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Si Ale o si Manong (That Madame and That Sir)

Si Ale at si Manong, pareho kong kilala Araw-araw ko rin sila na nakikita Si Ale at si Manong, may mga paraan Magkaiba pala nang aking obserbahan Si Ale, tuwing Linggo nangingilin Relihiyosa’t deboto kung tawagin Kasama palagi ang mga amiga’t amigo At sa unahang upuan pumupwesto Nakangiti sa mga naririnig na salita Tila naliliwanagan ng mabuting balita Nakikisalo sa pagbabahagi’t diskusyon Nag-iiwan pa ng malaking donasyon Ngunit nag-iiba paglabas ng simbahan Sa sikat ng araw raw ay naiinitan Pinandidiriha’t dinuduro ang mga yagit “Liwanag” sa pinto tila ay sumabit Si Manong, umuupo sa likurang bahagi Sa malayong altar ay nakatanaw palagi Hindi mabasa ang kanyang katahimikan Aantukin pa kung siya’y pagmamasdan Mula umpisa, ang hitsura ay tila manhid Hanggang matapos, pag-alis ay lingid Naghuhulog ng barya, minsan ay wala pa Pagtambay sa simbaha’y tila walang kwenta Ngunit nag-iiba paglabas ng simbahan Inaalalayan ang mga bata sa lansangan Pulubi’y hinahatian ng tinapay at tubig At nagtatrabaho nang tapat at masigasig Si Ale at si Manong, pareho kong kilala Liwanag at lihim ay kapwa meron sila Parehong may maskara, ang aking tanong Sino ang modelo, si Ale o si Manong? ____________________

TRANSLATION

That Madame and That Sir


That madame and that sir, I both know of Morning and sunset, yea, I see them everyday That madame and that sir, both have methods I observed, they were rather different in many ways That madame, too loyal for a Sunday morning Religious, devoted, strong and upbeat With amigos and amigas all the time, all the way Sits down with 'em always at the front seat Smiling at the word of the priest As if she understands the good news Discusses with men for involvement Donates money for the poor, a-huge But when she goes out of the old praying house When the majesty of the sun strikes her, all the more Disgust is what she spits to the children of the streets As if the good news is stuck on the church door That sir, he sits at the rearest spot of the place He looks so hopefully to the far end of the aisle To the altar, his silence cannot be translated Sometimes just yawning becomes his smile Liar game or poker face from the very start No one notices his exit or his presence until the end Gives a tithe enough for just a morning breadroll Sometimes none, as if he just had to defend But when he goes out of the old praying house He becomes the father of the dirty street children He shares bread to the hungry beggars near the walls He works diligently for these reasons only often That madame and that sir, I both know of Morning and sunset, yea, they might have both two A question I leave, if wearing masks they both do That madame and that sir, model among them is who?

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