the other side of rapture (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
surpassingly) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
forkedtongues2010-06-15 03:23 pm
surpassingly) wrote in forkedtongues2010-06-15 03:23 pm
Bayan Ko [lyrics, translation]
Hello!
I bring you a Filipino song, a couple of translations, and a bit of background. Bayan Ko (My Country) is a song very much tied up in Philippine history; the lyrics were originally a poem written by Jose Corazon de Jesus, also known as Huseng Batute, and published during the period of the U.S. American occupation of the Philippines. The poem was later set to music by Constancio de Guzman, and the song thus rendered became one of the most well-known patriotic songs in the Philippines. Notably, it was sung at the funeral of senator Benigno Aquino Jr., who opposed the martial law regime -- it thus became a dangerous song to sing during the Marcos dictatorship, as singing it became identified with dissidence -- and during the EDSA Revolution of 1986. When former President Corazon Aquino, Benigno Aquino Jr.'s widow, died last year, this song featured prominently in the rites of mourning.
It's a song with a huge weight of history and meaning in it, and I think the power lies not only in the melody (which is very heart-wrenching) but the words, which are-- very true. And trying to translate this I had a lot of trouble with the nuances, because there are some that just can't be conveyed in translation, at least not in the way I, as part of this country and speaking the language, would interpret them. So I have a lot of notes after the translations.
* Here I say Filipino rather than Tagalog, even though often they're interchanged because the majority of Filipino is derived from Tagalog. I think it's important to distinguish between them because, well, one is an official national language and one is a regional language. If you look for, say, dictionaries online, though, and look at Google Translate, they'll say "Tagalog". I don't know the reasons for that choice but I think it's not right to conflate the whole Philippines with Tagalog, because there are so many other languages spoken here and Tagalog just refers to one region in the country. Filipino is a work in progress and it has many flaws, but at least it is something that is identified as belonging to the whole country.
The translation Wikipedia gives follows. I'm not sure who did it, so I can't credit it, sorry.
I thought I'd try a rough translation, one that didn't focus so much on keeping to the structure and instead tried to convey a fuller meaning by... being... more... raw? This is why I cannot be a translator. Words in brackets are alternatives or elaborations or clarifications (that aren't actually contained in the original version).
My country [that is] the Philippines,
land of gold and flowers.
It was love in [hir] palms
that offered beauty and riches [splendor, brilliance].
And to [hir] gentleness and beauty,
foreigners were drawn [entranced, invited].
My country, you were bound [chained, captured, trapped],
mired [fallen, broken] in suffering.
Chorus:
Even birds have the freedom to fly,
cage them and they weep!
Will not so much more a country so beautiful [with such richness, splendor, brilliance]
desire [long, yearn, hunger] to be released [to win free, to escape the bonds]!
Philippines whom I adore [cherish, treasure],
root [nest, source, core] of my tears and anguish,
My ambition [purpose, desire, wish, goal, aim, aspiration]
is to see you absolutely [truly, without bounds] free!
Notes:
♠ I chose ungendered pronouns because "kanya/kaniya", "siya", etc. have no gender. It is true, though, that the common image of the Philippines in our language is female. I've never heard of the Philippines referred to as a "fatherland", for instance, but the Philippines as a mother is often used.
♠ "It was love" vs "with love" - I would have used "with love" also if the line had been, "pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad", but "pag-ibig ang" makes love the doer of the deed, in this case, offering.
♠ "Dilag" - Splendor works, but I think richness, as in the sense of richness of sights and experience, works pretty well too, and ties in better with the other lines. "Dilag" also can be used as "young girl/maiden" and for a while I was tempted to use grace.
♠ "Yumi" - It's true yumi can refer to refinement, but as a refinement of manners, a gentleness of speech and action, an exquisite courtesy and grace prized in traditional ideals of the Filipino woman. I went with gentleness because refinement as it's often used in English doesn't always contain all that. I could also go with grace... I didn't (again), but it's worth noting that many of the images often associated with grace are parallel to those implied by yumi.
♠ "Nahalina" - While enticed is technically right, there are things it can connote that I would very much like to avoid bringing into discussions of the Philippines when foreigners (especially, in this case, foreign oppressors) are involved. Halina is something like being drawn to a fascinating sight/object/place; it can be used in the stories about men meeting fairies and being enchanted, for instance. But it can also serve as an invitation -- "halina at dumayo", come [and join the celebration/event].
