Reviews of Tagalog Books
Translations of the Classics
copyright (c) 2007 by Marcy Abrenica
Tagalog books abound and more and more publishers encourage writers to write in Tagalog. I have been browsing some novels originally written in Tagalog. Since my choice for priority reading material depends on what first catches my interest - for example, the book cover, the title, the author - I am not at all pressured to read the books that are recommended reading. But once I see a translation, that becomes a priority. Recently, I bought the book entitled Sa Gitna ng Lusak, an adaptation by Gerardo Chanco of the novel La Dame aux Camelias by Alexandre Dumas (the son). Reading the introductory pages, I learned that Chanco used for his source text not the original French version, but a translation into Spanish called La Dama de las Camelias by an unknown author. Chanco did not know French but both he and his wife who was a language teacher were speaking Spanish fluently.The translation into English by Edmund Gosse (1902)came out first before Chanco's translation (1915) into Tagalog. The newest translation is by David Coward (1986,2000). On April 18, 1904 this same novel was adapted into a Broadway musical, and from 1953 to 1963, there were eighteen shows entitled Camille on Broadway. This was aside from Giuseppe Verdi's showing of La Traviata (1853) which was an opera adaptation written by Francesco Maria Pave of this very same novel, La dame aux camelias, and first shown in Venice.* This last information made me buy the book because I once saw an opera directed by Rolando Tinio, and it was La Traviata. Since I was already using binoculars while watching that opera, I did not really understand it. So I was thinking that this is my chance to get hold of the theme and story of that play which only left beatiful images on my mind courtesy of Tinio's bohemian touch. Of course, eventually, what interested me while reading the novel is not the story itself but the Tagalog used. The rich, ornate vocabulary left a deep impression that made me appreciate Tagalog more. One of the places I highlighted summarizes the great love between the main characters Margarita Gautier and Armando Duval. The best way to appreciate this Tagalog is to read the prose aloud. Ay, Armando! Dapat akong malumbay! Ako'y nahahapis kailan ma't magunita ko ang katotohanang ang pag-iibigan nati'y isang pag-iibigang di-pangkaraniwan lamang. Lubos akong naniniwala na ang pagmamahal mo sa aki'y taimtim sa iyong loob; at sa pagmamahal mong iya'y parang hindi mo natatanong na ako'y naging kasintahan na ng iba; at dahil din sa pagmamahal mong iyan kung kaya't nangangamba akong bukas-makalawa, sakaling ikaw ay magbago ng akala, ay bawiin mong biglang-bigla ang pagsinta sa akin, isurot sa mga mata ko ang aking kahapong nabalot ng maiitim na ulap, at ako'y bayaan mong muling magumon sa gitna ng lusak ng pagkapalungi, na pinaghanguan mo sa aking napakasawing kabuhayan. Talastasin mo, giliw kong Armando, na ngayong maipalasap mo sa akin ang bagong kabuhayang ito, mamamatay akong walang pagsala, sakaling maglupit na muli sa akin ang masungit na tadhana ng mga pangyayari. Kaya't sa ikatitiwasay ng aking kaluluwa'y muli mong ipangako sa akin, mahal kong Armando, na tayo'y magsasama't magmamahalan sa habambuhay. Ipangako ko ngang muli ngayon, Armando, na ako'y hindi mo pababayaan, hindi mo lilimutin, hindi mo pagsasawaan..." "Margarita...Isinusumpa ko!" At pagkasabing-pagkasabi ko nito'y tinitigan niya ako nang buong giliw at wari'y ibig niyang mabasa sa mukha ko ang kadalisayan ng aking sumpa; at niyakap ako ng pagkahigpit-higpit, at iniyupyop ang hapis niyang mukha sa aking balikat, at "Ay, Armando! Hindi mo masusukat ang kalakhan ng pag-ibig ko sa iyo!" sinabing kasabay ang isang malalim ng buntong-hininga at sinundan ng panangis. Recent popular fantaseryes (fantasy soap operas) employed this kind of language, and listening to Tagalog spoken this way makes the audience feel as if they are taken to another time and place. Yet, the vocabulary is not that ancient, since most of these can be fairly understood even by an eight year old child (who is not being schooled to speak in English, even at home).
Want to create a very short "ornate" prose using the following words?
Ay!
nalumbay
magunita
taimtim
kasintahan
nangangamba
bukas-makalawa
pagsinta
isurot
magumon
lusak
pagkapalungi
napakasawi
Talastasin
giliw ko
maipalasap
walang pagsala
masungit na tadhana
ikatitiwasay
buong giliw
wari
kadalisayan
iniyupyop
hapis
panangis
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Recommended Tagalog Books
1 Sa Gitna ng Lusak
Halaw ni Gerardo R. Chanco
Ateneo University Press
Karapatang-ari (c) Ateneo De Manila University
at ni Paraluman Chanco Guzman
*see the Introductory by Roberto T. Anonuevo on page Xviii
2 Sa Daigdig ng Kontradiksyon
Mga Saling-Wika
Jose F. Lacaba
Anvil Publishing
Karapatang-ari(c) 1991
ni Jose F. Lacaba
Send us your reviews of
Tagalog Books.
Marcy Abrenica recently joined the Wordhouse Team as a Forward Translator - English to Tagalog; English to Ilocano.
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