This is another very short fairy tale from the Grimm Brothers, about a magical pot that can cook porridge on its own. I first tried translating this story a couple of years ago, but the editing process quickly showed me how much I still had to learn. So I put the translation away and focused on learning more Chamorro. When I came across this story again last month, I was surprised by how differently I read it. The edits that once confused me now made sense, and that gave me the confidence to finally share this translation.
In this post, you’ll find my Chamorro translation for “Sweet Porridge”, edited by Ray Barcinas and Jesus Lujan. An audio recording will be added at a later date (thank you for your patience and understanding).
I’m also trying something new by including a word-for-word translation in addition to the English, to make it easier for you to learn each Chamorro word. These translations are found in a drop-down under each Chamorro paragraph, marked as Na’annuk i finu’ Engles (Show the English). Just click or tap that sentence, and you’ll see the translations.
Happy reading!
Alåguan Mames
Tinigi’ nu i Chume’lun Grimm
Pinila’ as Schyuler Elise Lujan
Nina’lágåsgas as Ray Barcinas yan Jesus Lujan
Tinaitai as Jay Che’le
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Alåguan Porridge Mames Sweet
Tinigi‘ Written nu by i the Chume’lun Two siblings Grimm Grimm
Pinila‘ Translated as by Schyuler Elise Lujan
Nina’lágåsgas Edited as by Ray Barcinas yan and Jesus Lujan
Tinaitai Read as by Jay Che’le
Sweet Porridge
Written by the Grimm Brothers
Translated by Schyuler Lujan
Edited by Ray Barcinas and Jesus Lujan
Read by Jay Che’le
Tumaiguini1 guaha díkiki’ na påtgun palao’an ni chatsaga lao osgun. Sumísiha yan si2 nanå-ña ya maloffan na hokkuk na’-ñiha.
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Tumaiguini once upon a time guaha there was díkiki’ small na linking particle påtgun palao’an girl ni who chatsaga poor lao but osgun dutiful. Sumísiha They are together yan and si name marker nanå-ña mother-her ya and maloffan passed na that hokkuk ran out na’-ñiha food–their.
There was a poor but good little girl who lived alone with her mother, and they no longer had anything to eat.
Pineddung na3 humalumtånu’4 i patgun ya umáfakcha’ yan åmku’ na palao’an ni tumungu’ i masåpet-ña. Ya ha nå’i gui’ dikiki’ na la’úya ni fáfa’tinas alåguan yanggin ilek-ña hun, “Ná’lagu hao, dikiki’ na la’uya, ná’lagu hao!” Ya u fåkpu’ mama’tinas an ilek-ña, “Båsta, dikiki’ na la’uya, båsta!”
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Pineddung came to be na that humalumtånu’ went into the forest i the patgun child ya and umáfakcha’ happened to meet each other yan and åmku’ old na linking particle palao’an woman ni who tumungu’ knew i the masåpet-ña suffering-her. Ya and ha she nå’i gave gui’ her dikiki’ small na linking particle la’úya cooking pot ni which fáfa’tinas alåguan maker of porridge yanggin if / when ilek-ña said-she hun quotative marker, “Ná’lagu cook hao you, dikiki’ small na linking particle la’uya cooking pot, ná’lagu cook hao! you” Ya and u future marker fåkpu’ stop mama’tinas cooked an if / when ilek-ña said-she, “Båsta stop, dikiki’ small na linking particle la’uya cooking pot, båsta stop!”
So the child went into the forest, and there an aged woman met her who was aware of her sorrow, and presented her with a little pot, which, when she said, “Cook, little pot, cook,” would cook good, sweet porridge, and when she said, “Stop, little pot,” it ceased to cook.
Ha chulé’guatu pues i la’úya gi as nanå-ña, ya ayu i hinekkok chinatsagan-ñiha. Måhgung5 ñalang-ñiha sa’ machúchuda’ na’-ñiha alåguan humåhnánao6.
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Ha She chulé’guatu took on the way over pues then i the la’úya cooking pot gi as at nanå-ña mother-her, ya and ayu that i the hinekkok end chinatsagan-ñiha hardship-their. Måhgong healed ñalang-ñiha hunger-their sa’ because machúchuda’ spilling na’-ñiha food-their alåguan porridge humåhnánao went on.
The girl took the pot home to her mother, and now they were freed from their poverty and hunger, and ate sweet porridge as often as they chose.
Pues måttu i ha’åni annai må’pus i patgun palao’an ya i nana ha chuli’ i la’uya ya ilek-ña, “Ná’lagu hao, dikiki’ na la’uya, ná’lagu hao.”
