Antoon Postma’s Treasure of a Minority

Antoon Postma, a Dutch anthropologist, did significant research about the poetry and culture of the Hanunoo people, a Mangyan sub-tribe in the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. He lived amongst and married into the Hanunoo and produced a large amount of work recording and preserving their culture. Postma recorded hundreds of ambahans, a traditional poetic form of heptasyllable lines of variable length that is chanted in social gatherings.

I was able to obtain a copy of Antoon Postma’s Treasure of a Minority.  This book gave me so much pride and joy in the literary creativity of this tribe in the Philippines. As I have written about before, these poems are beautiful and humble, with Haiku-like imagery and Dickinson-like wit. Postma recorded thousands of these poems, of which 261 were chosen in this book. Organized by the life cycle of the Hanunoo, the book begins with birth and childhood, ending with sickness and death.

Reading these poems gives a beautiful picture of the life and wonder of the Hanunoo and Filipinos in general. You can see nature as an intimate part of the Hanunoo life: monkeys, gray wagtails, pigs, bees, and fish teem with life. Howling hurricanes, floods, monsoons, rivers, bamboo, mountain sides, and low-land shores span the breadth of this book. Humble acts such as washing your hair, lying on sleeping mats, pounding rice, whistling, and smelling herbs are interspersed as charming gems in between. The pains of sickness, headaches, the quarreling of married couples, and the feelings of being rejected from your love are also recorded. Some of the poems of death are so touching and refreshing that you can feel the level of peace the Hanunoo culture treats the end of life.

Below are a few of my favorite ambahans. Since so little information exists on the internet, I thought it wise to share to inspire others. Please purchase the book on Amazon. Although, the copies I saw were all from the 1970s, the poems are beautiful still! (Also of note, the language is of the Hanunoo-Mangyan, which is one of the native languages of the Philippines.)

Childhood
13 Tiklang nakan nigsayan Balistay pagbuludan Suyong kis-ab panangdan Bansay kis-ab panduyan Ha pamatlay nga ginan Kantam gawi aghuman Dulakit bang kinmamgan Ibyok bang tinmagudngan Ho namatlay nga ginan Kantam gawi aghuman Dulakit didwag kamgan Ibyok didwag tagudngan Kang bay nga magkamanman May igiw nawa naw-an Babaw aghom bunglayan Saroy saroy aghuman Banta imaw wi aban Ti lumuyon bungguan	The reason why I am here, walking along hills and vales because Mother has told me and my father he just said: “Better go and have a look, at the field we have prepared. Monkeys might be eating there and the pigs destroying plants.” So I went and had a look at the field we have prepared. But no monkeys eating there, and no pigs destroying plants. However, what I did see, was a bird, still rather small, sitting on the field we have, at the borders of the field. Maybe one day it’ll be there when the rice is ripe and fair.
24 Kang manok si tigbaya Nakan magbaya-baya Nangitlog basad taya Ga namayo tigudwa	My bird called the Tigbaya, is as happy as can be. Laying eggs in a nut-shell nice! Like two persons pounding rice!
26 Magkunkuno ti pispis bahayaw Suyungan bay suyungan Kawo hayga lantangan Sugkad bato hagnayan No kumon kumon way man Ako ma-abangdayan Sa sirig arupadngan Sa siwalo buhukan Magkunkuno kay ina Linsingan bay linsingan Suyong nakan lantangan Sugkad bato hagnayan Mamukpok kang daluntan Agod mahimanmanan Tawo taga baybayan Tawo tupo dangyahan Kang maglinyawan banban	Cries the bird, complainingly: Mother, oh, my mother dear, why so long you stayed away down the rocks at Hagnayan? I was waiting all in vain. Almost I was dragged along by the howling hurricane by the hair, that got untied. Mother answered in reply: Oh, my dearest baby boy, Mother stayed so long away down the rocks at Hagnayan. I was just washing my hair so I could be showing off to the people from the shore people from the mountains too, that my beauty is still fair.

Adolescence
29 Magkunkuno si Ganay Magtalok kay bagakay Kawo kang pagbilinan Kawo bagakay naban Kawo no magtubuan Danga sa pagdangyahan Pag sis runong ratagan	Remarks Ganay, counseling, when planting the useful reed, this is my advice to you: You, a reed so fine and strong, when one day you will grow up, don’t stay where it’s hard to live. In the plains do build your house.

