Best Tagalog Poems
"Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan,
hindi makakarating sa paroroonan".
(A person who does not remember where he came from
will never reach his destination).
Filipino proverb.
Gift me wings so I can fly to a blessed land
of emerald isles with an eclectic ecosystem,
admiring an affluence of biodiversity
of tropical exotic fauna and flora,
where turquoise waves wander onto
golden shores of alluring Binitinan,
exploring the coral reefs of Boracay.
A place where childhood dreams fill the air,
where innocence once built sandcastles,
but now all that is left is forgotten footprints -
from ghosts of ancestors.
Let me soar with the Pithecophaga Jefferyi eagle,
through rainforests and Kawasan falls,
where souls are free to roam the motherland's
seven thousand spine-tingling islands,
from Maya bay to Palawan's underground rivers
of enigmatic Puerta Princesa,
until we greet the palm trees of Camiguin -
the valley of volcanoes and the sunken cemetery.
Viewing the Colours of StoBoSa to the
pretty patterns of Ifugao rice terraces,
until we reach the marvels of Luzon,
silently perching upon the zenith of
Mount Pulag's peaks, transcending spiritual
echoes towards Mindanao's Mount Apo,
whispering secretive Tagalog tongues,
in one hundred diasporic dialects,
as iris and marmalade skies welcome sunset,
we'll bathe in the sapphire ripples of Bohol sea.
Then we'll follow radiant night lights,
reaching the bustling streets of Manila,
losing ourselves in the succulent scents
of balut, kwek kwek, taho, halo halo,
as we devour juicy lanzones,
refreshed by a cool breeze,
The pearl of the Orient,
home of Balagtas' Florante at Laura,
dulcet tones of Santiago's Anak Dalita,
where heartfelt hospitality
with rich cultural heritage,
soothe tired eyes gazing at
natural wonders of ancient views,
where vibrant hues leave you breathless.
I may never know what exactly happened,
but I think I know the why of it
Tadhana…Fate…Destiny…Kismet…
Put it in so many words,
but it all boils down to that.
Tadhana…
shivers down my spine,
tears prickling my eyes,
as I hear once more the story,
the destiny
of two souls
one stormy day in July…
She was being stupid,
crashing into the waves that day
just for the thrill of it
He was being pensive,
reflecting on how those waves
just somehow seemed to soothe him
People slowly left the shores
as dark clouds loomed in the horizon
save for these two souls...
She wasn’t even supposed to be there,
just a spur of the moment thing,
forgetting her other worries
she loved storms, she loved the beach
combine them and for her it was bliss…
He went there for closure,
the 10th year of his brother’s death
trying to accept that he did all he could
he loved him, he loved the beach
but guilt drowned him…
The rains then came down in sheets,
winds whipping, storm waves crashing
she was almost at shore though,
when the undertow pulled her back
He thought he was imagining things,
his brother’s ghost perhaps?
When he saw her again,
and fear was tossed like jetsam
Was she the answer he was seeking for?
His redemption in another form?
Was this the reason why he was here now?
Her only hope for salvation?
Rushing out to sea,
adrenaline rushing through his veins
Faith and Fate working together,
he swam towards her
and as they reached the shore
the winds dropped to a whisper,
the waves went back tickling sand,
the raindrops trickled into drizzles
She was breathing, thank God
He lay beside her, exhausted
She could only thank him with a smile
well, a smile that could match the Sun
and she took his hand...
and put it over her heart
It was not so much that their hands fit perfectly,
but there was something else...
mole on her right ring finger
perfectly aligning
mole on his left ring finger
Tadhana.
Shivers down my spine,
tears prickling my eyes,
as I hear once more the story,
the destiny
of two souls
one stormy day in July…
and of why I am here.
** tadhana is a Tagalog word, it can be translated as fate/destiny/kismet
July 25, 2010
Die Scherben des Lebens lassen sich nicht kitten. (German)
The shards of the life cannot be cemented. (English)
Los fragmentos de la vida no se puede enmasillar. (Spanish)
Les éclats de vie ne peu pas être à nouveau ensemble. (French)
I frammenti di vita non può essere di nuovo insieme . (Italian)
Die skerwe van die lewe kan nie weer saam wees. (Afrikaans)
Ang mga tipak ng buhay ay hindi maaaring simentuhin. (Tagalog)
Cioburile vietii nu pot fi cimentat. (Romanian)
Kathang-isip na mapagkunwari
Ginto'y sa dulo raw ng bahag-hari
Sa huling hininga bumabawi
Nasanay lang sa suwail na gawi.
