This week we will be reading a story from Kosrae, which we found in the KPV Collection and was translated into Chamorro by Dolores Marciano. This story is set on Lellu or Lelu, which is home to an ancient city built from coral and basalt and was ruled by a monarchy – how awe-inspiring! The Chamorro text, a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le, and an English translation is included in this post. Happy reading!

I Rárainan Kolepbla

Sinangan ta’lo as Dolores I. Marciano

Åpmam na tiempo giya Kusaie na isla, eståba un sen dångkulo’ na kolepbla na sumåsaga gi un tadódong na liyang gi papa’ tåno’ giya Loal fi’on i Tofwensak na songsong. Gai haga un sen bonita na hobensita, na sumísiha i dos todu i tiempo. Kada diha humåhånao i patgon para u o’mak gi tasi guíguiya ha’ na maisa, pues an pupuengi siempre måfåtto i kolepbla para u kinnene’ tåtte gi liyang. I taotao este na tåno’ ti ma tungo’ put i palao’an yan i kolepbla sa’ tåya’ na mali’e’.

Un diha, ilek-ña i pilong¹ este na isla, “Agupa’ bai hu líliko’ gi todu i uriyan este i islå-ku sa’ esta sen åpmam desde ki hu li’e’ håfa siha guinahå-ña este na tåno’.”

Gi sigiente diha annai humåhånao i pilong yan i taotao-ña, ma li’e’ i palao’an gi kanton tåsi. Mampos mannina’manman sa’ tåya’ na mali’e’ este na bonitan palao’an. I gapotilu-ña mama’nánapu påpa’ ni mulatå-ña. I matå-ña kulan ha’ puti’on ni linamlam-ña. I kulot táhtaotao-ña kulot morena². Gi annai iná’atan nu i pilong, ensigidas måtto i guinaiya-ña nu i palao’an ya humuyong sen malago’ para u konne’ para asagua-ña. Ha tågo’ i taotao-ña na u ma konne’ i palao’an guatu giya guiya. I palao’an lokkue’ ti manhasso ni hafafa ha dalak i sendålu ya humånao guatu gi pilong. Manhånao tåtte asta i sengsong Lellu annai sumåsåga i pilong. Guihi ha’ na ha’åne, i pilong umasagua yan i palao’an ya ha na’kinerona para Ráraina eyu na isla guihi na mumentu.

Gi mismo puengi lokkue’ kumunánaf i kolepbla påpa’ para i kanton tåsi para u aligao i hagå-ña. Sigi di ha espiha i hagå-ña, lao ti siña ha sodda’. Ha fattoigui kuatro na songsong guihi na tåno’, lao ti ha sósodda’ i hagå-ña. Los uttimo ginen i pao i hagå-ña ni ha ngíngine’, ha sodda’ i hagå-ña gi gima’ i pilong gi kanton tåsi. Ha na’åsson i ilu-ña gi hilo’ åcho’ ya sumåga guihi ya maná’atan ha’.

Gi sigiente diha annai humånao i palao’an para i tasi para u o’mak, ha li’e’ i kolepbla na iná’atan ha’ gue’. Ha bira gue’ tåtte para i gima’ i pilong ya mañule’ bulan nengkånno’ para si tatå-ña, lao ti ha sangåni ni hayíyi. Este ha’ ha chócho’gue kada diha.

Un diha ilek-ña i pilong, “Ginen månu hao na hagas ha’ hu nánangga hao?”

“Ginen hu nå’i si tatå-hu na’-ña,” manoppe’ i palao’an.

“Si tatå-mu? Månu nai gaige?” mámaisen i pilong.

Gaige gi papa’ gi kanton tåsi, yanggen malago’ hao, nihi ya bai hu na’li’e’ hao.”

Humånao i pilong para u li’e’ i tatan i asagua-ña, lao annai ha li’e’ i dangkulo’ na kolepbla, duru umessalao, “Sigi mågi! Sigi mågi!” Esta sen ma’å’ñao.

“Iyon tatå-hu ha’ yu’ lokkue’,” ilek-ña i ráraina, lao ha tattiyi ha’ tåtte i asagua-ña esta i gima’-ñiha. Put anåkko’ na tiempo i pilong sigi ha’ manhasso håfa na inpeñu ni para u na’maleffa yan u na’suha i ráraina kontra as tatå-ña.

“Iyo-ku gue’ ni ti iyon tatå-ña gue’ esta,” ilek-ña i pilong.

Los uttimos ilek-ña nu i asagua-ña, “Debi si tatå-mu u såga guini. Sangåni ya u nangga esta agupa’. Bai hu fa’tinåsi gue’ gimå’-ña.”

