Tigbauan Hymn

You are a most precious gem, Tigbauan,
The spacious sea is your beloved one;
You are a very much cherished treasure,
Of our long ago, ancient forefathers.

In your lush and verdant plains, Tigbauan,
Our parents have sown with aspiration;
Ardent desires for emancipation,
And dreams of a resplendent tomorrow.

Tigbauan, your strands are fully-laden,
your coconut palm wine tastes like honey;
Truly delicious are the fish from the sea,
And the maidens are dainty and pretty.

Tigbauan, in you, hope always lingers,
Your hidden wealth abounds everywhere;
Held in store for who dare to endeavor,
The hard-working will never face hunger.

In your temple of worship and your streets,
Unfadingly inscribed in blood and tears;
Of your own dearest heroic children,
Your immortal history, Tigbauan!

Tigbauan, you are a fair Edenland,
Where live the people who are known to be;
So sympathetic and so endearing,
And fervently believes in the Almighty.

Tigbauan, beautiful and untroubled,
Nest of intimacy and happiness;
Long live, Tigbauan, home of the free,
"Mabuhay" "O, Tigbauan, Mabuhay."




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Ngayong Wala Ka Na, Ina

Kay tagal ng lumipas na panahon,
At napakamaraming nagdaang taon;
Ako'y kusang naghintay nang malaon,
Na marinig ang mga salitang 'yon.

Ngunit ni minsan ay di ko narinig,
Yaong mga kataga ng pag-ibig;
Kahit tayo ay laging magkaniig,
Nanatili kang pipi at malamig.

Wari ko, sadyang di mo kailangan,
At sa buhay mo, ako'y kalabisan;
Akala ko, 'yong katahamikan,
Badya ng pagtatakwil na tuluyan.

Naramdaman ko man ang mga haplos,
Ay hindi ko pa rin sukat natalos;
Pagmamahal na sa 'yong puso'y taos,
Ang pahiwatig ng 'yong mga kilos.

Kaya puso'y hinanakit ang kimkim,
Isip ay sakbibi ng paninimdim;
Mga luha ay pumatak nang lihim,
Buhay ay balot ng lumbay at dilim.

At dahil ako'y labis na nasaktan,
Mga pagsamo'y di ko pinagbigyan;
Pagdaraing mo'y di ko pinakinggan,
Naging manhid sa iyong kalungkutan.

Ang pagnanais na ika'y damayan,
Ay ikinubli ko at pinigilan;
Kahit naghirap din ang kalooban,
Tinikis kita at tinalikuran.

Ngayong sa yaring buhay ay nawala,
Ikaw na yumaong baon ay luha;
Saka lamang natanto at nadama,
Na wala ka palang kasinghalaga.

Habang buhay manghihingi ng tawad,
Pagkalinga'y di ko na maigawad;
Sana, noon pa yaon isinaad,
Sayang, di kita minahal kaagad.



by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Tribute To The Teacher

Teacher, should anyone write your story,
It would be most properly told this way;
You live the life of a missionary,
Serving as the light of humanity.

You leave your humble cot at break of day,
The distant school is your destiny;
Bearing the burden of responsibility,
Which thy noble profession has placed on thee.

A caring shepherd to some forty strong,
You commence the day with the national song;
Then let your brood pick up some trash for not so long,
Watching that the naughty ones may not do wrong.

When you are through tidying up the ground,
So it would be safe for kids to roam around;
Into the classroom you are promptly bound,
Everyone accounted for safe and sound.

Before everything else, the Lord you praise,
Letting the children recite their prayers with ease;
Touching each young mind with simple grace,
Impressing God's image through time and space.

Like an angel with invisible wings,
You candidly smile to each child who sings;
Then, with good manners imbue the young little things,
Telling them of the joy a "Please" or "Thank you" brings.

Before your class, you are the superstar,
Each flip of your finger is magic from afar;
As you discuss all topics, from love to war,
With awe and wonder, children's ears stand like a radar.

When a prodigal one strays from the fold,
Not with hateful anger, you wisely scold;
For all that you intend is but to mould,
All children, into men with hearts of gold.

