Here is a fun story about a pirate and his treasure that I found in a book in the KPV Collection (details below). In the original document, this story has the title of “E-5”, in case you are looking for the source material. Since this story is on the longer side, I did not include a Quizlet flashcard deck. But feel free to practice breaking this up into phrase chunks for your own studying.

This post includes the Chamorro text, audio narration in Chamorro, and an English translation. Happy reading!

I Bihu Na Tulisan Tåsi

Tinige’ as Sylvestre Iguel
Yininga’ as Mike K. Omar

“Nan Em, estoriåyi yu’ fan ta’lo ni ayu i bihu na piråta. Un hasso’ ayu i muna’ma’å’ñao hao,” ilek-ña si George.

Ti apmam ha’ i dos ni monhayan sumena. Ñieñiebi gi sanhiyong. Lao i kusinan-ñiha mámaipe’ ha’ ya i guafi lokkue’ ma’lálak. Malago’ si George umekungok bunitu na estoria.

“Hinasso-ku na para un famaisen pot guiya la’mo’na,” ilek-na si Nan Em. “Buenu, måtto gi gima’-måmi esta apmámam na tiempo. Maná’atan yu’ huyong gi bentåna un pupuengi annai på’go para u homhom. Un bihu mamómokkat hulo’ gi gua’ot. Chunge’ yan anåkko’ i gapotulu-ña. Ha bábando i senturå-ña ni agaga’ na magågu. Ha ú’uma gi apagå-ña un kåhon dikike’. Annai lumálahihot mågi, hu ripåra na inalílitos oru.”

“Ma’å’ñao yu’ annai duru mandåkkot. Lao humanao yu’ ya hu babayi nu i petta. Mámaisen i prohimu kao siña dumeskånsa esta ki manana ha’ si Yu’os. Ti konfotme yu’, lao pot gef manengheng sanhiyong hu konsedera i prohimu ya hu na’såga. Ha po’lo i kåhon-ña ni ha ú’uma gi un banda.”

“Annai esta monhåyan sumena, ha songge i chigålu-ña ya sigi di ha estoriåyi yu’ ni i manchågo’ siha na lugåt ni ha fatoigue.”

“Gi sigiente ogga’an ha ayudåyi yu’ manlupok hånom. Put para u apåsi i amotsån-ña, ha na’bula håyu i kåhon håyu. Pues, mámaisen kao siña ha po’lo i kåhon-ña unos kuantos dihas put para u buska fine’nina i amigu-ña. Hu oppe’ na magof ha’ yu’ na bai hu atani ni kahon-ña. Ayu ha’, må’pos.”

“Ayu ha’, George uttimon-ña mali’e’-måmi! I kåhon gágaige ha’ gi hilo’ gi kamarote. Tåya’ trabiha bumábaba ya tåya’ ha’ para u binaba. Kåhon-ña ayu, ya siempre un diha ha bira gue’ tåtte para u chule’.”

“Unos kuantos åños despues, ha konne’ si George i amigu-ña as Jim ya manhånao para u fanáli’e’ yan si Nan Em. Esta sotteritu si George. Ha sohyo’ i tihå-ña para u baba i kahon i piråta. Meggai åños maloffan desde ki ha bisita yu’. Pues, magåhet ha sedi i dos para u mababa i kahon. Debi fine’nina di u ma yamak i adåba ni esta gof tinake’. Los uttimo ma baba i kahon. Gi sanhalom eståba un båtkon håyu, manmakárf to’lang bayena, ya un bihon lepblo. Tåya’ ni otru, ni plåta, pat ni un grånon sensiyu. Manina’fanggefdesgånao.”

Ayu ha’ na puengi si George ha chule’ i lepblo. Annai sigi di ha baba i påhina siha, poddong huyong un påppet amariyu. Un måpan chepchop tåsi gi bandan Maine ayu i gaige gi halom i pappet amariyu. Guaha guihi gi mapa un dikíkike’ na bånda na mámatka “X.” Gi sanpapa’ na bånda gi mapa guaha matútuge’, “Tohge gi ayu i acho’ å’paka’ ni dangkulo’. Atan kåttan, hulo’ lamitå miyas gi fi’on i trongkon dångkulo’ siha. Gaige gi papa’ un åcho’ kuadrao.”

Håfa mohon gaige gi papa’ i acho’? Håfa na problema lokkue’ siña gumuaha yanggen para u ma’aligao?

Despues gi halom tres dihas, humånao si George yan si Jim para Maine. Manmanatkila fine’nina papusitu. Pues ma katgåyi piku, påla, yan nengkånno’ siha. Tátaftaf gi sigiente ogga’an humånao i dos para i kanton tåno’ ya sigi di mamboska. Dinira siha åpmam ni ma alíligao ha’ i acho’ å’paka’.

På’go homhom ma li’e’ i ininan i atdao gi annai tumútunok muna’annok i acho’. Gigon måtto i boten-ñiha gi kanton unai, homhom. Lao sigiente ogga’an ma bira siha tåtte. Guma’ ha’ yan chålan siha gi hilo’ i ekso’ para kattan, ma sodda’, lao tåya’ trongkon dångkolon siha. An ma líli’e’ este siha na lugåt, kulang ti ayu mohon na klåsen lugåt i piråta para u nå’na’ i tesoru. Kana’ mamåra manmanaligao.

Put para u machagi ha’, ma midi lamitå miyas desde kåttan i acho’. Guaha magåhet ma sodda’ åcho’ kuadrao gi halom cha’guan siha. Insigidas ma chule’ i pikon-ñiha, yan påla ya ma tutuhon manmangguaddok.