Araw-araw sumasapit ang gabi
Mga tala'y lumayo sa tabi
Ang hangin lang ang madalas bumati
Tadhana'y sadyang mapaghiganti
Kung maari'y sayo ay lumagi
Giliw huwag na sanang tumanggi
Nawa ating kaluluwa'y mag-sapi
Sa daigdig nating mapang-api
Nagsidigmaan na ang mga lahi
Sa puso kong tinastas ang tahi
Sa'yo o sa leeg ba itatali?
Sakaling maitama ang mali.
- PM, 2018 (Filipino poem written in Tagalog)
Strands of satiny pineapple fibers
From the superbly prickly pieces of leaves
Refined by the nifty naked hands
Of the great sophisticated artisans
Beyond this unequaled plant
Is a peculiar product exist
Only native Filipinos - Tagalogs can procreate
An art of aesthetic craftsmen
The fabric of my historical breed
Versatile apparel suits for formal affairs - weddings
From 20 meters of silk processed and produced - four months
Nation known as PEARL OF THE ORIENT
Exaltedly introduces this "BARONG TAGALOG"
Through cordial hardworks and artistic thinkings
A lifetime masterpiece dominates the Philippine Art
A cloth woven by faith and ornamented by passion
A cloth designed by heart and given birth through life
A cloth perfected by artistry and embroidered by fidelity
For native Batanguenos, this is their breath
Respiring together as they brocade their future
Future that depends on THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL CLOTH - BARONG TAGALOG.
*BATANGUENOS - people of Batangas,Philippines
*BARONG TAGALOG - Philippine National Cloth
------------Jun-jun Villanueva
----ANYTHING HANDMADE CONTEST by nette onclaud
Ancestors had fore-planned
My whole being in Spanish
Yet, my concerned parents wrote
My rhesus A-plus blood in Tagalog
I was born, they said
To enjoy my own life, not theirs
That I took slowly my first steps in Ilocano
Only to be held captive by a beast, a stranger
My Dad, lover of math, thought I got his brain
So, he slaved himself working…and sent
Me to a Catholic private school, but
I found myself reading in Russian
‘Cos I was granted summers bathe in Dnepro
Where I spied the future in a Ukrainian accent
Thou, alone for years, I managed to earn happiness
As I learned friendship and peace in Arabic
But, I was best-loved in Chechen
And I’ve lived my dalliance in French, my lovers
For me, my inspirations; they half-influenced
Me, to become words whisperer in English
Oh yes, life is strange
And full of twists, yet, I saw the sliver
Of hope in Modern Greek, when
I met my other half. She spoke about….
Xristos, in whom I now dwell
For his language of love I learn to speak
And I try to live it in perfection
Till I breathe my last
*Paghuli ng Bulalakaw*
Minsan ako'y nakahuli ng isang bulalakaw,
at sa aking mga kamay inilagay
Ako'y lubhang napaso, nasaktan ng lubusan
kaya't aking itong pinakawalan...
Isang gabi, natanaw ko ang isang tala
na nagliyab sa himpapawirin
Akin lamang tinignan, at aking pinagmithian
Wari ko'y ngayon, tama ang aking ginawa.
July 23, 2010
*
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*
*Catching Falling Stars*
Once I caught a falling star
and cupped it in my hand...
It burned me so, it hurt me so
that I just had to let it go
Then one night, I saw a star
that blazed across the sky...
I looked at it, just wished upon it
and I knew that this time, I did right.
May 28, 2002
***********
Oddly enough I haven't really written any poems in
my native tongue, tsk tsk shame on me!!
(I've only written only ONE, wow)
& it's taking me forever to translate it to English
so, I decided to go about it the other way around
and translate an old poem of mine instead, & here
it is! My Filipino translation though is sort of rusty when
it comes to the flow of the poem (but hmm I guess
only those who know how to speak Tagalog would see that ^_~)
it's fun though so I just might try to write more translations!
Gert sure makes this look sooo easy!! ;)
AALIS KA PALA
PLalakaw Kabs
Elementary Grade Ballad Song
TAGALOG
Aalis ka pala,
at ako'y iiwanan,
Ang pupuntahanmo,
sa malayong lugar.
Hindi ba'tnoong una,
ako ay iyongmahal.
Kahit sa pagtulog,
binabantayankita.
Ang hilingko lamang,
kung may mahal ka na.
Kung may mahal ka na,
limutinmo ako ...
MARANAO
P'lalakaw ka bs,
p'lipatan akungka.
Aya zongowan nka,
na so mawatana ingd.
Di kna sa paganay,
saknso garingka.
Bapya so kathurog,
na phagipatnko ska.
Aya phang-nin akn,
na owana garingka.
Na owana garingka,
na lipati akungka dn ...
You’re hailed as “Pearl of the Orient Seas”
The Creator* has blessed you with rich endowments
Including a peculiar history, indeed great…
Making me thankful for making you the land of my birth.
