The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
TAGALoC,OUR NEWTONGUE
TIE LANG DEWEF TOOK Along
W.T. THE PHILIPPINES.

!
asa transformations - Writings OF the
Rhtives-A Philippine Love Song ana Dance.
The tongue spoken by all but . few Of the
jewellers In the Philippine Archipelago has
been the subject OF a good deal Of curious specu-
lation. As we'll as Of scientific research. 1t has
been traced to the Africans, to the ancient He
breWs, to the American Indians, to the world at
large. and to an indigenous primitive race"
whose skulls and other bones have been recently
interviewed. Conservative philology and eth
nology ascribe to the language. and to the un-
told millions OF men and women who use 1t, an
origin almost undoubtedly MalNyan.
Practically this tongue has been OF consider
able utility in the advancement Of civilization,
and Ia interesting ms an avilRblc and effective
engine OF further progress, The auasi-conquer-
orB have ignored the benefit of colloquial inter
course with the islanders; but for 800 years the
friars have taught and preached. and the traders
have bought and sold, in the Language Of the
people. To aoquireit the conventuals have gone
out and worn the bahague. or native costume.
and the almond-eyed hustlers from China have
married the sprlRhtly ddingdS.
The language OF the archipelago divides into
inEumerable local dialects. Of which vocabu-
laries OF about thirty.hve have been written
down. Every dialect is dim with an in1nity of
idioms. and the technical ana pet words OF Mus
SULLIVAN and Christian propagandists, Japanese
and Chinese castHways, Nogrito wanderers and
Negrllla sWeethearts, Celestial merchants, and
Spanish donS have been mixed with the whole
az occasion offered.
OF these dialects the most important 10 the
Tagaloc. 1t Is spoken by fifteen hundred thou
sand TagalS in Luzon and the adjacent islands.
Ten thousand girls have boon often heard chat
tering Tagaloc all at once in q Manila tobacco
factory. The word tagdt means a native; ia
gala. a native woman; saGd'd, a lady; dala0a.
a girl; bGhaque, the native dress-to wear which
is to DO a native. Luzon is said to be from iosong,
p primitive rice mill kept in every house. Ca
vito is Cdutt, "Th. Hook." and not from the
Latin Gaze, beware" Manila, which has given
name to a valuable textile htre. and. in some
places, to the peanut, was ma ntidd, tho place
of the nilad." "a shrub growing wild among the
mangroves.
CLAIRE richie, eleganto metaphoriQue.
poetiouol" says an enthusiast of this tongue.
Poetic and other licenses. indeed. are granted
freely. Euphony is made to order; syncopation.
addition. transportation. mutation. while you
listen. Nouns and verbs are blended; a word
m INITIATIVE ii ' Sords grow oS q w id:At as h "at5 c s0 the
noise OF the lizard that mustn't be killed, be-
cause there will be no earthquake or excess of
The natives. q musical and poetical people. are
much given to the informing OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
verses, and their improVlsations are often upon
tho grayest themes. A touching incident is re-
lated of a poor woman who ohanted a heart
heE little ohild lay dying in her arms. VIRGIN "'
The native aptitude in the use Of modern
WEllluB II oOyOhu douuI- lucy NJ
US" says an ecclesiestic, but OF pens, ink. and
blers and pettitoEgors are in all tho p%ueblos.
ready enough at writing memorials on Govern
their wiekedness, and Immediately they get to.
Eether, drink. NIL their folios with crosses. and
a amdiy, t q T ihS %S's pr e9syibs0ii IS, G i%a mta assy e al
son an suSuidt ca at mdmfnSdnminsd ybabdta
s Tsss sS ons. s sn a whi Iw5i' In q Islo, in a book w Rns r a4t
ten by Pinpin, a native. and printed by TAlA-
learn the Spanish language.
length; a tragedy VII often include tho entire
stage" says a traveller. "and brsndishlng OF
swords. and frowns. and fierce fighting. and
Kings a and qaoe %sNI Eayly 1A dres ed ''f RsIisi e"S
dramss are very popular. or these, tho Pas
There is a body OF poetry consisting largely
Of iyrie 81 T "s kin9E. 'o9 FE.s Eo ars III .s Sal .o n:i nHd
music; weird and fascinating melodies that are
a fiat insult to Western IDEAS Of tune. A COM
POI. position in a minor key and f9ll Of ssSidentsls
Without any resolution a half tone below
Tns sGn' as tho hs''e "B sGaRs Se"E t R"'''G "cst
vitegsn, and the fHvorite Of all; the
dc Ia Conquista."' The Comintang is a peculiar
song and dance. in which a young couple exc
tators sing tho words to the Instruments rem.
dsring OF a languorous and melancholy air.
Inc lOVOF bcekb. 10 lHHhHl0 inc HearJ OF the
daidgd, and, finally, in despair, drops ms II dead.
She. too late relenting, is about to die of
grief, when he jumps W and catches her.
The music of the Comintang indicates
an influence either Spanish and remote
" Moorish. or possibly directly Arabian.
It requires a metre that is not easily deScribedI
roughly, 1t may be said that three lines are 40.
cented on the first and tao fourth syllable and
every fourth limo on tho second, fourth and
sixth. The rhyme. which in the Tagaloci is only
the asonante. or vowel.rhyme. that ignores the
conSonants, is on the twelfth syllable. The 40.
companyinG version is from a line-for-line and
word-for-word rendering into French:
Who can forget thee, love,
When he has known thy grace?
Dost thou not see the grief
And anguish In my face?
Why dost thou turn awayP
There Is no treason here;
Thou has no foe to face,
Nor any hate TO fear.
Planets and fateful stars,
Have ye forsaken me2
Come. death oh, quickly come
Iwait, l wait for thee
Why should l longer live
!. who have been betrayed.
Fooled by the god OF love
To love q loVeless maid?
Stay, stay, thou lovely hirdl
Thou who hast been my death.
Gaze. as / yield for thee
Ny last deSpaIring breath!
Take thoe no weeds OF woe;
IT'S but thyself | crave;
Stay but to lead me TO