This story evokes elements of the legend of the scented woman or the white lady, and we’ll be reading it this Saturday in our morning practice group. It’s another story from the KPV Collection (details below) which has been an invaluable resource for our practice groups. I’ve marked this story at the Intermediate Level, but the grammar isn’t too complex, so it’s also great for upper-level beginners who know a fair amount of common vocabulary and have famliarity with reduplication and plural man- prefixes.

As always, this post includes the Chamorro text, an audio narration in Chamorro by Jay Che’le, and an English translation. Happy reading!

I Bunita Na Palao’an Gi Tipo’

Tinige’ as Dolores Marciano

Un puengi, humuyong si Rhonda yan si Timonti para u éfresko i dos gi sanhiyong i gima’-ñiha annai gaige i bankon anåkko’ gi papa’ i trongkon talisai. Gualåffon guihi na puengi, sumén klåru yan sumén ma’lak i ininan i pilan påpa’ gi tano’. Sumén fresko lokkue’ i guinaifen i manglo’¹, ya siña ha’ ma hungok i kinalamten i hagon na mangalálamten kada mangguaifi i manglo’.

Ti apmam, ma hungok na sumåga un kareta gi me’nan i gima’-ñiha. Ma siente lokkue’ annai mamómokkat hulo’ gi gua’ot i taotao, ya duru di manyå’ho.

“Oi – Oi! Timonti, Timonti!” Duru este i taotao di umessalao ginen i pettan sanme’na.

Humånao si Timonti ya ha espiha i taotao ni manyåyå’ho gi pettan sanme’na. Nina’sen magof annai ha li’e’ na i amigon-ñiha as Juan i manyåyå’ho gi petta. Ha kombida tåtte para u fañiha manmatå’chong gi papa’ i trongkon talisai. Sumén ná’magof guihi na mumento sa’ duru i tres di ma håsso tåtte i tiempon-ñiha gi annai manhóhoben siha gi eskuela. Duru lokkue’ di ma’estoria i inegga’-ñíñiha na prugråma annai sesso siha manhånao ni tres.

Mientras manestótoria i tres, buente esta dos oras na tiempo maloffan, ma hungok i ga’lågu siha gi kanton i tipo’ – annai mansen lå’la’² i flores hasmin ni mansen paopao – na duru di manhaohao, duru di manatborutao kulang ayu na klåsen kåti i guaha mohon para u måtai. Ayu na klåsen kåti i sen ná’ma’añao ya esta ha na’fanfúfugu i tátaotao-mu yanggen un hungok.

Ensigidas mampåra i tres yan i estorian-ñiha yan manmamatkilu. Ma á’atan ha’ guatu ayu na lugåt annai ma húhungok i katen i ga’lågu siha. Gotpe ha’ lokkue’ humomhom i tano’ annai tinampe i pilan nu i mapagåhes ya sumilensísio i puengi. Ayu ha’ ma húhungok i hinagong-ñiha yan i kinalamten i hagon siha gi hilo’ trongkon talisai annai mangguaguaifi i manglo’. Esta i tres mansen ma’åñao, lao manmatåtå’chong ha’ guihi ya ni unu gi entre i tres kumalálamten ginen i fatå’chong-ñiha.

På’go ha kahulo’ si Rhonda para u hålom gi halom i gima-ñiha ha tugon ensigidas guatu ya ha toktok si Timonti sa’ gotpe ha’ sumén paopao i uriyan-ñiha. Mampos mångnge’ na paopao ayu i mangínginge’. Esta i tres mås manma’å’ñao, lao ni unu gi entre i tres kumalálamten sa’ kulang mohon esta manchetton i tátaotao-ñiha gi hilo’ i banko.

Kada mangguaifi i manglo’, mås paopao yan metgot i nginginge’-ñíñiha esta ti siña ma’eksplika este i sineseden-ñíñiha. Ó’oppan este na paopao mågi ginen i tipo’, annai gaige siha i flores gi hatdin.

Annai esta guaha kasi ennao i kinse minutos maloffan, ha li’e’ si Juan na palao’an na matåtå’chong gi kanton i tipo’, ya chináchatge gue’. Esta si Juan kulang mohon manli’e’ birak i pusision-ña. Kulang mumalingu i taotao i hinasso-ña sa’ ha á’atan ha’ i tipo’, ya sigi di ha tancho’ guatu nu i kannai-ña.

Ma bira siha si Timonti yan si Rhonda pot para u ma aligao håfa tinanchócho-ña, lao ni hafáfa i dos lini’e’-ñíñiha. Duru si Juan uméssalao ya di ha tátancho’ guatu i tipo’ na direksion. Uttimo-ña duru di uméssalao, ya duru di ha yengyong i ilu-ña, pues sigi di ilek-ña, “Mungnga yu’, mungnga yu’. Ai ayuda yu’ pot fabot, sangåni ya u sigi ha’ na maisa. Mungnga yu’ tumattiyi gue’.”

