Mas mabuting maghintay kesa maghanap
Ambahan is a traditional form of poetry by the Hanunó'o
Mangyan
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found on the island of Mindoro, southwest of the island of Luzon, the Philippines, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs. The total population may be around 280,001, ...
people of
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Characteristics
The ambahan has several characteristics.
First, it is a rhythmic poetic expression with a meter of seven syllable lines and having rhythmic end-syllables. It is also most often presented as a chant without a determined musical pitch or musical instrument accompaniment. Finally, it is meant to express in an allegorical way, liberally using poetic language, certain situations or certain characteristics referred to by the one reciting the poem.
The characteristic of the ambahan of having seven syllables in a single line distinguishes it from other forms of poetry of the Hanunó'o Mangyans. This particular feature has exceptions; the first part of the ambahan may have more than seven syllables although this portion may not be considered as the poem proper and only serves as an introduction. This may be due to the shortage of suitable word combinations for a certain line or the line could not be further shortened. A line could also be shorter than seven syllables in order to preserve the meaning of the line which would have been changed by the addition of syllables although this is rare.
[
]
Reading and subjects
The ambahan is traditionally sung and may focus on various topics such as courtship, giving advice to the young, asking for a place to stay, and saying goodbye to a friend.
Preservation
Ambahan is traditionally recorded on bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
. It is inscribed in the material using Surat Mangyan, an indigenous script predating the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. Mangyan Poet Ginaw Bilog
Ginaw Bilog was a Filipino poet who was recognized as a National Living Treasure by the Philippine government.
Born on January 3, 1953, Bilog was a Hanunuo Mangyan who was a native of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro ( tl, Silang ...
was recognized for the preservation of his people's tradition in 1993 who also records the ambahan in a notebook.
References
{{reflist
Culture of Oriental Mindoro
Culture of Occidental Mindoro
Philippine poetry