Biag ni Lam-ang (Summary)

BIAG NI LAM-ANG (Life of Lam-ang) is pre-Hispanic epic poem of the Ilocano people of the
Philippines. The story was handed down orally for generations before it was written down around 1640
assumedly by a blind Ilokano bard named Pedro Bucaneg.

BUOD (SUMMARY) OF BIAG NI LAM-ANG

Don Juan and his wife Namongan lived in Nalbuan, now part of La Union in the northern part of the
Philippines. They had a son named Lam-ang. Before Lam-ang was born, Don Juan went to the mountains
in order to punish a group of their Igorot enemies. While he was away, his son Lam-ang was born. It took
four people to help Namongan give birth. As soon as the baby boy popped out, he spoke and asked that
he be given the name Lam-ang. He also chose his godparents and asked where his father was.
After nine months of waiting for his father to return, Lam-ang decided he would go look for
him. Namongan thought Lam-ang was up to the challenge but she was sad to let him go. During his
exhausting journey, he decided to rest for awhile. He fell asleep and had a dream about his father's head
being stuck on a pole by the Igorot. Lam-ang was furious when he learned what had happened to his
father. He rushed to their village and killed them all, except for one whom he let go so that he could tell
other people about Lam-ang's greatness.
Upon returning to Nalbuan in triumph, he was bathed by women in the Amburayan river. All the fish
died because of the dirt and odor from Lam-ang's body.
There was a young woman named Ines Kannoyan whom Lam-ang wanted to woo. She lived in
Calanutian and he brought along his white rooster and gray dog to visit her. On the way, Lam-ang met
his enemy Sumarang, another suitor of Ines whom he fought and readily defeated.
Lam-ang found the house of Ines surrounded by many suitors all of whom were trying to catch her
attention. He had his rooster crow, which caused a nearby house to fall. This made Ines look out. He
had his dog bark and in an instant the fallen house rose up again. The girl's parents witnessed this and
called for him. The rooster expressed the love of Lam-ang. The parents agreed to a marriage with their
daughter if Lam-ang would give them a dowry valued at double their wealth. Lam-ang had no problem
fulfilling this condition and he and Ines were married.
It was a tradition to have a newly married man swim in the river for the rarang fish. Unfortunately, Lamang dove straight into the mouth of the water monster Berkakan. Ines had Marcos get his bones, which
she covered with a piece of cloth. His rooster crowed and his dog barked and slowly the bones started
to move. Back alive, Lam-ang and his wife lived happily ever after with his white rooster and gray dog.

Ramayana: A Summary
1. Dasharatha, King of Aydohya, has three wives and four sons. Rama is the eldest. His mother is
Kaushalya. Bharata is the son of his second and favorite wife, Queen Kaikeyi. The other two are twins,
Lakshman and Shatrughna. Rama and Bharata are blue, perhaps indicating they were dark skinned or
originally south Indian deities.
2) A sage takes the boys out to train them in archery. Rama has hit an apple hanging from a string.
3) In a neighboring city the ruler's daughter is named Sita. When it was time for Sita to choose her
bridegroom, at a ceremony called a swayamvara, the princes were asked to string a giant bow. No one
else can even lift the bow, but as Rama bends it, he not only strings it but breaks it in two. Sita indicates
she has chosen Rama as her husband by putting a garland around his neck. The disappointed suitors
watch.
4) King Dasharatha, Rama's father, decides it is time to give his throne to his eldest son Rama and retire
to the forest to seek moksha. Everyone seems pleased. This plan fulfills the rules of dharma because an
eldest son should rule and, if a son can take over one's responsibilities, one's last years may be spent in
a search for moksha. In addition, everyone loves Rama. However Rama's step-mother, the king's second
wife, is not pleased. She wants her son, Bharata, to rule. Because of an oath Dasharatha had made to
her years before, she gets the king to agree to banish Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata,
even though the king, on bended knee, begs her not to demand such things. Broken-hearted, the
devastated king cannot face Rama with the news and Kaikeyi must tell him.
5) Rama, always obedient, is as content to go into banishment in the forest as to be crowned king. Sita
convinces Rama that she belongs at his side and his brother Lakshman also begs to accompany them.
Rama, Sita and Lakshman set out for the forest.
Bharata, whose mother's evil plot has won him the throne, is very upset when he finds out what has
happened. Not for a moment does he consider breaking the rules of dharma and becoming king in
Rama's place. He goes to Rama's forest retreat and begs Rama to return and rule, but Rama refuses.
"We must obey father," Rama says. Bharata then takes Rama's sandals saying, "I will put these on the
throne, and every day I shall place the fruits of my work at the feet on my Lord." Embracing Rama, he
takes the sandals and returns to Aydohya.
6) Years pass and Rama, Sita and Lakshman are very happy in the forest. Rama and Lakshman destroy
the rakshasas (evil creatures) who disturb the sages in their meditations. One day a rakshasa princess
tries to seduce Rama, and Lakshmana wounds her and drives her away. She returns to her brother
Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka (Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon), and tells her brother (who has a
weakness for beautiful women) about lovely Sita.
Ravana devises a plan to abduct Sita. He sends a magical golden deer which Sita desires. Rama and
Lakshman go off to hunt the deer, first drawing a protective circle around Sita and warning her she will
be safe as long as she does not step outside the circle. As they go off, Ravana (who can change his
shape) appears as a holy man begging alms. The moment Sita steps outside the circle to give him food,
Ravana grabs her and carries her off the his kingdom in Lanka.

