Una pequeña uva le preguntó una vez a Dios:
¿Puedo ir al mar, por favor? ¡Quiero sentir su brisa!

A lo que Dios respondió:
pero arderás y morirás, tu piel se oscurecerá y se arrugará.

La uva lo desafió:
¡Entonces tu percepción de la muerte es superficial!

Dios respondió:
¿Quieres morir solo para probar el mar?
Una fruta como tú no es tropical.

La uva dijo:
¡Sangraría por el sol, moriría por el verano!

La uva cantó:
¡Mátame, sería más dulce!
¡Sécame, sería un bocadillo!

La uva maldijo:
¡Entonces, envíame lejos, seré más rico!
¡Quémame y apriétame!

La uva escribió:
¡Empújame, seré la mejor bebida del mundo!
¡Písame y mátame!

Can you almost feel the heat?
Tropical, as how the Pacific waves intended.
Can you almost touch my skin?
Static, just like how science intended.
The latitude got nothing
with how much attitude I'm having.
The whole world warned you
about women like me.
But I hope they also told you
about my divinity.
Come back home,
feel the warmth and love again.
Come to me, I'll be your church,
just let yourself be and believe again.
Can you almost ******* mouth?
Starving, as how the government wanted.
Can you almost feel my walls crashing?
Poetic, like how I wrote and wanted it.
The longitude is zero
compared to much I long for you.
Come back to me,
feel at home, until I'm your skin and bones.
Come before me,
be my church, I can pray for us both.
I can pray for us both.
I can pray for us both.
I can pray for us both.

Ay isang pangungusap na hindi mo maiintindihan
at hindi ko rin maisasalin sa wikang alam nating dalawa.
Miski sa Ingles, ito'y tila katuwa-tuwa na;
"do you know how to walk on the rain?"
Kadalasan, walo sa sampung banyaga ang sasagot ng;
"what do you mean?"

Kayrami kong nais pang ibahagi sa'yo na mga pangungusap,
o kasabihan o ekspresyon o salawikain na hindi ko maisasalin,
ngunit para sa'yo, aking itutula o ilalarawan o ipapaliwanag,
itanong mo lamang, aking sinta, ipapaliwanag pati mga bituin.

Ngunit paano nga ba maglakad sa ulan?
Nang hindi natatalsikan ng putik ang puti kong binti?
Laging bantay ng mama kapag maulan: anak, ang talampakan!
Ngunit paano nga ba maglakad sa ulan?
Kung hindi lang kalsadang maputik, baha na ang lulusungin!
Ako na ngayon ang magtatanong: "what do you mean?"

Kayrami kong nais pang ibahagi sa'yo na mga pangungusap,
o kasabihan o ekspresyon o salawikain na hindi ko maisasalin,
ngunit para sa'yo, aking itutula o ilalarawan o ipapaliwanag,
itanong mo lamang, aking sinta, ipapaliwanag pati mga bituin.

Kung itatanong mo sa akin, giliw, kung natutunan ko na ba?
Kung paano nga ba maglakad sa ulan talaga?
Sasagutin kita ng hindi, at marahil hindi na ko matututo pa.
Mga binti kong gala ay pinagpabahala na ang alaga.
Hindi na ako nag-aalala sa putik at dumi at talsik.
Mga paa'y nakatikim na ng buhangin at iba pang bagsik.

Kayrami kong nais pang ibahagi sa'yo na mga pangungusap,
o kasabihan o ekspresyon o salawikain na hindi ko maisasalin,
ngunit para sa'yo, aking itutula o ilalarawan o ipapaliwanag,
itanong mo lamang, aking sinta, ipapaliwanag pati mga bituin.

Si muero, traducirías mis poemas?
¿Le contarías a tu parte del mundo sobre mi pueblo?
Si muero, interpretarías mis cartas?
¿Te contarías a ti mismo cómo eres mi universo?
Si debo morir, serás mis nuevos ojos?
¿Lo verías hasta el final, sintiéndote vivo?
Si debo morir, serás mi voz y mis manos?
¿Seguirías hablándole a todo, guiándome a la nada?
Si muero, por favor traducirías mis poemas, mi amor.
Por favor, cuéntale al mundo la historia de un reino sin corona.
Por favor, cuéntales sobre un amor que supera la lógica y la distancia.

//

If I die, would you translate my poems?
Would you tell your part of the world about my town?
If I pass, would you interpret my letters?
Would you tell yourself about how you are my universe?
If I must die, would you be my new eyes?
Would you see it through the end, do it while feeling alive?
If I must pass, would you be my voice and hands?
Would you still speak to everything, lead me to nothingness?
If I die, please translate my poems, my love.
Please tell the world the tale of a kingdom without a crown.
Please tell them of a love that surpasses logic and distance.

Kada sinusubukan kong sumulat sa wika ng aking ina,
nariyan pa rin ang sa ama, tila nagbabantay,
tila ingay na pumupuslit sa gabing malumanay.
Tila ito konsensiyang kakatok sa aking pinto,
sa gitna ng mahimbing na tulog mga alas tres pasado.

Ang pangalan ng mga kalye sa aking siyudad,
ang pangalan ng mga kalsada sa pamayanan,
ano ang sa wika ko, alin ang sa'yo, at sa dayo?

Kada sinusubukan kong umawit sa Tagalog,
bubulong ang mga rondalla, gitara't iba pang instrumento:
"anong wika ng pangalan naming ito?"
Kaunti na lang ay tutula na rin ang aking kama:
"hindi ba't oras na para sa banyo?"

Ang pangalan ng mga bayani sa labanan,
ang pangalan ng mga ninuno ng angkan,
alin dito ang salin, ano ang sa Tagalog?

If you could make me kneel
then I could make you believe
If you could *******
I could make you meet God.
Whatever you do to me,
I will do it back divinely.
If you treat me like an angel
then I could bring you heaven.
If you still couldn’t tell,
I could also give you the hell.
Everything you give me,
I will give you more generously.
If you could forget the world,
then I could grant forgiveness.
If you could forsake all riches,
I could welcome you to my kingdom.
Anything you offer me,
I will bless back with moon and stars.
If I could make you come
then I could make you believe.
If you could make me meet God,
then at your altar I could pray and kneel.

But they would burn my mouth
before you could even kiss it.
Don’t you think it’s a blessing we’re alive now,
and at the same time, too? Say it.
But they would bury me alive
before I could make you believe.
Don’t you think it’s a curse that we’re aligned,
yet so far away at the same time? **** it.
But they would blast off my body
before you could even bless it.
They would brand my poetry as blasphemy
before I could read them to you under the exploding stars.
They would call me the devil and the witch
before I could even become your eternal love or divine scar.