Year: 2023

Kotturan Chamoru: I Kostumbren Mannginge’

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro Stories3 Comments

When you were growing up, did you practice the Chamorro custom of respectfully greeting elders by taking their hand and sniffing it? In my family we would just go around giving hugs and kisses to our elders, so when I was introduced to this custom I wasn’t used to it at all! Here is a short story in Chamorro about this custom, written by Carmen C. Blas, from a book about Chamorro customs that I found in the KPV collection (the direct link to the entire PDF can be found under the References for this post). If you would like to learn more about the mannginge’, I have also included a short list of free, online resources for further reading on this Chamorro custom.

This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation of the story and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

taitai Mas

Kåntan Chamoru: Faga’ga’on Na Låhi

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro SongsLeave a comment

Here are the lyrics and English translation for “Faga’ga’on na Låhi” with this incredible version from Dandan Marianas sung by difuntu Ben Nangauta (u såga gi minahgong). I’ve loved this song since I first heard it, even though it is kind of sad and (according to one of our friends in our practice group) gives off some serious stalker vibes. Regardless, I enjoy listening to this song, and whenever it plays, Jay and I belt out the chorus to each other.

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Legend: The Guam Rail and the Monitor Lizard

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro LegendsLeave a comment

When I was little, this legend was always a favorite of mine and I was very excited on the day I realized I could finally read it in Chamorro. This version in Chamorro is good for beginners because the sentences are short and simple. In this post I’ve transcribed the Chamorro and included the English translation, and the original pdf is also in this post if you prefer to see the illustrations while reading. The narration is done by Jay Che’le. Enjoy!

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Kåntan Chamoru: Saipan

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro SongsLeave a comment

Here’s a song that our practice group listened to a while back. I remember hearing this song within my first few months of learning Chamorro, and at that time the only words I could really catch were “Saipan”, “Chamoru”, and “para’isu.” I’m happy to say that now I’m able to hear the lyrics and sing along to this one, and it has become another favorite. During my brief visit to Saipan last year, the island and its people really were as welcoming and lovely as the song says. We even met a Korean couple who were on their honeymoon in Saipan, and the first thing they talked about was everyone’s kindness. Bula guinaiya to Saipan 🙂

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