7) Rama is broken-hearted when he returns to the empty hut and cannot find Sita. A band of monkeys
offer to help him find Sita.
Ravana has carried Sita to his palace in Lanka, but he cannot force her to be his wife so he puts her in a
grove and alternately sweet-talks her and threatens her in an attempt to get her to agree to marry him.
Sita will not even look at him but thinks only of her beloved Rama. Hanuman, the general of the monkey
band can fly since his father is the wind, and Hanuman flies to Lanka and, finding Sita in the grove,
comforts her and tells her Rama will soon come and save her.
8) Ravana's men capture Hanuman, and Ravana orders them to wrap Hanuman's tail in cloth and to set
it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman hops from house-top to house-top, setting Lanka afire. He then
flies back to Rama to tell him where Sita is.
9) Rama, Lakshman and the monkey army build a causeway from the tip of India to Lanka and cross over
to Lanka. A might battle ensues. Rama kills several of Ravana's brothers and then
Rama confronts ten-headed Ravana. (Ravana is known for his wisdom as well as for his weakness for
women which may explain why he is pictured as very brainy.) Rama finally kills Ravana.
10). Rama frees Sita. After Sita proves here purity, they return to Ayodhya and Rama becomes king. His
rule, Ram-rajya, is an ideal time when everyone does his or her dharma and "fathers never have to light
the funeral pyres for their sons."

The Ramayana is one of the two great Indian epics,the other being the Mahabharata.
The Ramayana tells about life in India around 1000 BCE and offers models in dharma.
Basho Matsuo
Here are three examples of the haiku of Basho Matsuo, the first great poet of haiku in the 1600s:
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.

Autumn moonlight
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.

Lightning flash
what I thought were faces
are plumes of pampas grass.

