Untitled Ilokano Poem

NOTE: The Ilokano poem below was written this early morning at 4:30, when I woke up and couldn't easily get back to sleep. Using my time productively, after praying quietly, thanking God that we're alive and well, I decided to write down my thoughts at the moment.

I am sure, many of us, at some point in time, during the course of living our life, have experienced difficulty or inability to get back easily to sleep once you've awaken for a while. I, for one, just did...this early morning. But eventually, after thirty minutes or so, I felt sleepy...after scribbling this Untitled Ilokano Poem.

So, without further ado, here's the product of my waking up early and inability to get back to sleep this morning: an Untitled Poem written in my native language, Ilokano, with caution (especially to those reading this at the time that they're eating or dining, because I used words such as "tupra" meaning spit, "agsagkak," to spit or throw up/vomit---that is, to clear my throat of phlegm or whatever that's embedded or stored in my mouth overnight; "isbo," meaning urine, "umisbo," the act of emptying bladder or to have a leak or to use the restroom.):

Lunes.

Alas cuatro y media

iti parbangon

wenno bigat...

naulimek

awan pay mangeg-matimud

a daranudor dagiti lugan

wen, nasapa pay laeng

siak sa la ngata

ti nakariing wenno nakamulagat

ta napanak nagtupra

ken immisbo

saak nagsubli met laeng

iti kama nga adda dita

ni Baket nga agur-urok

ngem natukay biit itay

bimmangonak

(a napan iti banio nagsagkak

ken immisbo)

a nangiruar rugitko---

tupra ken isbo...

Ayna, saanak metten makaturog!

isu nga inkur-itko

daytoy parnuay ti panunotko

iti daytoy a cuaderno

a naglaon sinuratko

iti ima ken iti ulo---

pampanunot a napudno

dinto pulos mangirubo

ta dayta ti husto.

Wen, ilanlanadko ti malagipko

a mapaspasamak aglawlawko

iti daytoy a kanito

Lunes---aldaw a baro

iti pinanid ti calendario

iti bulan ti Julio

mabilang ket ocho...

Apagriingko, innak naglualo

nagyaman iti Apo

ta sibibiagak pay---

makapanunot, makalagip, makagaraw

ken makasurat iti ima,

makangeg ken makarikna

ti gatel ken ut-ot

nasakit parparte ti bagi

a saanen a kas idi...

nalibnos, nalapiot, nasudi

ngem, nataraki pay met ketdi

ngem, saanen a kas idi...

Agurayka, Kaka, adda matimudko

iti daytoy a darikmat

a maikurkur-it daytoy a sinurat---

uni ti billit, agkankanta

kasla ibanbando-ibagbagana:

"Bumangon-agriingkayon, kaarruba,

bigaten..!"

Ne, awanen ti mangmangegen

simiasi 'tay billiten

napan ngatan iti sabali a disso

tapno mangriing dadduma a tao

aglalo dagiti mapan agtrabaho

ne, nangegko manen

ti billit nga agkankanta

ngem, ne, nagwabak...

umaysan ti tuturogak

ket innak ngaruden iyilad

ta rumidepak pay...

alas cinco beinte dosen

agbannawagen!

(c) 2013 by Chris A. Quilpa