Shadows of Yesterday, Light for Tomorrow
Yesterday, as my two sons and I were traveling to ECCM to attend a public worship, I was happy to see them already grown up while I was watching them from behind. And then, a thought came to mind. Reflecting on our travel yesterday, I composed the poem below:
Habang aking pinagmamasdan ang dalawa kong anak
Dinalaw ako ng pangamba ng nakaraan
Akala ko noon, sa unos na dumating
Kinabukasan ng aking mga anak ay biglang dumilim
Paglipas ng halos dalawang dekada,
Mga anak ko'y nagsilaki nang di ko alintana.
Ngayon sila ay may laban na sa hamon ng buhay
Lambong ng kahapon ay biglang umaliwalas
Habang nagmumuni-muni ako ay napangiti
Mayroon ng kahalil ang sumagi sa aking isip
Anumang oras na ako ay kunin ng Dakilang Lumalang
Mga agam-agam ko noon ay tuluyan nang naparam.
Subalit kung ako man ay mananatili
May mga bagay pa na nais kong makita
Maipasa ang pananaw sa susunod na henerasyon
Na siyang magpapatuloy ng laban na aking sinimulan
Pagbabago ng lipunan Ebanghelyo ang kailangan
Edukasyon at politika ay huwad na pakikipagsapalaran
Subalit hindi nangangahulugan na ang realidad ay ipagwawalam bahala
Ang katawan at kaluluwa ay bahagi ng katubusan.
To make the lines rhyme, I asked ChatGPT to refine what I wrote down, and here's the edited version:
Habang aking pinagmamasdan ang dalawa kong anak,
Gunita ng kahapon ay muling lumitaw agad;
Akala ko noon, nang dumating ang unos at bagyo,
Kinabukasan nila'y nilamon ng dilim at pagkabigo.
Ngunit lumipas ang halos dalawang dekada,
Mga anak ko'y lumaki nang hindi ko namamalayan talaga;
Ngayon sila'y handa nang humarap sa buhay na mabagsik,
At ang ulap ng kahapon ay napawi nang tahimik.
Habang ako'y nagmumuni at marahang napangiti,
Isang kaisipan ang dumalaw at sumagi sa isip ko muli;
Anumang oras na ako'y kunin ng Dakilang Maykapal,
Ang mga pangamba ko noon ay tuluyang naglaho't nagkalinaw.
Subalit kung ako man ay pahihintulutang manatili,
May mga bagay pa akong nais makita at masaksihan sandali;
Maipasa ang pananaw sa susunod na salinlahi,
Na silang magpapatuloy ng adhikaing aking pinakamimithi.
Sa pagbabago ng lipunan, Ebanghelyo ang kailangan,
Hindi sapat ang edukasyon o politika lamang;
Ngunit hindi rin dapat ang realidad ay talikuran,
Sapagkat ang katawan at kaluluwa'y kapwa saklaw ng katubusan.
AI as a tool is very useful when it comes to saving time. However, even though I like the edited version, I am still not satisfied with the outcome of the last line of the fourth stanza. So, I revised it from:
Na siyang magpapatuloy ng laban at adhikaing sinimulan ko dati
to
Na silang magpapatuloy ng adhikaing aking pinakamimithi
The replacement of "dati" with "pinakamimithi" makes the last word of the line rhyme with the whole stanza.
And then, for the sake of those who don't understand the Filipino language, using the same tool, I translated the poem into English:
As I watch my two dear children,
Memories of the past come back again;
I once thought, when storms and trials came,
Their future would be darkened by sorrow and pain.
Yet nearly two decades have now gone by,
And my children have grown before my eyes;
Today, they are ready to face life's fight,
While the shadows of yesterday have given way to light.
As I sat reflecting, a smile crossed my face,
And a thought came gently, filling that place;
Whenever the Great Creator should call me home,
The fears that once troubled me are now gone.
But if I am granted a little more time to stay,
There are still things I long to see someday;
To pass on this vision to the next generation,
They will carry forward the work I began.
To transform society, the Gospel is the key;
Education and politics alone cannot set us free.
Yet this does not mean that earthly needs should be ignored,
For both body and soul belong to redemption in the Lord.
As for the English translation of the poem, the sound of the words in the third and fourth lines of the third and fourth stanzas is not that good. Nevertheless, I am happy to read the final piece showing my current state of mind.