Kahulo’ si Timonti pot para u na’kontento si Juan yan i siñente-ña, ha keke’na’famatkilu i amigu-ña sa’ kulang esta mohon bumåba i ilu-ña, lao kana’ ha’ ni hafáfa siña ha cho’gue sa’ sigi ha’ si Juan uméssalao yan ha ripípiti ha’ i fino’-ña, na ti para u hånao ya u tattiyi i umå’ågang gue’. Ha hasso si Rhonda na guaha påtma bendita gi halom i gima’-ñiha. Buente manlíli’e’ si Juan birak.

Ha hasso lokkue’ si Rhonda na sesso si Nanå-ña ha hungok na maolek i patma bendita para u masongge yanggen guaha taiguini na sinesedi. Malågu hålom gi gima’-ñiha, ya mañongge påtma bendita. Sigi i palao’an di lumíliko’ yan i patma bendita gi kannai-ña. На liliku’i fine’nina si Juan, pues mamokkat gi uriyan i banko. Ha liliku’i lokkue’ i trongkon talisai estaki esta purúru ha’ åsu un líli’e’ ginen i ason i patma bendita.

Annai ma ripåra na kulang pumåranñaihon si Juan yan i atborutu-ña, ma pipet hålom esta i gima’-ñiha ya ma na’fatå’chong.

“John! John! kao esta amigu maolek i sinente-mu? Siña un sangåni ham håfa lini’e’-mu guihi huyong,” finaisen as Timonti.

“Ekkua’ nai Tim, kao bai hu ta’lo matå’chong guenao huyong gi papa’ talisai an puengi, lao masga yu’! Ti hu nánangga na para bai hu susedi ta’lo este na klåsen eksperensia. Eståba este i palao’an na matåtå’chong gi hilo’ i tipo’, ya ha títife’ i flores hasmin siha. Ni un biahi nai manli’e’ yu’ bunitan palao’an. Sen anåkko’ yan sen åttilong i kulot gapotulu-ña ya gof chomchom i mulatå-ña kulang ha’ i napu i mulåtan i gapotulu-ña. Bunita i figuran fasu-ña. Kulang mohon ti hu tungo’ håfa taimanu para bai hu sangåni hamyo yan håfa taimanu para u eksplikåyi hamyo pot i lini’e’-hu, lao me’nan³, sumén bunita i lini’e’-hu na palao’an. Chuminínina ni kulot å’paka na magågu, ya puru ha’ leis i sanme’nan i chininå-ña. Ai kulang un nobia mohon i pusision-ña guihi na mumento annai hu á’atan. Guaha lokkue’ un flores rusåt ni kulot å’paka na ha pépega gi un båndan i ilu-ña. Ayu yu’ mås muna’ma’å’ñao i ha å’ågang yu’ pot para bai hu tattiyi gue’. Duchumas⁴ manhíhita na tres ya guahu ha’ lumíli’e’. Mampos ná’ma’añao este na siñente sa’ ha estítira i dos kannai-ña pot para bai hu tattiyi gue’. Ai! Yanggen hu tattiyi, ekkua håfa para hu susedi,” ilek-ña si Juan.

“Maolek ha’ nai na manggaige ham sino ekkua håfa para humuyong-mu,” ilek-ña si Timonti.

“Kao ti in fanenestotba yanggen sumåga yu’ guini esta agupa’? Mås ki nunka yu’ humånao na maisa tåtte gi gimå’-hu!” ilek-ña si Juan.

Magåhet na sumåga ha’ si Juan guihi na puengi gi gima’ i amigu-ña yan i asaguan i amigu-ña.

The Beautiful Woman at the Well

Written by Dolores Marciano

One night, Rhonda and Timothy went out to get some fresh air outside their house, at the long bench underneath the almond tree. It was a full moon that night, and the moon was shining very clear and bright down on the land. The wind was also very fresh, and they were even able to hear the movement of the leaves that were moving every time the wind blew.

Soon, they heard that a car parked in front of their house. They also felt it when a person was walking up the stairs and kept knocking.

“Hey – hey! Timothy, Timothy!” This person kept shouting from the front door.

Timothy went and looked for the person who was knocking on the front door. He was made very happy when he saw that it was their friend Juan who was knocking on the door. He invited him back so they could all sit together underneath the almond tree. That moment was very fun because the three of them kept thinking back to their time when they were still young at school. They also kept telling stories about the movies they watched when the three would often go out.

While the three of them were telling stories, probably two hours passed, they heard the dogs on the edge of the well – where the jasmine flowers that were thriving were extremely fragrant – that continued to bark and to be disturbed, like that kind of cry as though there was someone who was going to die. That is the kind of cry which is very frightening, and it would give your body goosebumps if you heard it.