KAY ESTELLA ZEEHANDELAAR

Salin ni Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo Mula sa Mga Liham ng Isang Prinsesang Javanese
Japara, Mayo 25, 1899
Ibig na ibig kong makilala ng isang babaeng moderno iyong babaeng malaya, nakapagmamalakit
makaakit ng aking loob! Iyong masaya, may tiwala sa sarili, masiglat maagap na hinaharap ang buhay,
puno ng tuwa at sigasig, pinagsisikapan hindi lamang ang sariling kapakanan at kundi maging ang
kabutihan ng buong sangkatauhan.
Buong kasabikan kong sinasalubong ang pagdating ng bagong panahon; totoong sa pusot isip koy hindi
ako nabibilang sa daigdig ng mga Indian, kundi sa piling ng aking mga puting kapatid na babae na
tumatanaw sa malayong kanluran.
Kung pahihintulutan lamang ng mga batas ng aking bayan, wala akong ibig gawin kundi ang ipagkaloob
ang sarili sa mga nagtratrabaho;t nagsisikap na bagong kababaihan ng Europe; subalit nakatali ako sa
mga lumang tradisyong hindi maaaring suwayin. Balang araw maaaring lumuwag ang tali at kamiy
pawalan, ngunit lubhang malayo pa ang panahong iyon. Alam ko, maaaring dumating iyon, ngunit baka
pagkatapos pa ng tatlo o apat na hebenerasyon. Alam mo ba kung paano mahalin ang bago at batang
panahong ito ng buong pusot kaluluwa kahit nakatali sa lahat ng batas, kaugalian at kumbensyon ng
sariling bayan. Tuwirang sumasalungat sa kaunlarang hinahangad ko para sa aking mga kababayan ang
lahat ng mga institusyon naming. Wala akong iniisip gabit araw kindi ang makagawa ng paraang
malabanan ang mga lumang tradisyon naming. Alam kong para sa aking sariliy magagawa king iwasan o
putulin ang mga ito, kaya lamang ay may mga buklod na matibay pa sa alinmang lumanag tradisyon na
pumipigil sa akin; at ito ang pagmamahal na inuukol ko sa mga pinagkakautangan ko ng buhay, mga
taong nararapat kong pasalamatan sa lahat ng bagay. May karapatan ba akong was akin ang puso ng
mga taong walang naibigay sa akin kundi pagmamahal at kabutihan, mga taong nag-alaga sa akin ng
buong pagsuyo?
Ngunit hindi lamang tinig nito ang umaabot sa akin; ang malayo, marikit at bagong-silang na Europe ay
nagtutulak sa aking maghangad ng pagbabago sa kasalukuyang kalagayan. Kahit noong musmos pa akoy
may pang-akit na sa aking pandinig ang salitang emansipasyon; may isang naiibang kabuluhan ito,
isang kahulugang hindi maaabot ng aking pang-unawa. Gumigising ito para sa hangarin ang pagsasarili at
kalayaan- isang paghahangad na makatayong mag-isa. Ang puso koy sinusugatan ng mga kondisyong
nakapaligid sa akin at sa iba, buong lungkot na pinag-aalab ang mithiin kong magising ang aking bayan.
Patuloy na lumapit ang mga tinig na galing sa malayong lupain, umaabot sa akin, at sa kasiyahan ng ilang
nagmamahal sa akin at sa kalungkutan ng iba, dala ntio ang binhing sumupling sa aking puso, nag-ugat,
sukmibol hanggang sa lumakas at sumigla.
Ngayoy kailangang sabihin ko ang ilang bagay ukol sa sarili upang magkakilala tayo.
Panganay ako sa tatlong babaing anak ng Regent ng Japara. Akoy may anim na kapatid na lalki at babae.
Ang lolo kong si Pangeran Ario Tjondronegoro ng Demak ay isang kilalang lider ng kilusang progresibo
noong kapanahunan niya. Siya rin ang kaunaunahang regent ng gitnang Java na nagbukas ng pinto para
sa mga panauhin mula sa ibayong dagat-ang sibilisasyong Kanluran. Lahat ng mga anak niyay may
edukasyong European, at halos lahat ng iyon (na ang ilan ay patay na ngayon) ay umiibig o umibig sa
kanlurang minana sa kanilang ama; at nagdulot naman ito sa mga anak nila ng uri ng pagpapalaking
nagisnan nila mismo. Karamihan sa mga pinsan kot nakatatandang kapatid na lalaki ay nag-aral sa
Hoogere-Burger School, sng pinakamataas na institusyon ng karunungang matatagpuan ditto sa India.
Ang bunso sa tatlong nakatatandang kapatid kong lalakiy tatlong taon na ngayong nag-aaral sa