♠ "Binihag" - Well, "bihag" is literally "captive", a "caught prisoner". I think enslaved is a good word but there's the element there of servitude that isn't present in bihag.
♠ "Nasadlak" - The image is that of one who has fallen from a previously high position and into the mud of shame, disgrace, and irredeemable suffering.
♠ "Bayan pa kaya" - This sentence gave me such a headache. The structure of it, and the idea, is hard to express in English; the idea is something like, even birds weep when they are caged -- can a country that has so much more not desire all the more greatly to be free? The comparison reminds me of the "lilies of the field/sparrows" image: a little thing, then a big thing; how much more is this true for the bigger thing! Something like that.
♠ "Maka-alpas" - There is more to this word than just the idea of being free; it's of escaping chains, untying or breaking bonds. And it's not necessarily passive, either. It's not there in the lines per se, but in my mind, with the image of the bird from earlier, the idea of a bird with bound wings struggling out of those ties is very strong.
♠ "Minumutya" - I will note here that "mutya" can also be used as the muse, the inspiration, the object of adoration and devotion. So there's that, too.
♠ "Pugad" - Literally, nest. So, both origin and roosting place. Cradle works, I guess, since in English that's where the associations lie; but I didn't want to use cradle since in Filipino it's somewhat different; I wouldn't be able to say "duyan ng luha" for "cradle of tears" without it sounding horribly awkward.
♠ "Sakdal" - In a previous line (sakdal dilag) I just translated it "so" (as in, "so much") but sakdal is a strong superlative ("very") that can also imply completeness.
My translation is very rough but I hope it was somehow... something. Questions are very welcome, I'll do my best to answer them coherently.
I bring you a Filipino song, a couple of translations, and a bit of background. Bayan Ko (My Country) is a song very much tied up in Philippine history; the lyrics were originally a poem written by Jose Corazon de Jesus, also known as Huseng Batute, and published during the period of the U.S. American occupation of the Philippines. The poem was later set to music by Constancio de Guzman, and the song thus rendered became one of the most well-known patriotic songs in the Philippines. Notably, it was sung at the funeral of senator Benigno Aquino Jr., who opposed the martial law regime -- it thus became a dangerous song to sing during the Marcos dictatorship, as singing it became identified with dissidence -- and during the EDSA Revolution of 1986. When former President Corazon Aquino, Benigno Aquino Jr.'s widow, died last year, this song featured prominently in the rites of mourning.
It's a song with a huge weight of history and meaning in it, and I think the power lies not only in the melody (which is very heart-wrenching) but the words, which are-- very true. And trying to translate this I had a lot of trouble with the nuances, because there are some that just can't be conveyed in translation, at least not in the way I, as part of this country and speaking the language, would interpret them. So I have a lot of notes after the translations.
* Here I say Filipino rather than Tagalog, even though often they're interchanged because the majority of Filipino is derived from Tagalog. I think it's important to distinguish between them because, well, one is an official national language and one is a regional language. If you look for, say, dictionaries online, though, and look at Google Translate, they'll say "Tagalog". I don't know the reasons for that choice but I think it's not right to conflate the whole Philippines with Tagalog, because there are so many other languages spoken here and Tagalog just refers to one region in the country. Filipino is a work in progress and it has many flaws, but at least it is something that is identified as belonging to the whole country.
Bayan Ko
words by Jose Corazon de Jesus; music by Constancio de Guzman
Ang bayan kong Pilipinas,
Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak.
Pag-ibig ang sa kaniyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag.
At sa kaniyang yumi at ganda,
Dayuhan ay nahalina.
Bayan ko, binihag ka,
Nasadlak sa dusa.
Koro:
Ibon mang may layang lumipad,
kulungin mo at umiiyak!
Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag,
Ang 'di magnasang makaalpas!
Pilipinas kong minumutya,
Pugad ng luha ko't dalita,
Aking adhika,
Makita kang sakdal laya!
The translation Wikipedia gives follows. I'm not sure who did it, so I can't credit it, sorry.
My country, the Philippines,
Land of gold and flowers
With love in her palms
She offered beauty and splendour.
And for her refinement and beauty,
Foreigners were enticed.
Country mine, you were enslaved
Mired in suffering.
