TASADAY CAVE TAPES

TAPE 1, SIDE 1

Part 5. Sentences 400-500

 

Acknowledgments. The individuals whose names appear below in bold font assisted in the transcription and interpretation of all or part of this tape. Their invaluable help is hereby gratefully acknowledged. I am also indebted to Pascal Lays for reading through and commenting on the transcriptions of each of the tapes. I wish to express my gratitude also for the assistance of the late Manual Elizalde Jr. in providing me with a copy of the original tape.

 

KEY to Abbreviations

Ad
Adug
Ll
Lolo’
Be
Belayem
Lo
Lobo
Da
Dafal
Ma
Mahayag
Di
Dina
Od
Odo’
Dl
Dula
Ok
Okon
Du
Dul
Sa
Sasa’
Gi
Gintuy
Si
Sindi’
Ig
Igna
Sk
Sikey
Ke
Kelis
Ss
Sius
Ku
Kuletow
Ud
Udelen
Le
Lefonok
   

 

Ma
400. Yoko du enda’ dineg du yoko yu bisu du’u. 401. Yu dineg yu sak kagi kelangun bata’. 402. Kelangun bata’, kelangun bayi pe’ugpa’ dalem kagpa sini kagi. 403. Tagu’ yu dalem pusung sini kagi ké sini. 404. Yoko du’u amping du’u. 405. Yoko du’u bisu du’u. 406. Langun de bata’, pi’onen yu pedu yu.
400. Don’t not listen, don’t be deaf! 401. You children, listen to these words. 402. All of the children, all of the women, keep these words deep within you. (fn. 1) 403. Hide these words in your hearts. 404. Don’t ever be mistaken. 405. Don’t ever be deaf. 406. All you children, make your thoughts good.
Dl
407. Oho’.
407. Yes.
Ma
408. Yoko du nelipot du kagi du Dakel Diwata’ Tasaday. 409. Yoko du nelipot du kagi Kakay ta Mapoko’ diya’ Tasaday.
408. Don’t ever forget the words of Big Master of the Tasaday. 409. Don’t ever forget the words of our Brother Short-One in Tasaday.
Dl
410. Oho’.
410. Yes.
Ma
411. Tapayen yu peni’on si aken di egoh di. 412. Tako si egoh di sini natek dalem sini tuduk ta sini. 413. Ungaya’ si Kakay Mapoko’ enda’ umunut umun ta da’ seba’en etaw ugpa’. 414. Enda’ ka’enen di seba’en etaw. 415. Balu’ me’ami’ natek ké dalem sini tuduk. 416. Balu’ kita épé’ di, me’ami’ biking dalem sini tuduk ta, balu’ kita épé’ di.

417. Me’ami’ basag. 418. Me’ami’ nita épé’ di sini, sini’i tuduk. 419. Me’ami’ seda’ wayeg, me’ami’ ubud. 420. Na, Belayem? 421. Ok kita me’ami’ du’u ubud dalem sini tuduk, kita épé’ di kita, etaw umugpa’ dalem sini ilib ta sini.

422. Dong egoh anay sini kita kena’ ugpa’ dalem sini. 423. Kena’ di ugpa’ do’ tapay tupu’ ta egoh anay kena’ ta ugpa’ sini. 424. Ini hunan di si egoh umugpa’ ki dalem. 425. Enda’ uman ta mekedan di dalem di.

