It’s happiness. It’s exhilarating. It’s everything exciting. December wind blows cooler than the winds of other months. The rain comes down longer and warmer. The December moon looks softer, and with a smile. The Suns takes it easier on the earth below. This time of the year, Saipanese across the sea reminisce about home, the noise around the house, the mama’un, the bunelos dagu, the “na” Chamorro and Refaluasch, Micro and all the other beaches, the visiting Nino portraying the search for a room at the inn, the Misan Gallo, and the stirring “Tafan Magof Todos”…sure to bring tears to Saipanese everywhere, and the long-distance call from sons and daughters checking up on the folks here with sighing and suppressed sobbing echoing over the line.
Meanwhile, out in the community, Christmas air echoes throughout, and although our island is tropical, we sing about snow, St. Nick, his mythical sleigh load with gifts for the “naughty and nice,” reindeer flying across the midnight, moonlit sky, with Rudolf and his red nose leading the pack, to the rooftop of every house. True, no chimney, but still, a song is a song, so there. “Up on the Housetop.”
Other church songs popular around Tiempon Aguinaldo: the beautiful “Ave Maristella,” the complicated “Pastorela,” the “O Sanctissima,” the borrowed Spanish song “Belen A Media Noche” sung here as “Iya Belen Tatalo Puenge,’ and the upbeats: “Todos Ham Man Listo,” “Belen Noche Buena,” Eschai Et,” and the stirring song “Tafan Mahof Todos.”
Where do these songs and lyrics originate?
Well, the song “Belen A Media Noche” is a Spanish Christmas song popular in Puerto Rico and Spain.
The great song “Tafan Magof Todos” consists of two excerpts from two tunes: a German folksong “Freud Eus Des Leben,” and a tune based on the Napoleonic War “The War of 1812.”
Our brilliant, first mayor of Saipan, Maestron Kilili, linked the two excerpts together and came up with a profound Chamorro lyrics.
Saipan is not Christmas without that song. So I learned from cousin Vic Pangelinan while we were talking music one day. Vic’s father, Tun Josen Elisa, a prolific pianist and musician himself, credited the linking and arranging of “Tafan Magof Todos” to Maestron Kilili.
In this holiday season, let’s think about our family members across the sea, and send them greeting. Nothing can be more appreciative than something wonderful written to each one of them from home. Do send each one something nice and thoughtful.
Now, the old English Christmas song “Twelve Days of Christmans.” It had long befuddled me as to what it meant, until I walked into the Paulist Press bookstore in San Francisco. It’s a Catholic catechism song from the 1500-1800 Calvinist-Puritan England. I was researching materials for my Chabot College paper on the origin of songs and lyrics of Saipan. I came across this book “Catholic Sacramental Handbook by Ann Ball.” The song has hidden meanings so Catholics could evade the prohibition by the Calvinist-Puritans from openly practicing Catholicism. And the hidden meanings: “my true love” refers to God.” The “me” is symbolic of each Catholic. The “Partridge” refers to Jesus Christ. The “Two Turtle Doves” are the Old Testament and the New Testament. The “three French Hen,” are Hope, Faith, and Charity. The “Four Calling Birds,” are the four Gospels. The “Five Golden Rings,” are the first five books of the Old Testament. The “Six geese a-laying,” ae the six days of the Creation. The “Seven swans a-swimming,” are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The “Eight maids a-milking,” are the eight Beatitudes. The “Nine ladies dancing,” are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. The “Ten lords a-leaping,” are the Ten Commandments. The “Eleven pipers piping,” are the Eleven faithful disciples. The “Twelve drummers drumming,” are the Twelve points of belief in the Apostle’s Creed. This symbolism parallels Tex Ritter’s Country Music song “Deck of Card.”
There. We breezed through the emotional experiences of Saipanese during Tiempon Aguinaldo, and some of the familiar Christmas songs and backgrounds. So every time you sing one of these songs, think about the story behind it. You’ll find you’ll more appreciative of these songs.
RUDY M. SABLAN
Garapan, Saipan