Like the gentle showers that drench the land,
You quench learners' thirst with your magic wand;
Framing letters A to Z with your hand,
The hyloplate and chalk at your command.

You are the artist who can describe in lines thin or wide,
The beauty and secrets that beyond the sunset hide;
And the scientist too, that can explain the tide,
Or, unfold the mystery of the world outside.

You're the agriculturist who trains every hand,
To exploit and nurture the gift of the land;
But a great choreographer when you danced,
And re-echo Beethoven's music like a band.

Children's progress, you note with vigilance,
The weak and the slow, you give a fair chance;
Never failing to give due allowance,
To shortcomings brought about by ignorance.

Remedial measures, you efficiently give,
In the improbability of man, you believe;
With perseverance, you polish till you achieve,
Targets, with which no remuneration you receive.

Never did you chatter and prattle,
Nor bragged of any unfought battle;
You busied your day with a hustle,
Researching from pages that crackle.

You rush to the clinic a hurt first grader,
As one like a doctor, nurse or first aider;
You're nothing less than a crutch to a toddler,
Coaching each little one to grow a bit bolder.

You depart your workshop at close of day,
With mind focused at the community;
As with the young, you try to deliver the old from illiteracy,
Aside from classroom load, you break your back with NFE.

When you reach home, the children are ready for bed,
They know you always come late so they dine ahead;
They understand your work for to them you said,
The home and the school, both you have wed.

Weary with toil, you haste yourself to sleep,
Knowing that soon, another morn shall creep;
And back to school, in a hurry you will leap,
For a vow of loyalty to service you must keep.

All these you do from year to year,
From June to March you labor till you wear;
The laws of morality you always adhere,
To meet people's eyes, you have no fear.

Come Election Day, throughout the country,
Stoic as a Spartan, you guard the ballots' sanctity;
To justice, clings steadfast your loyalty,
Even if, "Goodbye to life," you must say.

And to the village folks, you are fondly,
Their great Cicero or attorney;
You are the healer, preacher or the M.C.,
With services gratis et amore.

Ah! Teacher--- your breed had sprung unto this earth,
Even ahead of the Greatest Teacher's birth;
Time and again you have proven your worth,
Mankind hails you as the goddess of the hearth.

You served humanity beyond duty's call,
Through all the centuries, nations great and small;
You have counseled the wise and the humble,
Artist, doctors, sailors--- you made them all!

You are the silent brand, unsung hero,
Yet, laurels nor golden crown will not do;
For no reward can ever be so true,
Than with all our love, we will see you through!


by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Helen Keller Quotes

"Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye." ~ Helen Keller

"As the eagle was killed by the arrow winged with his own feather, so the hand of the world is wounded by its own skill.” ~ Helen Keller

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.” ~ Helen Keller

“I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace.” ~ Helen Keller

“I look upon the whole world as my fatherland, and every war has to me the horror of a family feud". ~ Helen Keller

"When all you can feel are the shadows, turn you face towards the sun.” ~ Helen Keller

“Keep your eyes to the sunshine and you cannot see shadow.” ~ Helen Keller

“College isn’t the place to go for ideas.” ~ Helen Keller

“The greatest woman of our age.” ~ Helen Keller

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the dark.” ~ Helen Keller

“Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others.” ~ Helen Keller

“Faith is the strength by which a shattered wound shall emerge into light.” ~ Helen Keller
“The best way out is always through.” ~ Helen Keller

“Who shall dare let his incapacity for hope or goodness cast a shadow upon the courage of those who bear their burdens as if they were privileges?” ~ Helen Keller

“The Bible gives me a deep, comforting sense that things seem are temporal and things unseen are eternal.” ~ Helen Keller –Time

“Knowledge is love and light and vision.” ~ Helen Keller

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.” ~ Helen Keller


“Many people have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but though fidelity to a worthy purpose.” ~
Helen Keller

“The bulk of the world’s knowledge is an imaginary construction.” ~ Helen Keller

“Selfishness and complaint pervert the cloud the mind, so love with joy clears and sharpens the vision.” ~ Helen Keller

“My share of work may be limited, but the fact that it makes it precious.” ~ Helen Keller