411. Prepare now to emulate me. 412. You see now this palm starch here in our mountain. 413. Brother Short-One wants that we do not take it for distributing to even one person (fn. 2) staying here. 414. Not one person should eat it. 415. Because [if we do] the palm starch will be depleted from our mountain. 416. The result for us who are the owners of it, our yams will be depleted from our mountain, that is what the result would be for us owners. 417. The Caryota palms would be depleted. 418. The things that we own here, here in this mountain would be used up. 419. The fish (fn. 3) in the streams would be all gone, the palm pith would be all gone. 420. Isn’t that right, Belayem? 421. If we use up all the palm pith in here in the mountain, we who are the owners of it, we people who live here in these caves. 422. Since long ago, we have stayed here. 423. This place where our ancestors stayed before is now the place where we stay. 424. That is why we stay inside here. 425. We will never again leave from here.
Si
426. Adug owoy si Gintuy.
426. Adug and Gintuy
Ma
427. Na, ini de ema’ ta, ini de tapay tupu’ ta, umugpa’ diya’ kenita ini Momo’ Dakel Diwata’ Tasaday. 428. Yoko du uman tagak sini kena’ ta sini. 429. Yoko du ... sini kena’ ta ugpa’ sini. 430. Apay padoh lagbet ta biking liku’ ta menda’a.
427. Now, this is our father, this is our ancestor, staying with us, this Big Uncle Master of the Tasaday. 428. We must never again leave from this place. 429. Don’t ... this place where we stay. 430. Even if we go to look for yams we will just come back here.
Be
431. Oho’.
431. Yes.
Ma
432. Apay padoh sigep kelagbet ko basag miku’ ta dalem sido’ tana’ kena’ ta mipanaw. 433. Miku’ ké menda’a mangay dini.
432. Even if it is night when we go to look for palms we will return home from the place where we went. 433. We will just come back here.
Dl
434. Na, henaten ko wé!
434. Here, lift [this] up!
Ma
435. Sido’ po ... kena’ megeso’, liku’ ka mangay dini du.
435. That place ... where we go fishing, you just come back here.
Ke
436. Ok enda’ hina’a, miku’.
436. If there is anything to be caught, (fn. 4) come back.
Ma
437. Ya, hunan di, sini egoh di sini, dana’ di de, sigba‘en sini pedu pebohol ta kita pedu si Momo’ Dakel Diwata’ Tasaday.
437. That is why, now, because of this, unite [our] feelings, let us make our thoughts clear to Big Uncle Master of the Tasaday.
Be
438. Na, kowa Mahayag, sineba’en de nita pedu, pedu bayi, pedu me’ama. 439. Na, Mahayag, yoko du enda’ dineg du’u, yoko du’u salibang du‘u. 440. Na, sini ke’ugpa’ ta sini seba’en da pedu ta. 441. Amuk sini kedo’o bayi, medo’o sini bayi, medo’o sini me’ama, miling seba’en me’ama, miling seba’an ma bayi. 442. Migkagi seba’en bayi, seba’en ma kagi. 443. Migkagi seba’en me’ama, seba’en ma kagi, enda’ iseg medo’o di uman migkagi. 444. Na! 445. Amuk siya kagi etaw sigoh di sini. 446. Ubus kita idu menuwa. 447. Ubus pedu ta etaw, enda’ de uman de neletig du’u, tulu’ du kagda kagi. 448. Kowa Mahayag. 449. Na! 450. Ya hunan di hi, Mahayag. 451. Na! 452. Na enu’ si egoh di sini, ngadan sini nita angatan ini menuwa ta sini? 453. Na! 454. Ngadan sini nita angatan keha’a sini menuwa ta sini? 455. Na enu’ sini di, sini du ke’ugpa’ ta sini? 456. Enday ta, amuk sini ke‘ugpa’ ta sini, amuk enda’ de umugpa’ ké dalem kena’ di sigep de. 457. Mepi’on pa kena’ ta, peketuleng du’u ...
438. Now, Mahayag, let us focus our our feelings, the feelings of the women, the feelings of the men. 439. Now, Mahayag, don’t ignore (fn. 5) it, don’t disobey it. 440. Now, in this place of ours here, let our feelings be united. 441. And all the women, all the women, and all the men, let the men be as one, also let the women be as one.

442. When a woman speaks, let only one speak. 443. When a man speaks, let only one speak, [rather than] several speaking. 444. Now! 445. And the words of that person, now. 446. [Even if] our place will be all used up. 447. [Even if] the people’s feelings be all consumed, [nevertheless, I] will not ever again be tired of teaching their words. 448. Mahayag. 449. Now! 450. That is why, Mahayag. 451. Now! 452. Why now, what are we waiting for in this place of ours?(fn. 6) 453. Now! 454. What are we waiting to see here in this place of ours? 455. Why is this, this place of ours here? 456. We do not know if this is the place we [have to] stay, [or] if we do not [have to] stay in this dark place. 457. Our place is good, [we] understand it ...

