Alim
(an Ifugao epic)
Bilingual (Tagalog-English) version
Noong unang panahon, ginalit ng mga tao ang mga diyos at diyosa dahil sa kanilang pagkakasala at patuloy na pasuway sa kautusan ng mga diyos. Nagpadala ng malaking baha na nagpalubog sa buong daigdig at sumira sa lahat ng nabubuhay na nilalang. Dalawa lamang ang nakaligtas sa pagbaha: sila ay magkapatid, sina Wigan at Bugan. Nang nagsimula nang tumaas ang baha ay umakyat si Wigan sa bundok Amuyaw upang mailigtas ang sarili. Ganoon din si Bugan na pumunta sa bundok na Kalawitan upang maghanap ng masisilungan.
Nanatili si Bugan sa bundok hanggang humupa ang tubig at hanggang matuyo ang lupa. Bumaba siya at nadiskobre na siya lamang ang natirang buhay. Lahat ay nalunod kahit ang mga hayop. Nagkalat ang mga patay na katawan, mabaho. Sa kanyang paglalakbay upang humanap nang makakain ay nakakita siya ng isang babae na natatabunan ang kalahati ng katawan sa lupa, kumakaway sa kanya. Nakilala niya ito.
Bugan!
masaya niyang sabi habang ibinubuka ang braso upang yakapin siya.
Wigan, aking kapatid,
nanginginig niyang sabi dahil sa di masidlang kasiyahan. Pinabayaan niyang yakapin siya ng kapatid at inihilig ang ulo sa kanyang dibdib.
Nasaan ang iba?
tinanong ni Wigan pagkatapos.
Patay na.
sagot niya. Sa aking palagay ay tayo lamang ang nakaligtas sa pagbaha.
In the olden days, the people angered the gods and the goddesses because of their sins and continued disobedience to the will of the gods. The gods sent a great flood that submerged the whole earth and destroyed all the living creatures, plants and animals alike. There were only two people who survived the flood: they were siblings, Wigan and Bugan respectively. When the water started to rise which later became the great flood, Wigan climbed the Amuyaw Mountain to save himself. Likewise, Bugan fled to the Kalawitan Mountain to take refuge.
Bugan stayed at the mountain until the water receded and the water soaked ground had dried up. He came down the mountain and discovered that he alone had survived. Everybody got drowned, even the animals. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere, stinking. As he walked around looking for something to eat, he saw a woman half buried to the ground, waving her hand at him. Then he recognized her.
Bugan!
he said happily as he opened his arms to embrace her.
Wigan, my brother,
she said choking because of the feeling she could not contain. She let him hug and embraced her and she leaned her head on her chest.
Where are the others?
Wigan asked her after the embrace.
Dead,
she answered, all dead
. It seems that we are the only ones who survived the flood.