“Sure, the world is full of trouble. But, as long as we have people undoing trouble, we have a pretty good world.” ~ Helen Keller

“Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across of miles and all the years we have lived.” ~ Helen Keller

“There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his.” ~ Helen Keller

Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle.” ~ Helen Keller

“Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.” ~ Helen Keller

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of overcoming it.” ~ Helen Keller

“The highest result of education is tolerance.” ~ Helen Keller

Aesop

"Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own." ~ Aesop



"I will have nought to do with a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath." ~ Aesop



"The gods help them that help themselves." ~ Aesop



"The smaller the mind the greater the conceit." ~ Aesop



"In critical moments even the very powerful have need of the weakest." ~ Aesop



"Appearances often are deceiving." ~ Aesop



"We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." ~ Aesop



"Do not count your chickens before they are hatched." ~ Aesop



"While I see many hoof marks going in, I see none coming out. It is easier to get into the enemy's toils than out again." ~ Aesop



"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~ Aesop



"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." ~ Aesop



"Slow and steady wins the race." ~ Aesop



"Thinking to get at once all the gold the goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find - nothing." ~ Aesop



"Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction." ~ Aesop



"Familiarity breed contempt." ~ Aesop



"People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves." ~ Aesop



"Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow." ~ Aesop



"Union gives strength." ~ Aesop



"It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow." ~ Aesop



"Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything." ~ Aesop



"United we stand, divided we fall." ~ Aesop



"Persuasion is often more effectual than force." ~ Aesop



"Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties." ~ Aesop



"It is easy to be brave from a safe distance." ~ Aesop



"Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten." ~ Aesop

Childish Wishes

I wish the earth is a garden,
Like the long talked-about Eden;
Where leaves are silver when olden,
And petals turn gold when fallen.

Wish there are fruits in every tree,
So very many as can be;
That no creature must go hungry,
And life is an eternity.

I wish too that every mountain,
With sturdy trees fully-laden;
And merry birds in their haven,
With live tunes the day awaken.

I wish that every human sees,
Wondrous, pretty tiny fairies;
Dance on tiptoe with awesome ease,
To the melody of the breeze.

And wish a child again I were,
Curled on the lap of my father;
Resting my head on his shoulder,
While he strokes my hair so tender.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

To A Flower

(Sampaguita)

Fairest bloom of summer,
Kissed by May time shower;
Why must you leave so soon,
Oh, sweetheart of the moon?

Now that storm days have come,
Joys in my heart are gone;
Blossoms that I adore,
Fragrance possessed, no more.

Fallen petals that deck,
The earth I now collect;
Faded, precious token,
Of star drops from heaven.

I'll always remember,
Withered bits of summer;
And cherish with fondness,
Your enchanting sweetness.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Angelus

Heavy tongue of an olden bell,
Wags and lets out a might yell;
Announcing the death of the day,
Calling back souls that go astray.

Humble lumps of clay big and small,
Stand motionless and heed the call;
A prayer from each heart's set free,
with every lonely toll from the old belfry.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Filipino Soldiers

Once, there were soldiers,
Who died for us;
They were the brave men,
Who lost their lives for us.

Once, there were fighters,
Who suffered for the cause;
The cause of freedom,
For all Filipnos.

They were the heroes,
Who freed us from chains.

Battles they fought,
Never counting the cost;
They offered their own lives,
So ours, would not be lost.

There could have been,
No country of our own;
No land, if not for them,
We can call our home.

But they are gone now,
To great beyond;
Gone from this homeland,
Which marked their bravest stand.

Gone from this valley,
Where blood of valiants flowed;
Could we forget them,
And the values they sowed?

Dear are the heroes,
Who freed us from chains.



by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Gumamela

You grow within the rhythm of summer and rain,
Singing to your bright red blossom that looks so grand to me;
Though you breathe no scent of unforgettable fragrance,
You tenderly clutch my heart with a touch of mystery.

For even when you leave so soon at the close of the day,
And your withered petals down to the ground, crinkled, they lay;
Yet the splendid radiance of your color I recall
Till shadows of night lure my carefree soul to slumber fall.