Ma
458. Kowa, Belayem, beken mat nita migkagi. 459 Beken mat bayi migkagi.
458. Belayem, we will not be the ones to speak. 459 The women will not be the ones to speak.
Be
460.Na!
460. That’s so.
Ma
461. Umugpa’ ta de nita I. 462. Yoko du uman du’u du’en kagi. 463. Yoko du uman du’u du’en pedemdem yu.
461. We’re staying here. 462 Don’t again speak [about it]. 463. Don’t again have feelings [about it].
Be
464. Na!
464. Agreed.
Ma
465. Seba’en de netulengan ta keba’el belawang. 466. Seba‘en de netulengan ta keba’el belatik. 467. Seba’en de ta keba’el keteb.
465. One thing we know is the making of pig traps. 466. Another thing we know is the making of spear traps. 467. Another is the making of snare traps.
Be
468. Tu’u.
468. True.
Ma
469. Keba’el keteb, seba’en de pedu ta huma’a keteb.
469. When [we] make snare traps, the only thing we think about is going to check the snare traps.
Be
470. Oho’.
470. Yes.
Ma
471. Ha’a belawang, seba’en da pedu ta huma’a belawang. 472. Seba’en de pedu ta huma‘a tupil. 473. Ya, kita idu etaw, di si egoh di sini.
471. To check the pig traps, the only thing we think about is checking the pig traps. 472. The only thing we think about is checking the monkey traps. 473. Yes, [that is what] we people do now.
Be
474. He! 475. Uman, uman a pa, Mahayag hi! 476. O, Mahayag!
474. Hey! 475. Again, again I [will speak], Mahayag! 476. Oh, Mahayag!
Ma
477. Oho’.
477. Yes.
Be
478. Uman, uman a pa, hi. 479. Hé! 480. Kowa iling, iling diya’ kagi.
478. Again, you [speak] again! 479. Hey! 480. It’s like, it’s like [my] words.
Ma
481. Ya!
481. Yes!
Be
482. Iling, iling niyu pedu ma meke’etek yu pegeso’. 483. Seba’en de sido’ ba’elan, kowa, seba’en de pegeso’.
482. It is like you are thinking about planning to go fishing. 483. Be united in doing that, united in going fishing.
Ma
484. Ya.
484. Yes.
Du
485. Oho’.
485. Yes.
Be
486. Na, Dula.
486. Now, Dula.
Dl
487. Oho’.
487. Yes.
Be
488. Na, Dul.
488. Now, Dul.
Du
489. Oho’.
489. Yes.
Be
490. Sikey.
490. Sikey.
Si
491. Oho’.
491. Yes.
Be
492. Na, ya kena’ di, ya kena’ di, kowa, Mahayag hi!
492. Now, that is why, that is why, Mahayag!
Ma
493. Ya!
493. Yes!
Be
494. Sa kagi i Momo’ Dakel Diwata’ Tasaday, kagi Kakay Mapoko’.
494. The words of Big Uncle Master of the Tasaday, the words of Brother Short-One.
Ma
495. Ya.
495. Yes.
Be
496. Belagen yu, enda’ mesi‘at di.
496. Your rattan, don’t deplete it.
Ma
497. Ya.
497. Yes.
Be
498. Biking yu, enda’ mesi’at di.
498. Your yams, don’t deplete them.
Ma
499. Ya.
499. Yes.
Be
500. Natek yu, enda’ mesi’at di.
500. Your palm starch, don’t deplete it.

NOTES

1 Literally, in your chests.

2 Referring to visitors, or people who might come from the outside to settle in the area.

3 Literally, any edible creature found in the streams.

4 Literally, seen.

5 Literally, don’t not listen.

6 The meaning of this sentence, and the remaining sentences of this utterance of Belayem are obscure. The translations are provisional.

 

GO TO: Part 6. Sentences 501-598 (End)

BACK