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Awaaard! Translate this into Baklese

July 16, 2011 By: jessicazafra Category: Language, Movies

Do you want the Zombadings bag with the matching Awaaard! filmfest button? You can have one if you’re proficient in Baklese or gay lingo. Some people still call it swardspeak, though gay men have long ceased to be called “sward”. They have returned the term to gardening, where its original meaning is “an expanse of short grass”.

Here’s an example of a translation: from the writers of Bubble Gang in 2007, Bahay Kubo in Baklese. As its speakers know, Baklese is a dynamic, swiftly-evolving language that incorporates elements not only from other languages such as Tagalog, English, Visayan, but from a variety of fields and disciplines.

For instance, Friedrich Nietzsche is not someone we usually associate with gay culture, but he may have contributed to the language. He titled his autobiography Ecce Homo, after the words uttered by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate Bible. “Ecce homo” led to “Etching” or “Etchos” as in “Ano na namang etching yan?” which was later shortened into “Chos” as in “Ang salitang yan ay nanggaling pa sa may-akda ng Thus Spake Zarathustra. Chos!”

Now for the exercise. The French author Raymond Queneau wrote Exercises in Style—99 variations on one unremarkable story, told in a variety of styles. Below are three of these variations. Translate them into Baklese, bearing in mind that they all tell the same story but require different ways of telling.

We are using the translation by Barbara Wright.

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The Antisocial Register 2

October 15, 2008 By: jessicazafra Category: Books, Food

After the speeches, the thank you’s, the official book launch, the picture-taking, and the first of many, many, many musical numbers, the first course was served.

 

 

It was a couple of strips of lechon with skin, on a small salad of pako. A small salad. I should warn you right off that I have the appetite and palate of a stevedore. A stevedore who knows all about Garrett Lisi and his new, simplified theory of everything, so don’t get snooty with me.

Ige noted that the musical performers were doing songs about food. Their rendition of “Bahay Kubo” was impressive, but not nearly as challenging as the version in baklese (Valer kuberch, kahit jutay…). And if they were doing food-themed songs, would we be hearing “Spaghetti”?

The second course was the tinolang manok served in a papaya half (see previous post). I thought it was bland, but that’s what all the sawsawan (dips and sauces) on the table were for. Unfortunately I’m one of those horrible people who think that food should be served ready to eat. I don’t go to shabu-shabu hot pot restaurants where I have to mix and cook my own meal. Hey, if I wanted to cook, I would’ve learned to cook. 

 

 

After another longish wait, the third course arrived: pinaputok na isda, wrapped in a banana leaf, served with steamed rice. Remind me again how so many large-grained, fragrant varieties of rice were developed right here at IRRI, but the rice sold in our markets is small-grained and untasty? Teddy Boy has the best solution: he brings his own rice when he dines out. I saw him at the cocktails—I wonder how everyone would react if his driver walked in with a rice cooker? 

The waiters came round to serve pinakbet and an excellent adobong baka. I forgot to take photos because I inhaled them immediately.

Now that I think about it, the typical Pinoy meal is extremely tasty, as if the cook had run amok with the salt, bagoong, patis, toyo, MSG. And the lard. There’s a reason the national rate of heart disease is so high. So the blandness I perceived probably indicates a healthier, more reasonable approach to cooking. You can have these dishes without keeling over from arterial blockage.

On the opposite extreme, isn’t Pinoy cuisine supposed to be “ma-lasa” (flavorful)? Our global branding could be: “It’ll kill you, but you’ll die happy.” The title of a cookbook I’m convincing Carlo to write.

 

 

For dessert we had sapin-sapin (on the left—it looks like maja blanca actually, but it was good), buko pandan, and two pieces of rather hard turon. Speaking of buko pandan, my friend Uro de la Cruz (Bubble Gang, whose writers did the Bahay Kubo translation) directed a movie called Buko Pandan. He calls it an “agribusiness movie” (Rustic settings, nubile barrio lasses and strapping lads, making out in the fields. The umclassics of this genre include Talong, Kangkong, Itlog, and Kapag Ang Palay Naging Bigas, May Bumayo). It was shown abroad with this arresting English title: Screwpine Young Coconut. 

Incidentally, Uro knows way too much about reductions and gherkins, and was quoted in the book Taste of Philippine Kitchens as an authority on tutong. He was identified as “Uro del Rosario.”

The dinner ended with strong cups of barako and a reprise of “Pinoy Ako” by Chef Seagal and the choirs. Kulinarya is available in bookstores and hotels, P2,000 hardcover, P600 softcover.

