This is the legend of Guam’s mermaid, Sirena, written in Chamorro by Dolores I. Marciano from a book I found in the KPV Collection (details below). When I was a kid I used to interpret this story as a warning to children, to always obey our parents. Reading this story again as an adult makes me realize it’s also about parenting. It’s a warning to parents to have a care for the words they use with their children, but also about the pain of letting go of them. We did deep dive on this legend with Ray Barcinas a few weeks back, and his analysis moved us and brought a few of us to tears.

So here is the Chamorro legend of Sirena, with Chamorro text, a Chamorro audio narration, and an English translation. I actually recorded this narration because Jay was in Europe all week for work and things got too busy for him to do the recording. But as soon as he gets back, I’ll have him record his narration and I’ll update the audio. 🙂 Happy reading!

Contents
Story in Chamorro English Translation Notes References

Si Sirena

Tinige’ as Dolores I. Marciano

Un tiempo giya Guahån na isla, sumåsaga un hobensita na palao’an ni na’ån-ña Sirena. Este na palao’an sumåsaga yan si nanå-ña gi un guma’ gi fi’on i saddok giya Hagåtña.

Si Sirena mampos bonita, kariñosa, yan atendida. I gapotilu-ña anåkko’ yan sumén åttilong. Freska i figuran matå-ña yan morena i kulot-ña. Mampos lokkue’ ná’manman este na palao’an sa’ sen ya-ña para u hånao ya u o’mak gi halom i saddok maseha håfa na ora achok ti malago’ si nanå-ña.

Ni unu giya Guahån siña chumånda si Sirena gi halom hånom. Kulan ha’ un dångkulo’ na guihan un líli’e’ an ha’ estira i dos kannai-ña yan i dos addeng-ña ya sigi pumalapa² yan muñangu gi halom i taddong na såddok. Mesngon u o’mak yan sumåga åpmam gi halom hånom si Sirena.

I nanan Sirena fafa’cho’cho’ na palao’an. Mampréprensa, manånånom, mama’títinas nengkånno’ yan ha chócho’gue todu i che’cho’ gi gima’-ñiha. Meggai na biahi na akonseha i hagå-ña as Sirena put i tiempo-ña gi saddok. Ti ha hulat kumenprende¹ håfa na motibu na sesso yan ya-ña na u o’mak si Sirena gi halom såddok. Meggai na malingu pasiensiå-ña i nana as Sirena sa’ kada ha ågang para u inayuda pat para u nina’i’ ni nisisidåd-ña, tåya’ na gaige gi uriyå-ña. Todu i tiempo yanggen ha å’ågang i hagå-ña siempre iné’eppe’ as Sirena ginen i saddok.

Un diha ilek-ña i nana as Sirena, “Sirena, esta hao dångkulo’ debi na un såga gi fi’on-hu ya un ayuda yu’ guini gi gima’.”

Lao ti umé’ekungok si Sirena.

I nana malago’ na para u fa’någue i hagå-ña gi fina’tinas nengkånno’, muna’gasgas gi halom guma’ yan todu i che’cho’ ni siña ha cho’gue gi gima’-ñiha.

Annai mampréprensa i nana un diha, ha ågang si Sirena ya ilek-ña, “Sirena, hånao ya un fanhokka mågi ha’iguas ya bai hu na’setbe gi prinenså-ku.”

Humuyong si Sirena ginen i gima’-ñiha, lao eyu na hinanao-ña, humånånao para i saddok ta’lo ya sigi di u o’mak. Ti ha ripåra na esta sumén apmam gue’ gi halom hånom, ya esta i atdao tumútunok papa’ gi sagå-ña ya esta pupuenge.

Annai måtto si Sirena gi gima’-ñiha, ha sodda’ si nanå-ña na mannánangga nu guiya ya esta senlalålo’.

“Sirena, ginen mámanu ha’ hao na hagas ha’ hu nangga i ha’iguas ni tinago’-hu?” mámaisen i nanå-ña.

“Ai, nåna, dispensa yu’ sa’ maleffa yu’ ni tinago’-mu ha’iguas,” manoppe’ si Sirena.

“Lao ginen manu hao mågi na esta sen åpmam hao desdi ki humånao hao?” mámaisen ta’lo si nanå-ña.

“Humånao yu’ para i saddok ya hu o’mak yu’,” manoppe’ si Sirena.

