I ME'ME' I MÅS PÅTGON NA SOBRINU-HO

Tamuning. 1970s

Eståba yo' Tamuning sa' guaha para bai fåhan gi tenda.
(I was in Tamuning because there was something I was going to buy at the store.)

Lao esta yo' ma empong ya ti siña hu sustiene.
(But I was already needing to urinate and I couldn't hold it.)

Hu li'e na tåya' taotao gi tatten i tenda.
(I saw that there was no one behind the store.)

Pot i ti halom tåno' yan bula guma', ti ma'å'ñao yo' tuminane' guihe na lugåt.
(Because it wasn't jungle and there were many buildings, I wasn't afraid to urinate in that place.)

Lao ai lokkue' ayo na pupuenge!  Pokpok i addeng-ho yan sen puti.
(But oh that night! My foot was swollen and it was very painful.)

Esta tatalo'puenge ya ti siña hu sungon.
(It was already midnight and I couldn't bear it.)

Guaha palao'an; åhe' ti suruhåna gue' lao guaha tiningo'-ña pot este siha na sinisede.
(There was a woman; she wasn't a medicine woman but she knew something about these things.)

Pues hu ågang gue' ya ha tågo' yo' para bai fangågao i me'me' i mås påtgon na sobrinu-ho.
(So I called her and she told me to ask for the urine of my youngest nephew.)

Pues hu ågang i kiñadå-ho, achok ha' esta a las dos gi chatanmak.
(So I called up my sister-in-law, even though it was two in the morning.)

Ilek-ña, "Dalai na ora este i para un ågang yo'!"
(She said, "My what an hour for you to call me!")

Lao annai hu sangåne gue' håfa presisu-ho, ha pångon i lahi-ña, i mås påtgon na sobrinu-ho.
(But when I told her what I needed, she woke up her son, my youngest nephew.)

Hinengang i patgon ya ilek-ña, "Ha?  Håfa malago'-ña si tiu-ho?"
(The boy was shocked and said, "What?  What does my uncle want?")

Kololo'-ña annai tinago' gue' gi as nanå-ña, "U.  Chule' este na båso ya un na' bula ni meme'-mo."
(Especially when his mother told him, "Here.  Take this glass and fill it with your urine.")

Lao konfotme i sobrinu-ho ya ha cho'gue.
(But my nephew agreed and did it.)

Hu nå'ye gi addeng-ho ya sigiente dia hu bira yo' para ayo na lugåt nai tuminane' yo' ya mangågao yo' dispensasion.
(I put it on my foot and the next day I returned to the place where I relieved myself and ask for forgiveness.)

Una ora despues mumågong i pokpok i addeng-ho ya sigiente dia må'pos kabåles todo i puti-ho.
(One hour later the swelling of my foot eased up and the next day all my pain completely went away.)

I me'me' i mås påtgon na sobrinu-ho fuma'maolek yo'.
(The urine of my youngest nephew fixed me.)

NOTES

~ Ma empong.  Some Chamorros say "ma empon."

~ Addeng.  On Guam, Chamorros say patas, but originally that referred only to the feet or animals, and is borrowed from Spanish.  The original word for the human foot is addeng.  This is still the word used in the Northern Marianas.

~ Tuminane'.  The root word is tåne', which means to "be busy, occupied, entertained."  It's a euphemism for urinating; a polite way of talking about this call of nature.

~ The man thought that since Tamuning is developed and commercial, he'd have no worries concerning spirits.

~ Don't forget there is a difference between mågong (healing, relief, easing) and måhgong (peace).