Every 3rd Sunday of January of each year, tourists flock the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, for the famous annual SINULOG festival, where the train of streetdancers and merrymaking groups on the streets of Cebu lasts from 5am until as late as 7pm in the evening. Little of these tourists know of another event happening the day before this said event - the Parade of the holy replica of Sr. Santo Nino, the Patron Saint of Cebu.
As a non-Cebuano, witnessing how the devotees express their faith through the song, BATOBALANI SA GUGMA (Lodestone of Love), always gives me the tingling goosebumps, admiring how Cebuanos have that sincere devotion. They sing the song over and over again while they march the scorching heat up until the sun goes down, bringing with them their small personal replicas of the Santo Nino, until they reach the Basilica del Santo Nino (another famous historical church in Cebu). And every chorus of the song, devotees wave their hands in unison towards the direction of the main replica of the Santo Nino. When I first saw this, I asked a Cebuano friend of mine as to why they do this act. He told me that waving their hands to the Santo Nino is a symbol for them to be noticed by their patron, so their prayers will come true.
It's too bad I wasn't able to go to Cebu this year for this event. That's why I am blogging this post so that I can be a part of the event in my own way. The video I found on YouTube, and the song lyrics I just googled.
As a non-Cebuano, witnessing how the devotees express their faith through the song, BATOBALANI SA GUGMA (Lodestone of Love), always gives me the tingling goosebumps, admiring how Cebuanos have that sincere devotion. They sing the song over and over again while they march the scorching heat up until the sun goes down, bringing with them their small personal replicas of the Santo Nino, until they reach the Basilica del Santo Nino (another famous historical church in Cebu). And every chorus of the song, devotees wave their hands in unison towards the direction of the main replica of the Santo Nino. When I first saw this, I asked a Cebuano friend of mine as to why they do this act. He told me that waving their hands to the Santo Nino is a symbol for them to be noticed by their patron, so their prayers will come true.
It's too bad I wasn't able to go to Cebu this year for this event. That's why I am blogging this post so that I can be a part of the event in my own way. The video I found on YouTube, and the song lyrics I just googled.
BATOBALANI SA GUGMA
Batobalani sa gugma,
Sa daan tawo palangga.
Tubag:
KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA
NGA KANIMO NANGILABA
Dinhi sa siudad sa Sugbo
ang matahum larawan.
sa unang mga misionero,
sa usang balay hipalgan.
Kanila ikaw nagpakita
gikan da sa imong gugma.
Tubag:
KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA
NGA KANIMO NANGILABA
Giludhan ikaw gisingba
niadtong mga kaparian
sa tanan nga katawhan
sa mga ponoan nila:
kay sa pagtan-aw kanimo
Kristianos sila nahimo.
Tubag:
KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA
NGA KANIMO NANGILABA
Ang singbahan gipatindog
niadtong mga tawhana,
aron ang larawan nimo
dunay usang puluyanan.
ug didto gihangyo nila
nga kaluyan nimo sila.
Tubag:
KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA
NGA KANIMO NANGILABA
Nangayo kami kanimo
nga ang matahum mong larawan,
sa sulud sa kalag namo
makahimong puluyanan,
kay sa tanan kinahanglan
ikaw ang among dalangpan.
Tubag:
KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTA
NGA KANIMO NANGILABA
For non-Visayan readers, I tried my best translating the song in English, a not-so-easy task since the song is literally packed with deep Visayan words. Sa mga Bisdak, pugngi inyong mga kaugalingon sa panghinaway sa akong gihubad kay lisod sad baya ni hap, dili lalim! (To Visayans, please try to resist yourself from criticizing my translation because it's not that easy). Oh well, here it goes:
LODESTONE OF LOVE
Lodestone of love
Loved by old people
Reply (2X)
Have pity on us
Who beg you
Here in the city of Cebu
A glorious image
Was found in a house
By the 1st missionaries
You appeared before them
Because of your love
Reply (2x)
Have pity on us
Who beg you
They all knelt before you and praised you;
The priests
All the people
And their leaders
Because seeing you
Made them Christians
Reply (2x)
Have pity on us
Who beg you
A church was built
By those people
So that your image
Can have shelter
And in that shelter they ask you
To have mercy on them
Reply (2x)
Have pity on us
Who beg you
We ask you
That your glorious image
May find shelter
In our souls
Because it is You whom we seek
For all our needs
Reply (2x)
Have pity on us
Who beg you
PIT SENYOR EVERYONE!
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