“Mampos hao na påtgon sumén aguaguat, ti un é’ekungok håfa u sangångåni hao, todu i tiempo yanggen håfa u tåtågo’ hao, i saddok ha’ un hånånaogue, o’la mohon ya un huyong mama’guihan ya un sásaga ha’ gi halom hånom yanggen esta hao ti siña un ékungok yu’.” Minatdisi gi as nanå-ña.

I matlinan Sirena ha hungok i matdision i nana ya måtto’ guatu gi gima’ Sirena ya ilek-ña, “Yanggen hågu na malago’ na u huyong si Sirena mama’guihan, pues ti bai hu sedi hao ni disehå-mu. Put ginen guahu na humuyong este na påtgon kumilisyåno, pues po’lo ya i pattedå-mu gi tátaotao-ña u huyong mama’guihan ya i pattedå-hu u huyong mama’taotao.”

I nana ha ripåra na tailayi i bidå-ña ni hagå-ña. Sigi di kumåti ya ha gágagao i matlina fabot na u inayuda ni bidå-ña. “Pot fabot, ayuda yu’ ya un na’libre i hagå-hu sa’ hu tungo’ na sen lachi i bidå-hu.” Duru i nana di kumåti.

“Esta atrasao para bai hu na’libre i patgon sa’ mampos makkat i matdision-mu guatu as Sirena, hågu mumatdisi ya esta ti siña enao madiroga. Lamitá gi tátaotao-ña u huyong mama’guihan, lao lamitá u huyong mama’taotao sa’ estague’ disehå-hu,” ilek-ña i matlina.

Ha bira gue’ i matlina guatu as Sirena ya ilek-ña, “Gi annai hu na’kilisyånu hao påtgon-hu, hu na’kilisyånu i korason-mu, hinasso-mu yan i konsensiå-mu, estague’ i sanhilo’ siha gi tátaotao-mu ti u fanmatulaika. I matdision nanå-mu u tulaika i sanpapa’ gi tátaotao-mu para påtte-ña.”

Åntes ha’ di u sångan i nanan Sirena otro palåbra, malågu i patgon as Sirena ya tumayok hålom gi halom såddok. Ensigidas gi halom hånom humuyong i sanpapa’ gi tátaotao Sirena mama’guihan. Desde i sinturå-ña para hulo’, humuyong mama’taotao, ya desde i sinturå-ña para papa’, mama’guihan.

Sumén magof si Sirena gi halom hånom sa’ sen chaddek muñangu yan bråbu pumalapa gi annai humuyong i addeng-ña mama’dádalak guihan. Desde i taddódong na såddok muñangu si Sirena asta huyong gi dangkulo’ na tåsi. Esta lálamlam i dadalak-ña gi halom tåsi gi annai sigi muñangu yan pumalálapa, kulan ha’ i lamlam ni chinaddek-ña yan i nilamlam-ña.

Uttimo ha’ lini’e’ i matlina yan i nana guihi na ha’åne as Sirena, lao meggai na peskadot ni mangginen Guahån, ma húhungok i bonitu na bos-ña yan kantå-ña. Guaha lokkue’ na biåhi, na ma li’e’ i lamlam na figurå-ña gi halom tåsi na pumalálapa yan ha líli’of gue’, pat sino ma líli’e’ na dumiskåkånsa gi kanton i inai gi halom tåsi ya sigi kumånta manbonitu siha na kånta.

Sirena

Written by Dolores I. Marciano

Once in the island of Guam, there lived a young woman whose name was Sirena. This woman lived with her mother in a house next to the river in Hagåtña.

Sirena was very beautiful, cheerful, and attentive. Her hair was long and very black. The shape of her face was attractive and its color was dark. This woman was also very amazing because she really liked to go and swim inside the river, no matter the hour, even though her mother didn’t want her to.

There was not one on Guam who could challenge Sirena inside the water. She was like a big fish you see whenever she stretched out her two hands and feet, and continued to splash and swim inside the deep river. Sirena had stamina when she would swim, and she would stay for a long time inside the water.

Sirena’s mother was a working woman. She ironed clothes, planted, prepared food, and did all of the work in their house. Many times she advised her daughter Sirena about her time in the river. She was not able to understand what motivated Sirena, that she went often and liked to swim inside the river. Many times Sirena’s mother lost her patience because whenever she called her to help her or to give her what she needed, she was never around. All the time when she was calling her daughter, Sirena would surely be answering her from the river. 