Ha sangåni todu i guaha na taotao tåno’ para u fanmåtto ya u fanmanayuda manmanhåtsa dångkulo’ yan ånåkókko’ na guma’. I taotao manmacho’cho’ tulanoche yan didide’ gi sigiente ha’åni. Ma håtsa itmas dångkulo’ na guma’ giya Kusaie.

Annai esta monhåyan i pilong, ilek-ña nu i hoben na asagua-ña, “Faisen si tatå-mu ya u fåtto ya u såga gi gimå’-ña.”

Humånao i ráraina ya ha faisen i kolepbla para i gimå’-ña. Måtto i kolepbla ya ha sahguan i táhtaotao-ña gi halom guma’. Sigi ha’ gue’ ha chonnek hålom gi gima’ estaki bulála i halom guma’, ni táhtaotao-ña. Måtto ha hulo’ gi atof i gima’. Ti gof nahong kampo para i ilu-ña, ya mama’måddok gi atof i gima’, ya ha na’húhuyong i ilu-ña.

Gi sigiente diha ilek-ña i pilong nu i asagua-ña, “Håfa ya pumasehonñaihon hao guatu esta i otro lugåt siha?”

“Para amånu yu’ guatu?” mámaisen i ráraina.

“I setbente siha manhåhånao para Tofol para u fanmama’gåsi gi saddok guihi. Malago’ hao un hånao ya un atan?”

“Hunggan,” ilek-ña i ráraina. “Po’lo ya bai hu cho’gue enao.”

Láchago’ ha’ Tofol kontra Lellu, i lugat annai gaige i sengsong i pilong.

I ráraina yan i setbente siha manginalaide’ guatu. I famalao’an manmama’gåsi magågu ya duru manábisita. Todu manmagof.

Annai humånao i ráraina, i pilong ha tågo’ i taotao-ña para u fanmañule’, ånglo’ hagon yan hågasas. Ai na mineggai chinile’-ñiha. Manmamonton todu gi uriyan i gima’ i kolepbla.

“Songge todu i uriyan i gima’,” ilek-ña i pilong.

Annai duru i gima’ kimason, un dikike’ pidåson åpu gumupu chågo’ ya poddong gi hilo’ i ráraina. I ráraina ha atan ya nina’gof ma’å’ñao. Ilek-ña nu i setbente-ña, “Debi ta bira hit tåtte insigidas. Debi bai hu såtba si tatå-hu, alúlula, alúlula!”

Manma’udai gi galaide’ ya manmå’pos tåtte esta i gima’-ñiha. Annai manlini’e’ nu i pilong na manmamámaila’, ilek-ña nu i taotao-ña, “Mantiene i ráraina gigon tumunok gi galaide’. Hadahi na en setta’!”

I lalåhi manohge gi kanton tåsi. I mås må’gas tumohge giyamó’nana. Gigon ha’ tuma’yok i ráraina ginen i galaide’, itmas metgot na taotao mumantiene. Sigi mamañiti i palao’an estaki ha na’suha i kannai i taotao. Ai na chinaddek malågu. Ni unu siña gumacha’. Sigi malågu esta i gima’ tatå-ña. Tuma’yok gi halom i guafi para u såtba si tatå-ña lao atrasao esta. Sinengge lokkue’ nu i guafi ya chamåtai³ yan si tatå-ña.

Mampos i pilong triste sa’ magåhet na manguaiya nu i asagua-ña. Mampos mañotsot nu i bidå-ña lao håfa gue’ para u cho’gue na esta atrasao. Todu i lina’lå’-ña mampos triste. Eyu ha’ ha háhasso i bunitan i ráraina yan i hoben-ña. Humånánao ha’ ti magof.

Guaha na taotao ilek-ñiha na i kayon ni fina’tinas i kolepbla gaige på’go na anåkko’ na kannat gi islan Kusaie. Yanggen magåhet este pat ti magåhet, i kannat kulan i chalan i kolepbla ya i taotao tåno’ manmagof para u ma’usa este.

The Snake Queen

Retold by Dolores Marciano

A long time ago in the island of Kosrae, there was a very large snake that lived in a very deep cave under the earth in Loal, next to the village Tofwensak. He had a daughter who was a very beautiful young woman, the two of them were always together. Every day the child would go to swim/bathe in the ocean just by herself, and then when it was evening the snake would always come to take her back to the cave. The people of this land did not know about the woman and the snake because they were never seen.

