The Song of the Traveller

This is one of my favorite poem after Mi ultimo adios written by Jose Rizal Philippines national hero.This poem is very closed to my heart as an OFW and i share this also to all the Filipino Overseas Worker around the globe.Mabuhay!!!!

The Song of the Traveller

by Jose Rizal

Like to a leaf that is fallen and withered,

Tossed by the tempest from pole unto pole ;

hus roams the pilgrim abroad without purpose,

Roams without love, without country or soul.

Following anxiously treacherous fortune,

Fortune which e 'en as he grasps at it flees ;

Vain though the hopes that his yearning is seeking,

Yet does the pilgrim embark on the seas !

Ever impelled by the invisible power,

Destined to roam from the East to the West ;

Oft he remembers the faces of loved ones,

Dreams of the day when he, too, was at rest.

Chance may assign him a tomb on the desert,

Grant him a final asylum of peace ;

Soon by the world and his country forgotten,

God rest his soul when his wanderings cease !

Often the sorrowing pilgrim is envied,

Circling the globe like a sea-gull above ;

Little, ah, little they know what a void

Saddens his soul by the absence of love.

Home may the pilgrim return in the future,

Back to his loved ones his footsteps he bends ;

Naught wìll he find but the snow and the ruins,

Ashes of love and the tomb of his friends,

Pilgrim, begone ! Nor return more hereafter,

Stranger thou art in the land of thy birth ;

Others may sing of their love while rejoicing,

Thou once again must roam o'er the earth.

Pilgrim, begone ! Nor return more hereafter,

Dry are the tears that a while for thee ran ;

Pilgrim, begone ! And forget thine affliction,

Loud laughs the world at the sorrows of man.

Translated by Arthur P.Ferguson

Thank you:Ka Pete

To inspire,one must have been inspired.To influence others,one must first have been influenced by someone else.

In the age of Internet nowadays, nothing is impossible to reach every people around the globe.One gets the chance to dialogue not with one or two people at any given time but with the whole world.

One way to get noticed and be recognized by using Internet is trough blogging.For almost a month now that i am into this hobby, still i can't believe it for myself that some people that i didn't know read my blog.Maybe this is the purpose of this technology man had created.Making and bringing our planet so close to each other.As my past time here in Saudi Arabia,during my idle time at home i read others blog.Some are so much interesting and so much inspiring,that my eyes is glued to the page and with out any hesitation i read it until the very last word of the entry posted.One of those is the blog Jose F. Lacaba.I like the poem very much that he created,a masterpiece done by a genius.It is my honor and privilege to have his permission to post his poem on my page.

The poem that i am talking about is Tagubilin and Habilin.He wrote the following poem, obviously inspired by "Desiderata" and "Sunscreen," sometime in 2002 or 2003. It was commissioned by Armida Siguion-Reyna for her album POP LOLA (Viva Records, 2003). Armida's recording of the poem, with background music by Ryan Cayabyab, got a lot of airplay on Ted Failon and Korina Sanchez's program on DZMM teleradyo last year, 2007, just before the elections. Sometimes Ted himself recited the poem. In the wake of the Jun Lozada revelations in the Senate.

Who is Jose F.Lacaba?
Perhaps one of the most prolific and versatile writers of his generation, José F. Lacaba has been a journalist, poet, translator, university lecturer, screenwriter, and show business specialist. Once a student at the Ateneo de Manila University, Pete Lacaba has since received recognition from several eminent award-giving bodies such as the Manila Critics' Circle, Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA), FAMAS, Film Academy of the Philippines, Urian, Manila Film Festival, Palanca, and National Press. Recently, he has also been a recipient of the Centennial Honors for the Arts, given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines to 100 outstanding Filipino artists of the last 100 years.

His poetry collections include Mga Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran (1979, 1996), Sa Daigdig ng Kontradiksyon (1991) and Sa Panahon ng Ligalig (1991). A new edition of his important, highly charged Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage (1982), a reportage on the First Quarter Storm and the subsequent times, has also been released. Many of his screenplays have been ingrained in the Filipino consciousness; these include the acclaimed Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984), Sister Stella L (1984), Orapronobis (1989) and Segurista (1996).
Pete has served as a deputy chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). He is also a resident fellow of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing.

