Sabiniano Gacias and Elias Cuadro
BIKOL TEXT |
ENGLISH TRANSLATION |
The Governador-Provincial’s Visit
183 – For
every two years, there would be a visit,
by the Governador-Provincial
to every town;
preparations
would indeed be grandior,
at the
announcement of his arrival.
184 –
Whenever the Governor would now be in Bulan,
some would
surmise he would pass by Juban;
the
canopies would be in ready,
several
Spaniards would be carried.
185 – There
would be readied horses,
carrying
the Teniente and the Cabo;
ready too,
was the sitio where they would meet him,
for his
companions would use the horses.
186 – The
Guardia Civil would be at the forefront,
and they
would be headed by the Alferez;
a truly
cruel Spaniards,
whose
uniform exuded power.
187 – The
students would bring bandorillas,
with them
were their teachers;
concerned
teachers would now be pallid,
because of
fear in their hearts.
188 – Funny
when he would now arrive,
for great
were the worries of the Cabezas;
in their
left hands were the cudgels,
their
bodies would tremble with fear.
189 –
Especially when he would drop by the Capitan’s,
and by the Cabezas
de Barangay’s;
those Real
Haber would be paid at once,
within
three hours, I would bet on that.
190 – The Capitan
would order his Subalternos,
“go at once
to Cabeza Pedro;
those who
haven’t yet paid their taxes,
Cabeza Colas, Cabeza Damaso,”
191 – Upon
learning about this, those Cabezas,
would at
once go to see Panga;
“My
ricefield, my abaca farm,
now, at
once, I would pawn.”
192 – A few
others would sell,
carabaos,
horse, indeed anything;
just to be
able to dodge payment,
of the Real
Haber they have promised to pay.
193 – Now
Panga was interested,
because he
was moneyed and was a trader;
“If that
would be your purpose,
go then to
Ciriaco Cuadro.
194 – So
that documents would be made,
and from
danger you be freed;
I would
offer to buy and if you wanted,
you’ll have
more, with more to spend.
195 – At
twelve noon, they would take a recess,
the Governador
would take his lunch;
he would
give an order, “Now or never,
this would
be the inauguration of the Capitan.
196 –
“Select now your candidates,
one, two,
three, only a good man;
choose now
a pious man,
to be
certified by the Pastor.
197 – “And
the second that would be done,
all the Cabezas,
bring out the padron;
those with
only a fifth,I would treat,
those with
lower numbers, with us we would bring.
198 – To be
able to serve our fatherland,
bring them
to Mindanao if they are prepared;
to have
them castigate those Moors,
if they
won’t surrender, then have them killed.”
199 – After
this noise,
the Governador
would proceed to other towns;
like Matnog
or Bulusan,
and people
would meet him again with canopies.
200 – Thus
the newsletting would now be ended,
talking
would now be calm;
retaliations
would now pass from one to the next,
as for
instance, if somebaody was hurt.
201 – One
dumb Cuadrillero,
was kicked
and slapped by the Governador;
his reason
now dulled by his degradation,
to the
civilians he would avenge himself.
202 – There
were those caught doing nothing,
or for
instance, game-a-playing;
without
warning, he would kick, too,
to get
even, this he would do.
203 – From
here would now start a number of comments,
Fulano accordingly, was really smart;
fluent in
Spanish, he spoke like a parrot,
and suited
really were his words.
204 – He who was a smart aide,
was indeed
praised by his chief;
even when
he spoke broken Spanish,
to their
impression, he was already knowledgeable.
205 – If
today you say it is truly ungrammatical,
like when
one says “La bandala;”
they would
say, he was good in Spanish,
and “La
baguio” would be a loaded term.
206 – It
would be better to promote him,
he would do
better as a Sargento;
for he
understands the rights,
and he
could face the cultured ones.
207 –
Others would say this,
the amazing
one was Tiyo Bernabe;
for the Governador
spoke with him,
he was
given a tap and was praised highly.
208 – Some
would say he was favored,
for he was
a good chef in all of Albay;
and so Don
Juan recommended,
that Abeng
be brought to Albay.
209 – Other
cooks wondered aloud,
for an
azafran as an ingredient;
added with leaves,
and leaves
of pepper, as ingredients.
210 – There
was another parent,
who would
smirk when he would narrate;
“My
daughter, a young woman named Pilar,
would never
be free during the ball.
211 – “For
every sonata, she would be held,
for always,
she would be asked for a dance;
when she
came home, she brought something,
a face
towel she could wipe herself with.
212 – It
was given to her by the Governador,
and she was
fed with ham;
there was a
brew that they would drink,
and he
would say “Te amo.”
213 – Let
us go back to the Capitan,
he had his
way in his domain;
“Send for
the Principales here in the Tribunal,
for we have
something to talk about.”
214 – When
the subjects were now gathered,
there was a
suggestion from the Capitan;
“Now that
the busy days are over,
let us go
to gabao.
215 – “You Teniente
Mayor, order at once,
a Cuadrillero
as an urgent wish;
Teniente Poro and Longinos,
with them,
bring fishnets.
216 – “For
we are to fish in the waters of Torsohan,
and send a
notice to the Teniente of Gabao;
early
morning tomorrow, we shall thus leave,
breakfast
will be at the house of Batang’s Teniente.”
217 – When
they reached Batang, breakfast was readied,
Teniente
Tura butchered a
fatted pig;
There was dinogo,
sutanghon and others,
And they
were served with chicken adobado.
218 – Teniente
Tura in turn, even when he spent much,
he was
filled with joy at that time;
at once
they proceeded to Gabao,
and there
were horses upon which they ride.
219 – The Teniente
of Gabao with his Subalternos,
prepared
the foods and everything else;
the
fish-catchers then proceeded to the rivers,
and they
brought with them four fishnets.
220 – After
the Capitan had eaten his lunch,
with his
companions, the other officials;
they
proceeded to the river where fishes were caught,
to ease
their tiredness.
221 – Haroan,
casili, they caught,
quiquiro,
magnagat, others
were paya;
they were
truly filled with joy,
they went
home in the afternoon.
222 – This Capitan,
Cleto Galarosa,
with Teniente
Nicolas Españo;
happy were
they when they went home,
for their
bags were all filled.
223 –
According now to the people of Gabao,
kind indeed
was our Capitan;
with no
abuses, everything was for God,
not like
the one he succeeded.
224 – There
was a Ginebra prepared for him,
yet he
drank not, concentrating only on the food;
while his
companions were now drunk,
the Capitan
would just smile at the sight.
The First Census, Estimate of Land
Area and Major Products
225 – Now
therefore that the events are over,
of the town
of Irosin, as narrated;
the
inhabitants at present,
would now
be more than twenty-thousand.
226 – The
covered land area of this town,
by prudent
estimate, one hundred hectares;
more or
less, this we calculate,
this
exculdes all the barrios.
227 – The
products that offer a living,
abaca and
coconut plantations, ricefields including;
in a word,
they are vast indeed,
and
statistics shows this.
228 – If we
examine its lot,
a molehill
was its roots;
now a high
mountain, it has thus become,
with its
own goods, favor of the town.
229 –
Edifices became things of beauty,
adornment
of the town, in olden times;
with the
coming of the Japanese, they were felled,
by the
fires and bombings for which they were fated.
230 –
History will thus pause here,
if it was
wanting and did not fare well;
aright ye,
when ye could,
pity the one
who wrote this poem.
231 – For
this was indeed a blessing,
purposely
designed by the loving God;
that
history of ages past,
be thus
written and read by all.
232 – For
no one would take interest,
in original
materials of a town;
but that
this your poor brethen,
tried not
to mind difficulties.