Isang Dipang Langit by Amado V. Hernandez

A poem written by Amado V. Hernandez

Isang Dipang Langit

Ako'y ipiniit ng linsil na puno

hangad palibhasang diwa ko'y piitin,

katawang marupok, aniya'y pagsuko,

damdami'y supil na't mithiin ay supil.

Ikinulong ako sa kutang malupit:

bato, bakal, punlo, balasik ng bantay;

lubos na tiwalag sa buong daigdig

at inaring kahit buhay man ay patay.

Sa munting dungawan, tanging abot-malas

ay sandipang langit na puno ng luha,

maramot na birang ng pusong may sugat,

watawat ng aking pagkapariwara.

Sintalim ng kidlat ang mata ng tanod,

sa pintong may susi't walang makalapit;

sigaw ng bilanggo sa katabing moog,

anaki'y atungal ng hayop sa yungib.

Ang maghapo'y tila isang tanikala

na kala-kaladkad ng paang madugo

ang buong magdamag ay kulambong luksa

ng kabaong waring lungga ng bilanggo.

Kung minsa'y magdaan ang payak na yabag,

kawil ng kadena ang kumakalanding;

sa maputlang araw saglit ibibilad,

sanlibong aninong iniluwa ng dilim.

Kung minsan, ang gabi'y biglang magulantang

sa hudyat - may takas! - at asod ng punlo;

kung minsa'y tumangis ang lumang batingaw,

sa bitayang moog, may naghihingalo.

At ito ang tanging daigdig ko ngayon -

bilangguang mandi'y libingan ng buhay;

sampu, dalawampu, at lahat ng taon

ng buong buhay ko'y dito mapipigtal.

Nguni't yaring diwa'y walang takot-hirap

at batis pa rin itong aking puso:

piita'y bahagi ng pakikilamas,

mapiit ay tanda ng di pagsuko.

Ang tao't Bathala ay di natutulog

at di habang araw ang api ay api,

tanang paniniil ay may pagtutuos,

habang may Bastilya'y may bayang gaganti.

At bukas, diyan din, aking matatanaw

sa sandipang langit na wala nang luha,

sisikat ang gintong araw ng tagumpay...

layang sasalubong ako sa paglaya!

Dahong Lugas ng 'Florante at Laura'

Sa loob at labas ng bayan cong saui

caliluha,i, siang nangyayaring hari

cagalinga,t, bait ay nalulugami

ininis sa hucay ng dusa,t, pighati.

Ang magandang asal ay ipinupucol

sa laot ng dagat ng cutia,t, lingatong

balang magagaling ay ibinabaón

at ilinilibing ng walang cabaong.

Ng̃uni,t, ¡ay! ang lilo,t, masamang loob

sa trono ng puri ay ilinulucloc

at sa balang sucab na may asal hayop

mabangong incienso ang isinusuob.

Caliluha,t, sama, ang ulo,i, nagtayo

at ang cabaita,i, quimi,t, nacayuco

santong catouira,i, lugami at hapo

ang luha na lamang ang pinatutulo.

At ang balang bibig na binubucalan

ng sabing magaling at catotohanan

agad binibiac at sinisicangan

ng calis ng lalong dustang camatayan.

Oh! tacsil na pita sa yama,t, mataas

oh! hangad sa puring hanging lumilipas

icao ang dahilan ng casam-ang lahat

niaring nasapit co na cahabaghabag.

Ipinahahayag ng pananamit mo

taga Albania ca at aco,i, Persiano

icao ay caauay ng baya,t, secta co

sa lagay mo ngayo,i, magcatoto tayo.

AGAW DILIM by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Agaw Dilim was written by Jose Corazon de Jesus, the famous Filipino poet and the Father of Balagtasan.

Namatay ang araw

sa dakong kanluran,

nang kinabukasa’y

pamuling sumilang,

ngunit ikaw, irog, bakit nang pumanaw

ay bukod-tangi kang di ko na namasdan?

Naluoy sa hardin

ang liryo at hasmin,

Mayo nang dumating

pamuling nagsupling,

ngunit ikaw, sinta, bakit kaya giliw

dalawang Mayo nang nagtago sa akin?

Lumipad ang ibon

sa pugad sa kahoy,

dumating ang hapon

at muling naroon,

ngunit ikaw, buhay, ano’t hangga ngayo’y

di pa nagbabalik at di ko matunton?

BAYAN KO by Jose Corazon de Jesus

Penned down by Jose Corazon de Jesus in 1929, Ang Bayan Ko (My Country) became widely famous among Filipinos during the reign of the late dictator Pres. Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s. Bayan Ko was set to music by Constancio de Guzman.

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas
Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak
Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag.

At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa.

Ibon mang may layang lumipad
kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag
Ang di magnasang makaalpas!

Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha ko't dalita
Aking adhika,
Makita kang sakdal laya.

Jose Rizal

 

Jose Rizal (Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Realonda) is considered as the Philippines' National Hero. Most commonly referred by his family as Pepe, Rizal was born on June 19, 1961 in the town of Calamba in the province of Laguna in the Philippines. He was the seventh child of the eleven offspring of his proud parents Francisco Engracio Mercado Rizal y Alejandro and Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda y Quintos. His siblings were Saturnina, Paciano, Narcissa, Olimpia, Lucia, Maria, Jose, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad and Soledad. It has been said that the Mercado-Rizal's blood had traces of Japanese, Spanish, Malay and even Negrito blood aside from Chinese.

Rizal got his first education in a typical schooling in Calamba and Biñan in Laguna. His mother was his first teacher. Rizal recounting the times with her wrote in his student memoir, "My mother taught me how to read and to say haltingly the humble prayers which I raised fervently to God." Thus it was her that first discovered Rizal's apparent talent in poetry.

After his schooling in Biñan, he then proceeded to take his college education taking up Bachelor of Arts in Ateneo Municipal de Manila and later on attended medicine in the University of Santo Tomas. He continued his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid in Madrid, Spain, earning the degree of Licentiate in Medicine. He also attended the University of Paris and earned a second doctorate at the University of Heidelberg.

Rizal's various life experiences made him grew to become a multi- talented individual whose mark leaves a secure place in history. A born genius, Rizal was a polyglot as he was conversant in twenty- two languages. He was also known as a prolific poet, essayist, diarist, correspondent, actor, anthropologist, botanist, businessman, educator, humorist, ophthalmologist, philosopher, scientist, engineer, sociologist, sculptor and novelist, among others. Rizal's two famous novels, the Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo earned him a great following and likewise enemies. A social commentary on the rule of the Spanish colonizers, these novels made it possible for the Filipinos' patriotism to be awakened and consequently unite to one single aim.

His founding of the La Liga Filipina, a civic organization gave birth to the Katipunan which was led by Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo. A strong proponent of Philippine self- government through peaceful institutional reform, he likewise did not take away the possibility of having to resort to violent revolution if the need arises.

And following Rizal's execution by the Spaniards at Bagumbagan (which is now known as Luneta Park) on December 30, 1896 through a firing squad, the Philippine Revolution was ignited. It has been said that it was on the eve of his execution that Rizal wrote his famous poem, Me Ultimo Adios.

Now,  a statue stood at the place where the execution happened in Luneta and inscribed on it were these words:
"I want to show to those who deprive people the right to love of country, that when we know how to sacrifice ourselves for our duties and convictions, death does not matter if one dies for those one loves – for his country and for others dear to him."- Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Today there have been several controversies unearthed surrounding the life of Rizal especially that of his family. Some were bound to arouse our attention while others were plainly ridiculous, like some claims regarding Adolf Hitler as an estrange son of Rizal.