In Southeast Asia is where you’re grandly settled
Possessing distinct culture you share with neighbors;
Your heritage nurtured through virtues lived by daily
Exposes me to good moral values.
With your triumphantly fought-for independence
Wrought by the Lord’s sovereignty with people’s unity
Along heroes’ ardor, powered by patriotism and love
I’m now anchored by peace, justice and freedom-might.
“Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!”** My assertive declaration!
“Long live the Philippines!” I shout with gratitude!
*Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
**The Tagalog words for "Long live the Philippines!"
December 24, 2019
2nd place, "Whitman-Inspired Uplifting Poetry, old or new" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Carolyn Devonshire; judged on 1/20/2020.
A friend advised "Cheer up, buddy, and don't be blue",
strange of him to say that just when I was feeling low.
I was thinking, what was so colorful about being sad,
only showed his English vocabulary was awfully bad.
"Don't vote for Obama, he is untested and green",
how come, I wondered, when he clearly got black skin.
It can't be that he descended from leaves or something,
darn it, I'm linguistically challenged and confused again.
Down with a flu virus I was told to take plenty of orange,
that crazy doctor must really be kinda stupid or dense.
He couldn't have meant dyeing my few remaining hair,
unless that weirdo was moonlighting as a hairdresser.
Once, running scared from a fight, I was called yellow,
I did not get it, maybe because I'm a Chinese mestizo?
At home my amazon wife who learned about the run-in
promptly served for dinner a whole piece of chicken.
"Why chicken," I asked, "when you know I'm a vegetarian?"
"You earned it, sissy, when away from that fight you ran!"
"You're deep," I said, "I don't get what you mean, honey,"
to which she replied "Just finish your dinner, turkey!"
Hm, different colors, then chicken followed by a turkey,
I'd never understand these things until my dying day.
Damn that English language putting me in this mess,
better shift to Arabic, Tagalog, French or Cantonese.
They say
?There are a million ways?
To say I love you
In this day and age?
I could only find
?In my computer’s brain?
The words
to say I love you?
In 53 languages
of the 10,000 languages
?Spoken on this planet
Someday I may be able
?To say the simple words
?I love you?
In all know languages?
This will have to suffice for a start
So I will say it
?Loud, and clear?
Just so you understand:
I love you (English)
Mein tumse pyar karta hoon (Hindi)
?Tu Tane prem karoo chu (Gujarati)
?Ame tomake bhalo bashe (Bengali)
?Me tula premkarto (Marati)?
Hum apse mohabbat karte hain (Urdu
?Mein thoda prem karanga (Punjabi)
?Man Dooset Daram
(Persian)
?Ana Ahabik Yanooni (Arabic)
?Havala (Hebrew)
Yongchon(Chinese)
?Aloha (Hawaian)
?Cinta(Indonesian)
?Dangshinun sarang hayo (Korean)?
Ajo (Japanese)
?Kasih (Malay)
?Phom tirak khun krap (Thai)?
Akoay Paginghe ikou (Tagalog)
?Toi yeu ong(Vietnamese)
Renmen (Creole)
?Jesuis L’amour voies(French)
?Liefdle (Flemish)
?Estoy amor tu (Spanish)?
Yosono amore tu (Italian)
?Estou o amore tu (Portugese)
Dashuri (Albanian)
?Maiteizam (Basque)?
OBHYAM (Bulgarian)
?Ljubav (Croatian)
?Laska (Czech)
?Jeger en kaerlighed du (Danish)
?Ikben houden van jig (Dutch)
?Gra (Gaelic)
?Ich bin lieben tu (German)
?Agape/eros (Greek)
?Ami (Esperanto)?
Armastama (Estonian)
?Rakam (Finish)
?Envagyok szeretet te (Hungarian)
?Elska (Icelandic)
?Ejekirin (Kurdish)
?Milestiba (Latvian)
?Meile (Lithuanian)
?Eu dragoste tu (Romanian)
?JHOBOEL Lubush (Russian)
?Elske (Norweigan)
?Easka (Slovak)?
JBYBAB (Serbian)?
Jagdan karlek du (Swedish)
?KOYATH (Ukraine)
?Benin sevi sen (Turkish)?
Ahava (Yiddish)
Ngingu u thando ungu (Zulu)
Things to do:
AM:
Don’t wake up early!
Spend an hour for breakfast, sip coffee , savor the flavor
Open the TV, look for TFC (The Filipino Channel)
Inspect Tori (my dog) for any fleas.
Haul neighbor’s free wood for winter’s heat.
Clean up the garden of drying dead daisies.
Organize closet, set aside old clothing
Call services for the blind for donation pick up
Plan on organizing picture albums.
Open poetry soup .com
PM:
Don’t cook! Buy a ready-made lunch!
After lunch, nap. Put the carbohydrates to work.
Wake up, blink, repeat!
