Thursday, February 12, 2009

Sinangan Hurao (Hurao's speech)

In 1671, in an effort to rally the CHamoru to battle against the Spaniards, Maga' Lahi Hurao gave this powerful speech...

“Manmåolek-ña ha mohon yanggen mañåga ha’ i taotåo lågu siha gi tano’-ñiha. Ti ta malagugu’i i inakuden-ñiha para u ta fanlå’la’ måolek. Mannahong hit ni’ guinahan i tano’-ta, tåya’ ta’lo ginagågåo-ta. Ayu ha’ bidåda-ña i fina’ nå’ guen-ñiha i ha na’lameggai yan ha attista i minalago’-ta siha.

“Ilek-ñiha na isåo sumenlasso’. Yanggen magåhet ini, si Yu’os u na’ guaha gi tano’. Ma na’huyong kulan manduya’ yan manmachålek hit na tåotao siha? Låo kåo para ta hongge siha? Kado’ manmafa’nåna’gue hit, låo gi minagåhet ma na’fana’abak hit. Manma amotguan hit ni’ tai minappot na lina’lå’-ta.

“Manma åmot hit ni’ mina’lulok-ta ni takhelo’-ña kini i lumå’la’. Manma ke’eppok hit na u ta fanlamagof ya guaha gi ya hita mamfina’baba ya ta hongge i mames na fino’-ñiha. Låo, kåo ta po’lo ha’ ini na siñente siha yanggen ta hasso na ginen finatton-ñiha i taotåo lågu siha na ta tutuhon manmalångu ya manmañetnot? Ti ta tungo’ put gå’ga’ dikike’ siha annai ti manmåfatto gi tano’-ta. Kåo ta tungo’ put chå’ka, ñåmu, lålo’ yan otro na mandañuyan na gå’ga’ dikike’ siha ni’ sesso’ ha na’fañatsaga hit? Ini siha i manggefpa’go na nina’en-ñiha gi ya hita. Ya håfa ayu i manmåma’ya na gå’ga-niha ha chulile’i hit? Tåya’ gi manma’pos na tiempo chetnot riuma yan tinåohan. Yanggen guaha minalångu siha, guaha åmte’ta. Låo manma chulile’i hit magi chetnot siha ya ti manmafa’nå’gue hit håfa i amte siha. Kåo ta po’lo ha’ i che’cho’ minagof yan i mambåba na minalago’ na u na’fañagi hit lulok yan otro siha na fina’hugeti ni’ ti u fa’måolek hit? Manma achåka hit ni’ Españot siha na mañatsaga, manaitiningo’ yan manggago’ hit. Låo yanggen manmiche’ hit, håfa ma aliligåo guini? Yanggen ti manmalago’ nu hita, ti u fanhuyong y u na’fanlåmlan siha yan ti u ma cho’gue amånu i ma na’siña ya u fañåga gi tano’-ta. Håfa na asunto na manmafa’nå’gue hit ni’ i pengnga’-ñiha låo put i para ta dalalaki yan tattiyi i tiningo’-ñiha yan para ta na’falingu i guaguan na nina’en i mañaina-ta? Ginen i fino’-ñiha siha ma ke chagi numa’fanaliminagof hit para ta tånga kadada’ na minagof ni’ ti hagu’ on estaki finatai.

“Ma na’huyong kumu kado’kado’ yan dinagi i fina’posta. Kåo ti mamparehu direco-ta nu ayu siha i manmafa’na’gue-ta na mansen magåhet? Manma honño’ i tai minappot na lina’lå’-ta yan hinengge-ta. Todu i nina’siñan-ñiha ma na’huyong para u fa’baba hit todu i tiningo’-ñiha para u na’fampiniti hit. Yanggen mambåtchet yan mannangnga hit, ya ennåo malago’-ñiha para ta honnge, manaiguini hit sa’ sigi ha’ ta eyak i mambåba na dibuyo’-ñiha siha ya sumala’ sa’ ta po’lo ha’ para u fañåga guini. Mungnga hit numana’falingu ånimu put ini na achåki. Mandidide’ ha’ siha. Ta å’ñåo achokka’ tåya’ atmas-ta taiguihi gi ya siha ni’ manyayamak yan mamumuno’, ta hulat sa’ manmeggai hit. Manmetgot-ña hit ki ta hongge ya siña ta apåtta hit ginen ini na tåotao hiyong siha ya ta na’ta’lo tåtte i minagof yan i minåolek lina’lå’-ta.”

In English...


"The Spaniards would have done better to remain in their own country. We have no need of their help to live happily. Satisfied with what our islands furnish us, we desire nothing. The knowledge which they have given us has only increased our needs and stimulated our desires. They find it evil that we do not dress. If that were necessary, nature would have provided us with clothes. They treat us as gross people and regard us as barbarians. But do we have to believe them? Under the excuse of instructing us, they are corrupting us. They take away from us the primitive simplicity in which we live.

"They dare to take away our liberty, which should be dearer to us than life itself. They try to persuade us that we will be happier, and some of us had been blinded into believing their words. But can we have such sentiments if we reflect that we have been covered with misery and illness ever since those foreigners have come to disturb our peace?

"Before they arrived on the island, we did not know insects. Did we know rats, flies, mosquitoes, and all the other little animals which constantly torment us? These are the beautiful presents they have made us. And what have their floating machines brought us? Formerly, we do not have rheumatism and inflammations. If we had sickness, we had remedies for them. But they have brought us their diseases and do not teach us the remedies. Is it necessary that our desires make us want iron and other trifles which only render us unhappy?

"The Spaniards reproach us because of our poverty, ignorance and lack of industry. But if we are poor, as they tell us, then what do they search for? If they didn’t have need of us, they would not expose themselves to so many perils and make such efforts to establish themselves in our midst. For what purpose do they teach us except to make us adopt their customs, to subject us to their laws, and to remove the precious liberty left to us by our ancestors? In a word, they try to make us unhappy in the hope of an ephemeral happiness which can be enjoyed only after death.

"They treat our history as fable and fiction. Haven’t we the same right concerning that which they teach us as incontestable truths? They exploit our simplicity and good faith. All their skill is directed towards tricking us; all their knowledge tends only to make us unhappy. If we are ignorant and blind, as they would have us believe, it is because we have learned their evil plans too late and have allowed them to settle here.

"Let us not lose courage in the presence of our misfortunes. They are only a handful. We can easily defeat them. Even though we don’t have their deadly weapons which spread destruction all over, we can overcome them by our large numbers. We are stronger than we think! We can quickly free ourselves from these foreigners! We must regain our former freedom!"

http://www.gdoe.net/chamstud/hurao.htm

http://www.guampedia.com/category/76-spanish-chamorro-wars/entry/408-chiefs-hurao