This, too, is our dangadang

(for manong ariel)

I

You once paganized us in the name of balikas
Called us to reconquer the tame and timid stand

Dangadang this, in honor of the tongue lashed
Maiwalinwalin and trodden in its own reside

When once with guile they crossed our words
They met your ingel in swift cerebral swords

One Aglipay you are, living in pure reverse
Guerillero con agimat in the lislis of native verbs

(Now, you crossed the seas in search of anninaw
To bring back the burnay at the end of bullalayaw!

But your iliw fuels the yabayaban burning unforgotten
While the Musa of dangadang seduce you no end!)

II

We saw our ili in your timek of wounded pride
Mauling at berdugo laws intent to chop our mind!

We, too, like you will grind unchaining metaphor
After another, a shining badang for settling score

This dila bonsaid, must be wrested now strong
From this govierno that knows to decree wrong

Cease not till we hear every buridek read his Biag
Not in the mumblings of his foreign ar-arapaap

We have yet to sing acapella our shooed Bannatiran,
Write our brown syntax on the blackboard of time!

These pannakibakal, Apo Lung-aw, will keep you
The ano of basi and niniogan ferried from our sao!