Dasang or Hey Poem is an ethnopoetry, and an experimental performance poetry form, adapted from a poetic hortatory discourse or speech-song used by the Higa-onon (hey-GA-oh-NOON), a tribe in the provinces of Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and Misamis Oriental of southern Philippines. The word literally means “yell” or “shout”.
As hortatory discourse, dasang has a common role in tribal meetings and litigation to express anger, exhort, admonish, implore, advice, and emphasize a point in poetic imagery so as not to directly offend or shame the opposing party, while yelling or shouting at them. (Filipino society is generally considered by anthropologists as a “shame society”. Almost all Filipinos value their “hiya” (shame) system inculcated in the culture; hence, shaming somebody is considered a grievous mortal sin.) Further, by using figurative words and phrases allow the speaker to show his eloquence, artistry, and talent to entertain others with flowery words during an otherwise hour of boring meeting in order to win the audience adulation or the case tried. According to my German friend, Hans Brandeis, who is an ethnomusicologist and have spent many months researching ethnic music in Mindanao, performance of Dasang is like rapping in today's pop culture.
Here's another Hey Poem for your reading pleasure.
HEAR ME NOW, MY COUNTRYMEN (Part 1)
by: Edmund Melig Industan
Hear me now, my countrymen.
I will say, the Higa-onon way.
A tree planted by the sea…
Philippines, the land we love dearly.
There’s a man named Magelllan.
A Portuguese runs in his vein
But he sailed for King of Spain
To find spices…lands to reign.
Magellan came in fifteen twenty-one.
Bumble bee, buzzed with weaponry
…Planned to conquer for King of Spain.
But Lapu-lapu angrily said,
“Hell No! Pinoy ata` kini!”
“But hey!
This is our land, our native land!
So, we will fight you, Magellan.
Hey!
We’d use our teeth and brown hands
Just to protect our countrymen.
Hey!
E’en though you have the weaponry
That shout as loud as loud can be.
Hey!
E’en though those scabbards, glistening white
Whate’er we got, for sure… we’ll fight.”
Hey!
“Yes, we’ll fight with all our might
Like those small ants, we will fight.
Hey!
When our heads and hands unite
We are strong! We’ll fight through the night!”
And the battle has begun
Clanging swords, machete strands
Giants, ants…kicking the sand
No one seemed to raise their hands.
Thunder bolted in the sky
…Swooshing swords saying, ‘You die!’
Hear the black machete say,
“Hell, No! That’s no Filipino way!”
Hey!
This is our land, our native land!
So, we’ll defend it with our hands.
Hey!
We’re united and we’re bound
To protect it, e’en many of us
…Will lay dead on the ground.
And we know our history.
Lapu-lapu fought his way.
And Magellan said finally,
‘You win. I will die in humility.’
See, my fellow countrymen
Let’s unite; let’s overcome
Even foes that have strong guns
We devoured them like small buns.
So hey!
Wake up, my fellow countrymen.
We are not weak; we are not dumb.
Hey!
A strategy in history
…When Lapu-lapu fought his way.
But fight to defend a real just cause
Not for greed and selfish name-sake.
Conflict begets conflict! A vicious cycle!
It evolves and hybridizes! Not cool at all!
(c) ed industan, 2007
NOTE: This hey poem is included in my upcoming book, THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poem) and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS. It is exclusively posted on GreatPinoy.com. Kindly read my regularly weekend blog on http://www.edmund-industan.blogspot.com. Maraming salamat.
Tags: Dasang Hey Poem Performance Poetry Magellan Lapu-lapu
