Here is a Chamorro story about a girl named Rita who turned into ash. In this story we read a cautionary tale about making sure we understand what is actually important in life. Our actions ultimately reveal what we hold dear, and sometimes it can be too late to take things back once they have been said or done.

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

Si Rita Mama’åpu

Ginen i “Lepblon Manaitai Para I Sinko Grådu”
Nina’huyong nu i Marianas District Education Media Production

Un tiempo, guaha un sotterita sumåsåga yan si nanå-ña gi un dikike’ na guma’. Mampos kariñosa yan pasensia yan lokkue’ gof yo’ase’ na sotterita.

Sesso si nanå-ña mama’tinas pån para na’-ñiha sa’ popble i dos. Pån ha’ na’-ñíñiha gi ha’åni. Popble si Rita, lao gof yo’ase’ lokkue’ ni pumalu siha na taotao.

Kada diha si Rita mambalutan pån yanggen taigui si nanå-ña ya ha nånå’i i manmalångu. Mampos manmámagof i manmalångu as Rita, sa’ ti fuera ha’ i manninána’i pån, mampos lokkue’ kariñosa yanggen mambisísita. Ma gógof agradesi i nina’i-ña ya esta ma taitataiyi na u mås bråbu yan u mås maolek este na påtgon karerå-ña para mo’na.

Un diha malingu i ga’-ñiha månnok ya ayu ha’ na månnok mapoksai para u mana’lámeggai ga’-ñiha. Humånao para i biha gi bisinon-ñiha para u aligao. Ha li’e’ hålom gi papa’ foggon na magógodde. Manya’hu gi pettan sanme’na. Annai ha baba i biha i petta, finaisen as Rita kao ti ha líli’e’ i ga’-ña månnok. Lalålo’ i biha ya sigi ha chatfinu’i si Rita sa’ ti mangóngonne’ gue’ månnok. Kumåti si Rita ya må’pos esta i gima’-ñiha. Mampos nina’piniti si Rita.

Ti apmam gigon humålom gi gima’-ñiha, måtto i biha yan i mannok para u nå’i ni ga’-ña sa’ mañéchetton i pilon månnok gi kannai-ña yan i fasu-ña. Duru i biha manggagao despensa. Ha gof agradesi si Rita lao despues nina’ma’åse’, ya ha tågo’ i biha na u puno’ ya u kåddo. Gigon humúhuyong i biha gi pettan Rita, mamoddong todu i pilon månnok gi fasu-ña yan kannai-ña.

Tres åños na tiempo ta’lo sumottera si Rita. Lini’e’ ni un taotao ya gof ya-ña si Rita para u asagua. Måtto i taotao gi gima’-ñiha para u faisen i nana kao siña u asagua yan si Rita. Bunitu yan gof riku este na taotao. Annai mámaisen gi nana, ha ågang si Rita para u faisen kao malago’ ya u asagua yan este na taotao. Ti malago’ si Rita sa’ siempre ti ha setbe i manmalångu. Sigi ha’ i nana ha afuetsas si Rita sa’ enteresao sa’ gof riku i taotao, lao ti malago’ si Rita.

Annai esta måtto i ora ni ha disidi i taotao yan i nana, duru tumånges si Rita sa’ ti malago’ umasagua. Annai madåndan i fine’nina na kampåna, pinangon si Rita as nanå-ña para u arekla gue’. Ti malago’ si Rita. Madåndan ta’lo i mina’dos na kampåna, ti malago’ ha’ ta’lo si Rita. Madåndan ta’lo i mina’tres, lao si Rita ti ha arérekla gue’. Humålom i nana para u espiha kao esta listo’ sa’ esta måtto i taotao. Ti ha arérekla gue’. Lalålo’ i nana ya ha chule’ i sinturón para u saolak. Gigon para u fåtto i sinturón gi tátaotao Rita, mama’åpu ha’ ensigidas.

Duru tumånges i nana ya sigi ha gagao si Rita despensa, ya ha diséseha na u li’e’ ta’lo i hagå-ña.

Ti apmam måtto un bihu ya ha faisen håfa na tumåtånges gue’. Sinangåni nu i sinisedi-ña. Sinangåni ni taotao na u påra tumånges sa’ esta gof atrasao sinetsot-ña. Pinitiña¹ rikesan tåno’ ki i hagå-ña.

Rita Turned Into Ash

From the book “Reading Book for the 5th Grade”
Printed by the Marianas District Education Media Production

One time, there was a young teenage girl living with her mother in a small house. She was a very caring, patient, and merciful young girl.

Often her mother made bread for their food because the two were poor. Bread was all they had for their food during the day. Rita was poor, but she was also very kind to other people.

Every day, Rita wrapped bread when her mother was gone and she was giving it to the sick. The sick were so happy with Rita, because aside from her giving them bread, she was also very caring when visiting. They really appreciated her gifts, and they were already praying that this child’s journey ahead would be the healthiest and best.

One day, their chicken was lost and that was the chicken that was being raised to increase their flock. She went to the elderly woman at their neighbor’s to search for it. She saw inside that it was tied up at the bottom of the stove. She knocked at the front door. When the elderly woman opened the door, Rita asked her if that wasn’t her chicken that she was seeing. The elderly woman was angry and she kept cursing at Rita because she doesn’t take/catch chickens. Rita cried and left for their house. Rita was extremely hurt.

Not long after she went inside their house, the elderly woman arrived with the chicken to give it as their own because chicken feathers were clinging/sprouting on her hands and face. The elderly woman kept asking for forgiveness. Rita really appreciated it, but afterwards she had pity on her and she told the elderly woman to kill the chicken and make soup. As soon as the elderly woman went out Rita’s door, all of the chicken feathers fell from her face and hands.

Three years later, and Rita became a young woman. A man saw her and really liked Rita and wanted to marry her. The man arrived at their house to ask the mother if he could marry Rita. This man was handsome and rich. When he was asking of the mother, she called Rita to ask her if she wanted to marry this man. Rita didn’t want to because surely she would not be serving/helping the sick. The mother kept forcing Rita because she was interested because the man was very wealthy, but Rita didn’t want to.

When the time that the man and the mother had decided upon had arrived, Rita kept crying because she didn’t want to get married. When the first bell rang, Rita was woken up by her mother to get herself ready. Rita didn’t want to. The second bell rang again, and Rita again didn’t want to. The third bell rang again, but Rita was not getting ready. The mother entered the room to check if she was already ready because the man had already arrived. She was not getting ready. The mother was angry and she took the belt to whip her. Right before the belt landed on Rita’s body, she immediately turned into ash.

The mother kept crying and she asked Rita for forgiveness, and she was wishing to see her daughter again.

Soon, an elderly man arrived and he asked why she was crying. She told him about what happened to her. She was told by the man to stop crying, because her regret was already too late. She had cared more for the world’s riches than her daughter.

Notes

¹pinitiña: We usually read or hear the word piniti as associated with sorrow, grief, or pain. However, when you have piniti for something or someone, it means that you care for them or have heartache for them. So in the sentence pinitiña rikesan tåno’ ki i hagå’-ña, we can understand it as her mother cared more for the riches of the world, more than she cared for her own daughter. (back to text)

YouTube Video

You can also listen to the story and read along on YouTube:

References

Lepblon manaitai, para 1, Sinko gradu. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ROTA Project. 1976. Mariana Islands : Mariana District Education Media Production. 
oai:pacific.library.manoa.hawaii.edu:547387