One day the mother said to Sirena, “Sirena, you are already grown, you must stay by my side and you will help me here in the house.”

But Sirena was not listening.

The mother wanted to teach her daughter in the ways of preparing food, cleaning inside the house and all of the work that she can do in their house.

One day when the mother was ironing clothes, she called Sirena and said, “Sirena, go and gather some coconut shells, bring them to me and I will use them in my ironing.”

Sirena went out from their house, but in her journey, she was going to the river again and she continued to swim. She did not notice that she had already been a very long time inside the water, and the sun was already descending down to where she was, and it was already evening.

When Sirena arrived at their house, she found her mother waiting for her, and she was already extremely angry.

“Sirena, where are you coming from that I have already waited a long time for the coconut shells I that I sent for?” her mother asked.

“Oh, mother, I am sorry because I forgot about your coconut shell errand,” Sirena answered.

“But where did you come from that it has already been so long since you went out?” her mother asked again.

“I went to the river and I swam,” Sirena answered.

“You are such an extremely stubborn child, you do not listen to what you are told; all the time if you are being sent on an errand, it’s just the river that you are going to. If only you would become a fish and you will just stay inside the water if already you cannot listen to me.” She was cursed by her mother.

Sirena’s godmother heard the curse of the mother and she arrived there at Sirena’s house and said, “If you are the one that wants Sirena to become a fish, then I will not allow you your desire. It is because of me that this child became a Christian, then let it be, and your part of her body will become fish, and my part will become human.

The mother realized that what she did to her daughter was selfish/cruel. She continued to cry and ask the godmother to please help her with what she had done. “Please, help me and free my daughter because I know that what I have done is extremely wrong.” The mother kept crying.

“It is already too late for me to free the child because your curse to Sirena was too severe, you are the one who cursed her, and it already cannot be revoked. Half of her body will become a fish, but half will become human because that is my wish,” the godmother said.

The godmother turned to Sirena and said, “When I made you a Christian, my child, I made your heart, your thoughts and your conscience Christian, these are the top parts in your body that will not change. Your mother’s curse will change the bottom of your body for her part.”

Just before Sirena’s mother was going to say another word, the child Sirena ran and jumped inside the river. Instantly inside the water, it came to be that the bottom of Sirena’s body turned into a fish. From her waist up, she became human, and from her waist down, she turned into a fish.

Sirena was overjoyed inside of the water because she swam very fast and her swimming strokes were energetic when her feet became a fish tail. From the very deep river, Sirena swam out to the big sea. Her tail was already bright inside the ocean when she continued to swim and splash; she was like lightning in her speed and radiance.

That day was the last time Sirena saw her godmother and mother, but many fisherman from Guam hear her beautiful voice and songs. Also sometimes, they see her bright shape inside the ocean that is splashing and diving, or else they see that she is resting on the beach inside the sea and continues to sing her beautiful songs.

Notes

¹ ti ha hulat kumenprende: the use of the word hulat here, which by itself means “overpower, overcome, subdue”, in this context means an inability to do something. I found other examples of this word in a similar usage on Påle’ Eric’s blog to help with understanding this structure:

• ya ti hu hulat kumåtga kilu’os-ho = and I am unable to carry my cross
• ti ha hulat kumuentuse = she was not able to speak to Him
• lao ti todo siña manhulat manma’udai guihe = but not everyone was able to ride (in) there

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² pumalapa / pumalappa: This comes from the word palappa or palapa, which means “flapped, flopped, splashing.” In the context of swimming, we can also think of this as her swimming strokes, rather than just aimless splashing. In the same way that a bird flaps or beats its wings against the air to fly, we do the same thing when we are in the water to swim.

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References

Marciano, Dolores. 1975. “Si Sirena.” PDF. In ESTORIA SIHA GI FINO’ CHAMORRO, 10-15. Kiu Press. https://airtable.com/appU43QeD409YS6Hl/shrXhl6F1kRn9xx1H/tblN01VTDCNtsL5Er/viweMEfQRRSfWjSvi/recvGRndQnJwJxlc2/fldJcH5PQ1juSBRbo/att5w0I2cILnKFpPH?blocks=hide.