Piñato - Buray's Native Delicacy - and Memories of Childhood

I found this photo of piñato in one of my computer folders while looking for an old PowerPoint file. This reminded me of my grandmother and of my childhood. I still remember how, as a child, I would look forward to those times when my paternal grandmother visited us in San Roque. She lived in Hinabangan, Samar; we, in San Roque, Northern Samar. It took her several hours to travel, but she never arrived empty-handed. She always brought a basket full of sweets from Buray and Catbalogan.

Piñato from Buray, Samar.

I grew up associating her -- my apoy (grandmother) -- with desserts and with happy times. It was also through her that I became familiar with Buray, the place where she always bought piñato. Even now, though I'm no longer that little girl waiting for her grandmother's visit, I still think of Buray as the source of that delicious piñato. The fact that it's a barangay (village) in Paranas, Samar, comes second to the memories it holds for me.

The idea that the piñato makers of Buray have sustained their livelihood through the years is comforting. These days, I don't have to travel to Buray just to buy their famous piñato. They're now available in various outlets in Tacloban City and Ormoc, Leyte.

Maupay kay ginpadayon nira. Waray nira puoha.
(It's wonderful that they kept it going. They didn't let it disappear.)

Waray Sentences and Phrases and Greetings in Waray

How do you say, "Good morning" or "Good afternoon" in Waray? Good morning is Maupay nga aga; Good afternoon, Maupay nga kulop. You'll notice that most of my entries have two or three suggestions in Waray. The first suggestion is the usual way of saying the English sentence in the Waray language. The second or the last suggestion -- the one that comes after the slash (/) -- is how we say it using the Ninorte-Samarnon Waray.

In case you might need a list of Waray words or Waray adjectives, this site has also an online Waray dictionary.

Aim high.	Pangandoy hin hataas./ Pangandoy sin hataas.
A merry Christmas and a bountiful New Year!	Malipayon nga Pasko ug mabungahon nga Bag-o nga Tuig!
A prosperous New Year to everyone!	Mauswagon nga Bag-o nga Tuig ha kada usa!/ Mauswagon nga Bag-o nga Tuig sa tagsa-tagsa!
Don't worry.	Ayaw kabaraka.
Good afternoon.	Maupay nga kulop.
Good afternoon to all of you.	Maupay nga kulop ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga kulop sa iyo ngatanan.
Good afternoon to you, too.	Maupay gihap nga kulop ha imo./ Maupay liwat nga kulop sa im.
Good day.	Maupay nga adlaw.
Good day to all of you.	Maupay nga adlaw ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga adlaw sa iyo ngatanan.
Good evening.	Maupay nga gab-i.
Good evening everyone.	Maupay nga gab-i ha kada usa. or Maupay nga gab-i ha kada tagsa./
	Maupay nga gab-i sa tagsa-tagsa.
Good evening to all of you.	Maupay nga gab-i ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga gab-i sa iyo ngatanan.
Good evening to you, too.	Maupay gihap nga gab-i ha imo./ Maupay liwat nga gab-i sa im.
Good morning.	Maupay nga aga.
Good morning to all of you.	Maupay nga aga ha iyo ngatanan./ Maupay nga aga sa iyo ngatanan.
Good morning to you, too.	Maupay gihap nga gab-i ha imo./ Maupay liwat nga gab-i sa im.
Good night.	Maupay nga pagkaturog.
Happy birthday.	Malipayon nga pagsalin-urog han imo adlaw nga natawhan./
	Malipayon nga pagsalin-urog sa imo adlaw nga natawhan.
Happy Easter.	Malipayon nga Pasko ha Pagkabanhaw./ Malipayon nga Pasko sa Pagkabanhaw.
Happy Hearts' Day.	Malipayon nga pagsalin-urog sa adlaw sa mga kasing-kasing.
Happy New Year.	Malipayon nga Bag-o nga Tuig or Maupay nga Bag-o nga Tuig.
Merry Christmas.	Malipayon nga Pasko or Maupay nga Pasko.
Stand up.	Tindog./ Tugbos. (N.Samar)
Take care.	Paghinay.
Thank you.	Salamat.
Thank you very much.	Damo nga salamat ha imo./ Damo nga salamat sa im.
Thank you very much to all of you.	Damo nga salamat ha iyo ngatanan./ Damo nga salamat sa iyo ngatanan.
Welcome home.	Maupay nga pag-abot.
You're welcome.	Waray sapayan.

