Tulaan sa Tren: Sining para sa lahat

If you've ridden the LRT in the past year, you would have noticed the "Berso sa Metro" advertisements of Instituto Cervantes. Posted on the train interiors are poems in Spanish with their Filipino translations.


Only this August, train-goers may have noticed that they now play tracks of famous personalities reading verses by acclaimed Filipino poets. This project, called "Tulaan sa Tren", is the brainchild of the National Book Development Board in partnership with the Lightrail Transit Authority and the Optical Media Board. Commuters can now appreciate the genius of the Filipino artist as they take the train to work or home. Hearing personalities like Romnick Sarmienta, Harlene Bautista, and Tintin Bersola read works of Jose Garcia Villa, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Rio Alma, and many more will surely lighten the load of the common commuter.

The music was carefully selected and matched by a friend of mine-- another teacher, JC Uy. (As a side note, those who know him will also recognize his voice in the acknowledgment after every track. I'm sure his Philosphy students who take the train will have a field day with this news.)

Read and listen (Image from Milflores Online)

I recall an older blog post by Exie Abola ("The beauty parlor of civilization") Here, he quotes Andrew Taylor (ArtsJournal Blogger) in saying "We need to stop making the arts so special."

Tama nga naman ang pagsabi niyang kailangang makita na ang sining ay karaniwan at bahagi ng pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay. Hindi dapat hiwalay ang paglikha at pagtangkilik dito sa ating karaniwang karanasan. Kung mananatiling nasa pedestal ang sining, hindi nito maabot at maaantig ang nakararami. Hindi rin matatanto ng nakararami na ang bawat isa ay may potensyang maging bukal ng sining.

Both posts end with another quote from John Dewey, " As long as art is the beauty parlor of civilization, neither art nor civilization is secure."

Here now are some tracks for your listening pleasure. Catch the others when you ride the LRT. :-)

Check out the post of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism about "Tulaan".

------

ANG TREN Powered by Podbean.com

Ang Tren

José Corazón de Jesús
(Pagbasa ni Romnick Sarmienta, Musika: Bahay Kubo ni Gilopez Kabayao at Init sa Magdamag ni Willy Cruz at Baby Gil)

Tila ahas na nagmula
Sa himpilang kanyang lungga,
Ang galamay at palikpik, pawang bakal, tanso, tingga,
Ang kaliskis, lapitan mo’t mga bukas na bintana!

Ang rail na lalakara’y nakabalatay sa daan,
Umaasó ang bunganga at maingay na maingay.
Sa Tutuban magmumula’t patutungo sa Dagupan!
O kung gabi’t masalubong ang mata ay nag-aapoy
Ang sibato sa malayo’y dinig mo pang sumisipol
At hila-hila ang kaniyang kabit-kabit namang bagon.

Walang pagod ang makina,
May baras na nàsa r’weda,
Sumisingaw, sumisibad, humuhuni ang pitada,
Tumetelenteng ang kanyang kampanilya sa tuwina.

“Kailan ka magbabalik?”
“Hanggang sa hapon ng Martes,”
at tinangay na ng tren, ang naglakbay na pag-ibig,
sa bentanilya’y may panyo’t may naiwang nananangis.

-----

RAIN Powered by Podbean.com

Rain
Danton Remoto
(Pagbasa ni Harlene Bautista, Musika: Cavatina ni Nicanor T. Abelardo)

This morning, it is raining
in my country.
Water slides down
the leaves
like tongue on skin.
The sound of their falling
collects
like breath on the lobes
of ears.

You are a continent away.
There, the leaves are beginning
to turn.
Soon, night will steal hours
from day,
and snow will be whirling
in drifts.

But you are here,
in the country
of my mind,
wiping away the maps
of mist
on the window pane,
lying in bed beside me,
as the pulse of the pillows and sheets –
even the very throb of rain –
begin to quicken.

-----

BIYAHERO Powered by Podbean.com

Biyahero

Teo T. Antonio
(Pagbasa ni Tintin Bersola-Babao, Musika: Dapithapon ni Eduardo Hontiveros, S.J. at Bienvenida Tabuena)

Isang pananaliksik ang paglalakbay,
isang pagkakatuto sa mga bagay-bagay
na iba sa kinagisnan o kamukha ng pinagmulan.
Mabangis ang gunita,
namamaga sa alaala, kumikirot sa malay.
Mapanganib ang maglakbay-bayan,
tila balon ng hiwagang maaaring
mabalaho sa isang iglap.

