A Mangyan Letter

The following letter is undated but was written by a certain Mangyan individual named OLYONG. It was taken from a 1922 manuscript from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila by Don Ignacio Villamor which I found in the Menzies library of the Australian National University. It is transliterated into Romanized Mangyan (a language of the island of Mindoro), and then translated in both Spanish (the original translation, not mine!) and English.

Translation of the Letter:

Line 1: Inda kang sulat lomas-og sa kanmo, amigo, ako pahaga-
Esta mi carta llegara a ti, amigo; dame
This letter of mine will reach you my friend; give me

Line 2: da kualta, usa ka gatus, kang ibili sa manga sotan, sa pag-
dinero, un ciento, para comprar ropas, porque
some money, one hundred, to buy clothing, because

Line 3: ka kami ti Mangyan poble gid sa tanan; kami ti Mangyan unmangid
nosotros los Mangyanes somos los mas pobres; nosotros los Mangyanes
we Mangyans are very poor (the poorest), we Mangyans

Line 4: mai sotan; kang utang kowintahen, amigo sa kanmo, kang talabaho-
carecemos enteramente de ropas; toma en cuenta esta deuda, amigo, que te pagare
are completely without clothes; take account of this debt, friend, which I will pay

Line 5: han sa kanmo usa ka timpo, bag-o ako mule sa kan-
trabajando para ti un ano, antes de volver yo a mi
by working for you one year before I return to my

Line 6: mi balai no matapus ye kang utang sa kanmo.
pueblo, y no lo hare sin pagar esta deuda a ti. town, and I will not do until I have fully paid my debt to you.


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