Kottura: Mámaisen Saina Si Piling

On August 16, 2023July 24, 2024 By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro StoriesLeave a comment

Have you ever participated in the Chamorro custom of mamaisen saina, where permission is asked of the elders for two people to marry? I have not, but I’ve been fortunate to hear stories from others. One of my favorite stories was from my boyfriend’s aunt: when her now-husband arrived at her parents’ house, he brought practically the entire village of Umatac with him!

So here is another Chamorro short story, about the custom of asking permission to marry, narrated by Jay Che’le. I’ve included a Chamorro transcription, English translation, and the original pdf from the KPV Collection. If you want to read more about this marriage ritual, there is also an article about it on Guampedia.

taitai Mas

Ekgu’ by Chamolinian – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

On August 14, 2023March 5, 2026 By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro SongsLeave a comment

Our practice group listened to the song “Ekgo'” or “Eggu'” by Chamolinian last month, as we were drawn by both the title and the catchy tune. This song is from the perspective of a married woman, talking about everything she must endure from her jealous husband. So just be warned, as the lyrics mention poor treatment of a spouse. The Chamorro lyrics with an English translation and some notes are included in this post. Enjoy!

taitai mås

Time of Day in Chamorro

On August 11, 2023August 8, 2023 By Schyuler LujanIn Word ListsLeave a comment

In this post, we will go over words and basic phrases that we can use to talk about time in Chamorro. This includes time of day (i.e.: morning, evening, night) and general phrases about time (i.e.: last week, a few days later, almost every day, etc.).

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Kotturan Chamoru: I Kostumbren Mannginge’

On August 9, 2023January 27, 2026 By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro Stories3 Comments

When you were growing up, did you practice the Chamorro custom of respectfully greeting elders by taking their hand and sniffing it? In my family we would just go around giving hugs and kisses to our elders, so when I was introduced to this custom I wasn’t used to it at all! Here is a short story in Chamorro about this custom, written by Carmen C. Blas, from a book about Chamorro customs that I found in the KPV collection (the direct link to the entire PDF can be found under the References for this post). If you would like to learn more about the mannginge’, I have also included a short list of free, online resources for further reading on this Chamorro custom.

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

taitai Mas

Faga’ga’on Na Låhi sung by Ben Nangauta – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

On August 7, 2023March 5, 2026 By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro SongsLeave a comment

Here are the lyrics and English translation for “Faga’ga’on na Låhi” with this incredible version from Dandan Marianas sung by difuntu Ben Nangauta (u såga gi minahgong). I’ve loved this song since I first heard it, even though it is kind of sad and (according to one of our friends in our practice group) gives off some serious stalker vibes. Regardless, I enjoy listening to this song, and whenever it plays, Jay and I belt out the chorus to each other.

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