Waray Songs On Life and Love

Aside from their songs that are naughty and nonsense, the Warays have also their own share of songs that speak about life and about love. They have a profound effect on my being as a Waray, for they bring poignant memories of my hometown and of my childhood.

In the 1980's while my high school contemporaries were singing Madonna's Material Girl and Papa Don't Preach, I was busy learning Waray songs from Mana Saning and from Mana Jenny, leaders of San Roque Parish Church Choir. Nanay Remy, my mother, likewise taught me songs from her native town of Borongan, Eastern Samar. Aside from these three women, I also learned some songs from the older women of Kalye San Francisco in San Roque, Northern Samar. I sat with them while they drank tuba (coconut wine) and sang Waray songs.

My repertoire of songs grew as I met friends from Laoang and from Catubig. We sang a lot and we always made it a point to sing songs in Waray. Probably we were thinking that it was our only way of connecting with our roots -- we had to leave our families and our hometowns to pursue college education in the city. In school, I was a member of a performing arts group. We did community immersions and we gathered and performed songs indigenous to the islands of Samar and Leyte.

Before I become totally engulfed by forgetfulness, let me share the lyrics of these songs so that my fellow Warays can make use of them or can sing them. Like the women of San Roque and the other Waray speakers who unselfishly shared these songs to me, I am likewise sharing them to you now. Only virtually, though. To my fellow Warays searching for or googling -- yes, google is also a verb, :-) -- "lyrics of Waray songs", this post is for you. Except for Balud, the songs below cannot be found on the World Wide Web as of this writing.

To those who don't speak Waray, I have not prepared any English translation for these texts. Since I'm a blogger and not a poet, I'll leave the job to them: the Waray poets.

AN KINABUHI SAN TAWO

An kinabuhi san tawo
Sugad sin usa nga binhi
Kon upayon gud pagmangno
Matudok ini, madamo
Ug niyan ini dumako
Sugad san aton tanom
Kay minangnoan san gugma
Gugma para sa aton.

Kay inin aton kinabuhi
Kinabuhi usa la
Sugad sin usa ka binhi
Sa gugma kita ginpili
Kay kinabuhi nga langitnon
Bulawan an panahon
Aton gud talinguhaon
An pag-ukoy nga surundon
Aton gud talinguhaon
An pag-ukoy nga surundon.

BALUD

Mga balud nagpapasibo ha kadagatan
Kakuri gud madakpan inin balud
Ha baras napulilid kon diri hira nag-iisog
Hay, Intoy kamakuri mo pagdad-on
Baga-baga ka gud la hinin balud
Kon nasisina nalakat ka
Mag-uusahan ako ha tabi.

Kay ano nga ginbayaan mo ako
Waray na balud inin lawud ko
Hain na an mga haplas mo
Nailiw na an baras ngan bato.

Bisan la danay di nagkakaasya
Sugad han langit ug tuna
Kon an gugma nga marig-on ug masarig
Di mapapara hinin balud.

Kay ano nga ginbayaan mo ako
Waray na balud inin lawud ko
Hain na an mga haplas mo
Nailiw na an baras ngan bato.

Balik na kamahidlaw na ha imo
Waray na balud inin lawud
Hain na an mga haplas mo
Nailiw na an kasing-kasing ko.

BUTA

An kadam-an san nagmamata

Hingyap pa an pagkaturog

Kay mas matam-is an pagwaydong

Sa luyo san mga limbong

An saksi san kamatuoran

Napiyong la san kasugaran

Nag-aantos la nga gintatamakan

An katungod san kadam-an.

Buta kita san kinahanglan

San iba buta kita sa luha

Kay waray pulos an lamrag

San aton mga mata

Kon sa kasing-kasing magpabilin kita nga buta.

Kon kita an magsasaksi

Sa ngaran san at kabugtoan

Nano an imo pag-ugop

Kan kanay ka ba mahisakop

An saksi san kamatuoran

Napiyong la san kasugaran

Nag-aantos la nga gintatamakan

An katungod san katawhan.

DUNGGA AN HUNI SAN KALAW

Dungga an huni san kalaw
Kon tikatunod na an adlaw
Tugob sin kasakit ug kabutlaw
Nagtitikadulom, nagtitikamingaw.

Kundi adto na an kabitun-an
Namimiruk-pirok didto sa hitas-an
Sidlit na liwat matahum nga bulan
An lamrag murayaw, may kahimayaan.