Netherlands at naglilingkod din naman doon bilang sundalo ang dalawa pa. Samantala, kaming mga
babaey bahagya nang magkaroon ng pagkakataong makapag-aral dahil na rin sa kahigpitan n gaming
lumang tradisyon at kumbensyon. Labag sa aming kaugaliang pag-aralin ang mga babae, lalot
kailangang lumabas ng bahay araw-araw para pumasok sa eskwela. Ipinagbabawal n gaming kaugalian
na lumabas man lamang ng bahay ang babae. Hindi kami pinapayagang pumunta saan man, liban
lamang kung sa paaralan, at ang tanginglugar na pagtuturong maipagmamalaki ng syudad naming na
bukas sa mga babae ay ang libreng grammar school ng mga European.
Nang tumuntong ako ng ikalabindalawang taonng gulang, ako ay itinali sa bahay-kinailangang ikahon
ako. Ikinulong ako at pinagbawalang makipag-uganayan sa mundong nasa labas ng bahay, ang mundong
hindi ko na makikita marahil liban kung kasama ko na ang mapapangasawang estranghero, isang dikilalang lalaking pinili ng mga magulang ko, ang lalaking ipinagkasundo sa akin nang di ko namamalayan.
Noong banding huli, nalaman kong tinangka ng mga kaibigan kong European na mabago ang pasyang ito
ng mga magulang ko para sa akin, isang musmos pa na nagmamahal sa buhay, subalit wala silang
nagawa. Hindi nahikayat ang mga magulang ko; nakulong ako nang tuluyan. Apat na mahahabang taon
ang tinagal ko sa pagitan ng makapal na pader, at hindi ko nasilayan minsan man ang mundong nasa
labas.
Hindi ko alam kung paano ko pinalipas ang mga oras. Ang tanging kaligayahang naiwan sa akiy
pagbabasa ng mga librong Dutch at ang pakikipagsulatan sa mga kaibigang Dutch na hindi naman
ipinagbawal. Ito-ito lamang ang nagiisang liwanag na nagpakulay sa hungkag at kainip-inip na panahong
iyon, na kung inalis pa sa akin ay lalo nang nagging kaawa-awa ang kalagayan ko. Lalo sigurong nawalan
ng kabuluhan ang buhay kot kaluluwa. Subalit dumating ang kaibigan kot tagapagligtas-ang Diwa ng
panahon; umalingawngaw sa lahat ng dako ang mga yabag niya. Nayanig sa paglapit niya ang palalot
matatag na balangkas ng mga lumang tradisyon. Nabuksan ang mga pintong mahigpit na nakasara, kusa
ang iba, ang iba namay pilit at bahagya lamang ngunit bumukas pa rin at pinapasok ang mga diinanyayahang panauhin.
Sa wakes, nakita kong muli ang mundo sa labas nang akoy maglabing-anim na taon. Salamat sa Diyos!
Malalabasan ko ang aking kulungan nang Malaya at hindi nakatali sa isang kung sinong bridegroom. At
mabilis pang sumunod ang mga pangyayari nagpabalik sa aming mga babae ng mga nawala naming
kalayaan.
Nang sumunod na taon, sa oras ng pagtatalaga sa poder ng bata pang Prinsesa (bilang Reyna Wilhemina
ng Netherland), opisyal na inihandog sa amin ng mga magulang naming an gaming kalayaan. Sa kaunaunahang pagkakataon sa aming buhay, pinyagan kaming umalis sa bayan naming at pumunta sa siyudad
na pinadarausan ng pagdiriwang para sa okasyong iyon. Anong dakila tagumpay iyon! Ang maipakita ng
mga kabataang babaeng tulang naming ang sarili sa labas, na imposibleng mangyari noon. Nasindak ang
mundo nagging usap-usapan ang krimeng iyon na ditoy wala pang nakagagawa. Nagsaya an gaming
mga kaibigang European, at para naman sa amin, walang reynang yayaman pa sa amin. Subalit hindi pa
ako nasisiyahan. LAgi, ibig kong makarating sa malayo, mas malayo. Wala akong hangaring
makapamista, o malibang. Hindi iyon ang dahilan ng paghahangad kong magkaroon ng kalayaan. Ibig
kong malaya upang makatayo ng mag-isa, mag-aral, hindia para mapailalim sa sinuman, at higit sa lahat,
hindi para pag-asawahin nang sapilitan.
Ngunit dapat tayong mag-asawa, dapat, dapat. Ang hindi pag-aasawa ang pinakamalaking kasalanang
magagawa ng isang babaeng Muslim. Ito ang pinakamalaking maipagkakaloob ng isang katutubong
babae sa kanyang pamilya.
At ang pag-aasawa para sa amin-mababaw pa ngang ekspresyon ang sabihing miserable. At paano nga

ba hindi magkakaganoon, kung tila ginawa lamang para sa lalaki ang mga batas, kung pabor para sa
lalaki at hindi para sa babae ang batas at kumbensyon; kung ang lahat ng kaluwagay para sa kanya lang?