We cancelled our Saturday evening practice group this week because Jay and I were hosting a language workshop at the 2025 PISA conference. So here is a song that our Saturday evening practice group transcribed a while back, which is the legend of Fu’una and Puntan and the creation of the Mariana Islands, sung by Daniel De Leon Guerrero. If you enjoy Chamorro legends and Chamorro music, you will also want to check out the songs Trongkon Niyok and Åchu’ Natibu. In this post, you’ll find the Chamorro lyrics and an English translation of the song Puntan Yan Fu’una by Daniel De Leon Guerrero. Happy listening!

Esti guiya esti na estoria antigu	This is an old story
put si Fu’una1 yan si puntan dos chume’lu	About Fu’una and Puntan, the two siblings
Annai måtai si Puntan, estegue uttimu ilek-ña:	When Puntan died, here is what he said at the end:
“Chule’ tátaotao-hu, Fu’una ya un fa’isla	“Take my body, Fu’una and make it into an island
I dos matå-hu para i atdao yan i pilan,	My two eyes for the sun and the moon,
I sehås-hu para i isa an uchan	My eyebrows for the rainbow, when it rains
Ya an munhåyan hao, Fu’una nu esti na tinago’-hu,	And when you are done, Fu’una, with this my command
na’siguru na Guåhan para i na’ån-hu”	Make sure that Guåhan will be my name.”

Ya desde på’go para mo’na ai debi nau2 madiklåra	And from now on, oh it should be declared
Na entri todus Pasifiku, ai Guåhan mås bunitu	That amongst the entire Pacific, oh Guåhan is the most beautiful
Desde på’go para mo’na ai debi na u madiklåra	From now on, oh it should be declared
Na Saipan, Tinian, Rota yan Guam, tano’ Chamoru	That Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam, is the land of the Chamorro

Ai na’gåsgås un bånda yaun tanomi	Oh, clean one side and you will plant
lemmai, mendioka, faddang, yan suni	breadfruit, tapioca, Frederico palm, and taro
Yaun3 na’fresku i manglo’-ña an mangguaifi an puengi,	And you will make its wind fresh when it’s blowing at night
ai yaun na’bunitu i inai kanton tasi	Oh and you will make the beach sand beautiful
Ai na’boka i sabåna yaun na’chomchom i halomtåno’	Oh feed the mountains and you will make the jungle dense
nå’i babui, binadu, fanihi, yan ko’ko’	Give it pigs, deer, fruit bats, and the Guam rail bird
Ya an monhayan esti Fu’una, un chogue,	And when you are finished with this, Fu’una, that you’ve done
na’bunitu esti na isla an ha’åni	Make this island beautiful when it’s daytime

Ya desde på’go para mo’na ai debi nau madiklåra	And from now on, oh it should be declared
Na entri todus pasifiku, islan Guåhan mås bunitu	That amongst the entire Pacific, oh Guåhan is the most beautiful
Desde på’go para mo’na ai debi na u madiklåra	From now on, oh it should be declared
Na Saipan, Tinian, Rota yan Guam, tano’ ManChamoru	That Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam, is the land of the Chamorro

Ai nåyi tåsi-ña todu klåsen guihan:	Oh, add to its ocean all kinds of fish
tataga, atulai, i’e, yan haggan	Unicorn fish, mackerel, skipjack and sea turtle
Para na’-ñiha ai Fu’una si Natibu,	For their food, oh Fu’una, the Natives
esti nina’i-hu para siha ginen guåhu	This is my gift for them, from me

Ya desde på’go para mo’na ai debi nau madiklåra	And from now on, oh it should be declared
Na entri todus pasifiku, Guam na isla bunitu	That amongst the entire Pacific, oh the island of Guam is beautiful
Desde på’go para mo’na, debi nau madiklåra	From now on, oh it should be declared
Na Rota, Saipan, Tinian, yan Guam, mantano’ Chamoru	That Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam, are the lands of the Chamorro
Na Rota, Tinian, yan Guam, tano’ Chamoru	That Rota, Tinian and Guam, is the land of the Chamorro
Na Rota, Tinian, Saipan, yan Guam, tano’ Chamoru	That Rota, Tinian, Saipan and Guam, is the land of the Chamorro

Notes

¹ Fu’una: In the song, Daniel says Fiona for Fu’una.

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² nau: This is a contraction of na u. The u is a future marker here.

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³ Yaun: This is a contraction of ya un, which means “and you (will)”

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