And when the world is warm, again you rise and ache to bloom,
Then burn with gay colors of blazing hues, defying the gloom;
When I gently caress your ruffled hem, you seem to smile,
Spread your gown with more flare, filling the earth with cheer awhile.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Noknok

When the earth is dark and calm,
And all the birds are home;
Settled closely on the palm,
Watching the grass owls roam;

A shadow will disappear,
From the door by the rear.
The moon coyly rises up,
And beams over the daisy

Father idly takes his cup,
And snore before the TV;
While his sneaky little lad,
Dips his barefoot in the mud.

Look for him in the meadow,
You'll find in the pond;
Biting a leaf of coco,
With a snail in his hand;

Coax him to hurry to bed,
He'll only shake his head.
He'll come home when Venus burns,
And fall asleep on the stair;

His ankles plastered with ferns,
And dewdrops sit on his hair;
He'll dream of bugs and berries,
Till earth lifts up her chalice.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Genee Marie

She grew up to the rhythm of the waves,
Of the singing winds and the rustling leaves;
She breathed the fragrance of the ocean breeze,
That swept across the sun kissed southern seas;

For her home stood by the sand-laden shore,
With talisay canopy by its door.
She may journey far but will not forget,
How the prickly sand grains with dewdrops wet;

Clutched at her soft little feet as she rolled,
Over the earth with gray carpets unfurled;
And there, the briefest hour went winging through,
With smell of seaweeds on her sole and toe.

She will always vividly remember,
The cold August morns when rain drenched her hair;
The scent of shells she picked and kept so well,
And all the things to which she bade farewell;

When on that fair June day she took her leave,
With youth's memories clinging to her sleeve





by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Iloilo

Iloilo, our very own most precious gem,
Enchanting queen of Western Visayan realm
In our fatherland's long forgotten yesterday
Nobly printed is your colorful history.

You are the cherished home of our dear forefathers
Who, in search for freedom, scoured the seamless waters.
Fiercely defended and held in veneration
Ever from generation to generation.

Iloilo, our homeland bountiful and fair,
Your vast and verdant plains are bathed with heaven's care
By the playful waves, your hem is fondly caressed
And kissed tenderly by the sun before its rest.

Though we may be drifted by destiny someday
To a horizon hundreds of miles faraway
Back to your lap where life first dawned, we will return
With our triumph and honor, your crown we will adorn.





by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento



__________________________________

Iloilo
-Hiligaynon, Ilonggo dialect

Iloilo, amon hamili nga hiyas
Mutya ka sang Nakatundan nga Visayas
Sa limot nga kahapon sang Pilipinas
Napagkit ang maduagon mong maragtas.
Ikaw ang pinasulabi nga puluy-an
Sadtong mga naghangad sang kahilwayan
Ginpangapinan kag ginpakabalaan
Sang mahal mong mga kaanakan.
Iloilo, matahum namon nga puod,
Duta nga ginadalo sang mga balod,
Kapatagan mo, sang langit ginatamod,
Ginahalukan sang adlaw sa pagtunod.
Bisan pa nga mapadpad sang kapalaran
Sa pinakamalayo nga gintaipan,
Ang sabak mo ang amon pagabalikan
Kag ihalad ang dungog kag kadalag-an

by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento
_________________________________

Iloilo
-Filipino Translation

Iloilo, minamahal naming hiyas,
Magandang mutya ng Kanlurang Bisayas
Sa limot na kahapon ng Pilipinas
Nakaukit ang makulay mong lumipas
Ikaw lamang ang tinatanging tahanan
Ng mga taong hanap ay kalayaan
Ipinagtanggol nang buong kagitingan
At idinambana sa puso't isipan.
Iloilo, marilag na lalawigan
Kasuyo ng alon sa dalampasigan
Kapatagan mo'y ng langit minamasdan
Hinahalikan ng araw sa paglisan.
Kahit na dalhin pa man ng kapalaran
Sa pinakamalayong guhit-tagpuan
Ang kandungan mo ang aming babalikan
Na handog ay tagumpay at karangalan.


by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Save the Earth

The sea is red,
Fishes are dead;
I truly dread,
Water is polluted.

