Lessons Overhead in the Jungle

vic@purebright

(This poem is an English translation of my Hiligaynon poem, Laygay Nga Nabatian sa Kagulangan, first published in this blog. This poem was inspired by my trip to Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, August 20-21, 2011. I dedicate this poem to Dr. Naruemon Yutakom, my host professor at Kasetsart University, who taught me another important lesson about life. Please read the poem for you to know that lesson.)

Beautiful—that's my first impression of the jungle:
The air blew, cool and slow.
Trees were trees as big as tabungos
While others looked like rolled amakans,

With orchids dangling, as if from heaven.
Vines did not give up their fight;
They hugged the trees just to see the light.
Birds in their various colors
Competed with butterflies and dragonflies for attention.
Not to be left behind, flowers and mushrooms too
Flamboyantly wore their red, white, brown, orange, and yellow,
While streams and falls sang 
With the birds, kirikikik, and bagangan.

 “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,” I exclaimed.

“Be careful,” said the guide.
 “Go to the middle,
Where the path is cleared.
There’s a trail for you.
Don’t veer too much,

Neither to the left nor to the right.
The si-it and balagon might touch you
And the udto-udto might jumped over you.
Wear your long socks;
The jungle is full of crawling leeches.
There are also many palhi.

Like ants, though small,
They will strike back once stumped.

(Note: Unfortunately some of the rhythms and rhymes in the Hiligaynon version are lost after the translation.)

Meaning of Hiligaynon Words Used in this Poem

Tabungos –These are supper huge cylindrical container of rice in the Philippines, ranging from 1 to 3 meters in diameter, usually made of weaved thin strips of bamboos.

Amakans—These are mats made of woven, thin strips of bamboos; they look like big trunks of trees once rolled.

Kirikikik and Bagangan—These insects (of crickets and beetles group, respectively), in the Philippines, create a very beautiful sound, most especially during summers.

Si-it—Scientifically known as Mimosa pudica, this plant is thorny and is sensitive to touch.

Balagon—This is a Filipino term generic for all vines.

Udto-udto—These are big spiders. It is called udto-udto because, unlike other spiders, it still hangs on its web even during noontime. It is fabled in the Philippines that once a person is bitten by an udto-udto, he/she will die during noon time, the following day.

Palhi—As part of Filipino superstitious beliefs, palhi are unseen spirits dwelling in the forest; they can cause sickness or death once touched.