Mapalad, kung makaahon at makapalag
Sa masalimuot na pag-uusisa
at pagtataya sa isinuong na buhay.
Malupit ang sanga-sangang landas na tinatahak.
Walang simula’t walang wakas na pagbubuklat
ng sino-ano-saan-kailan-bakit.
Maaaring isang wakas ang sinisimulan,
o isang simula ang winawakasan.
Ang estranghero’y nakadamit
ng tandang pananong, hinuhubdan
ng kasagutan upang bihisan ng maraming
paulit-ulit na tanong. Isang bugtong
ang paglalakbay na sinisibat ng talinghaga.
Ang maligaw ay nagiging a2:55 PM
Ang maligaw ay nagiging asin,
ang makadukal ng kaalaman
at magpatuloy ay nagiging dagat.

-----

I TEACH MY CHILD Powered by Podbean.com

I Teach My Child
Gémino H. Adad
(Pagbasa ni Edu Manzano, Musika: Pastorale ni Manoling V. Francisco, S.J.)

I teach my child
To survive.
I begin with our words,
The simple words first
And last.
They are hardest to learn.
Words like home,
Or friend, or to forgive.
These words are relations.
They are difficult to bear;
Their fruits are unseen.
Or words that promise
Or dream.
Words like honor, or certainty,
Or cheer.
Rarest of sound,
Their roots run deep;
These are words that aspire,
They cast no shade.
These are not words
To speak.
These are the words
Of which we consist,
Indefinite,
Without other ground.

II

My child
Is without syllables
To utter him,
Captive yet to his origin
In silence.
By every word
To rule his space,
He is released;
He is shaped by his speech.
Every act, too,
Is first without words,
There’s no rehearsal
To adjust your deed
From direction of its words.
The words are given,
But there’s no script.
Their play is hidden,
We are their stage.
These are the words
That offer to our care
Both sky and earth,
The same words
That may elude our acts.
If we speak them
But cannot meet their sound,
They strand us still
In our void,
Blank like the child
With the uphill silence
Of his words’ climb.
And so,
I teach my child
To survive.
I begin with our words,
The simple words first
And last.




Listahan ng mga tula (Mula sa filipinowriter.com)

• I Teach My Child, Gemino H. Abad (English)
• Inday Diutay, Allain Russ Dimzon (Filipino)
• Ang Langgam, Amado V. Hernandez (Filipino)
• Yin-Yang, Yan Din!, Benilda Santos (Filipino)
• Voyagers on Recto, Bienvenido Lumbera (English)
• Sunlight on Broken Stones, Cirilo F. Bautista (English)
• Dear City, Conchitina Cruz (English)
• Rain, Danton Remoto (English)
• Another Invitation to the Pope to Visit Tondo, Emmanuel Torres (English)
• Manila, Federico Licsi Espino, Jr. (English)
• Lumang Simbahan, Florentino Collantes (Filipino)
• Still Between Two Cities, Isabelita Orlina Reyes (English)
• Halina, Jesus Manuel Santiago (Filipino)
• Train Ride, Jim Pascual Agustin (English
• Ang Tren, Jose Corazon de Jesus (Filipino)
• Manggagawa, Jose Corazon de Jesus (Filipino)
• Awit sa Ilog Pateros, Jose F. Lacaba (Filipino)
• Mga Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan dela Cruz, Jose F. Lacaba (Filipino)
• To A Lady Going to Antipolo, Jose Garcia Villa (English)
• Beside the Pasig: A Zarzuela in One Act, Jose Rizal (English)
• Ale-aleng Namamayong, Julian Cruz Balmaseda (Filipino)
• Wala na Ang Babaeng Halaman sa Ortigas, Lady An G. Sia (Filipino)
• Unang Sulyap sa Taong 1967, Lamberto Antonio (Filipino)
• Origami, Marjorie Evasco (English)
• Quiapo, Marra PL Lanot (English)
• City Without Sidewalks, Marra PL Lanot (English)
• Wisdom of Travelers, Merlie M. Alunan (English)
• 27, Nerisa del Carmen Guevara (English)
• Yours, Et Cetera, Paolo Manalo (English)
• Kay Sarap Magbasa, Rene O. Villanueva (Filipino)
• The Krag-and-Bayonet Phase, Ricardo de Ungria (English)
• Ang Ilog, Rio Alma (Filipino)
• Indulanin sa Isang Sakatero, Rogelio Mangahas (Filipino)
• Biyahero, Teo Antonio (Filipino)
• Paglalakbay, Teo Antonio (Filipino)
• Pavilion 3, Vim Nadera (Filipino)
• Pasintabi, Vim Nadera (Filipino)
• Shadow and Pedestrian, Vincenz Serrano (English)

Thanks to JC for the tracks. Sa kanya rin galing ang teksto ng mga tulang nasa itaas.