Instantly, the three stopped their stories and they were silent. They kept looking toward that place where they were hearing the dogs’ cries. Suddenly also, the land became dark when the moon was covered by the clouds, and the night became silent. All that they were hearing was their breathing and the movement of the leaves in the almond tree above when the wind was blowing. The three of them were already very afraid, but they continued to sit there and not one amongst the three was moving from their seat.

Rhonda got up to go inside their house, and she immediately charged toward Timothy and hugged him because it suddenly became extremely fragrant around them. That which they were smelling was a very nice/delicious fragrance. The three of them were already even more afraid, but not one amongst the three was moving because it was as though their bodies were already stuck on top of the bench.

Every time the wind blew, what they were smelling was even more fragrant and strong, and what they were experiencing could not be explained. This scent was reaching them from the well, where there were flowers in the garden.

When about 15 minutes had already passed, Juan saw that there was a woman who was sitting on the edge of the well, and she was smiling at him. Juan looked like he saw a ghost. It was as though the guy had lost his mind, because he was just looking at the well, and he kept pointing toward it with his hand.

Timothy and Rhonda turned to look for what he was pointing at, but the two of them weren’t seeing anything. Juan kept shouting and pointing in the direction of the well. He ended up continuing to shout, and he kept shaking his head, and then he kept saying, “I don’t want to, I don’t want to. Oh, help me please, tell her so that she will just go on by herself. I don’t want to follow her.”

Timothy got up to console Juan and his feelings, and he was trying to quiet his friend because it was as if he had lost his senses, but there was practically nothing he could do because Juan continued to shout and he was just repeating his words, that he would not go and follow the one who was calling him. Rhonda remembered that there was a blessed palm leaf inside their house. Juan was probably seeing a ghost.

Rhonda also remembered that her mother often heard that the blessed palm leaf was good to be burned if there is an occurrence like this. She ran inside their house and burned a blessed palm leaf. The woman kept going around with the blessed palm leaf in her hand. First she went around Juan, then she walked around the bench. She also went around the almond tree until all that you were seeing was smoke from the smoke of the blessed palm leaf.

When they noticed that it was as though Juan’s agitation had stopped for a while, they led him by the hand inside their house and they made him sit down.

“John! John! Do you already feel alright, friend? You can tell us what you saw out there,” Timothy asked.

“I don’t know Tim, if I will sit again out there underneath the almond tree when it’s night, but I regret it! I will not be hoping to experience this kind of ocurrence again. There was this woman that was sitting on top of the well, and she was picking the jasmine flowers. Never before have I seen such a beautiful woman. Her hair was very long and the color was very black, and her curls were thick, the curls of her hair were just like the waves (of the ocean). The shape of her face was beautiful. It is as though I don’t know to tell you and how to explain to you about what I saw, but I swear, the woman I saw was very beautiful. She was wearing a white dress, and the front of her dress was all leis. Oh, her appearance was like a bride in that moment when I was looking at her. There was also a rose that was white that she put on one side of her head. That was what scared me the most, that she was calling me to follow her. Furthermore, the three of us were together but it was only me who was seeing her. This is a very scary feeling because she was stretching out her two hands for me to follow her. Oh! If I followed her, I don’t know what I would have experienced,” Juan said.

“It was good then that we were all there, otherwise who knows what would have happened to you,” Timothy said.

“Will it be a bother if I stay here until tomorrow? I don’t want anything to do with going back to my house by myself!” Juan said.

And it came to be that Juan did stay that night at the house of his friend and his friend’s wife.

Notes

¹ i guinaifen i manglo’: We can translated this literally as “the blowing of the air”, which in English we would understand as “the wind.” (back to text)

² mansen lå’la’: Literally, this is “very alive” or “extremely alive.” But in this context of describing the jasmine flowers (or other plants), we can understand this to mean thriving. In the story, we can imagine tons of jasmine flowers by the well, almost as if it is overrun with flowers because they are doing so well. (back to text)

³ lao me’nan: This phrase is short for “me’nan Yu’os”, which is literally “before God.” But it is used in the context of “I swear, before God…” as a way of someone trying to convey that what they are saying is true. (back to text)

⁴ duchumas: We were not able to find this word, but we think it may be a form of dicho mås which is from Spanish, which is literally “said more.” So we interpreted this word to mean something along the lines of “furthermore.” (back to text)

References

Marciano, Dolores. Bunita Na Palao’an Gi Tipo’. KPV Collection. Honolulu, HI: Pacific Area Languages Materials Development Center Social Science Research Institute, 1979. https://airtable.com/appU43QeD409YS6Hl/shrXhl6F1kRn9xx1H/tblN01VTDCNtsL5Er/viweMEfQRRSfWjSvi/recSYlaFT0JQXgutA/fldJcH5PQ1juSBRbo/attfKQAB65llBe4o5?blocks=hide.