Courtship
48 Kalansiw kalandagan Napadna sa sugkadan Lakaw kinuyankuyan Nakan kinuyankuyan Magbanta kay abyagan May sa maglinong kagnan May sa unay maghagan	Look the Kalansiw bird there; he just came down in the yard, walking so uncertainly. Maybe he walks just like that because he is not so sure, whether to the quiet lake, or the running stream he’ll go.
68 Salod anong bugtungan Kis-ab kang mag-iginan Ginan kang tipit lingban Bunggo madi uyunan Kang di tinalisigan Kang bay nga pagsumayan Padi man ga bungguan Una sa unay kagnan Una babaw aghuman Kang ka-abay sag lan-gan Ka-ugbay sag ranukan	My sweetheart, my love so dear, when I left, in coming here, coming from my house and yard; all the rice that I have stored, I have left it there behind, because I hope here to find one more valued than my rice! One to be my partner nice to the water, to the field, a companion on my trips, and one who will share my sleep!
74 Anong salod bugtungan Inda kanta nag-amban Katpungan pagsudungan Palhitan di sa lagban Sa kiling sa kawayan Sarin man pagmagsan-an Dalan man ulitangan Labag man hambuyungan Sumay bay yaya diman	My sweetheart, so nice and fair, we have now agreed all right just now at this hour of night. Have it written on the wall, write it on the bamboos tall! And wherever we will meet, on a trail or on a “street”, in a hut or in a house, one day I will be your spouse.
75 Si isda batod-tigi Hinton ti ud mawili Baras ga pinasiri	Look at the fish in the creek! Fully of joy and glee and cheer. Fine is the sand, white and clear.
77 Kawayan sa tumalo Kawo no kang itudlo Kawo balaw dumayo Hurok nakaburino Ga panabasan panyo	Bamboo bush along the stream; if I would show it to you, you would like the glossy gleam. Beautiful the young shoots too, like a headdress cut supreme!

Sickness

131 Kang bay buyong sangdulan Binahawa yi sangdan Linandoy yi subungan Buyong didwa ka-uman Ga bagyo ud hubungan Ga uran ud maghawan Bagkos buyong garmayan Babaw sa isangdulan Hanggan tig pa-urugan Ka nog halaw nga malngan Sinta duwa gaypudan Buyong hampay malungan Paslayawan sa amyan Palakipan sa kaywan Sa ud ma-umbalawan

This my problem, my headache, I had called the doctors all, had it treated frequently but my headache didn’t go. Like the storm not calming down, like the rain that doesn’t stop it was even getting worse: my head almost cracking up. But the final medicine, why did I not think of it? We most love each other more. Then the problem will be gone, carried along by the wind, covered by the forest trees, and we will be sad no more.

Food & Work
144 Kang kaparay kabasag Na-uyang di nabus-ag Kang nitakid sa inwag Kang buot nalungalag	The kabasag rice I had got all scattered on the ground, when the bag got hooked on thorns. I was shocked and very sad.
153 Kang isda si indangan No umudto ti bulan Ako palawod maan Nakan palawon maan Barang laya masakpan Tunda laya panamban Sinubong kay bahayan Kay pamato bulawan	Indangan, a river fish: If the moon stands high and bright, I’ll go to the flood tonight, to the river where I’ll catch with my net, some white-skinned fish. With a special kind of net; the sides are just like a house, glossy stones will weight it down

Friendship

198 Anong si kanaw bulan Sinmalhag sa rantawan Kabiton lugod ginan Salhag mabalaw diman No ga tawo di ngaran Kang way inunyawidan Buhok ngatay tawidan Palaylay ngatay huytan Unhunon sab araw man Tida ti kanaw bulan Tida kuramo diman May bantod pagpaday-an May ratag pagrun-ugan May ili pag-alikdan

Look! The moon so full and bright, Shining in front of the house! How can you explain to me, that the rays are soft and cool? If a man like us he were, I would hold him by the hand! Seize the hair to keep him back! Grasp the clothes to make him stay! But how could I manage that! It is the moon in the sky! The full moon shining so bright, going down beyond the hills, disappearing from the plain out of sight behind the rocks.

Marriage
209 Kawayan sa may inwag Labong una naragdag Puon danga lungalag Panggamot di maayad Sa daga mabanayad	Bamboos with the climbing vine, even if the leaves fall down, the trunk will be strong and fine. Firmly rooted, straight they stand, in the good and fertile land.
210 Tayiktik una lut-an Uway una matpukan Kawo ti pa-urugan Kawo tig suod duyan	If the ties you use at home become weak and tend to break, you should be the one to mend, you the one to strengthen them.

