KÅNTAN CHAMORRITA

Yanggen oga'an hao na sinedda'

ti un tinaka' talo'åne;

hahasso yo' bonitan måta

yanggen håfa hao hu sangåne.

If in the morning you are found

you won't reach midday;

think of me, pretty face

if I tell you something.

This verse is open to more than one interpretation.

Remember that, being a strict Catholic society in those days, lovers had to speak in code all the time.

"You won't reach midday." The lover, probably a male since it is unbecoming, in those days, for the female to be the pursuer, is telling his paramour that if he has the good fortune of seeing her in the morning, his love is so intent that it won't even be noontime when he does or says something.

"Think of me if I tell you something." If he sees her in the morning, he will tell her something that he hopes she won't forget. Perhaps he will ask her to meet him somewhere, and hopefully it will take place before noontime.