Imahen i Taotao-ta

Each year for the Inachaigen Fino’ CHamoru or Chamorro Language Competition at the University of Guam we offer a number of competitions where students can show their skills in reading, writing, speaking and singing the Chamorro language. Each year we provide students two texts in Chamorro, one of them is a song/chant and the other is a poem. Students will have to memorize and perform these pieces before judges and the audience. Here is the poem that was provided last year for students. It was written by two Chamorro language teachers and fa’fa’nague or dance leaders in Pa’a Taotao Tano’. The lyrics are included below:

Imåhen i Taotao-ta

Tinige’ Siñot Brian Terlaje yan Siñot Raymond Lujan, 2014

Betso 1:
Fresko i aire
Duru i manglo’
Humuyong i atdao
Chumi’op ha’åni
An poddong i ichan papa’ gi i tano’
Manmagof i taotao, bunitu i ha’åni.

Koru:              
Humuyong i hilét i isan i langet
Yan i paluma kumǻkanta gi i trongko
Mamflores i tano’
Para u fa’nu’i i lina’la’ taotao-ta
Para i manmå’pos, på’go yan i mámaila’ .

Betso 2:
I mapagåhes tumåmpe i tano’
Mannå’i yu ’ sómbra
I nina’en siha
Sen låmlam suleras, gof ma’lak yan gåtbo
Prumeti Mañaina
Para i Taotao Tåno’.

Koru:
Humuyong i hilét i isan i langet
Yan i paluma kumǻkanta gi i trongko (trengko)
Mamflores i tano’
Para u fa’nu’i i lina’la’ i taotao-ta
Para i manmå’pos, på’go yan i mámaila’ .

Tollai:             
Guello yan Guella, kao siña ham manmaloffan
Sa’ i famagu’on-ta fuetsan i kotturå-ta
O Ásaina, O Anite ginen I mås geftao na kannai-mu!

Koru:
Humuyong i hilét i isan i langet
Yan i paluma kumǻkanta gi i trongko
Mamflores i tano’
Para u fa’nu’i i lina’la’ taotao-ta
Para i manmå’pos, på’go yan i mámaila’ .

Úttemo:        
Para i manmå’pos, på’go yan i mámaila’ (3x).