Ambahan: Childhood

Sweet are the memories of our childhood. For the Mangyan child, it is a time of unconcern and carefreeness, even if the child has to take his share of the family duties to the measure of his capacities. It is with feelings of sentimentality and homesickness that a young man recalls the happy years of his youth that passed away too fast. It is also with pride that he remembers the love and kindness shown to him by his parents.

Ambahan 6 (4)
Hanunuo-Mangyan	English	Filipino
	That time, when I was still young, (I was just a baby still) when I sat on mother's lap, when she rocked me in a crib, in a cradle newly made. Mommy lulling me asleep, did not leave me in a crib, in her arms she cradled me. Oh, how sweet these memories! wish I could climb once again in the cradle lovely made! So I could be showing off how I grew so beautifully! You, the people from the shore, people from the mountains too, could you just come here this way! Visit me just once again, the unfolding, blooming tree! I'll recall this all my life.	Noong ako'y muraan Sanggol na sanggol pa lang Karga pa sa kandungan Inuugoy sa duyan Sa kagagawang duyan Hinehele ni Nanay Hindi n'ya iniiwan Sapo n'ya sa kandungan O kay gandang nagdaan! Muli sanang mahimlay Sa banayad na duyan Nang tunay kong mamasdan Paglaki kong kariktan Kayong taga-baybayan Maging taga-burulan Kung maaring puntahan Pasyalan at pagmasdan Punong namumukadkad Alaala kailanman!

But there is also the obedient child who has his important task in the whole of the family work: watching that the products in the field will not be destroyed by the wild animals.

Ambahan 13
Hanunuo-Mangyan	English	Filipino
	The reason why I am here, walking along hills and vales, because Mother has told me and my Father he just said: "Better go and have a look, at the field we have prepared. Monkeys might be eating there and the pigs destroying plants." So I went and had a look at the field we have prepared. But no monkeys eating there, and no pigs destroying plants. However, what I did see, was a bird, still rather small, sitting on the field we have, at the borders of the field. Maybe one day it'll be there, when the rice is ripe and fair.	Sanhi po ng paglakad sa kabundukan Ang bilin po ni Inang Kay Ama'y kawikaan: "Pumar'on iho't tingnan Kaingin nating hawan Baka matsi'y lamunan Baboy ay mag-arumbang" Akin nang pinuntahan Kaingin nating hawan Matsin ay wala naman Ni baboy na ligaw man Anu't aking namasdan Merong ibong 'liitan Sa kainging hinawan Sa gilid na taniman Baka bukas nandiyan Pagdatal ng anihan!

Children, however, are the same everywhere. Romping around with their playmates, they produce a deafening noise, often to the despair of their parents.

Ambahan 15
Hanunuo-Mangyan	English	Filipino
	Sure, the kids they are not bad, but, say, who would not get mad! When from morning until night all this noise, right at your side, and those fights on top of that!	Kahit bata'y mabait Sinong di maiinis Buong araw at gabi Iritan d'ya't kagalit Awayan d'yan sa inggit!

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Ambahan: Childhood

Mangyan culture