If trees are cut,
Land will be hot,
Mountains will be bald,
There will be flood.

We won't live longer
If none will care
To love and spare
The gifts of nature.

Think of life's worth,
And the future births
Plant trees henceforth,
And save the earth.




by: Eugenio Tejero Torrento III

Mother

The person I love so dearly
The one who takes good care of me,
Who makes sure I'm fine night and day
And thinks of me when I'm away.

Though she's without a life partner
'Cause father left us earlier;
She strives to give us shelter
Where she keeps us safe together.

Sometimes I see tears in her eyes,
As she looks up into the skies;
Over so many trials she grieves
Yet to the Lord she firmly cleaves.

Nothing can efface forever,
The memory of a mother,
Of all the gifts God gave to me,
The greatest of them all is she.

In my heart, specially I hold,
More precious than jewels of gold;
Mother... fountain of love untold,
My peerless treasure in this world!





by: Genee Marie Tejero Torrento

Please Sing My Song

Sing my song if you may
Sing it now don't delay
Time will go, it won't stay
Sing it now, sing for me.

This song slept for some years
In a heart full of fears
Echoes of dreams and tears
But a note, no one hears.

If one day I must go
My mute song I leave you
Sing it to them please do
Sing it with love so true.

Sing it to my loved ones,
Say it's from a friend once
I'll listen from a place
Where lost souls have a space.

Sing my song with feeling
Sing with love unswerving
Put an end to longing
Free my heart from yearning.

But if none would listen,
Sing it to the trees then;
To the birds that harken
And the stars in heaven.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

The Ballad of the "Bataan Boy"

Down was creeping in the east,
Dewdrops mingled with the mist,
When he left the place he missed,
To join the list.

He was senior, with a ball,
Five feet and ten inches tall;
He saw twenty-one summers all,
Before the call.

With a knapsack on his back,
And some foodstuff in his pack,
Sisters kissed him with a smack,
And wished "Goodluck".

As he stood on the pier,
Every loved one shed a tear,
But he whispered not to fear,
For God will care.

There, they fought in Bataan,
Till they starved and lost their guns;
Foes had bombs and better arms,
While they had none.

"Save my soul, save my soul,
O, Lord, please save my soul,"
Was his silent, endless call,
Before their fall.

Back his home, his mother grieved,
With the letter she received;
But until now, she believes
Her son still lives.

Neither a corpse on the ground,
Nor his grave they have found;
Nothing, save a cross is there,
Bearing his name.

Today, his heroism rests,
In a lonely stonework, etched;
On the crest of Mt. Samat,
In Bataan...

Memories,memories,
Only petty memories;
Are all we have, deep in our hearts,
About this man.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Who Am I?

I am but a grain of sand in the ocean bed
No one has ever noticed that I existed;

I am a wee voice in the wilderness, unheard;
Drowned into oblivion by the cries of the world.

I am a distant dying star, silent and cold,
Nurturing so many sad old stories untold;

I am a poor lost hunter seeking for a home,
A benighted weary soul with nowhere to roam.

I am a lonely sailor longing for the shore,
After a long grapple with the rough seas that roar.

I am a lump of clay formed by the Almighty,
A nameless being He baptized as "me".





by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

The World Will End

The birds will sing no more,
Trees have fallen by the score,
Seeds were drifted to the shore,
The birds will sing no more.

The flowers shall not bloom again,
Neither shall come the rain,
The bees shall wait in vain,
The flowers shall not bloom again.

The sun will glare in the sky,
The fountains shall run dry;
There will be no water for you and I,
The sun will glare in the sky.

The world will come to an end,
With the calamities heaven will send;
If man's evil ways, he shall not mend,
The world will come to an end.





by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

A Seaman's Promise

When Christmas wakes my country
I shall fly home swiftly
I'll trace that long abandoned way
Back to where I used to be.

The golden grains shall meet me there,
Fully-laden as before,
Gracefully spilling over
Starring the plains with splendor.

When Christmas greets my homeland,
With wild violets so blue
Drifting on the wind's gentle hand,
I shall return to you.

For along my hometown's lane
Awaits a cosy harbor
For me who once did feel the rain
Trickle down my heart's own door.

