HAIKU
ja, antwoorde zij
het begon met dat één woord
en eindigt niet meer
yes, she answered him
it began with that one word
and ended no more
weerzien duurt langer
de zon zucht naar de morgen
er is toch geen keus
to see you takes time
the sun sighs for the morning
now there is no choice
de mieren zijn weer
de hanen kraaien vroeger
zo lang op gewacht
ants are here again
the roosters crow earlier
waited so long for
Ang Kawayan
Humihiyaw ang hangin
Naririnig mo ba?
Umiiyak ang mga ulap
Nakikita mo ba?
Nanginginig ang acacia
Nangangatog ang molave
Nayayanig ang narra
Nguni't tingnan mo ang kawayan
Ito ay umuunday, sumasayaw
At tinatawanan lamang ang dumarating na bagyo.
The Bamboo
The wind is howling
Can you hear it?
The clouds are weeping
Can you see them?
The acacia is trembling
The molave is quivering
The narra is shivering
But look at the bamboo
It sways, it bends,
And laughs at the approaching storm.
Bamboe
De wind schreeuwt
Hoor je hem niet?
De wolken huilen
Zie je dat niet?
De acacia bibbert
De molave trilt
En de narra beeft
Maar kijk eens naar de bamboe
Hij zwaait, hij zwiert
En hij lacht naar de nakende storm.
Maria Teresa Malit-Roelant (Techie) is a graduate of the Univ of Sto. Tomas, Manila and lives in Herent, Belgium. She creates jewelry out of vintage necklaces and buttons, sings in a community choir and writes poetry in English, Dutch and Tagalog.