MUNG A TOO LUNG PUMP PAR LORE atbp

MUNG A TOO LUNG PUMP PAR LORE atbp
October 2014 33 pages 25 poems
Available ebook (pdf) FREE at http://twolah.blogspot.com/

“Mung A Tool Lung Pump Par Lore atbp” translates to ‘proper’ English as “parlore poems” as each poem in the book is written in English but reads out in the Philippine language Tagalog. Reading the poems and interpreting them is like playing a game of word search. Writing them is transcendental meditation. If your language is both English and Tagalog, you’re lucky enough to be able to make two readings of the poems. If your language is just English, now’s your chance to show off to your Filipino friends that you can speak Tagalog like the natives. Well, almost …

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The poems in this book are written in English. Most English language readers often regard these poems as “avant grade” or “Dadaist” poems. Perhaps, if one tried hard enough, the poems might make sense or at least, without trying, be as absurd as any Dadaist poem purports to be. However, these poems actually read out in the Philippine language known as Tagalog. Thus, only the reader well versed in both English and Tagalog will be able to unlock both readings of the poems.

Reading the poems is like piecing together a puzzle or playing a game of word search. Reading is fun. However, writing the poems is perhaps key to their full appreciation. I must admit that it isn’t always easy but it allows for a kind of meditative state. Someone even declared that writing in the form was “addicting."

I have actually attempted to write poems in the reverse (that is, written in Tagalog and reads out in English). It is extremely difficult. I have even wondered if it was cultural bias on my part because of my proficiency in English over Tagalog writing. I could just about manage:

Alab iyo (I love you)

This example is really quite sweet because “alab iyo” translates to the English “you blaze."

This presents to me the interesting puzzle of correspondence between the significant spoken sounds of words and their spelling systems across different languages, notwithstanding the significant meanings in the languages. Or perhaps there are other more interesting puzzles, such as cultural bias and sensitivity to pronunciation. I look forward to such puzzles. The game of poetry makes them possible.