I AYUNAT ÅNTES NA TIEMPO

Eskabeche

(guampedia.com)

From a sermon written in 1873

The Chamorro here reflects the language of that period, which differs slightly from ours today.

I ayunat, famagu'on-ho, i chinemma' i palo na nengkanno',
(Fasting, my children, is the prohibition of some food,)

yan uno' ha' na chinecho. (1)
(and only one meal.)

An ta tataitai i istorian i man mo'na na mangilisyåno,
(When we read the history of the first Christians,)

ta lili'e' na ayo siha, ni i mangefmanhongge na taotao,
(we see that those who really believed,)

man ayuyunat duroro, mañocho un biåhe ha' kada ha'åne,
(fasted severely, they are just once each day,)

ya i nengkanno'-ñiñiha håf na ågon yan hånom na maisa,
(and their food was whatever bread and water alone,)

ya asta guaha palo lokkue', na tåt nai man mañåggue håfa gi dos,
(and there were even some who never trembled at two,)

tres i asta un semåna entero (2), ya guaha palo na såntos,
(three and up to a whole week, and there are other saints,)

ni i ha kåkånno' i kumomotgan na maisa gi todo i tiempon Kuaresma,
(who ate only Holy Communion for the entire time of Lent,)

lao ti håf na nengkanno'.
(but no other food.)

I mañaina-ta gi hinengge ha na' fan mamåhlao hit, an ta kompåpåra (3)
(Our forefathers in faith make us ashamed, if we compare)

i ayunat-ñiha yan i ayunåt-ta på'go na tiempo.
(their fasting and our fasting nowadays.)

Hu tutungo' na hita mås man dafe' ke siha,
(I know that we are weaker than they,)

ya muna' ennao i Sånta Mådre Iglesia manånågo'
(and because of that Holy Mother Church orders)

ya ha enkåtga hit i sumen suåbe na ayunat.
(and obligates us with the gentlest of fasts.)

NOTES

(1) Chinecho. This comes from the root word chocho, which means to eat. The -in infix makes the verb a noun, meaning "a meal." But today this is rarely heard.  The more usual word for "meal" nowadays is sentåda.

(2) I believe he means there were some who weren't afraid to fast two, three days up to a whole week.

(3) Kompåra. Nowadays, many say akompåra, which also means "to compare."

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