While the Teacher Is Out
Lean Borlongan
Translated from the Filipino by Eric Abalajon
Marinelle stout and dark
has been sentenced to be
the ugliest girl in class
Me since my head keeps
wobbling am the ugliest boy.
While the teacher is out
a classmate said
any girl who is listed
in the standing and noisy
has to kiss me,
boys will go to Marinelle.
If she or I
make a mistake
we have to kiss each other.
Always seated and silent,
I can discern
how punishing
to be the punishment.
Habang Wala Ang Guro
Si Marinelle pagkat punggok
at itim ang nahatulang
babaeng pinakapangit.
Ako dahil gumegewang ang ulo
ang lalakeng pinakapangit.
Habang wala ang guro
sabi ng kaklase
hahalik sa akin
ang malilistang babae
sa standing at noisy
kay Marinelle ang lalake.
Kung siya o ako
ang magkasala
maghahalik kami.
Akong laging nakaupo’t
tahimik ang nakababatid
anong parusa
ang maging parusa.
Lean Borlongan graduated from Polytechnic University of the Philippines with a degree in BS Food Technology and from UP Diliman with a degree in MA Filipino: Creative Writing. He authored three poetry books Sansaglit, sa ibang katawan, and Pasakalye. Pasakalye was the recipient of the 40th National Book Award and heralded as the best book in poetry in Filipino by the Manila Critics Circle. He is currently a PhD student in creative writing in Filipino in UP Diliman.
Eric Abalajon’s translations have appeared in Asymptote, Modern Poetry in Translation, Poetry Northwest, Exchanges: Journal of Literary Translation, and Tripwire: a journal of poetics. His debut poetry collection is forthcoming from FlowerSong Press. He lives near Iloilo City.
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