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Little House on the Prairie

July 31, 2007 By: jessicazafra Category: Language

From the Department of Linguistics, Bahay Kubo in gayspeak.

Valer kuberch, kahit jutay
Ang julamantrax donchi ay anek-anek.
Nyongkamas at nutring, nyogarilyas at kipay
Nyitaw, nyotaw, jutani.
Kundol, jutola, jupot jolabastrax
At mega join-join pa, jobanox nyustasa.
Nyubuyax, nyomatis, nyowang at luyax
And around the keme ay fulnes ng linga.

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9. Tandang Sora, Palabang Lola by johnbristol6

September 22, 2015 By: jessicazafra Category: Contest

Published 10 July 2010

Maynila, 1896—Isang misteryosong sakit ang dumapo sa mga Katipunero. Halos kalahati sa kanila ang isa-isang tinubuan ng nagnanaknak na pigsa sa singit, na nagparalisa sa kanilang pagsagupa sa mga Espanyol. Dinala ang mga maysakit sa tahanan ni Tandang Sora, upang magamot at magpagaling.

“Conching, bunutin mo ang puno ng bayabas sa harap ng bahay,” ang utos ng 84-taong matanda na matamang nakatuon ang pansin sa mga nakabukangkang na Katipunerong namimilipit sa kanyang harapan.

“Ngunit Tandang Sora, nakabaon sa semento ang puno ng bayabas.”

“Nais mo bang tumulong sa Inang Bayan, Conching?”

“Over!” ang tahimik na sabi ni Conching sabay labas ng bahay bitbit ang isang gunting.

Wari’y nagsasagot ng Sudoku ang matanda habang nginunguya ang mga dahon ng bayabas na nasa kanyang harapan. Maya’t maya’y idinudura niya ang mga nginuyang dahon sa isang palanggana. Nang maubos niya ang buong puno, tumayo siya.

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Great Expectations: The Tagalog translation so far (Raw and unedited)

February 06, 2012 By: jessicazafra Category: Books

Chapters 3 to 5 were translated by the members of our Dickens Translation Group oberstein, chigaune, Akyat-Bahay Gangster, PinoySpag, turmukoy, girlfriday0104, goneflyingakite, cdlaclos, giancarlo, jaime, kotsengkuba, samutsari, jules.

Let’s give our other volunteers till Thursday to submit their pages. Then we can proceed with the next chapters (The new volunteers will also get their assignments). One page per week per person seems to be the practical option.

Volunteers, if you have any suggestions as to how we can make our process more efficient, leave a note in Comments.

* * * * *

The phrase “great expectations” is uttered in connection with the money Pip will receive from his benefactor. The Tagalog title should cover the fortune Pip will come into, so “Marangyang Inaasahan”?

* * * * *

Great Expectations: The Digested Read

Kabanata I

Apelyido ng tatay ko Pirrip, at bininyagan akong Philip. Nung bata, kapag pinagsama ang dalawa, hanggang Pip lang ang kayang maarok ng dila ko, kaya tinawag ko ang sarili kong Pip, at tinawag na rin akong Pip ng iba.

Kinilala kong Pirrip ang apelyido namin, dahil iyon ang nakasulat sa lapida ng tatay ko, at iyon ang sabi ng ate ko—si Gng Joe Gargery, na nakapangasawa ng panday. At palibhasa hindi ko nasilayan si nanay o tatay, ni nakakita ng anumang alaala nila (wala pang picture-picture noon), kung anu man ang iniimadyin kong sila ay walang rasong hinango ko lang sa mga lapida nila. Yaong korte ng mga letra ng sa tatay ko—nagbigay sakin ng ideya na mataba siya, kuwadraduhin ang mukha, kayumanggi ang balat, at kulot at itim ang buhok. Mula sa bilot at karakter ng nakalilok na “At Si Georgina, Asawa ni Philip,” nagkaroon ako ng konklusyong musmos na ang nanay ko ay puros pekas at parating sakitin. At galing sa limang maliliit na batong singhahaba ng isang talampakan at kalahati, na masinop na nakahilera sa gilid ng nitso, itong mga sagradong ala-ala ng limang kapatid ko—silang mga sumuko nang maaga sa pakikibaka ng buhay—utang na loob ko ang lubos na paniniwala na pinanganak lahat silang nakatihaya, nakapamulsa, at di na nakatinag sa ganitong kalagayan.

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