Filipino folk song
Pamulinawen is a popular old Ilocano folk song possibly from the pre-Spanish era.[1] It is about a girl with a hardened heart.[2] who does not need her lover's pleading.[3] It is about courtship and love.[4][5]
The term pamulinawen translates to "alabaster", a very type of stone.[6] It is used as the woman's name in the song, signifying her hardened heart.
Background
The song Pamulinawen is perhaps the most well-known song in the Ilocos region of the Philippines that pre-dates the arrival of the Spanish in 1521. The scholar Leopoldo Yabes wrote in 1936 that it is actually possibly the oldest song still known from the pre-Spanish era.[7]
It is so popular that some have called it the "Regional Song of the Ilocandia" or the "National Anthem of the Ilokano".[8]
Translation
Some scholars, including Yabes (1936), argue that there is no way for the lyrics to be adequately translated into English. Despite this, the approximate translation offered by scholars Danilo S. Alterado and Aldrin S. Jaramilla (2021) for the refrain is as follows.[9]
Lyrics in Ilocano language |
Translation into English
|
Pamulinawen, pusoc, indengamman,
Toy umas-asog, ag-rayo ita sadiam
Pamumutemman, dica pagintutulngan
Toy agayat, ag-rucnoy ita emmam.
Essem ti diac calipatan
Ta nasudi unay a nagan
Ta uray sadin ti yan
Disso sadino man
Aw-awagac a di agsarday
Ta naganmo a casam-itan
No malagipcan
Pusoc ti mabang-aran.
|
Pamulinawen, my love, please hearken to
Me who am sighing, cling to your graciousness
Kindly consider (my yearning), ignore me not
I who love you, who humble myself before your affability.
This, my obsession, I cannot forget
And your very illustrious name
Wheresoever I am
Whatsoever the place
I earnestly yearn
For your sweetest name
The moment I remember thee
My heart is comforted.
|
In popular culture
The folk song was featured in Ryan Cayabyab's 15 track album titled Bahaghari, sung by Miss Lea Salonga.[10]
It has been performed and interpreted by different brass bands, orchestras and choral groups[11] in the Philippines.[12][13] The song was also performed as a traditional folk dance in festivals.[14][15]
References