was her own -
A daily visitor on the doorstep
of her store.
There was a voice
nearest to a scream
From the "waiting shed"
Coming from one
Who seemingly looked
like a vacationist from Manila:
"Miss, do not cry
on a low-flying bird."
They who heard
the remark
laughed and laughed -
They who were in the "waiting shed."
A Honda, gathered speed
and at full throttle
Sped away
In a cloud of smoke and dust.
blinding the eyes of those who sneered.
One hot summer
day,
on Holy Week.