Ni ti apmam guinaddok-ñiha, unu gi mangga’chong dumanche fina’mahetok ni palå-ña. Gi annai ma håtsa hulo’, un kåhon håyu na esta para u fanadespåtta ha’. Annai ma baba i kåhon, ni para u kuentos i dos ni minagof-ñiha. Eståba gi halom kåhon bulan sensiyon oru! Gi sanpapa’ guaha mabalúlutan fina’makkat gi halom magågu.

Ma’alulåyi i dos kumåtga i tesoron-ñiha guatu gi boti. Ma chaddeki chumule’ guatu gi banko ni para u såfo’. Esta nina’matalak ha’ i bankeru ni manman-ña! Gi halom i magågu eståba un kilu’us oru na kana’ ha’ tinampe di diamånte siha. Eståba lokkue’ un buniton kadena.

Si George yan si Jim ma sodda’ i magåhet na tesoru.

Manhånao ha’ lokkue’ i piråta ti ha bira gue’ tåtte para u chek i kahon-ña. Mientras ki lålala’ ha’ si Nan Em, ha konsidera håfa para u sangåni i piråta yanggen siakåsu na ha bira gue’ tåtte.

The Old Pirate

Written by Sylvestre Iguel
Illustrated by Mike K. Omar

“Nan Em, tell me a story again please about that old pirate. You remember, that one who frightened you, “George said.

Soon the two would be finished eating dinner. It was snowing outside. But their kitchen was still hot and the fire was also bright. George wanted to listen to a beautiful story.

“I thought that you would ask about him later tonight,” Nan Em said. “Alright then: he arrived at our house a long, long time ago already. I was looking out through the window one evening when it was about to become dark. There was an elderly man walking up the stairs. His hair was white and long. He had wrapped his waist with red cloth. He was carrying a small box on his shoulder. When he got closer to me, I noticed that he was wearing gold earrings.”

“I was afraid when he continued to knock. But I went and I opened the door to him. The fellow asked if he could rest just until morning. I didn’t approve, but because it was very cold outside I considered the fellow and I had him stay. He put his box that he was carrying on one side.”

“When we had already finished eating dinner, he lit his cigar and he kept telling me stories about the far away places that he had gone to.”

“The next morning he helped me haul water. To pay for his breakfast, he filled the wood box with wood. Then, he asked if he could leave his box for a few days so he could find his friend first. I answered that I would be happy to look after his box for him. That was all, and he left.”

“That was it, George, the last time we saw each other! The box is still up in the attic. It has never been opened yet and it still will not be opened. That is his box, and surely one day he will come back to take it.”

Some years later, George brought his friend Jim and they went to see Nan Em. George was already a teenage boy. He persuaded his aunt to open the box of the pirate. Many years had passed since he had visited me. And so, she really allowed the two to open the box. First, they had to break the padlock that was already very rusty. At last they opeened the box. Inside was a wooden boat, a carved whale bone, and one old book. There was nothing else, not silver, nor a coin piece. They were made to be very disappointed.

That night George took the book. When he continued to open the pages, one yellow paper fell out. It was a map of a beach on the side of Maine, that was on the inside of the yellow paper. There on the map was a small side that was marked “X.” On the bottom side on the map, there was written, “Stand on that white rock which is big. Look north, up half a mile next to the big trees. It is under a square rock.”

What could be there under the rock? Also, what problems could arise if it were to be looked for?

Afterward within three days, George and Jim went to Maine. First, they rented a small steam boat. Then they carried the pick, shovel, and food. Early the next morning the two went to the shore and they kept searching. They lasted a long time while they were searching for the white rock.

When it just got dark, they saw the light of the sun when it was descending and it revealed the rock. As soon as they got back to their boat on the shore, it was dark. But the next morning they went back. There were just houses and boats on the top of the hill to the north that they found, but there were no big trees. When they were seeing these places, they were not like the kind of place the pirate would hide the treasure. They almost stopped searching.

Just to try it again, they measured half a mile from the north of the rock. They actually found a square rock within the grass. Immediately they took their pick and shovel, and they started to dig.

Soon in their digging, one of the friends struck something hard with his shovel. When they lifted it up, it was a wooden box that was already about to fall apart. When they opened the box, the two could not even talk because of their joy. The inside of the box was full of gold pieces! At the bottom, there was something hard wrapped inside clothing.

The two quickly carried their treasure to the boat. They quickly took it to the bank to make it safe. The banker was already made to stare wide-eyed in his surprise! Inside of the clothing was a cross of gold that was almost entirely covered by diamonds. There was also a beautiful necklace.

George and Jim found the real treasure.

Time went on as well, and the pirate did not return to check his box. While Nan Em was still alive, she considered what she would tell the pirate in case he came back.

Notes

Tulisan Tåsi: This word translates literally to “bandit of the sea” which we can understand to mean a pirate. We found this as we were perusing Påle’ Roman’s Chamorro-Spanish dictionary. The original writer used the word pirata in their work, which I’ve left. But since there was no title in the original, I decided to use this word in the title instead. From this construction, we can probably make other words like tulisan nåftan = grave robber; tulisan guaka = cattle raider; etc.

Manhånao ha’ lokkue’: I received a correction during our practice group on this phrase. It’s actually an expression that means “Time went on (as well).” It is also commonly heard as “humånanao ha'” or “månanao ha’.”

References

KPV Collection, and Sylvestre Iguel. 1977. E-5. PDF. Chamorro Stories w/Worksheets & Questions. Saipan Title VII Chamorro Bilingual Project. https://airtable.com/appU43QeD409YS6Hl/shrXhl6F1kRn9xx1H/tblN01VTDCNtsL5Er/viweMEfQRRSfWjSvi?blocks=hide.