Tinibo’ di umatan di moma an munpanubo
ihanadan punaladan
ya hay aton di hapid
an kumalabkab hi nunihaggon an kayiw
Natigo’ di aton nadan mun-akinduhol
an kumayat hinan moma
hin nun-aowang damo an maphod an momon
oya hay munpanghit hi tubo
ya pudun nan hapid
Natibo’ di aton di mamanu
hi aggudong hinan payo
bokon ya ammuna ta waha ihda ya ihbul
mu ta amungon di gu’angna
ta waha ibaag
hi namaganan an bilawu
ta panuwon nan naghobana
ta guduwon hi apul
Dingngol uy umatan datuwen mangilugi happittanan
hinan dalan hi pundadammuwan
ihanadan munububbo hinan payo
ta ahida lugiyan di ngunu
wennu hinan puniblayanda
wennu hinan ahida punhihi’anan
Athidiboh nadan numpunhituwan
hin ina waha himmawwang wennu immalin miib-ibbun
On wahna ha moma? On wahna ha hapid?
On wahna ha pudu? On wahna ha apul?
On wahna ha hinga? On wahna ha owang?
Ota haada’ bahanya tun tabayag u?
On nundadawwatanda hi moma ya hapid
Oya pudu ya apul
ya natultuluy di punhahhahapitan
inggana alyonda di aga ta idugah di ngunu
wennu ta eta tatawwa
Natittiguwa’ di umatan di babaluhak di moma
middum hi nun-apating an hapid
an mitakkop hi aggayam
popa man wennu babuy
an miye hi momon
an mangipaila maphod an nomnom
di lalain mangilahin hinan pohpohdonan babai
Natittiguwa’ hi inamamlangan
di nunkabaluhak an moma
ya nunkapating an hapid
an nunihable nan alad
ta hinohha naminhod on nangala
Miyananhan an maphod di mapongantah malpuh ohan kayiw
wennu mi’yutmi hi ohan buwa
Umanhan an mapongan hi hapid an malpuh ohan pating
yennu mi’godwa hi ohan tubo
ya ni’ todo’ hi apul an mapuh ohan tabayag
Mu adwanin tinanud nin di maud
an manigo, mundongol, ya manittigu idatuwe
Mabalin an nan mihnod ya matiboda
Di umatan di ohan hapid an maluut
hinan moma ta ahi galgalon
ya tindo di apul on inyeh too
mu middum hi donglon day nga’unga’
te gapuh nginan di moma, hapid ya apul
ya hay matittiguwanda
ya hay tokpa an kinalubayatanay aldattan hi mundadala
Oya hanadan agge nun-adal an munmoma
ya munhanada
nipto’ nin alyon di kalatula
“MIPARIT DI MUNMOMA”
Te himmala may niyatanah adwani
Mu ngannin ha udum hi etau galgalon
ta ipatibo nan maphod an pundadawwatan,
ta ay tau himbaluhak an moma an bimmoble?
Notes:
The main ingredients in moma chewing are the areca nut, the betel leaf, and the lime. Sometimes the fruit of the betel vine, called the pudu, is added. Chewers often classify the areca nuts according to their stages of ripening. The freshest is called a gallihong, then the owang, the ulito’, the immoltong, and then the nadulo. The dried mature ones are called butag. Most would prefer the owing. It is because starting from the ulito’, the nuts are so hard and very brittle that they easily mix with spittle. For the betel leaf, there are generally two kinds: the munbong-a’ and the hinga. The hinga is preferred as munbong-a’ has a more acrid flavor.
Betel Nut
I saw how the areca palms grew
on the margins of the front yards
and how the vine of the betel leaf
climbed the neighboring trees
I saw how able bodies
would climb the palm
when the nuts have aged for the picking
and too, reach for the leaves and fruits
of the betel vine
I saw how the people gather
the freshwater melanoids
not just for its meat and the soup
but for the shells
that would soon be burned
over dried runo stems
and their ashes gathered
to be ground into lime
I heard how all these start exchanges
at the pathways when people meet
at the farms where farmers help each other
before beginning a task or when taking a rest
or before parting for home
and at homes when someone visits
or simply just came for a chat
Do you have some nuts? Or some leaf?
Or some fruit? Or some lime?
Do you have the better kind? Or the rightly ripened one?
Or could I have a fill of my lime container?
And people share the nuts and leaves
and fruits and lime
And the conversation goes on
until they decide to continue their task
or proceed on their way
I witnessed how clusters of areca nuts
plus a bunch of betel leaves
were paired with an animal
a duck or a pig
to be sent as a momon
to signify the good intentions
of a man to marry the lady he loves
I witnessed in gatherings
Cluster of the nuts
and twigs of the leaves
hanging on fences
for anyone to have a portion
It mattered they share from the same palm
or even split from one nut
It mattered to draw a leaf from one twig
or even have a cut from one leaf
and dip the finger for lime from one container
This age though could be the last
to see, hear, or witness all these
The next generation may see
how a piece of betel is rolled
with the areca nut and chewed
and the lime licked from the chewer’s finger
but they will hear the rants
of rising costs of nuts, leaves, and limes from the store
and will just witness
the spittle painting the surroundings red
And those who never learned to chew
will be thankful
the signs could be right after all
“NO CHEWING OF MOMA”
For the chewing may have taken a wrong turn
But could there be any other else to chew
To show our culture of sharing
and that our community is just like that cluster of nuts?
