Kata-Kata ma pasalan Lukuˈ Itingan maka Kulamperaˈ
A Sama Tale of the Puffer Fish and the Flounder
Dakayuꞌ llaw bay maghati kamemon saga daing magagaw lahat sigām, bang sai makajari magnakuraꞌ ma saga daing. Duwa du ya akosog ma sigām. Kulamperaꞌ maka lukuꞌ itingan.
Yuk kulamperaꞌ, “Magtapuk-tapuk kita. Bang sai makapiha dahuwan, iya ya makajari nihinang nakuraꞌ.”
Yukna “Sai dahū patapuk?”
Yuk lukuꞌ itingan, “Aku, dahū.”
Magtagnaꞌ na sigām. Angꞌnda kamemon saga daing. Kaitan, pahi, kulapu, kagang, maka saga saddī lagiꞌ karaing-daingan. Hēꞌ na alaꞌan lukuꞌ itingan, boꞌ patapuk.
“Pihaꞌun na aku.” angolang lukuꞌ itingan, “Bang aku tabāknu, kaꞌa tahinang nakuraꞌ.
Piniha ya lukuꞌ eꞌ kulamperaꞌ. Mareyom dapituꞌ bay piniha eꞌ kulamperaꞌ. Nsaꞌ tabāk eꞌna lukuꞌ inān. Taꞌabut waluꞌ llaw, bay tabāk eꞌna lukuꞌ inān ma lumaꞌ saga kappoꞌ. Pangannal eꞌ lukuꞌ inān mbal iya takilā pasal aniya du isab itingna, saga daing kappoꞌ.
“Tasaggawta na ka!” yuk kulamperaꞌ. “Aku isab pasꞌlleꞌ patapuk. Bang aku tabāknu kaꞌa na magnakuraꞌ ma lahattam itu. Kaꞌa na ya amakkot maitu.”
Alaꞌan na kulamperaꞌ maka patapuk na iya. Angolang iya, “Pihaꞌun na aku.”
Ahunit toꞌongan piniha ya kulamperaꞌ ma pasalan anipis iya makalanduꞌ maka patapil iya ni saga aheya daing boꞌ iya mbal taꞌndaꞌ. Kahunitan toꞌod amiha ma iya ya lukuꞌ pasal bay iya patapuk ma ungus. Taꞌabut nnom llaw pinasagaran na eꞌ lukuꞌ itingan.
Pagabut ikapituꞌ llaw, pagpihaꞌan lukuꞌ taꞌabut saga pakosog sꞌllog. Ubus bay magpabeyaꞌ lukuꞌ ma sꞌllog, maggulung-gulung. Tabowa iya saga duwa dꞌppa ni riyataꞌ, magtuy angiting lukuꞌ inān. Taꞌndaꞌ eꞌ kulamperaꞌ angiting ya lukuꞌ inān angkan tinaw iya. Aheka saga iting paluwaꞌ.
Magtuy angolang kulamperaꞌ, “Taraꞌug na aku.”
Yuk lukuꞌ, “Halam aniya makapagbayaꞌ ma lahat itu. Aku du!”
Sampay buwattinaꞌan halam aniya makapagbayaꞌ saga daing ma lukuꞌ itingan.
English Synopsis
The fish get together and hold a competition of hide and seek to see who will rule over them. In the end the puffer fish and the flounder prove to be the best. When the puffer fish is struggling to find the flounder, he sticks out his spines and begins to roll and spin over the ocean floor. Fearful of the puffer fish’s spine, the flounder surrenders and that is why it is said that the puffer fish is more powerful than the rest of the fish.
Sama Cultural Insights
Some of the more basic insights into Sama culture here are Sama fishermen’s knowledge of the sea and the fish that he catches. It is not just the lukuꞌ itingan and kulamperaꞌ that search for each other, but so does the Sama fisherman. In this story the flounder, a sometimes rather hard fish to spot, is pinpointed as hiding somewhere in the range of two arm spans deep on the ocean floor.
Though possibly reading into the story too much, it is worthwhile to note that in the story authority to rule is based on the puffer fish’s ability to scare the other fish as he searches. He is only as good as his weapons and his display of force. These are realities in Sulu, where fisherman currently must carry guns to protect their boats and their catch and where many Sama often feel intimidated by their neighbors the Tausug.