Stare at the clock on the mantle
Plan on hitting the shopping mall
Hit Ross, browse, don’t buy ( tight in budget now)
Hit the thrift store , browse, don’t buy ( space is saturated)
Hit the high end store, don’t buy (too expensive)
Evening:
Plan A: text my available friend until I run out of topic
Plan B: Watch TFC: Walang Hanggan (Till Eternity) , A Tagalog drama series in TFC
I wonder if the routine is worth repeating the following day!! EEEK help me!
The priest who wants to rest
went fishing with his dear cousin Nora
A very nice lady, ginger and intrepid.
Today she adopted a Turkish Angora
The priest who wants to rest
took a shower early which he enjoyed
The water he truly liked, it was tepid;
and he sang an ode to Sigmund Freud
The priest who wants to rest
has read the Bible sixty nine times more than Tom;
his second favorite book yet not his number one;
The one he likes the most is The Population Bomb.
The priest who wants to rest
played chess with the pigmy who loves giraffes;
Our priest was shocked: the Faroese midget won!
Horrid event! He can't afford such gaffes!
The priest who wants to rest
states indignant that medicine kills millions
and also adds that doctors are dangerous.
Some of his ecclesiastic opinions.
The priest who wants to rest
has composed a most terrific hymn
with both hands (he is ambidextrous);
A valid reason to admire him.
The priest who wants to rest
painted a most fine picture of a city,
and explained to me what is a monsoon;
Explanation and picture were witty.
The priest who wants to rest
got a visit from his sweet sister Odette;
They shared a very fine meal at noon;
His sister cooked a luscious omelette.
The priest who wants to rest
adores his nieces and nephews;
By the way, they are very young;
yet both have deep political views.
The priest who wants to rest
is nowadays studying Tagalog;
He is very glad learning this new tongue.
I notice he is happy and agog.
He will come back. His return will be swell.
In the meantime, you have a poem to digest.
For he is a man of morals and no mannerisms.
He is the priest, the priest who wants to rest.
Remembering the Past
Tito is Tagalog of Uncle
Tito David Rodriguez and Tito Willie Totanes are very good friends
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Tito David recruited me to Filipino American Multimedia Entertainment (FAME)
on the 90’s
Tito David is a Filipino model, journalist, actor in FAME
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Tito Willie Totanes strongly supports me
He drives me around the bay area
Uprising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Tito David is Also a base in Anima Christi choir at St. Andrew, Daly City CA
Both of them are supporting me
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Directed by the late Mr. Jesse Pangilinan
Who passed away
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Supported with Mr. Prospero Luna
A Retired Comedian and actor in the Philippines
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Knew by my late father
Mayor Leonardo G. Mendoza
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Mayor of San Pascual, Batangas City, Philippines
Returning to FAME
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
I would sing all throughout the Bay area
Had shows
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Sang at some Filipino gathering in SF, CA
Concert on October 11, 1998: Outrage on Stage Launching my only Song-Through the Eyes of a Child
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Would Sing in Karaoke beer house
At restaurants and parties in the bay area
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Sang in Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City, CA
Also sang in Serramonte Mall in Daly City, CA
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Met the Asia’s Song bird of the Philippines
Ms. Regine Velasquez
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
And the Song Writer
Mr. Ogie Alcasid
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
Tragic Car Accident happened
On October 11, 1999
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
The late Director Jesse Pangilinan passed away
FAME disbanded
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
As of now a client of Heart Soul’s True Hope
In North County, Daly City, California
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
God took my singing career and He changed it to Poetry
He changed it to a harder one because I have to learn poetry but I’m having fun
Up rising Star-Ms. Jacqueline R. Mendoza
In God’s ministry
where love does prevail
her life-impact shines
since grace does not fail.
Though she’s senior now
still she’s young at heart
vibrant and active
to fulfill her part.
With cheerful spirit
she keeps reaching-out
as strengthened by Christ
her smile smites child’s pout.
Her orphanage tasks
bear her earnestness
wondrous meals she cooks
taste of sweet kindness.
We call her “Nanay”*
word of endearment
being a good Mom
priceless achievement.
Midst her prayer life
the Lord keeps blessing
great testimony
of upward pressing.
Volunteer teacher
in discipleship
she leads her students
to God’s partnership.
There in the garden
she tends plants with zest
nourishing flowers
while vanquishing pest.
Meanwhile our dog pets
smoother her with kiss
bathing them always
her hugs they won’t miss.
Praise of hers** inspires
yes, she’s a delight
touching me indeed
by her servant-light.
*Nanay in Tagalog means Mother. This person is NANAY LIZA ZAUSA.
**Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
September 5, 2021
4th place, "The One Who Touched My Heart" Quatrain Poetry Premier Contest
Sponsored by Regina McIntosh; judged on 9/14/2021.