Isinay Songs: "War Sipan Uwar"

This year's joint Patron and Town Fiesta of Dupax del Sur (held April 28-30) featured an Isinay cultural presentation that highlighted, among other things, the making of glutinous rice into daluj-daluj (roughly equivalent to the Ilocano iniruban) and lupeyup (probably the same as the Ilocano tinubong).

While the performers simulated the cooking of such delicacies, a group of senior citizens sang Isinay songs, including "War Sipan Uwar" -- the tune and lyrics of which were said to have been authored by the all-around musician and Isinay Bambang composer Isabelo Gonzales Sr. (1917-1980?) who served as Vice Mayor of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya.

This April 30, 2011 photo shows some members of the Bona^ si Isinay Dopaj cooking glutinous rice delicacies during the Dupax del Sur joint patron and town fiesta while other senior citizens sing classical Isinay love songs in the background.

"War Sipan Uwar" rivals "Dattut Ittuam" and "Osan Lavi" in terms of popularity among serious advocates of Isinay music. In fact, it has reached the Internet through a video recording by Ms. Myra Bangad, a music teacher of Nueva Vizcaya General Comprehensive High School, and posted at YouTube on Feb. 8, 2007 by a thoughtful Isinay identified only as basteroger.

As I write this post, Myra's version has had 1,885 "hits" compared to her other renditions -- Dattut Ittuam 1,462 and Osan Lavi 1,290. The lyrics below (slightly different from the ones sang by Myra in YouTube) were sang by members of the Bona^ si Isinay Dopaj during the Dupax del Sur fiesta held April 28-30, 2011.

WAR SIPAN UWAR

(i)

War sipan uwar si aru ar

Marin manluman toy si-a iman

Si inaru^ an pipeyara^

Mantunat giting di ataya ar.

(ii)

Gayjayan tuwa marin meawa

Engatan ta on ingong-an ta

Ta man siari uriam itapli

Mantunanat giting di atajua ar.

(iii)

Uriam mos an pan-ipijan

Sara nien matam on uriam santan

Neir mos an masden sipan

Mari mo, mari mos an mapottang.

(iv)

Gayjayan tuwa marin meawa

Engatan ta on ingong-an ta

Ta man siari uriam itapli

Gomgomom mantunat ipatoyta.

(v)

Gayjayan tuwa marin meawa

Engatan ta on ingong-an ta

Ta man siari marim ilo^lojom

Mari mos, mari mos an mapottang.

Mari mos, mari mos an mapottang.

………………

I don't know how you take this, but I encountered "War Sipan Uwar" only last year -- first thru YouTube and then during the Bona^ si Isinay anniversary last December. Well, perhaps I was too engrossed with the songs of Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, and the Beatles when my father used to sing it along with "Dattut Itwam" and his version of the "Imbestida" which went something like: "Amunglan tuvun si lavay... susun bialar an navayvay...!"

I’m putting my neck on the chopping board here, but for the sake of non-Isinay readers, here’s my attempt at translating the first two stanzas of the song into English:

THE VOW I MADE

(i)

The vow I made to my loved one

Will not fade for you are indeed

The one I love and my destiny

Until the day I die.

(ii)

True love has no end

Let’s keep and treasure it

Please don't throw it away

Until the time of my death.

--charlz castro