Bukas na lang kita mamahalin, by Lani Misalucha

My brother loves this song. We have this thing in our house where my brother would discover a song, like the song and end up replaying a song 100 times in a day (kinda like the time we watched A Walk to Remember 20 times in a month). Anyway I distinctly remember a summer weekend where this song played nonstop and I’d end up humming it nonstop even when I commuted to school (LSS much). Anyway, enjoy!

Oh and apparently this was a theme song for a 2013 teleserye of the same name starring Gerald Anderson and my ultimate Pinoy girl-crush Dawn Zulueta (RICHARDxDAWNOTP4LYF!!). Haha gosh! I’m so out of loop with modern pop culture.

Kay hirap palang umibig sa di tamang panahon
Kung bakit ngayon ko lang natagpuan ang isang katulad mo
Sana noon pa kita nakilala
Sana noon pa lang na ang puso ay malaya pang magmahal

I realize that it’s hard to love at the wrong time
Why did I just discover someone like you?
I wish I met you before
I wish it was before when the heart was still free to love

Bukas nalang kita mamahalin
Sabay sa paglaya ng ating mga puso
Bukas na lang kita mamahalin

I will just love you tomorrow
At the same time when our hearts have been freed
I will just love you tomorrow

Burnout, by Sugarfree

Such a poignant love song. A relationship at a dead end. A firm desire to move forward together. And a promise to love beyond the burnout.

This song reached its radio peak when I was in highschool and back then I already recognized the aching plaintive melody (even if I couldn’t relate). When my former classmates played this at our 10 year highschool reunion two months ago, the song was instantly nostalgic, painful, beautiful but sad. By that time I had already been through enough relationships to recognize the weariness of relationship burnouts, but I was also intimately familiar with the need to love hard, love steadfast and continue to hold on.

Enjoy!

O wag kang tumingin
Ng ganyan sa ‘kin
Wag mo akong kulitin
Wag mo akong tanungin

Don’t look at me like that
Don’t nag*
Don’t ask questions

Bato sa Buhangin, by Cinderella

I apologize for the inconsistent format of translations. I find that for some songs, it’s easier to convey the full meaning line by line, and for some easier to translate the lines as a complete sentence.

Trivia: This next Karaoke favorite was composed by National Artist for Music Ernani Cuenco–the same genius behind the timeless kundiman “Gaano kita Kamahal, and other gems like “Inang bayan,” and “Kalesa.” AMAAAAAZING! Anyway I love this song. It’s sooo painfully beautifully sad. Enjoy!

Kapag ang puso’y natutong magmahal //When a heart has learned to love
Bawat tibok ay may kulay at buhay //Every pulse has color and life
Ngunit kung ang pagsuyo’y lilipas din // But if affection will eventually fade
Bagay kaya ang bato sa buhangin?//Does a rock fit amongst sand?

Tuloy Pa Rin, by Neocolours

This lovely 90s song from Neocolours is experiencing a resurgence (1 M spotify views) after a recent McDonalds commercial featured an updated cover. For my part, I have always loved this song and particularly enjoy the original 90s radio hit. Enjoy!

 

Sa wari ko’y
Lumipas na ang kadiliman ng araw
Dahan-dahan pang gumigising
At ngayo’y babawi na

It seems that the darkness of the day has passed
I’m slowly waking up and now recovering

Pangako, by Side A

I noticed that it’s been six years since I last updated this site. A lot has happened in the interim, but I’m back. Why? I’ve been browsing a couple of videos on youtube lately… and just a while ago I noticed a user translating this song. My song. One of my favorite songs since elementary. The song I’ve memorized even before I understood words and even before it became meaningful for me. And I realized! Hey! I used to have this relatively popular song translation site. And, all modesty aside, I think I can do better (Hah!)

One thing I struggled though with translating Filipino songs is that our songs have such beautiful melodies but relatively simpler phrasings (as opposed to French or even Japanese songs which are quite dense with verbal imagery). It doesn’t mean that I think OUR songs are inferior. I just have this feeling, that the words in Filipino songs are meant to convey a lifetime of meaning in between the lines. Or maybe our words are just sooo freaking looong. (pangako – promise 3 syllables  vis-a-vis just 2 for English). Well enough talk, here’s my comeback entry! Enjoy.

 

 

Ngayon, tulad ng kahapon // Today, just like yesterday
Unti-unting lumilipas ang panahon //Time slowly slips away
Bakit, tanong sa aking isip // Why, I asked myself
Hanggang kailan ang pagtitiis? // How long must I endure?

