Riddles and fables along with folk dances and folk songs are some of the activities Filipinos enjoy. All mentioned can be seen performed in school activities and even as a past time for families specially the kids.
Making this hub just reminds me of grade school days on my Filipino subject where the class teachers would tackle folk dances and folk songs with everyone in the class enjoy the time spent practicing the folk dances and folk songs specially when a school event is near. This means more fun for students than lectures, oral recitations and quizzes as wearing colorful costumes performing these folk dances and songs only comes during these school events.
So what are some Filipino folk songs? Here are some Philippine folk songs that mirrors life in the Philippines. I did read other English translation of these Filipino folk songs and used it as guide, translating the songs in the following English versions that for me, seems more closer and rhymes with the Tagalog version. Well, except for the “Planting Rice Is Never Fun” which already had an English translation available.
Paru-Parong Bukid is a favorite Philippine folk song amongst kids. Along with other Philippine/Filipino folk songs, Paru-parong Bukid would be seen played in school events.
So have fun singing along with the Filipino folk song’s Tagalog version and try to sing along using the English translation for fun.
Paru-Parong Bukid (Farm Butterfly)
Table of Contents
Farm butterfly, flying and flitting by,
In the middle of the road
Flapping and floating by
Thirty inches of wrap-around skirt
And an inch of sleeve
The colorful skirt
One foot dragging on the ground
And she has a hairnet
Oh!
And also has a comb
Oh!
Decorated underskirt
She’s trying to show off
She’s facing the altar
Looking at her reflections
Then she would walk teasingly
With her hips swaying
Bahay-Kubo (Nipa Hut)
The Bahay kubo Filipino folk song describes the typical farm life in the country and all the kinds of vegetables planted around the hut.
Cheer yourself up or a kid with this song while getting to know your vegetables in Filipino.
Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut)
Bahay-kubo, kahit munti
Nipa hut although it is small
Ang halaman doon ay sari-sari
The vegetables in there are of many kinds
Singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani
Jicama and eggplant, winged bean and peanut
Sitaw, bataw, patani
Long beans, hyacinth beans, lima beans
Kundol, patola
Ash gourd , sponge gourd
Upo at kalabasa
Bottle gourd and squash
At saka meron pa
And still there’s some more
Labanos at mustasa
Radish and mustard
Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya
Onions , tomatoes, garlic and ginger.
At sa paligid ligid at puno ng linga.
And all around are lots of sesame plants.
Have you experienced planting rice?
If you have, surely, rice planting is such a hard work. It will give you backache too if you’re new to it as you would be in a stoop position for the whole day! That is what this next Filipino folk song is all about, rice planting.
Rice is the Philippines staple food and it isn’t an easy task as rice planting requires a lot of work to successfully plant and harvest the grains. Rice planting season also serves as a source of work for many farmers from making the field ready to planting, maintaining the field and later on, harvesting.
Here is an English version of the folk song I found online. Have fun singing along with it.
Planting Rice Is Never Fun in Filipino
Magtanim Ay Di Biro
Magtanim ay di biro
Maghapong nakayuko
Di naman makatayo, di naman maka upo
Bisig ko’y namamanhid
Baywang ko’y nangangawit
Binto ko’y namimintig
Sa pagkababad sa tubig
Sa umaga pag gising
Lahat ay iisipin
Kung saan may patanim
May masarap na pagkain
Ay pagka sawimpalad
Nang inianak sa hirap
Ang bisig kong di iunat
Di kikita ng pilak.
Planting Rice Is Never Fun (The English Version)
Planting rice is never fun
Bent from morn ’til the set of sun
Cannot stand
Cannot sit
Cannot rest for a little bit.
Oh my arms, they are numb
And my waist was tired and hurt
And my legs are numb and set
From all that soaking in the wet.
When the early sun does break
You will wonder as you wake
In the muddy neighborhood
There is work and pleasant food
It is hard to be so poor
And such sorry pain endure
If two hands wont do some work
I won’t earn a single dime.
Planting rice is never fun
Bent from morn ’til the set of sun
Cannot stand
Cannot sit
Cannot rest for a little bit.
And here’s the fourth Philippine folk song that kids enjoy singing in school or while playing around. This folk song is about two lovers, Leron is the guy and Neneng, the girl. The song is about the two picking up papaya and tamarind fruits with a box made of bamboo or coconut leaves that is called buslo in Tagalog.
Fruit picking is such an enjoyable activity for sweethearts in the country, in which the guy would climb the tree while the lady is waiting under the tree catching or picking up the fruits.
And since the Tagalog version is already in the video, let’s have the English translation.
Leron, Leron My Love
Leron, Leron my love
Young papaya fruit above
Carrying bamboo basket
To keep the fruits in it
Then as he neared the end
The entire branch broke up
What an unlucky day
Better find another one.
Wake up Neneng
We will go climb a tamarind
Carry the bamboo box
And fill it with ripe fruits
At the end of the branch
It started on swaying
Hold on tight Neneng
You might fall off the tree
Leron, Leron my love
Young papaya fruit above
Carrying bamboo basket
To keep the fruits in it
Then as he neared the end
The entire branch broke up
What an unlucky day
Better find another one.
A guy that I would love
Is a courageous man
Who has seven knives
And daggers which is nine
A journey he will take
Distant parts beyond
One plate of noodles that is
The foe he will engage!