Old Age
235 Nos anod di anod wan Nos anod ti tuo wan Kayaw toy was lanbungan Kayaw ambaba yi man	It’s a fact that we all know, a truth wherever we go; the sun in the afternoon will be setting very soon.
237 Katpungan pagsudungan Kita una magkaban Babaw apnig bariwan Saruray no humagan Kiblagan yi kuramwan Sulbadan yi suudan Magkabta araw uman Pamidkan dimlisig wan Patlay saghaya yi man	At this hour of the dark night we are still together now on the woven sleeping-mat. But when the sun rises soon, and the stars become detached, our bond might break up too. When we’ll ever meet again, it is not with mortal eyes, but the eye-sight of the soul.
238 Magkunkuno si yumay Kitoy wangkog girangan Kitoy yamog sarawan Patlay pagmalion wan Tukaw pagmahumlag wan Ho bay maskin nagduyan Uyaw no tumimaan Uyaw gis daga-sayan Agruman dagaynaan	Yumay, the old woman speaks: I am really getting old, and your age is close to mine. One day it will be our fate that we have to leave this place. I am telling you, that once the big flood, remembers well, the flood from the underworld will bring us below the earth
241 No ka girang bagtuhan No bagog raynaw banban Pagmalikidon lan-gan Dapat kang di nga duyan Una agub-ob ligwan Una daging putyukan No may bunglo sa gus-an Aton makaguhitan To abadyawon duyan	I am an old bamboo bush but you are a tender twig, always going, visiting. Let me give you this advice: even if you see the tree with the honey-comb of bees, if somebody made his mark, do not claim it for yourself. It means trouble, quarreling.
242 Magkunkuno ti tawo Kay tabog ngap mamatay No atag sano diman Kang magraywan magraywan Babaw babaw buludan No ngatay sano aban Nagtungpanan sabungan Ariwan durirungan Para ubli mambon wan	Says the man, already old, thinking of life after death: When I will leave, it’ll be nice. I will whistle, I will yell on the highest mountain peaks. Yes, one day I will be glad; I will see my wife again! Many things we’ll have to say! Then I won’t want to come back.

Death
246 Magkunkuno ti karadwa Kang kis-ab mag-iginan Ginan kang tipit lingban Apwan mambon mambu-nan Babaw apnig bariwan Ud paway sa gihitan Halaw nangitlagan wan Kasanggaling sa siknan Kahabog sa ulangan Taghilyan di kumon wan Kang apwan sa humagan Manrikuyan manrigsan Sa danom magka-uman Bag-o paligbuyungan Kan bansay nag-abyagan Kan suyong nalan-ganan	Says the soul remembering: Just a while ago at home, in the house I used to stay, My body was really bad, lying sickly on the mat, though not ready yet to go. Scared to death I really was! I was going to the right and to left, back and forth! So confused I was that time! Now, my body laid at rest, finally I took a bath in the waters for the soul. I am starting on my way to the place my father went, and where mother joined him, too.
258 Ti maglandoy subungan Ti magbahawa sangdan Paglandoy yi subungan Pagbahawa yi sangdan Ak bay nakan magduyan Widwid bay padayo wan Babaw pungso agdanan Payi managublian May pinagka-anyagan Sa kamangi bungguan	If they want to do their best with their prayers said for me, let them go ahead with it, may their prayers have effect! I only want to say this: the widwid bird will go on to the mounts of Agdanan. He will not come back again. He wants very much to get plenty of  kamangi herbs.
259 Magkunkuno kan damay karadwa No kis-ab paglumbadan Tida di mana ginan Kan damay pandagdagan Ili matagaytayan No ka bay kitay duyan U di sumpong pamidkan Lantang mangalablitan	The soul of Damay explains: It was a long time ago that the sad event took place; the soul of Damay has left for the upper mountain ridge Now it is too late for help. Even if the eyes will meet, nevermore the hands will touch!
260 Magkunkuno ti karadwa Padi tugon gabangan Padi sangdan hidlawan Gistay bay aban ginan Likik ud di pa-uman Nakan kis-ab sugutan Nagsibayan yadiwan Unay lindo wasigan	The soul bidding his farewell: I go, no in angriness; I leave, but I am not sad. It is just that from now on I will no longer come back. That’s the way it has to be! When a river splits apart, each stream follows its own course!
261 Kanmi bay paglabagan Kawo no ud katim-an Padi nga sitay adngan Luwas way lugayawan May takip waya amyan Alintapukan uran	Our house here on this side, maybe you don’t know it yet, it’s not built upon the earth. Far outside heavens it stands! Farther than the places where the storms and the rains come from!

Links

• Mangyan heritage center of the Philippines:
  • http://mangyan.org/content/introduction-ambahan
• Paper by Antoon Postma about ambahan poetry:
  • http://www.henrydelrosario.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Postmapaper.pdf
• Antoon Postma’s Treasure of a Minority:
  • https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Minority-Antoon-SVD-Postma/dp/B000MNBEYQ