Day 124: Puns Between the Bamboo Poles
At a rehearsal of a folk dance troupe in Quezon City, two weeks before a tour abroad, Boyet (A), the veteran dance master, coaches Hannah (B), a young dancer new to the tinikling, while the bamboo poles keep catching her ankles.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
- Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Tagalog. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.
Dialogue
Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.
Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day
-
A
Tinikling 'yan, iha, hindi itik-itik, kaya huwag kang kumembot. Tingnan mo, naipit na naman ang bukung-bukong mo.
That's the tinikling, iha, not the itik-itik, the duck dance, so stop wiggling your hips. Look, your ankle got caught again.
-
B
Tinikling po ba ito, Sir, o tinik sa bukung-bukong? Tatlong araw na po akong pinagtatawanan ng kawayan.
Is this the tinikling, Sir, or a thorn in my ankle? The bamboo's been laughing at me for three days.
-
A
Hindi ka pinagtatawanan ng kawayan, pinapalakpakan ka, sa bukung-bukong nga lang.
The bamboo isn't laughing at you, it's applauding you, just on your ankles.
-
B
Sa Sayaw sa Bangko na lang po ako, Sir. Mas ligtas po sa bangko, insured pa.
Then I'll switch to the Sayaw sa Bangko, Sir, the bench dance. It's safer in a bangko: banks are insured.
-
A
Sa bangko? Doon ka nga mapupunta, sa bench, kapag hindi mo natutuhan ang tinikling bago ang tour.
The bench? Oh, you'll end up on the bench all right, if you haven't learned the tinikling before the tour.
-
B
Sir, puwede po ba akong magtanong ng hindi itinatanong ng iba? Bakit po hindi puwedeng baguhin kahit isang hakbang?
Sir, may I ask what nobody else asks? Why can't we change even one step?
-
A
O, seryoso na tayo. Bakit, may naiisip ka bang bagong hakbang?
Oh, so we're serious now. Why, do you have new steps in mind?
-
B
Opo. Mas mabilis po, may konting hip-hop, para maka-relate ang mga batang Pinoy sa abroad.
Yes. Faster, with a little hip-hop, so Filipino kids growing up abroad can relate.
-
A
Ang tikling, iha, ibong umiilag sa bitag ng mga magsasaka. Hindi nagbabago ang hakbang dahil hindi rin nagbabago ang bitag.
The tikling, iha, is a bird dodging the farmers' traps. The steps don't change because the traps don't change.
-
B
Kung ganoon po, kapag nagbago ang bitag, puwede na ring magbago ang hakbang?
So if the traps change, the steps can change too?
-
A
Hiniram natin ang mga hakbang na 'yan sa mga lola sa Leyte, at ang hiram, isinasauli nang buo. Ang bago, sa iyo na.
We borrowed those steps from the grandmothers of Leyte, and what you borrow, you return whole. The new ones are yours to make.
-
B
Isasauli ko po nang buo, Sir. Pero ang bago kong sayaw, "Boyetling" po ang ipapangalan ko.
I'll return them whole, Sir. But my new dance, I'm calling it the "Boyetling."
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 125: Disqualified by an Old Blog
If this free course has helped you in your Tagalog journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.