Kastifun

By Silek Musical Ensemble
Lyrics

Pagtitipon
(Translated by Henry G. Dalon)

Lagi kong tanong, gaano karami
Lahing Blaan sa aming bayan.
Anuman ang dugong pinagmulan
Ay pinagmulan ko rin.

Bakit tayo nag-aaway sa sariling bayan?

Kailan magkakaroon ng pagtitipon para sa pagkakaisa ng mga Blaan?
Kailan matatapos ang pagdanak ng dugong Blaan sa bawat tinutunguhang bayan?
Maraming matatapang,
Maraming masasamang salita.

Kailan magkakaisa ang dugong Blaan?
Bakit tila iba-iba ang tinatahak nating daan?
Magtulungan tayo sa ikauunlad ng bayan.
Itigil na natin ang pag-aaway.

Bakit tayo nag-aaway sa sariling bayan?

Kailan magkakaroon ng pagtitipon para sa pagkakaisa ng mga Blaan?
Kailan matatapos ang pagdanak ng dugong Blaan sa bawat tinutunguhang bayan?
Maraming matatapang,
Maraming masasamang salita.

Kailan magkakaisa ang dugong Blaan?
Bakit tila iba-iba ang tinatahak nating daan?
Magtulungan tayo sa ikauunlad ng bayan.
Itigil na natin ang pag-aaway.

Kailan magkakaisa ang dugong Blaan?
Bakit tila iba-iba ang tinatahak nating daan?
Magtulungan tayo sa ikauunlad ng bayan.
Itigil na natin ang pag-aaway.

Bakit tayo nag-aaway sa sariling bayan?
Bakit tayo nag-aaway sa sariling bayan?

Gathering
(Translated by the editors, based on the Filipino translation by Henry G. Dalon)

I always ask how many
The Blaans are in our land.
Their lineage
Is my lineage too.

Why do we fight in our own land?

When will we have a gathering to unite the Blaan people?
When will Blaan bloodshed in every land end?
So much cruelty,
So many unkind words.

When will people of Blaan descent unite?
Why do we seem to take different paths?
Let us work together for the progress of the land.
Please let’s not fight.

Why do we fight in our own land?

When will we have a gathering to unite the Blaan people?
When will Blaan bloodshed in every town end?
So much cruelty
So many unkind words.

When will people of Blaan descent unite?
Why do we seem to take different paths?
Let us work together for the progress of the land.
Please let’s not fight.

When will people of Blaan descent unite?
Why do we seem to take different paths?
Let us work together for the progress of the land.
Please let us not fight.

Why do we fight in our own land?
Why do we fight in our own land?

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Editors and Contributors

EDITORS

Eric Gerard H. Nebran is an educator and illustrator from General Santos City. He is currently a PhD Comparative Literature student at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. His research interests include orality, history, and literary productions of his hometown.

Jude Ortega is the author of the short story collection Seekers of Spirits (University of the Philippines Press, 2018) and has been a fellow for fiction at two regional and four national writers workshops. In 2015, his stories received honorable mention at the inaugural F. Sionil José Young Writers Awards and at the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards. He divides his time between Senator Ninoy Aquino and Isulan, both in Sultan Kudarat.

CONTRIBUTORS

Anna Liz Cabrido is from Koronadal City, South Cotabato, and works for the provincial government, handling the open communications projects such as “Chikaha si Gobernadora” and “Hinun-anon sa Barangay.” Bulawan, her play for this issue, has been staged years ago by Apat sa Taglamig, a Koronadal-based theater group, and recently as part of the Integrity Week of the provincial government.

Kenneth Michael L. Dalimbang is a Tboli spoken word artist from Maitum, Sarangani Province. He is a member of the volunteer organization Katutubo Exchange Philippines and a college student at Edenton Mission College Inc.

Henry G. Dalon, the translator of the song “Kastifun,” teaches at Koronadal National Comprehensive High School–Senior High School. He is a member of the Blaan tribe, and he earned his AB Filipino degree at Mindanao State University in General Santos City.

John Carlo S. Gloria earned his Bachelor in Secondary Education (major in Filipino) at Philippine Normal University. He is currently teaching language and literature at the University of Sto. Tomas and at the Loyola Schools of Ateneo de Manila University.

Mark Banday Lu is a Dulangan Manobo with Maguindanon and Chinese blood. He works in his family’s farm in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. Sambiling Banday, his maternal grandfather and whose story appears in this issue, was a tribal healer in Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat.

Mary Ann S. Ordinario is the director of ABC Educational Development Center, a school for children in Kidapawan City, Cotabato Province. She is the author of twenty-five children’s books. Her book The Crying Trees won the 2016 Grand Prize in the Samsung KidsTime Authors Award in Singapore, while four of her other books won the second prize. These books also won Best Short Story for Children in the Catholic Mass Media Awards and were distributed in Asian countries and translated into Bahasa Indonesia and Japanese. Her famous book War Makes Me Sad is used in therapy sessions for children, and her book My Muslim Friend was published by the Christian Child Welfare in Japan.

Silek Musical Ensemble hails from Tampakan, South Cotabato. It is composed of lead singer, guitarist, faglong player, and composer Pammie Malayon, singer and percussionist Jeanalyn Sanuhay–Wales Lerios, percussionist and coordinator Jose Nilo Vargas, wind instrument player and percussionist Arbie Lerios, bassist Nestor Padal, and drummer Alexander Oracion. The word silek means “new generation.”

Kastifun

By Silek

(This song has been performed in numerous events. Kastifun literally means “gathering.” The song calls for the Blaan to set aside their differences and work together, for they are of the same blood. “Deen to baling suteh, nawan di banwe,” the most repeated line in the song, is asking why the members of the tribe are fighting one another.)

Gel guh salek ti kalbong
Tubed Blaan di banwe.
Git lito guh samfo yo gamo
Guh samfo guroh.

Deen to baling suteh, nawan di banwe.

Kelen kafnge tu ron kastifun kasafye Blaan.
Kelen kafnge lite a Blaan maloh di banwe.
Afnaloh labeh,
Afnaloh tase kastulen.

Kelen kastifun am e lito Blaan,
Kamom ti baling sakla dalan.
Beg ata stabeng di kafye banwe,
Neng ato baling sahal kiyeh.

Deen to baling suteh, nawan di banwe.

Kelen kafnge tu ron kastifun, kasafye Blaan.
Kelen kafnge lite a Blaan maloh di banwe.
Afnaloh labeh,
Afnaloh tase kastulen.

Kelen kastifun am e lito Blaan,
Kamom ti baling sakla dalan.

Beg ato stabeng di kafye banwe,
Neng ato baling sahal kiyen.
Kelen kastifun am e lito Blaan,
Kamon ti baling sakla dalan.

Beg ato stabeng di kafye banwe,
Neng ato baling sahal kiyen.

Deen to baling suteh, nawan di banwe.
Deen to baling suteh, nawan di banwe.