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

Isinay Songs: "Hymn for St. Vincent"

Note: Just got back from a week-long homecoming in Dupax (del Sur) to, among other things, attend the joint Patron Fiesta and Town Fiesta held April 27-30, 2011. The festivities started with a 45-minute procession around the main streets of Dupax followed by a mass at the St. Vincent Church officiated by Bishop Ramon Villena of the Diocese of Bayombong. Among the "gems" I was able to collect during this trip was a novena pamphlet containing the lyrics of one of the songs that my father always sang each time Dupax celebrated its patron fiesta. I suspected then that Papa just loved to sing this hymn (nawut in Isinay) because it was all about the Spanish saint after whom he was named. In this post, in toto and awaiting translation, are the wordings of the hymn.
 

Naut di San Vicentear

(Hymn for Saint Vincent)

1.

Uatoy siat patron min tua ot ammain tuar gloriamar,

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

2.

Siri Espaniat osan bebeoy an Valenciar ngaronar

An sirir nianaamar mu impabautizo amos sin inmommoy

Mapear tua rien bebeoy, toy sirir nitajuanar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

3.

Vicenter bautismomar, mangamis si atodajamar,

Ngaron die mipajna ysia toy ammair panarawum muar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

4.

Ari siri aungamar la, ot impaulim mos mataju si osan ejao

Si impangibusuoy muar la wa bumangun a ayta amoy tat pan-escuelamar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

5.

Uara mos si najanapan si simpiyu ta weyun taw-on ya in-eeng mur

Abiton Sto. Domingo de Guzman on toy sia mos si niamam dinapat mur inapiamar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

6.

Osan diablos guet mardaj, babain immoy nanojso y-sia mu impabatar muar la

Ya inpapti mut manajtaj nanbuti di diablosar maspaj toy timaut si asdeamar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

7.

Uean siat mansersermon, si baba an man Valencia mandonge on manpenitencia 

Di tajuaran nanbob-on mariran mirngue lan lojom toy nilossuang dar lom-anar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

8.

Simpiu ta liman libu judios si nabautiswan da on weun libun moros payla

Toy uar tongtong muar on ynnu herejes alibulibun magaset casalananar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

9.

Simpiu ta liman tinapay si inpaan muar tua si libun tajun mabua an niunur

Da y-sia, adday milagros mos tien amma-y si atdit urumar ynapiam.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

10. 

Osan babait nanpinsan toy nataje ot namatoy si ananar on nangui-oy

Siu lom-anar ta ysiram mu siri lat nampauliam matajun ynentregam si amanar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

11.

Nanquing-quing a on nangompan si pangayaj mut man-atung nu neir masait si atung,

Si ynuriam diran uar atungar darin lom-an, binumti dat nancruzamar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

12.

Uarat osan natoy babayi on ylubu da mos otia mu ympamangun mue

Ysiat osan linsangan ammai atdiona tutuwon yu at tajuar toy tueyan tuar ybajanar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

13.

Ampaylamu siat dauay ya ansan di ynpanparirdirila mar si batang muar natilang,

Urum mi on natoy a adday ymmoy at viopar ymmoy toy sirin tua gloriamar.

San Vicente ypajogos daami toy mansor amit dadamar.

SOURCE: Novena to Saint Vincent Ferrer. Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish, Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya. 12 pp. 

Top photo: The statue of St. Vincent is being loaded with kids dressed as angels in preparation for the procession to kick off the celebration of the Dupax del Sur Patron Fiesta and Panlingalingan Festival 2011.  
Right photo: Here's how San Vicente Ferrer looks when the church is still dark and quiet. A larger statue occupies the topmost rung of the altar, immediately above the life-size replica of the crucified Christ. St. Vincent is always depicted as standing over a globe with his right index finger pointing skyward. (I have yet to research why.) Below: Devotees return to the church with the statue after the 45-minute procession along the main roads of the town (accompanied by musicians formed out of the remaining members of the St. Vincent Orchestra and playing the tune of the "Hymn for St. Vincent"). 

PHOTOS by Charlz Castro taken April 28, 2011