ILEK-ÑA SI PÅLE'

A Chamorro sermon from the 1950s.

Kåda uno guine guaha esta nai manli’e redio ni siña ma kilili'.  Este na dikkike’ redio siña ha tutuhon dumåndån masea måno na lugåt komo ha’ un chonnek i batunes pat un bira i “switch.”  I redion ma kilili' un bonito na inbension.  Ti bonito mohon yanggen i taotao u gai batunes para u siña ma bira ya u ma na’ påra yanggen esta mampos meggagai kuentos-ña. Guaha nai hu li’e man maulek siha na famalao’an ni man sesen meggai yan sesen chaddik kuentos-ñiha kalan mohon man sen maulek man peska gi papa’ tåse, sa’ man mesngon man liof ya siempre håssan nai u fangahulo’ para u fan hågong gi aire.  Ya håfa ma susesede?  Meggai siha na isao i hila’ man ma komemete sa’ i taotao siha ti ma hahasso fine’na håfa para u ma sångan.  Meggai siha na atboroto man ma tututuhon nu este siha na klåsen taotao ni buente ti måtto gi intension-ñiha i para u ma na’ guaha atboroto, lao nungka nai ma hasuye fine’na kao ti båba i para u ma sångan. 

 

I kumuentos un na’ magof na fotman rekreasion.  I man amigo siha man a’abisita unos yan otros ya ma gågåsta meggai siha na ora gi konbetsasion.  Maolek este.  I klåsen kuentos ni muna’ guaguaha meggai siha na atboroto gi lina’lå’-ta ayo na kuentos i sin ma hasuye.  Unos kuåntos segundo ha nesesita i para un fanhasso åntes de un kuentos.  Faisen maisa hao : Kao magåhet este?  Kao ti u dinesonra håye na taotao nu este?  Kao ti u nina’ låmen nu este i para hu kuentuse na taotao?  Kao hågo un taotao hao ni ti un hasusuye håfa para un sångan? 

 

Yanggen hunggan, pues debe de meggai na biåhe nai mumañotsot hao pot håfa na sinangån-mo, lao gi annai esta atrasao para un na’ ta’lo tåtte i palabrås-mo?  Sumen meggai na atboroto yan inaguaguat yan minimo siña ti ma susede komo ha’ manhasso hao uno pat dos segundo åntes de håfa un sangan.  Yanggen en che’gue ennao, siña meggai na isao ginen i hila’ ti u fan ma susede.  Siempre en fan mås man trankilo ya mås en fan ma respeta ya en fan ma gofli’e nu i pumalon taotao.  I kumuentos, i abilidåt-ña i taotao para u kuentos, guiya un regålon Yu’us nu hita.  Debe u ma usa maolek!          

(Tinige' Påle' Lee Friel, Kapuchino)

 

INTERLINEAR ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Kåda uno guine guaha esta nai manli’e redio ni siña ma kilili’.

(Each one here has already seen a portable radio.)

Notes : Since the radio only came to Guam during American times, we just adopted the English word.  Kilili’ means “to carry about.”

Este na dikkike’ redio siña ha tutuhon dumåndån masea måno na lugåt komo ha’ un chonnek i batunes pat un bira i “switch.”

(This small radio can start to play in whatever place if one just pushes the button or turns the switch.)

I redion ma kilili’ un bonito na inbension.

(The portable radio is a beautiful invention.)

Note : “Invention” is not a word frequently used in ordinary speech, and the writer just borrowed a Spanish form of the word.  One might also say “nuebo na fina’tinas ni på’go ha' ma na’ huyong” or “a new work/product just come out.”  But “inbension” is quicker! 

Ti bonito mohon yanggen i taotao u gai batunes para u siña ma bira ya u ma na’ påra yanggen esta mampos meggagai kuentos-ña.

(It wouldn’t be nice if a person had a button to turn and stop him if he already was talking a lot.)

Guaha nai hu li’e man maulek siha na famalao’an ni man sesen meggai yan sesen chaddik kuentos-ñiha kalan mohon man sen maulek man peska gi papa’ tåse, sa’ man mesngon man liof ya siempre håssan nai u fangahulo’ para u fan hågong gi aire. 

(I have seen good women who speak a lot and very quickly as if they are very good in fishing in the sea, because they can endure diving and will rarely come up to breathe in the air.)

Ya håfa ma susesede?  Meggai siha na isao i hila’ man ma komemete sa’ i taotao siha ti ma hahasso fine’na håfa para u ma sångan. 

(And what happens?  They commit many sins of the tongue because people do not think first what they will say.)

Meggai siha na atboroto man ma tututuhon nu este siha na klåsen taotao ni buente ti måtto gi intension-ñiha i para u ma na’ guaha atboroto, lao nungka nai ma hasuye fine’na kao ti båba i para u ma sångan. 

(Many disturbances start with this kind of people who perhaps never have in their intention to start problems, but who never think first if what they are going to say is bad.)

I kumuentos un na’ magof na fotman rekreasion. 

(Speaking is a pleasing form of recreation.)

I man amigo siha man a’abisita unos yan otros ya ma gågåsta meggai siha na ora gi konbetsasion. 

(Friends visit each other and spend much time in conversation.)

Maolek este.  I klåsen kuentos ni muna’ guaguaha meggai siha na atboroto gi lina’lå’-ta ayo na kuentos i sin ma hasuye. 

(This is good. The kind of speaking which creates many disturbances in our lives is that kind of speech that is thoughtless.)

Unos kuåntos segundo ha nesesita i para un fanhasso åntes de un kuentos.

(A few seconds are needed to think before you speak.)

Faisen maisa hao : Kao magåhet este?  Kao ti u dinesonra håye na taotao nu este? 

(Ask yourself : Is this true?  Will this dishonor someone?)

Kao ti u nina’ låmen nu este i para hu kuentuse na taotao? 

(Will the person I will speak to be injured by this?)

Kao hågo un taotao hao ni ti un hasusuye håfa para un sångan? 

(Are you a person who doesn’t think about what he is going to say?)

Yanggen hunggan, pues debe de meggai na biåhe nai mumañotsot hao pot håfa na sinangån-mo, lao gi annai esta atrasao para un na’ ta’lo tåtte i palabrås-mo? 

(If yes, then you should be frequently remorseful on account of your speech, but when it is already late to take back your words?)

Sumen meggai na atboroto yan inaguaguat yan minimo siña ti ma susede komo ha’ manhasso hao uno pat dos segundo åntes de håfa un sangan. 

(Many disturbances, oppositions and fights can be prevented if you think for a second or two before you speak.)

Yanggen en che’gue ennao, siña meggai na isao ginen i hila’ ti u fan ma susede. 

(If you do that, many sins of the tongue won’t happen.)

Siempre en fan mås man trankilo ya mås en fan ma respeta ya en fan ma gofli’e nu i pumalon taotao.

(You will surely be more at peace and more respected and more loved by other people.)

I kumuentos, i abilidåt-ña i taotao para u kuentos, guiya un regålon Yu’us nu hita.  Debe u ma usa maolek!

(Speech, the ability of a person to speak, is a gift from God to us.  It should be used well!)