Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

 | Chabacano | Chabacano Glossary | Proverbs, Riddles | Rizal's Chabacano | Chabacano Poet | Ñora Monang |

 

 

 

 

 

   

My Memories

It has been almost 18 years now, since I left my beloved birthplace. The place where I learned what a Caviteno is and our family tradition. In Chabacano language I tried to recollect my memories growing up
from a place surrounded by sea water, where we as young kids swim the Bacoor, Canacao and the Manila bay with pride and gusto. I remember taking oysters and mussels in the pabiyayan (fish traps) without permission when we were young kids. We brought the kaldero (cooking pot), bigas (rice) and isang galong tubig pang sinaing (one gallon of water for cooking). By the shore we fish, we cook and we eat.

I wish I am that kid again, sometimes I wish I never left.

Recuerdo de Antes is dedicated to my mother Norma, mi hermana Corazon y mi hermano Conrado. Na Padre Pio Y Calle Tren niso ya quida genti na Cavite.
 

Recuerdo de Antes (Chabacano version)

Por Gary M. Arceo

Septiembre, el primera mes del mga “bre’s”
Octubre, el mga genti alegre ya!
Ta pensa ya nisos el mes de Noviembre
Talyi ya el mga Fiesta,
Fiesta del Muerto
Fiesta del Ciudad
Para de Señora dela Soledad

Cerca ya din el mes de Diciembre
Ta llega ya el mas alegre mes delos “bre’s”
Ta celebria el nacimiento de Dios Jesucristo
El dia de Pascua como Fiesta
Olor del mansanas y naranjas nisos ta ole ya

Ta sinti ya din nisos
Tiene ba ya salva sen na bolsa?
Ta llega ya el Pascua
Talyi ya rin el Año Nuevo
No ma ta para el mga celebracion
Y gastos todo-todo
Pero para conmigo
Este el mga meses bien de todo

Todos los Santos!
Delante ta culda yo
El primero dia de Noviembre
Na pantiong ta anda niso
El mga nicho que sucio
Nisos di limpia y pinta blanco
Cabando de mira limpio

Llegando el siguiente dia
El mga genti ta anda ya na cementerio
El cementerio qui diquel quieto
Este un dia… muy alegrio

El lugar ta brillar
Con luz y candela ardiente
Olor del popcorn y chicharon
Lobos de colores y otro-otro juguetes
Alya na cada canto
Ilos ta vendi, el modo alegrio!

Cabando el visitacion y corto oracion
Alya naman na Samonte Park
Cerca na Carnaval o Feria
El mga genti ta anda
Nisos tiene mucho diversion
Entonces este el primera dia
Ta sinti niso todos ta qui ya el Fiesta.

Cuanto Fiesta ba niso tiene
Yo ya pregunta?

Ika dos Domingo del Noviembre
Niso di celebra
El fiesta de niso Santa
Señora dela Soledad

Ta puni ya na calle
El mga banderitas de colores
El banda de musico ta prepara ya
Vini Domingo, ilos di toca
El musico del Fiesta
Mi Amigo, mi amiga ta aqui ya

Sabado, visperas del fiesta
El dia mas sabroso recuerda
Carne del baca, puerco y gallina
Comida de Cucina Chabacano
Yo ya saboria, olor de comida
Na todo casa de niso ta prepara.

Llegando el dia Domingo, Fiesta!
Alas ocho de temprano
El lechon ta cusi ya
Banda del musico ta toca pa!
Alya na Calle Real
Mga visita ta camina
Con ilos quien ya imbita
Na mga casa-casa, ilos ta anda

La mesa lleno de comida
Botella de vino y San Miguel beer
Mucho cuentos y risas
Con todo el aploso
Como nuay mas mañana
Cuando el Fiesta de niso ta celebria

Llegando el noche ta brilla
Alya na Carnaval niso ta anda
El mga otro talya na aplaya
Embraso el novio o novia
Ta sunia abajo del luna
Adentro del cielo azul claro

Ya embarka na Feria rueda
Cabando ya huga el roleta
Juguete y ramienta de cocina
Baso, plato y tasita
Ganancia no el razon porque niso alegre
Despues el Pascua, que mas alegria!

El mga luces y rebentador
Ta dale vendi ya na mga tienda
Ta sinti y pinsa ya nisos
Pascua y Año Nuevo
Nisos, no puede mas espera

Nuevo sapatos, pantalon y polo
Di cumpra ya mi Nana
Para yo di usa
Vini dia de Pascua

Otro ya el clima y viento
Ta sinti frio ya
Pono de Pascua, mga luz y parol
Con otro caricatura pa
Ta adorna ya cada un casa

Llegan el Noche Buena
Otra ves lleno el la mesa
Tiene mucho frutas, hamon y queso de bola
Café caliente o chocolate
Misa de Gallo o Simbang Gabi
Puto Bumbong, suman y bibingka
Tiene pa tsaa caliente

Mismo dia de Pascua
El mga Niño y Niña
Con todo nuevo el mga ropa
Ta camina ya para anda
Di pidi aguinaldo
Con mga padrina y padrino

No lang el mga Niño y Niña
El ta celebria el dia
Talyi din el mga genti Viejo
Un grupo talya na canto
Tiene un pityel y baso garando
Cinco de dos docena de beer
Tagay-tagay alya na canto.

