For my friend Jochebed

With the best English that i know...i'll try to translate this song Anak by Mr. Freddie Aguilar...its a Filipino classic...

Nang isilang ka sa mundong ito - When you were born (here on this Earth)
Laking tuwa ng magulang mo - Your parents were overjoyed
At ang kamay nila ang iyong ilaw - And their hands were youre guiding light
At ang nanay at tatay mo'y - And your mom (mother) and dad(father)
Di malaman ang gagawin - They didnt know what to do (due to their happiness)
Minamasdan pati pagtulog mo - They watched you even as you were sleeping
At sa gabi'y napupuyat ang iyong nanay Sa pagtimpla ng gatas mo - And in the middle of the night your mom wakes up just to make you some milk (in the feeding bottle.hehe)
At sa umaga nama'y kalong ka Ng iyong amang tuwang-tuwa sa iyo - And in the morning your dad happily carries you on his lap

Ngayon nga ay malaki ka na - Now youve grown
Nais mo'y maging malaya - You want your independence/You want your space
Di man sila payag - Even if they dont want to let you go
Walang magagawa - There's nothing they could do
Ikaw nga ay biglang nagbago - Then you suddenly changed
Naging matigas ang iyong ulo - You became hard headed
At ang payo nila'y sinuway mo - And their teachings, you disregarded

Di mo man lang inisip na Ang kanilang ginagawa'y para sa iyo - You didnt even realize what they were doing were all for you
Pagkat ang nais mo'y - Cause what you wanted was
Masunod ang layaw mo - to follow your caprice
Di mo sila pinapansin - You never thought of them (or their sacrifice)

Nagdaan pa ang mga araw - So the days past
At ang landas mo'y naligaw - And you lost direction in life
Ikaw ay nalulong sa masamang bisyo - You got hooked on bad vice (drugs,etc)

At ang una mong nilapitan - And the first person you run to (when everything went wrong)
Ang iyong inang lumuluha - Your mom who was crying
At ang tanong,"anak, ba't ka nagkaganyan" - then she asked "my child, why have you become like this?
At ang iyong mata'y biglang lumuha ng di mo pinapansin - Then you did not notice, your eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali - You were sorry, You learned you had been wrong
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'yNalaman mong ika'y nagkamali

Actually i think this song has in other version a next part were the child already had his family and the song says..."now you will understand how it is to become a parent"...I hope i didnt sound like a comedian in translating Tagalog to English.hehe