Chorus:
Even birds that are free to fly
Cage them and they shall cry,
How much more for country so beautiful
Would She not yearn to be free?
Philippines mine that I treasure,
Cradle of my tears and poverty,
My aspiration is,
To see you truly free!
I thought I'd try a rough translation, one that didn't focus so much on keeping to the structure and instead tried to convey a fuller meaning by... being... more... raw? This is why I cannot be a translator. Words in brackets are alternatives or elaborations or clarifications (that aren't actually contained in the original version).
My country [that is] the Philippines,
land of gold and flowers.
It was love in [hir] palms
that offered beauty and riches [splendor, brilliance].
And to [hir] gentleness and beauty,
foreigners were drawn [entranced, invited].
My country, you were bound [chained, captured, trapped],
mired [fallen, broken] in suffering.
Chorus:
Even birds have the freedom to fly,
cage them and they weep!
Will not so much more a country so beautiful [with such richness, splendor, brilliance]
desire [long, yearn, hunger] to be released [to win free, to escape the bonds]!
Philippines whom I adore [cherish, treasure],
root [nest, source, core] of my tears and anguish,
My ambition [purpose, desire, wish, goal, aim, aspiration]
is to see you absolutely [truly, without bounds] free!
Notes:
♠ I chose ungendered pronouns because "kanya/kaniya", "siya", etc. have no gender. It is true, though, that the common image of the Philippines in our language is female. I've never heard of the Philippines referred to as a "fatherland", for instance, but the Philippines as a mother is often used.
♠ "It was love" vs "with love" - I would have used "with love" also if the line had been, "pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad", but "pag-ibig ang" makes love the doer of the deed, in this case, offering.
♠ "Dilag" - Splendor works, but I think richness, as in the sense of richness of sights and experience, works pretty well too, and ties in better with the other lines. "Dilag" also can be used as "young girl/maiden" and for a while I was tempted to use grace.
♠ "Yumi" - It's true yumi can refer to refinement, but as a refinement of manners, a gentleness of speech and action, an exquisite courtesy and grace prized in traditional ideals of the Filipino woman. I went with gentleness because refinement as it's often used in English doesn't always contain all that. I could also go with grace... I didn't (again), but it's worth noting that many of the images often associated with grace are parallel to those implied by yumi.
♠ "Nahalina" - While enticed is technically right, there are things it can connote that I would very much like to avoid bringing into discussions of the Philippines when foreigners (especially, in this case, foreign oppressors) are involved. Halina is something like being drawn to a fascinating sight/object/place; it can be used in the stories about men meeting fairies and being enchanted, for instance. But it can also serve as an invitation -- "halina at dumayo", come [and join the celebration/event].
♠ "Binihag" - Well, "bihag" is literally "captive", a "caught prisoner". I think enslaved is a good word but there's the element there of servitude that isn't present in bihag.
♠ "Nasadlak" - The image is that of one who has fallen from a previously high position and into the mud of shame, disgrace, and irredeemable suffering.
♠ "Bayan pa kaya" - This sentence gave me such a headache. The structure of it, and the idea, is hard to express in English; the idea is something like, even birds weep when they are caged -- can a country that has so much more not desire all the more greatly to be free? The comparison reminds me of the "lilies of the field/sparrows" image: a little thing, then a big thing; how much more is this true for the bigger thing! Something like that.
♠ "Maka-alpas" - There is more to this word than just the idea of being free; it's of escaping chains, untying or breaking bonds. And it's not necessarily passive, either. It's not there in the lines per se, but in my mind, with the image of the bird from earlier, the idea of a bird with bound wings struggling out of those ties is very strong.
♠ "Minumutya" - I will note here that "mutya" can also be used as the muse, the inspiration, the object of adoration and devotion. So there's that, too.
♠ "Pugad" - Literally, nest. So, both origin and roosting place. Cradle works, I guess, since in English that's where the associations lie; but I didn't want to use cradle since in Filipino it's somewhat different; I wouldn't be able to say "duyan ng luha" for "cradle of tears" without it sounding horribly awkward.
♠ "Sakdal" - In a previous line (sakdal dilag) I just translated it "so" (as in, "so much") but sakdal is a strong superlative ("very") that can also imply completeness.
My translation is very rough but I hope it was somehow... something. Questions are very welcome, I'll do my best to answer them coherently.
no subject
no subject