One day, the chief of this island said, “Tomorrow I will go around on all of the surroundings of my island because it has already been a long while since I what the wealth of this land is.”

On the following day when the chief and his people were going, they saw the woman on the beach. They were made to be so amazed/surprised because this beautiful woman had never been seen before. Her hair was resembling the waves from its curls. Her hair was just like a star in its radiance. The color of her body was the color of tea. From when she was looked at by the chief, his love for the woman instantly arrived, and it came to be that he really wanted to take her for his wife. He ordered his men to bring the woman to him. The woman also did not think anything of it, she followed the soldier and went there to the chief. They went back to the village of Lellu where the chief was living. On that very day, the chief and the woman married, and he crowned her as Queen of that island in that moment.

On that very night as well, the snake slithered down to the beach to look for his daughter. He kept looking for his daughter, but he could not find her. He went to four villages on that land, but he was not finding his daughter. In the end, it was from the scent of his daughter which he was smelling that he found his daughter at the house of the chief on the beach. He laid down his head on top of the rock and stayed there and was just looking.

On the next day when the woman went to the ocean to bathe/swim, she saw the snake that was just looking at her. She turned back to the house of the chief and took a lot of food for her father, but she did not tell anyone. She was doing this every day.

One day the chief said, “Where did you come from, that I have been waiting for you for a while?”

“I gave my father his food,” the woman answered.

“Your father? Where is he?” the chief asked.

He is down at the beach, if you want, let’s go and I will make you see him.”

The chief went to see his wife’s father, but when he saw the big snake, he kept shouting, “Come here to me! Come here to me!” He was already very scared.

“I also still belong to my father,” the queen said, but she did follow her husband back to their house. For a long time the chief kept thinking about the effort/power to make the queen forget, and to separate her from her father.

“She is mine, she already does not belong to her father,” the chief said.

In the end, the chief said to his wife, “Your father should live here. Tell him and he will wait until tomorrow. I will make his house for him.”

He told all of the people there to come and help build a big and long house. The people worked all night and a little bit on the following day. They built the largest house on Kosrae.

When the chief was already done, he said to his young wife, “Ask your father to come and to stay in his house.”

The queen went and asked the snake to his house. The snake arrived and put his body inside the house. He kept pushing inside the house until the house was filled with his body. His body reached up to the roof of the house. There really wasn’t enough space for his had, and a hole was made on the roof of the house, and he was making his head go out.

On the following day the chief said to his wife, “Why don’t you travel for a little while to the other places?”

“Where would I go?” the queen asked.

“The servants will be going to Tofol to do some washing in the river there. Do you want to go and look at it?”

“Yes,” the queen said. “Let me do that.”

Tofol was farther away from Lellu, the place where the village of the chief was.

The queen and the servants canoed there. The women washed clothing and kept visiting each other. Everyone was happy.

When the queen had left, the chief ordered his men to take dry leaves and dead coconut palm branches. Oh so much did they take! Everything was heaped around the house of the snake.

“Burn everything around the house,” the chief said.

When the house had continued to burn, a small piece of ash flew far away and fell on top of the queen. The queen looked at it and became very afraid. She said to her servant, “We must go back right now. I must save my father, hurry, hurry!”

They rode in the canoes and went back to their houses. When they were seen by the chief that they were coming, he said to his men, “Hold the queen as soon as she gets down from the canoe. Be careful that you do not let her go!”

The men stood on the beach. The one in charge stood the farthest ahead. As soon as the queen got down from the canoe, the strongest man held her. The woman kept punching until got away from the hands of the man. Oh how quickly she ran! Nobody could catch her. She kept running to her father’s house. She jumped inside the fire to save her father, but it was already too late. She was also burned by the fire, and she and her father both died.

The chief was incredibly sad because he truly loved his wife. He was very repentant for what he did, but what could he do, it was already too late. For all of his life, he was extremely sad. All that he did was remember the beautiful queen and her youth. Time went on and he was unhappy.

There are some people who say that the path that was made by the snake is now the long channel on the island of Kosrae. If this is true or not, the channel is like the road of the snake, and the native people are happy for this to be used.

Notes

¹ pilong: Great chief; most influential person in a community; champion. (Saipan) ( back to text )

² morena: An alternative spelling is murena. This refers to a medium-complexion, like the color of tea. ( back to text )

³ chamåtai: This is a shortened form of achamåtai. ( back to text )

References

Marciano, Dolores. 1975. “I Rarainan Kolepbla.” PDF. In ESTORIA SIHA GI FINO’ CHAMORRO, 60-69. Kiu Press. https://www.kpvcollection.com/kpv-collection.html