Maraming salamat Ka Pete.

TAGUBILIN AT HABILIN:Ni Jose F. Lacaba

Magandang araw sa lahat lalo na sa mga kababayan ko,akoy natutuwa at labis na nagagalak sa kagandahang naidudulot ng makabagong teknolohiya sa ngayon.Dahil sa pagbabasa ng blog ni Bianca na aki ng nakahiligan bilang isang expat nabasa ko ng buo ang isang napakagandang tula at nahanap ko rin ang link kung saan matatagpuan ang blog ng may akda.Hindi ko mawari na ang isang forwarded sms ay hango sa isang tula.Ibinabahagi ko ito sa inyo at naway magustuhan ninnyo at mapagnilanilayan.

TAGUBILIN AT HABILIN

(Slightly revised version)

Ni Jose F. Lacaba

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!

Mabuhay ka!

Iyan ang una't huli kong

Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

Sa edad kong ito, marami akong maibibigay na payo.

Mayaman ako sa payo.

Maghugas ka ng kamay bago kumain.

Maghugas ka ng kamay pagkatapos kumain.

Pero huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay para lang makaiwas sa sisi.

Huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay kung may inaapi

Na kaya mong tulungan.

Paupuin sa bus ang matatanda at ang mga may kalong na sanggol.

Magpasalamat sa nagmamagandang-loob.

Matuto sa karanasan ng matatanda

Pero huwag magpatali sa kaisipang makaluma.

Huwag piliting matulog kung ayaw kang dalawin ng antok.

Huwag pag-aksayahan ng panahon ang walang utang na loob.

Huwag makipagtalo sa bobo at baka ka mapagkamalang bobo.

Huwag bubulong-bulong sa mga panahong kailangang sumigaw.

Huwag kang manalig sa bulung-bulungan.

Huwag kang papatay-patay sa ilalim ng pabitin.

Huwag kang tutulog-tulog sa pansitan.

Umawit ka kung nag-iisa sa banyo.

Umawit ka sa piling ng barkada.

Umawit ka kung nalulungkot.

Umawit ka kung masaya.

Ingat lang.

Huwag kang aawit ng “My Way” sa videoke bar at baka ka mabaril.

Huwag kang magsindi ng sigarilyo sa gasolinahan.

Dahan-dahan sa matatarik na landas.

Dahan-dahan sa malulubak na daan.

Higit sa lahat, inuulit ko:

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!

Mabuhay ka!

Iyan ang una't huli kong

Tagubilin at habilin:

Mabuhay ka!

Maraming bagay sa mundo na nakakadismaya.

Mabuhay ka.

Maraming problema ang mundo na wala na yatang lunas.

Mabuhay ka.

Sa hirap ng panahon, sa harap ng kabiguan,

Kung minsan ay gusto mo nang mamatay.

Gusto mong maglaslas ng pulso kung sawi sa pag-ibig.

Gusto mong uminom ng lason kung wala nang makain.

Gusto mong magbigti kung napakabigat ng mga pasanin.

Gusto mong pasabugin ang bungo mo kung maraming gumugulo sa utak.

Huwag kang patatalo. Huwag kang susuko.

Narinig mo ang sinasabi ng awitin:

Gising at magbangon sa pagkagupiling,

Sa pagkakatulog na lubhang mahimbing.

”Gumising ka kung hinaharana ka ng pag-ibig.

Bumangon ka kung nananawagan ang kapuspalad.

Ang sabi ng iba: “Ang matapang ay walang-takot lumaban.

”Ang sabi ko naman:

Ang tunay na matapang ay lumalaban

Kahit natatakot.

Lumaban ka kung inginungodngod ang nguso mo sa putik.

Bumalikwas ka kung tinatapak-tapakan ka.

Buong-tapang mong ipaglaban ang iyong mga prinsipyo

Kahit hindi ka sigurado na agad-agad kang mananalo.

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!

Mabuhay ka!

Iyan ang una't huli kong

Tagubilin at habilin:

Mabuhay ka!