CHECK! TAGALOG TRANSLATIONS!

Dang I'm good. I'm good, though can't take credit -- just a day after my post on translations, I got two Tagalog translations of my poems -- hence also addressing "the obvious gap" as regards how I've been translated. Moi boy Paolo Javier put me in touch with stellar poet Paolo Manalo and here below is my first Tagalog translation!

The English poem was first published by The Onion Union #2, here. The Tagalog translation below references Imee Marcos for reasons related to why it will appear in my forthcoming book, The Light Sang As It Left Your Eyes (Marsh Hawk, 2007).

And now -- my first Tagalog translation (drum roll...). And Maraming Salamat, Paolo Manalo (now -- what does it take, really, for me to get a copy of your brilliant poetry collection, Jolography which I understand to be a must-read by English-reading poetry lovers?):


ANG UNANG TRANSPLANT NG MUKHA
Halaw kay Imee Marcos


Sinakmal siya ng
...........................aso

Niretoke ng mga doktor
gamit ang mukha ng iba,
...........................mukha ni

Ang tsismis, nagpatiwakal
ang dating may-ari ng mukha

Matagumpay ang operasyon
Pero hindi na makanguso
...........................ng isang halik



...........................iyang halik