For one who in December treads
The sun blessed grounds returns
When far across the amber fields,
Christmas' first candle burns.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Dress The Girls

Color young girls face pink and rosy,
Make them look sweet fourteen, and not forty;
Don't wrap them in the robe of their mommy,
Garb them in pastels of cream or peachy.

Let them wear their long hair soft and bouncy,
Windblown and adorned with something dainty,
Like a band, ribbon or flower so gay,
Not a hairdo that looks stiff and sticky.

Make them look fresh, huggable and carefree,
In looking mature, there is no hurry;
When it comes soon, you'll truly sorry,
So dress the young girls the way they should be.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

That Garden

In the tender morning of my life,
I walked that garden with delight;
And there, I adored you, teacher dear,
Indeed, you rivaled the flowers fair.

There, I beheld you in wild envy,
And dreamed to be like you someday;
For knowledge, you have made my mind yearn,
And my heart, with fascination burn.

So fondly I watched with face aglow,
As you unfurled the mystery of the rainbow;
While the happy fleeting butterflies
Peeped at the secrets before their eyes.

Then came the day I left quite suddenly,
And traced a path I have not forsaken
The hours of splendor in that garden.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Because I Planted A Tree

What did I plant because I planted a tree?
A thousand things that we daily see;

I planted the ships that across the sea,
And the shade from the hot sun free;

I planted the buildings big and small,
The rubber tires and the rubber ball.

I planted a home for the birds and insects to rest,
A shelter for wild animals in the forest.

I planted pieces of furniture, elegant and durable
To fill the hall up to the wall;

Living ornaments that make the world bright and beautiful,
And paper books with pictures so colorful.

I planted nature's hands that grip the soil fast,
To keep it from being carried to the sea when flood is in full blast;

So too, the millions of natural siphons that hold surface water,
And save the earth from getting drier.

All these I did, and I say to thee,
Only because I planted a tree!




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Patawad, Inang Wika

Sa aking mga katha,
Marami ang humanga
Ngunit sa sarili ko,
Lihim akong nakukutya.

Damdamin ko'y ipinahayag
Sa wikang banyaga
Di ko kayang iraos
Sa sarili kong wika.

Kung kaya ako naging bihasa
Sa wika ng mga dayuhan,
Dahil ito ang kinagisnan
At di maiwasang matutuhan.

Magaling man ako'y do ko sadya
Dahil hinubog sa wika ng iba
Yaring aking dila pati paniniwala,
Mula pa sa aking pagkabata.

Ngayon, nais kong tumula,
Ito ang tangi kong nasa,
Ngunit ako'y kimi, waring hiyanghiya,
Sa wika ng lahi ko'y nalilito, nalulula.

Patawad, aking Inang Wika,
Di ko ninais maging dayuhan,
Sa sarili kong lupa,
Mahal kita ngunit ako'y kapos sa salita.

by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

My Foreign Tongue

They call my spoken words "slang"

I aspirate my 'ts' and stretch my 'es';
I sound the schwa and speak with a 'twang,
I chatter like a bird in my foreign tongue.

I tell the world of my stories of old,
My pains, my ills, my grief untold;
They heard of me like bells that rang,
Through my glib foreign tongue.

I break the news, I squeal the truth,
I echo the cry for justice so long;
I whisper my love, I shout my demand,
I claim the rights,to my people belong.

I air my gripes, I plead for peace,
I speak my mind, my pleasures I release;
Ideas unheard, I express with grace,
In my foreign tongue, I speak with ease.

I talk to the breeze,
Far across and over the seas;
I lull the song my folks have sung,
In my borrowed foreign tongue.

The door before me,
My folks close with a bang;
They call me fool, my past I flung,
Because I speak in a foreign tongue.

But if I speak not in my foreign tongue,
The lyre of my people shall never be strummed,
My life's sweet symphony shall remain unsung,
For in my native tongue, the world is dumb.

May the anitos of my forefathers forgive me,
I use my foreign tongue not because of loyalty;
I did because I must, out of necessity,
Or else my voice shall be doomed to obscurity.

by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento