The True Decalogue

"THE TRUE DECALOGUE"

by Apolinario Mabini

First. Thou shalt love God and thy honor above all things: God as the fountain of all truth, of all justice and of all activity; and thy honor, the only power which will oblige thee to be faithful, just and industrious.
Second. Thou shalt worship God in the form which thy conscience may deem most righteous and worthy: for in thy conscience, which condemns thy evil deeds and praises thy good ones, speaks thy God.
Third. Thou shalt cultivate the special gifts which God has granted thee, working and studying according to thy ability, never leaving the path of righteousness and justice, in order to attain thy own perfection, by means whereof thou shalt contribute to the progress of humanity; thus; thou shalt fulfill the mission to which God has appointed thee in this life and by so doing, thou shalt be honored, and being honored, thou shalt glorify thy God.
Fourth. Thou shalt love thy country after God and thy honor and more than thyself: for she is the only Paradise which God has given thee in this life, the only patrimony of thy race, the only inheritance of thy ancestors and the only hope of thy posterity; because of her, thou hast life, love and interests, happiness, honor and God.
Fifth. Thou shalt strive for the happiness of thy country before thy own, making of her the kingdom of reason, of justice and of labor: for if she be happy, thou, together with thy family, shalt likewise be happy.
Sixth. Thou shalt strive for the independence of thy country: for only thou canst have any real interest in her advancement and exaltation, because her independence constitutes thy own liberty; her advancement, thy perfection; and her exaltation, thy own glory and immortality.
Seventh. Thou shalt not recognize in thy country the authority of any person who has not been elected by thee and thy countrymen; for authority emanates from God, and as God speaks in the conscience of every man, the person designated and proclaimed by the conscience of a whole people is the only one who can use true authority.
Eighth. Thou shalt strive for a Republic and never for a monarchy in thy country: for the latter exalts one or several families and founds a dynasty; the former makes a people noble and worthy through reason, great through liberty, and prosperous and brilliant through labor.
Ninth. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: for God has imposed upon him, as well as upon thee, the obligation to help thee and not to do unto thee what he would not have thee do unto him; but if thy neighbor, failing in this sacred duty, attempt against thy life, thy liberty and thy interests, then thou shalt destroy and annihilate him for the supreme law of self-preservation prevails.
Tenth. Thou shalt consider thy countryman more than thy neighbor; thou shalt see him thy friend, thy brother or at least thy comrade, with whom thou art bound by one fate, by the same joys and sorrows and by common aspirations and interests.
Therefore, as long as national frontiers subsist, raised and maintained by the selfishness of race and of family, with thy countryman alone shalt thou unite in a perfect solidarity of purpose and interest, in order to have force, not only to resist the common enemy but also to attain all the aims of human life.

The Motherland

THE MOTHERLAND
An excerpt
Emilio Jacinto

Hail, oh Motherland that I adore, love of my loves,
that nature with so many treasures lavished,
garden where more delicate and genteel are the flowers,
where rises the dawn with more beautiful colors,
where the poet contemplates delights that he has dreamt.

Greetings, oh queen of enchantment, dear Philippines,
resplendent Venus, land beloved and unequalled;
region of light, colors, poetry, fragrance, life
region of delicious fruits and harmonies, rocked
by the breeze and sweet murmurs of the sea.

Most precious and white pearl of the Orient sea,
splendid Eden of the refulgent sun;
I greet you anxiously, and ardent adoration
renders you my soul, that vehemently desires
to see you without sorrows, without the Spanish yoke.

Amidst your splendours, you sob in chain
all is freedom, and you are without freedom
to alleviate, oh Motherland, your suffering, your pains,
gladly would I give all the blood in my veins,
and sleep like so many sleep eternity.

It matters not that we suffer exile and imprisonment,
Infernal torments with savage fury
Before the sacred altar that in our hearts
Together, unblemished my passions, we hoisted you,
Vows to you soul and honor made.

If at the end of the battle, with laurels of glory
Triumphs crowns our labor and sacrifices at last,
Memory will future ages make of you;
And queen of splendours, already without stains nor dross,
Admired shall you be by people within the world’s confines.

Already in your sky the new day shines,
Breathing fortune, love and freedom,
Forget not those who fell in the shadow of the night,
For even beneath the cold and humble tomb
Happy for your happiness shall they feel.

To The Filipino Youth

TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH
Jose Rizal
Translated by Alfredo Veloso

Raise your unruffled brow
on this day, Filipino Youth!
Resplendent shines
Your courage rich,
handsome hope of my Motherland!

Fly, grand genius
and infuse them with noble sentiment
that vigorously rushes,
more rapid than the wind,
its virgin mind to the glorious goal.

Descend to the arena
with the pleasant light of arts and sciences,
and unbind, Youth,
the heavy chain
that fetters your poetic genius.

See that in the bright zone
where lived the shadows, the Spaniard
with pious and learned hand,
offers the son of this native land
resplendent crown.

You who ascend
on wings of your rich fantasy,
seeking from Olympus in the clouds
tenderest poetry,
sweeter than nectar and ambrosia;

You of the celestial accent,
melodious rival of the nightingale,
who with varied melodies
dissipate the mortal’s bitter pain
in the night serene;

You who animate the hand rock
with the impulse of your mind,
and with prepotent hand makes eternal
the pure memory
of the refulgent genius;

And you, who with magic brushes
are wont to transfer to simple canvas
The varied enchantment of Phoebus,
beloved of Apollo divine,
and the mantle of nature.

Run! For the sacred flame
of the genius awaits to be crowned with laurels,
spreading fame
with trumpet proclaiming
o’er the wide sphere the mortal’s name.

Day, oh happy day,
Philippine genteel, for you soil!
Bless the Almighty,
who with loving desire
sends you fortune and consolation.

HINILAWOD
Hinilawod is the oldest and longest epic poem in Panay. It is usually sung for a period of three weeks at intervals of two hours at night. It contains, in its complete form, some eighteen stories. Each story represents three generations.
In the eastern part of what is known as the Philippines, there lived a beautiful goddess named Alunsina, goddess of the eastern sea. Alunsina fell in love with an ordinary mortal named Paubari and she married him though she knew that marriage between heavenly persons and ordinary mortals was frowned upon.
When the marriage was discovered, Maklium-sa-t’wan, god of the plains and valleys, became angry. He vowed to make life miserable for the unfortunate couple. Together with other gods who felt insulted by the marriage, Maklium-sa-t’wan sent down raging storms and floods to the kingdom, of Paubari and Alunsina.
Fortunately, Suklang Malayon, the guardian of happy homes, had warned the couple beforehand. Heeding the warning, the two fled to the top of the Madyaas Mountains and stayed there until the gods had spent their wrath.
With the deluge over, the couple descended to the plains to live in peace and raise a family. Eventually, Alunsina gave birth to triplets. These three children grew up to become giants, all endowed with superhuman strength which they used for helping their parents and the people in outlying villages.
With their coming of age, Labaw Dingin, the eldest of the three, asked his parents, “Respected Father, O, my Beloved Mother, I ask your permission to go and seek a loving and industrious woman who will give me sons and daughters and who will serve you in your old age.”
“Go, my son,” replied the two. “Bring back a woman who will be a source of happiness for all.”
But bringing back the woman of his dreams was no easy task. To win his first wife, he had to vanquish Manalutad, a monster. For his second wife, he had to kill a hydra-headed giant named Sikay Padalogdog. And for his last love, Labaw Dinggin had to fight Saragnayan, the lord of darkness. For many moons they grappled with each other until Labaw Dinggin was overpowered. He was thrown into prison and there, he languished for many years until one of his children fought the lord of darkness and killed him.
When Alunsina’s second son, Humadapnin, heard of the maltreatment suffered by his brother, he set out to punish the people of the lord of darkness. He brought with him his trusted warrior Buyong Matang-ayon. Along the way, they met a sorceress named Pinganun-Pinungganum. The Sorceress had the taken the form of a woman so beautiful that in no time, Humadapnin was bewitched. Fortunately, Buyong Matang-ayon succeeded in breaking her spell and the two were able to escape.
Upon reaching the kingdom of Umban Pinaumbaw, they found their way blocked by a huge boulder. Because of this huge rock the people in the kingdom could not move about freely. The two friends tried to go around the boulder but it seemed that the rock grew wider with every step. They tried to climb it, but it seemed to grow higher with their every step. Seeing that the boulder could not be overcome by ordinary effort, Humadapnin put on his magic cape. Without much ado, he was able to lift the rock and put it out of the way. For thus great feat, he was awarded the hand of the princess.
Meanwhile, Alunsina’s third son, Dumalapdap, set out to win the hand of the beautiful Lubay-Lubyok Hanginin si Mahuyok---- the goddess of the evening breeze. After several minor adventures, he finally reached the palace where she lived. But this place was guarded by ferocious monsters.
The first was Balanakon, a two-headed monster. With the aid of a friendly dwende, Dumalapdap overcame this first foe. Hardly had he rested from this battle when a bat-like monster named Ayutang came hurtling down at him. No matter how he tried, Dumlapdap could not pierce the monster with his sword for its body was covered with thick scales. Finally, he inflicted a wound on the monster’s armpit, the only vulnerable part of the monster’s body.
Mortally wounded, Ayutang began growling in pain and gasping for breath. The earth beneath him quaked as he trashed about in agony. Suddenly, the earth split into two and swallowed up the hapless monster. The rocks in the area sank into the newly-formed sea but their surfaces stuck out and became the island of Panay.
With his hard-earned victory, Dumalapdap returned home accompanied by the beauteous goddess of the evening breeze. Meanwhile, the newly-formed land was apportioned among the brothers. Labaw Dinggin was made the ruler of Irong-Irong (Iloilo); Humadapnin, the king of Hantique (Antique); and Dumalapdap, the lord of the Aklan region. Thereafter, Alunsina and Paubari went to live in peace atop the Madyaas Mountains.