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Pues Then måttu arrived i the ha’åni day annai when må’pus left i the patgun palao’an girl ya and i the nana mother ha she chuli’ took i the la’uya cooking pot ya and ilek-ña said–she, “Ná’lagu cook hao you, dikiki’ small na linking particle la’uya cooking pot, ná’lagu cook hao you.”
Once on a time when the girl had gone out, her mother said, “Cook, little pot, cook.”
Magåhet na mama’alåguan, ya chumochu i nana tumaka’ håspuk, ya annai malagu’ gui’ na u fåkpu’ i la’uya, ti ha tungu’ håfa gui’ u sångan.
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Magåhet true na linking particle mama’alåguan made porridge, ya and chumochu ate i the nana mother tumaka’ reached håspuk satiated, ya and annai when malagu’ wanted gui’ she na that u it will fåkpu’ stop i the la’uya cooking pot, ti not ha she tungu’ know håfa what gui’ she u she will sångan say.
And it did cook, and she ate till she was satisfied, and then she wanted the pot to stop cooking, but did not know the word.
Humåhnánao mama’títinas i la’uya ya milálak i alåguan, ya ti maktos mama’tinas i la’uya tinaka’ bula alåguan i kusina, i gima’-ñiha, i gima’ bisinu, yan todudu i chalan. Kalang malagu’ i la’úya muna’fanhåspuk todu i manñålang gi hilu’ tånu’. Ai na dinangkulun yinaoyao gi sengsong! Lao tåya’ tumungu’ muna’fåkpu’.
▶️Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Humåhnánao Went on mama’títinas cooking i the la’uya cooking pot ya and milálak flowing i the alåguan porridge, ya and ti not maktos break off mama’tinas cook i the la’uya cooking pot tinaka’ reached bula full alåguan porridge i the kusina kitchen, i the gima’-ñiha house-their, i the gima’ house bisinu neighbor, yan and todudu all (with emphasis) i the chalan road. Kalang As though malagu’ want i the la’úya cooking pot muna’fanhåspuk make satiated todu all i the manñålang hungry gi in hilu’ tånu’ world. Ai na dinangkulun Oh so big yinaoyao disturbance gi in sengsong village! Lao But tåya’ tumungu’ nobody knew muna’fåkpu’ make it stop.
So it went on cooking, and the porridge rose over the edge, and still it cooked on until the kitchen and whole house were full, and then the next house, and then the whole street, just as if it wanted to satisfy the hunger of the whole world, and there was the greatest distress, but no one knew how to stop it.
Gi finakpu’ annai unu ha’ na guma’ tétehnan, måttu tåtti i patgon ya ilek-ña, “Båsta, dikiki’ na la’uya, båsta!” ya pumåra mama’tinas. Yanggin håyi malagu’ na u ta’lu tåtti gi sengsong, låyiyi na u kånnu’ chalån-ña guatu.
▶️ Na’annuk i finu’ Engles
Gi In finakpu’ end annai when unu one ha’ just na linking particle guma’ house tétehnan remaining, måttu arrived tåtti back i the patgon child ya and ilek-ña said-she, “Båsta Stop, dikiki’ small na linking particle la’uya cooking pot, båsta stop!” ya and pumåra stopped mama’tinas cooked. Yanggin If håyi who malagu’ want na that u she / he will ta’lu again tåtti back gi at sengsong village, låyiyi necessary na that u she / he will kånnu’ eat chalån-ña path-his/her guatu over there.
At last, when only one single house remained, the child came home and just said, “Stop, little pot,” and it stopped and gave up cooking, and whosoever wished to return to the town had to eat his way back.
Chamorro Language Notes
- Tumaiguini: According to Ray Barcinas, this is how a story is begun in traditional Chamorro storytelling. It literally translates to “It became like this”, as the root word is taiguini which means “this way”. But in English we say, “Once upon a time”. ↩︎
- si nanå-ña: You may notice that the name marker “si” is used here. “Si” is used to mark someone’s name (si Juan, si Maria, si Jose) and is also used to mark mothers and fathers. ↩︎
- Pineddung na: This is a way of talking saying that something came to be, or that something happened. The root word is poddung which means “fell”. ↩︎
- humalumtånu’: By using the UM Infix, we turn the word hålumtånu’, which means “jungle or forest”, into the action of going into the jungle or forest.” ↩︎
- måhgung: This word can be used to indicate calm, peace, or that something is healed. ↩︎
- humåhnánao: Notice that this word is not humåhanao, which means “going”. Instead, it reduplicates on the second-to-last syllable, which changes the meaning slightly to “kept on, went on”. ↩︎
References
Grimm Brothers’ Children’s and Household Tales. “Sweet Porridge.” Accessed November 5, 2026. https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm103.html.