Song of My Seven Lovers

Republic of the Philippines PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY  GRADUATE SCHOOL San Vicente, Urdaneta City

Course Code/ Title: Topic: Course Instructor: Discussant:

CAE 215/ Philippine P hilippine Writings Song of my Seven Lovers and Maria Clara Dr. Jessica J. Jimenez Herbert M. Tabios

Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN)

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is a region of the Philippines, located in central Mindanao, and is officially designated as Region XII. The name is an acronym that stands for the region's four provinces and one of its cities: South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City. The region is more formally known by its older name Central Mindanao. The regional center is Koronadal City located in the province of South of South Cotabato. Cotabato. Cotabato City, City, though geographically within the boundaries of the province of Maguindanao of Maguindanao,, itself is part of  SOCCSKSARGEN, and is independent of that province.

Famous Tourist Attractions: 

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Mt. Apo in Kidapawan City - Several trails lead to the summit, coming from Kidapawan, North Cotabato. An average hike requires 2 –4 days. Various sights include Lake Venado, one of the highest lakes in the Philippines, and the old crater o f Mt. Apo near its summit. In the classification system used by local popular mountaineering website PinoyMountaineer.com, the difficulty of the hike is 7 out of 9 . The mountain may be climbed year-round. Lake Sebu in Lake Sebu - is a natural lake located in the municipality of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato and within the Alah Valley region. The Philippine government has recognized it as one of the country's most important watersheds. Lake Sebu is one of the many bodies of water supplying important irrigation to the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato. It is one of the prime eco-tourism destinations in the Re gion. Famous for its 2 km Zipline, Longest in the Philippines. Baras Bird Sanctuary in Tacurong City - the most visited site in Tacurong, t he Baras Bird Sanctuary is truly a humbling experience. In an almost two hectares of land lying by a river bank here, the crack of dawn offers a melodious harmony of birds; thousands dot the skies also during sunsets, a pleasure for bird watchers. Gumasa Beach in Glan - dubbed as the "Small Boracay in Mindanao" Barangay Gumasa has a six kilometer-long crescent beach on Sarangani's eastern shore and only about an hour's drive from General Santos City. Gumasa Beach, the Small Boracay of Mindanao or Boracay of the South, whatever name herein is the beauty of the beach. The white sand and fine crystal land makes your feet comfortable to walk around the be ach.

Regional Literature (Frank Charles Laubach )

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Frank Charles Laubach (September 2, 1884 – June 11, 1970) was an Evangelical Christian missionary and mystic known as "The Apostle to the Illiterates." In 1935, while working at a remote location in the Philippines, he developed the "Each One Teach One" literacy program. It has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own language. He was deeply concerned about poverty, injustice and illiteracy, and considered them barriers to peace in the world. In 1955, he founded Laubach Literacy, which helped introduce about 150,000 Americans to reading each year and had grown to embrace 34 developing countries. An estimated 2.7 million people worldwide were learning to read t hrough Laubach-affiliated programs One of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled "The Game with Minutes." In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt keeping God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. In this way Christians can attempt the attitude of constant prayer spoken of in the Epistle to the Colossians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues of a life lived with unceasing focus on God. Laubach's insight came from his experiments in prayer detailed in a collection of his letters published under the title, Letters by a Modern Mystic. Laubach had a deep interest in the Philippines. He wrote a biography of the Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal : Man and Martyr, published in Manila in 1936. He also translated the hero's valedictory poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios" (My Last Farewell.) He was considered a pioneer mover o f Maranao literature. He wrote: "The Moros of Lake Lanao have amazingly rich literature, all t he more amazing since it exists only in the memories of the people and had just begun to be recorded in writing. It consists of  lyric and poetry with the epic gre atly predominating."

Translated by: Frank Laubach  Lanao  I

I crave your pardon, Royal Kin, Whose praises cheer my heart so well, If I should wound some friends by  The story which I mean to tell. II

Deep loves which I alone have known  I venture to reveal to you. They echo here within my heart.  As fond desire will ever do  III

When first I felt the darts of love, The words of women worried me, The whispered scandals which they told   I closed my ears and turned to flee. IV

 A thousand longings tore my soul  

 And left me in perplexity, For how could I reveal my love  To those who did not care for me?  V  

 A thousand aching memories, I think shall never be forgot, Still whisper to me in the air  Of loves for those who loves me not  VI

Mere fancies all within my mind, They changed their shapes like shifting sands.  Alas, the men for whom I pined   Had other loves in other lands. VII

My first love was a hidden sun,  A dawn which never came to day, But like a lovely know of hair, It fluttered loose and fell away. VIII

My second love was ecstasy,  A glorious glowing hidden fire  Which burned within my secret breast;  No other guessed my deep desire  IX

 A golden song of perfect tone  Whose notes were lost within my heart;   Another knot of lovely hair  Which I trembled loose and fell apart.

X

My third love was a letter sweet,  A letter sealed but never sent, Contrived of futile fantasies,  And all my hours to love ware lent. XI

 Ah! Had I dared I would have shared    A name for which I madly cared;  For never a thought was bent on aught  Save him who held my mind ensnared. XII

My lover was my cousin too   And so no word was ever said, We could not speak the thing we felt  For plainly we could never be wed. XIII

 And so he chose to marry wealth   And took a bride or noble rank, While I beheld without a tear  To tell the bitter cup I drank. XIV

My fourth love fills me yet with joy   As recollections flood my mind, For he was rich enough to give  Great wedding gifts of every kind   XV

He did not dare to tell his love  Because, no doubt, he was too shy,  And my high parents seemed to him  Like mountain peaks against the sky. XVI

Besides his heart was also drawn  By some fair maiden we have heard, Who shone like moonlight in his eyes,  And whom his relatives preferred. XVII

The Prophet grant that no sad fate  May rob him of his maiden’s hand;   And though we are so poor we hope  To spread his fame throughout the land. XVIII

My fifth love was a sweet perfume  Which set my eager mind a whirl;   A fragrant flower which faded fast;  His parents chose another girl. XIX

My sixth love was a strong south wind   Which gently fanned this breast of mine  Till dark clouds gathered in the south   And soon the sun cease to shine. XX

Did he not swear his love was sure   And constant as the ardent sun?   Ah, fickle sun and dreary end   That so brightly had begun. XXI

My seventh love is stronger still    A north wind blowing over the seas   And whipping for off unknown waves, While sunbeams dance upon the breeze. XXII

Will now at last my dreams come true,  And will he choose me for his mate?  Has holy Prophet written it   Across the pages of our fate?  XXIII

If people’s hopes could be fulfilled?  If he who loves would speak the word, Such crowds would gather to rejoice, Their shouts like thunder would be heard. XXIV

Oh, how the sun might beam with smiles,

Oh, how our kin would be glad   Oh, how the world would ring with song, If I should wed this royal lad!  XXV

Yet round the sun deep colors creep;   And though he loves with splendid fire   And vows his will is firm as rock, I tremble lest he too may tire. XXVI

Sore doubts about our hostile kin   Assail my mind with painful dread   There is an ancient song which   A noble Prophet wisely said: XXVII

“What comes of feud between two clans  Who will not speak save to condemn, Who hurt defiance till the last?   A God who sees will punish them.”  XXVIII

My dream is like a fog at sea  Which tries to reach the land in vain, For earthquakes and the tidal waves  Keep driving it to sea again. XXIX

So while he waits and hesitates  His chance of winning fame slips by   Ah! Should he dare I firmly swear  My love for him would never die, XXX

For if the ship should venture forth, Then I would weave a happy plot,  And conjure up some potent charm  That evil winds could harm it not.