Como nuay ma mañana
Yo ta recorda…
Un semana ya lang…
Año Nuevo ta aqui ya

A trenta’y uno del Deciembre
Alya na mi Cuidad querida
El ruido del rebentador
Palanggana y maracas
O cosa-cosa pa
Para mas ruidoso el sonata

Talyi pa el mga luces y kuwitis
Ta brilla bueno ariba del cielo
Con todo el humo abajo, niso ta espera
El Media Noche de pasa ya
Para saludar el Año Nuevo

Ensima de la mesa
Comida del rico otra ves
Y muchas beses
Una ves mas yo ta recuerda
Na tras o prente de casa
Barbeque ta cusi pa!

O Dios mio, yo quiere ya retira
Na mi nacido lugar, mi Cuidad querida
Para savoria otra ves
El mga Fiestas mucho recuerdos
 

Memories of the Past (English version)

By Gary M. Arceo

September, the first of month that ends in “ber”
October, everyone’s mood seems jolly
We think of November already
Here come our Feasts
Feast of the Soul Departed
Feast of our Great City
In honor of our Saint Lady

Within reach is month of December
Come! The most festive month of the“ber’s”
We celebrate our Lord Jesus birth
Like a Feast on Christmas Day
Scent of apples and oranges now we smell

Sometimes we feel and wonder!
Do we have enough money saved?
Christmas is coming
So is New Year’s Day
A non-ending celebration
And the money we will lay
But in my opinion
These are best months of all

All Souls Day!
Before, I do remember
The first day of November
To the cemetery, there we go
Niches so dirty
We’ll clean and paint white
And will look tidy

Then the first day comes
People go to the cemetery
For a long time so quiet
That one-day...so festive

The place is glittering
With lights and candles burning
Aroma of popcorns and chicharons
Colorful balloons and so many toys
On every street corner
There they sell with joy!

After the visitation and a short prayer
There in Samonte Park
Around the Feria and Carnival
Where all people go
And have so much fun
Then this is the first day
We all feel our Feast is within reach

How many Feasts do we celebrate?
I asked myself!

The second Sunday of November
We always celebrate…
The feast of Our Saint
Our Lady of Solitude

On our streets we hang
Colorful flags in strings
Marching band’s preparing
Come Sunday, they will be playing
The sound of our Feast
My friends, it’s coming

Saturday, the day before the feast
Is the most I love to remember
Beef, pork and chicken
Cooked in Chabacano kitchen
I can taste the food’s smell
Where every house prepare

Here comes Sunday…Fiesta!
Early eight in the morning
Roast Pig starts turning
The Marching Band starts playing
On the festive Main Street
Visitors are flocking
For those whom they know
House to house they go

Tables full of food
Whisky and San Miguel beer
Telltales and laughter
And all the cheers
Like there’s no tomorrow
When we celebrate our Fiesta.

And when the evening shines
Onto the Carnival here we come
Some goes to the shore
Lovers holding hands
Sharing dreams under the moon
In the bright blue sky.

Riding the Ferris wheels
Playing the roulette
Stuffed toys and kitchenwares
Glasses, plates and cups
Winning’s not the reason we all enjoy
Next is Christmas, what a Joy!

Firecrackers and fireworks
In every store they sell
Then we start to feel and wonder
Christmas and New Year
We can’t wait any longer.

New shoes, pants and shirt
My mother will buy
For me to wear
Come Christmas day.

As the climate and air change
Sweet cool air we feel
Christmas trees, lights and stars
With other Christmas toys
Every house’s are now adorned.

On Christmas Eve
Once again, the table is full
We have fruits, ham and queso de bola
Hot chocolate and coffee
Midnight Mass or “Simbang Gabi”
All kind of homemade cakes
With a cup of hot tea.

On Christmas day
Young boys and girls
Wearing their new clothes
On the street they parade
To gather their gifts
Their Godparents prepared

Not only young kids
Who do celebrates
So are the men of ages
Grouped in street corner
Glass and pitcher in hand
With five cases of beer
On the street corner they share

Seems there’s no tomorrow
As I recall…
One week more…
New Year will fall.

Thirty-first of December
In our beloved City
The loud noise of firecrackers
Metal cans and shakers are beaten
Or other metal things
So that more noise brings.

Fireworks and candle strobes
Up the sky it sparkles and glitters
Under the thick smoke, we wait…
For the passing of the year
And welcome the New Year.

On top of our table
So rich, so much food
And so much more
One more time I recall
In our front yard or in the backyard
Barbecue is being grilled

Oh dear God! I want to go home
My birthplace, my dear City
To once again experience
Your Feast, so full of Memories
 
 

 

This Website was created and is being maintained by: Rogelio A. Santos
Copyright©2001 Reproduction in full or part is prohibited without permission.

To the Top

 Date this page was last edited - 03/22/2003