Forever in transit

Laging Patúngo by Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles


 

 

 

 

Laging Patúngo [Forever in Transit] is the first book in Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles's Sonetoismo, a cycle of seven books of sonnets in Filipino. Its title is taken from the last line of the poem called "Siyudad," which I reproduce below. It is followed by my translation. 

Siyudad

Lahat ng bus na dumaraan
sa munti naming bayan,
patungo sa siyudad. Lahat
kami ay hangad lumisan
sa munting bayan, hanap
ang mithing siyudad. Pero
kung nasaan itong siyudad,
wala talagang nakaaalam.
Walang bus na humihinto
sa aming bayan kaya hindi
kami makaalis sa pangarap
na makaalis. Napakalayo
ng siyudad upang maabot.
Lagi lang kaming patungo.

***

The City

All buses passing through
our small town are destined
for the city. All of us
yearn to escape from
this place and enter
the city of our dreams. Yet
no one has ever known
where the city is located.
No bus ever stops
in our town so we
could not leave and run
after our dreams. The city
is so far, and out of our reach.
We are forever in transit.

 

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You can read my "sonnet-review" in Goodreads (link).