Salmo 39: 1-14

Nan Pinang-ammon Apo Chios isnan Kasasaad nan Takho

1 Sinokisokmo sak-en, Chios Apo,
ya ammom am-in nan semekko.
2 Ammom nan am-in ay ikkak
olay mo tomokcho ak paymo tomakcheg ak.
Olay mo adchawi ka ken sak-en
et aammom nan ek sesemken.
3 Imoschengam kayet nan omay-ayak;
siya akhes mo mamaseyep ak.
Tet-ewa! Ammom am-in nan ik-ikkak.
4 Olay eg-ayko tinakang nan topekko, Chios Apo,
kechangna ay aammom nan wad-ay is kasemekko.
5 Wawawawad-ay ka ay tomatamak ya somasalak, Apo.
Nan kamabfalin nan limam et wad-ay ay tomatakcho.
6 Chadlos katataa nan mangammowan isnan ek katatakho;
chachama'y ad-achaem chi ya ad-i maawatan nan semekko.
7 Ento pan nan omayak ta omadchawi ak isnan Leng-agmo?
Siya, ento nget nan lomayawak isnan sakhangmo?
8 Mo lomamag ak id chaya, wad-ay ka ischi!
Mo khomwab ak is kakawad si natey,
Sikhod ay wad-ay ka kayet sidi!
9 Olay mo tomayaw ak ay omey is kafomar-an si akhew
paymo entee is kapengpeng nan fayfay is apet kalonokhan si akhew,
10 wad-ay ka kayet ay omipangpango;
nan limam nan pomapachang, Apo.
11 Mo kanak ay entafon ak isnan follinget
olay mo filinek nan paway ta pomanget,
12 khechangna'y olay nan fomollingetana
et maid pangetna ken sik-a.
Kag mag-akhew isnan em mata nan chadlos ay kapangetana
tay nan follinget ya pat-a et maid maiteknana ken sik-a.
13 Tay sik-a nan nangaeb isnan kadchinaemko
ay natkenatken ay waschin chodchono.
Siya, chinaitmo am-in isnan ek awak
isnan sisya'y wad-ay ak is kapoton inak.
14 Chad-ayawek sik-a tay kakaegyat ya omipataa chadlo
nan inangnem ay nangaeb ken sak-en, Apo.
Siya, katataa nan am-in ay khinaebmo
ya figfikhek chi isnan semekko.

(From the Bontoc Ikholot 'Salmo' (Psalms), courtesy of Bontoc Scripture Society)

Nan Layad Nan Likhatan

Nan Layad nan Likhatan is an old and very popular song in Bontoc, speaking of a love that has gone awry yet still hinting at a chance for reconciliation. My brother asked me to listen to a contemporary rendition by a band, composed mostly of Ifontoks, named PE'tune and sent the file to me. I have heard this band play and I liked the voice quality of their lead vocals, but they have since disbanded (my brother says their lead guitarist went to the US). However, they were able to record an album of the same name as their band, where Nan Layad nan Likhatan is one of the tracks.

Although it is a contemporary rendition, they included gongs as part of their musical instruments, much like Joey Ayala's Ay, Ay, Salidummay. Listen, and be the judge whether it is a better rendition (compared to Lourdes Fangki perhaps?) or not hehehe.. However, since I cannot post an audio in this blog, I asked wgacusana to use the song with videos of the Lang-ay Festival 2007. I am very thankful for his help.


When the song asks, 'Ento pay kasin chachi? Nar-os cha't am-in' (Where did they all go? All of them have faded away), this can also be said of our songs and dances, showcased in this video only because of the Lang-ay Festival.

Nan Layad Nan Likhatan
Nan layad ensikhafan
Tet-ewa'y sikhab
Layad ay nenlikhatan
Nar-os cha am-in.

Seg-ang yangkhay nan wad-ay
Sik-a et achi mampay
Ya ngag kasin ta angnen
Nar-os cha't am-in.

San enta nenfowekhan
Ad-im ngen semken
San enta nenpachangan
Nar-os cha am-in

Seg-ang...

Layad ta'y chachama
Ento pay kasin chachi
Nar-os cha't am-in.

Tak-en mo mimowasan
Someg-ang ka man
Ta kasin ta lomanen
San layad ta'y chwa.

San layad ta'y chachama
Wedwecha's fangonen ta
Ta't ampay en-among ta
Omafong ta'y chwa.

Layad...

Free Translation:
(Qualifier: This is not a bullet-proof translation. If you think that the English rendering is not good, you are welcome to suggest and I can change the words.)

A love beset with difficulties
It is truly hard
A love that has been given much effort
All of them have faded away.

Pity is all that is left
It is really up to you
What else shall we do then?
All of them have faded away.

The times when we were together
Don't you think (about them)?
The times when we held hands
All of them have faded away.

Pity...

Our love so great
Where did all of them go?
All of them have faded away.

So that everything will be alright
Have pity on me
So we can bring back
Our love once again.

Our love so great
It is better that we revive (it)
So that we can be together
Let us then get married.

Our love...

Safeng

Khawis ay safeng
Ay inpagpagkhasoweng
Fab-a matalengteng
Awak maeteeteng.

Safeng kafornay
Inomen ad-i kalaklakay
Awak mablamablay
Felay maokaokay.

Akhas ay safeng
Ken kaana'n panateng
Fafai inkimen
Safeng enna inomen.

Khachiw ya agkhama
Khawis si naipesa
Amam-a laychencha
inomencha sa somya.

Free Translation:
Safeng is beneficial
Its taste is sour
It sets the teeth on edge
The body becomes continuously healthy.

Safeng in the claypot
If one drinks, s/he does not grow old
Even if the body is very tired
The tiredness is drained.

Safeng is a medicine
It removes cough and colds
A woman who is pregnant
She drinks safeng.

Fish and crabs
Mixing them in is good
The old men like it
They drink it and all is well.

(Safeng is a mixture of various ingredients – uncooked sweet potatoes, cassava, legumes and even fish bones and crabs. These ingredients are mixed in boiled water, then placed in a tightly closed claypot for a month and is drunk after that. Its smell is rather unpleasant but it is well-loved by old men and women, as testified by this song. During clan gatherings or rituals, it is mixed with rice and fish and placed on mulberry leaves for distribution.)