Umaasa lang sayo, by Six Part Invention [request by fritz]

Umaasa lang sayo

by Six Part Invention

————–

Di ko alam //I don’t know
Ang nararamdaman //what I felt
Ng mawala ka// when you disappeared
At ako’y nag-iisa //and I was left alone
Hanggang ngayon //Even  now
Di ka nawawala// You’ve never been gone
Dito sa isip ko// Here in my mind
Ika’y mahalaga //You are precious

Mula Noon, Hanggang Ngayon by Lea Salonga [request by nicole]

Probably one of the most influential Filipino artists of all time, Lea Salonga proves to be a multi-talented musical genius with a voice worshiped by many fans (including me :)). This song, Mula noon hanggang ngayon was probably produced at the beginnings of her career and thus Lea’s voice in this track is such a joy to hear, so sweet, young and still kinda innocent. Luckily (Illegal downloads aside), this record can still be found in the album Lea Salonga: The Ultimate OPM Collection (2007) so we can hear it to our hearts content. Let’s support her guys!

———-

Mula Noon, Hanggang Ngayon (From then, until now)

by Lea Salonga

———-

Bakit kaya, ‘pag nakikita ka? // I wonder why, whenever I see you
Araw ko’y gumaganda at laging masaya // My day becomes lovelier and filled with joy
Ganyan ang damdamin ko nadarama mula noon //That is what I have felt then
Hindi nagbabago hanggang ngayon //It has never changed up to now

Song Trivia

It’s wonderful when your website reader comments, but even more brilliant when they offer noteworthy trivia! :)This trivia comes from my wonderful reader GOLD who answered my age-old question, What the fuck does Spolarium mean?

*original comment here

Gold Says:
November 13, 2008 at 9:40 pm edit

If you wanna know what this song actually means, I could share it with you. Professors here in the University of the Philippines know about it and they share it in class whenever the song comes in discussions. It is actually the story of the rape victim Pepsi who were allegedly raped by Vic, Joey, and someone –I forgot the name. She was made to drink too much by the three (this is described in the first 3 stanzas of the song) and when she was unconscious, they raped her. Pepsi died when she was about to cry out for justice. There were rumors that Pepsi did not commit suicide but she was killed to stop her from testifying in court. So after knowing that, the song is pretty much direct except for some parts like “itigil muna ang pag-ikot ng mundo”. We can interpret this part differently. It can mean that the victim wanted her oppressors to stop their manipulations or she was just too tired of everything that’s happening that she wanted the world to just stop.

Pepsi was not able to receive justice. Until now, there is no closure to her case. And whether Vic and Joey were guilty, no one can prove it.

I assume Ely Buendia, who wrote the song, learned about Pepsi’s misery when he was still in the university. Maybe for him, even if Pepsi was not able to testify, the song would speak out the truth.

Sundo, IMAGO

I’m not the best person to ask about contemporary OPM of any genre. However I do know I good band when I see one, and the songs of IMAGO are one of the nicest songs I’ve heard. WEll this one’s not so new, it goes a few years back, but i really adore the lyrics. very sweet and melancholic. Perfect for the faint of heart. It basically speaks about singer willing to look for and fetch the person from his sadness, and patch him up new.

Sundo

by imago

—

Kay tagal kong sinusuyod
Ang buong mundo
Para hanapin,
Para hanapin ka
Nilibot ang distrito
Ng iyong lumbay
Pupulutin, pupulutin ka

It’s been a long time that I’ve been searching
the entire world
Just to look for
Just to look for you
I’ve wandered down the district of your loneliness
To pick you, To pick you up

Sugod, by Sandwich

Sugod
written and performed by: Sandwich

Sugod mga kapatid //CHARGE** brothers
Tayo ay magsama-sama //join together
Iwagayway na ang bandera //Wave the banner
Rakenrol hanggang umaga  //Rock and Roll up to the morning
Itext mo na sina shaun at jopet//Text Shaun and Jopet
Lagyan ng gel
Ang buhok na bagong gupit//Put the gel on your newly cut hair
Ilabas mo na//Get it out
Sapatos at lonta//The shoes and jeans
Hanep pumorma//Cool style
Walang kokontra//Don’t argue with me

REFRAIN
sang linggong pinag-ipunan//One week you’ve saved for it
Isang buwan mong inabangan//One month you’ve waited
Ang feedback ng mga gitara/For the feedback of the guitars
Mga paborito mong kanta(hala bira)/of your favorite songs

CHORUS

Sugod mga kapatid //CHARGE** brothers
Tayo ay magsama-sama //join together
Iwagayway na ang bandera //Wave the banner
Rakenrol hanggang umaga  //Rock and Roll up to the morning
Ngayong gabi ay magsasaya//Tonight we’ll have revelry
Manonood ng mga banda//We’ll watch all the bands
Sumayaw na parang asong ulol//Dance like mad dogs
Sa bajo at tambol na lumilindol//To the earthquakes which the drums let loose.

REFRAIN
Isang linggong pinag-ipunan//One week you’ve saved for it
Isang buwan mong inabangan//One month you’ve waited
Ang feedback ng mga gitara/For the feedback of the guitars
Mga paborito mong kanta(hala bira)/of your favorite songs

CHORUS

Sugod mga kapatid //CHARGE** brothers
Tayo ay magsama-sama //join together
Iwagayway na ang bandera //Wave the banner
Rakenrol hanggang umaga  //Rock and Roll up to the morning

disclaimer:  filipino lyrics courtesy of  metrolyrics.com