Diparan (Folk Wisdom through Local Sayings/Proverbs and Beliefs)

Diparan (Folk Wisdom through Local Sayings/Proverbs and Beliefs)

 

Traditional Pangasinan literature comes in written and oral forms. In Dr. Perla S. Nelmida’s collection, Pangasinan's ancient folk literature in the oral traditions include 631 proverbs, 465 riddles and puzzles, 131 folk tales, and 170 folk songs.

 

As for written literature kuritan is the term used to mean Pangasinan literature, but it also refers to the ancient Pangasinan script, which has become extinct. Ancient Pangasinan literature includes the tongtong or tagaumen (tales or stories), gawaran and uliran (myths and legends), diparan (maxims, sayings, proverbs), and pabitla or bonikew (riddles). The surviving literature written in Pangasinan language are in Latin script, and include the awaran-dili or bilay-awaran (biography), salaysay (essay), diglat (fiction), awaran (history), tongtong or salaysay (narrative), kombilay (novel), and anlong (poem).

 

Here is an attempt at recovering some of the proverbs from collective memory.

 

Sayings/Proverbs

 

Say bilay aga sininger. (Life is not tied.) - Ang buhay ay di natin piho. Life is uncertain.

 

No manbagtik so kabayo, alagar mo’y itunda to. (When the horse is running, wait for it to stop.). - Agmo susumlangen so manpapasnok ya tuo. Do not meet an angry person at the height of his anger.

 

Say mangiras, banbantayan toy eras. (The lazy one will watch over hunger.)

 

Aga untitit so bulilit no ag napildit. (The mouse won't screech if it does not get pinched.) - Di ka masasaktan kung 'di ka guilty! You won't react if you're not guilty.

 

Naksel so kalsada, narasa'y kusina. (The street is full, the kitchen is hungry.) - being showy in an unseemly way (even though one can't afford it)

 

Pekpek ed duweg, batil ed baka (the carabao takes the hit, but the cow gets the bruise) - refers to a person who gets hurt by words directed at someone else

 

Dyad inkapili-pili, say nakar to lunek. Out of extreme choosiness, one ends up in the hidden corner.

 

Nanlayag so dalin. (The land has ears.) - Kahit anong itinatago mo na baho ng isang tao, sisingaw at sisingaw yan.

 

Andekereket siaket, no mangaro malet. - Maitim man ako, malupit naman kung magmahal. Though I am dark, when I fall in love, I fall hard.

 

Andeket mareret - Ang maitim tapat. The dark one has love sincere.

 

Say matila, kapinsa'y matakew. - A liar is cousin to a thief.

 

No iner so kulay masamit, wadman so kanit. (Kung naasan ang matamis, nandoon ang langgam. Where there are sweets, there are ants.) -  When you are wealthy, you have lots of friends. (Note: Kanit is a kind of small ant that has a fragrant smell.)

 

Anggano agka manbalikas, diad awawey nalikas. (Literally (roughly), Even if you don't say it, one can guess your actual state. Real meaning: Actions speak louder than words.)

 

Aliston kapakapa. (Active but ineffective.)

 

No antoy asabi, iyonor so ugali. (Adapt yourself to situations in life.)

 

Tabas mo'y kawes mo onung ed abel mo. (Adjust the cut of your dress to the size of your cloth.)

 

No walay kamaungan, walay kaugsan. (If there is an advantage, there is also a disadvantage.)

 

Dengel ka'y bilin piyan agka natolintolin. (Literally: Listen to advice so you won't stumble, fall, and roll over. Real meaning: Listen to advice to avoid mistakes.)

 

Bilang mo'y takken mo ed bilang na kaarom, aliwan diad taon. (Count your age by the number of your friends not by years.)

 

Anggapo'y toon makapanbilay ed kabokbokoran. (No person can live alone.)

 

Say too ya anggapo'y nonot to ed arapen, mairap to ya sabien  so limpyon panagbilay. (A person without ambition rarely comes to true greatness.)

 

Manpasnok ka ed utangan, aleg ed pansingilan." (Be angry with the lender, but not with the debtor.)

 

Iyaagel, nasisinagel. - Kung ano ang pinakaiingatan, siya pa ang nasasaktan o nahahagip o nabubunggo.

 

Inatey so angabil. - (Literally: The one who hurt someone was the one who died.) The one who intended evil was the one who got hurt.

 

Say alabas ya aro maganon naumas. - Too much love will not last.

 

Anggapo'y unegna'd bangan ag nauringan. - (Literally, No one who touches a sooty pot won't get soiled.) One will surely be influenced by frequently associating oneself with something.

 

Say lakin uneksab ed abong, isulong to'y pugay to. - (A man who comes down from the house will wear his ?____.) Man is man when he is out of the house, meaning, he can be forgiven for some misdemeanors done (womanizing).

 

Natilak so aral, ag natilak so natural. - (Literally, One might leave behind one's education, but one's nature will never be left behind.) True character appears even when one has high education.

 

Amin ya too maong anggad agto ibagel. (Everyone is good until one becomes crazy.) - Anggapoy inyanak ya loko, kanyan say bagel ya too so sarag to met mansimbalo. (No one is born evil, that's why an evil person is able to change for the better.)

 

Say mangasi, atotay lasi. (The merciful one gets farted on by lightning.) - Tutulungan mo la lantiy sakey a too, sika ni so maoges. The one who is kind and helpful ends up the one being seen in a bad light.

 

Say pagbabawi, wala'd kaunoran. (Regret/repentance happens in the end.) - Nasa huli ang pagsisisi. When you realize the truth, it is too late to amend.

 

No anto'y nangel mo, ikupit mo'y sangim. (Whatever you heard, just close your mouth.) - Kung anuman ang narinig mo, itiklop mo na lang ang bibig mo.

 

 

Agmo pinunuyan tan ta atan ya too katipunan Kastila.

 

Aga ibaliway agik so asawa to.

 

Anggan wala ka'd akwala'y inam, sukiten ta ka.

 

No laki ka, laki ak met.

 

Agmo ni nainom so nainom kon danum.

 

Akin Iroy? Maim-impis lay layag mo. Patawin ka la patawin kasi.

 

Say nganak, no kinmotak, wala'y agawa.

 

Sarata'y inaatey ya masaol ed dalin, sikara man so sigsiglew ya manangibalang ditad taew.

 

Say liket banbantaya'y ermen.

 

No anngapo'y kuarta ed kawigin bulsa, agto kabaliksa'y anggapo'y kuarta met ed bulsan kawanan.

 

Say kagalangan kayamanan.

 

Pabarong mo lay ateng mo, aliwa labat so biyenan/katulangan mo.

 

Nala ed dages.

 

No ag ipatey, itaba. (If it will not kill you, it will make you fat).

 

Mairap so ompasen ed atagey ta no napelag ca napiley. Canian pasen ca la ed abeba ta no napelag ca ag nalicna. (It is dangerous to stay on top. If you fall, you get hurt. Better to stay below. If you fall, it will not hurt much.)

 

Maong ni kaabay a asinger nen say agi ya arawi. (A neighbor who is near is better than for a sibling who is far away.)