ATIN CU PUNG SINGSING CRITIQUE PAPER

Kapampangan is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the

language spoken in the province of Pampanga and on the other plains of Central
Luzon whom belong to the Kapampangan ethnic group.
Atin Cu Pung Singsing is the most popular folksong from the province of
Pampanga. It is a song that most of the people of Pampanga and nearby places know
how to sing as it was taught and handed down to them by word of mouth by their
parents. In the song, the singer grieves over the loss of a ring inherited from her
mother. The song is about a missing heirloom piece, a ring with a beautiful single gem
whose owner promises to offer her heart to someone who will find and take back this
beloved ring.
Atin Cu Pung Singsing is considered a folksong because, folksong is a song of
the people of a culture or region that reflects their outlook and life. Usually, this refers
to a song with no known composer or lyricist and most people know this song.
The song is on a slow tempo, it has 2 stanzas. Each stanza has 8 lines and
each lines compose of 6 syllables. The word it used is so deep and hard to understand
if you are not a Kapampangan but then it gives a beautiful message to us.
The song title is Atin Cu Pung Singsing which means I had a ring. On the first
stanza it was stated that the singer or the girl has a ring who have a beutiful single
gem that is inherited by her beloved mother. She care for it because it has a
sentimental value and we Kapampangans, we value our family, we value the things
that they give to us. But we do not know what will happen next. If this things will remain
to us or let go to find new ones. She kept it very well for not to lose on her care but
one day it was disappeared. She lost it without noticing and do not have an idea where
it went. This stanza simply saying that we never discover the value of things untill we
have lost it because only loss teaches us about the value of things.
The song title is “Atin Cu Pung Singsing” which means I had a ring. On the first
stanza it was stated that the singer or the girl has a ring who have a beutiful single
gem that is inherited by her beloved mother. She care for it because it has a
sentimental value and we Kapampangans, we value our family, we value the things
that they give to us. But we do not know what will happen next. If this things will remain
to us or let go to find new ones. She kept it very well for not to lose on her care but
one day it was disappeared. She lost it without noticing and do not have an idea where
it went. This stanza simply saying that we never discover the value of things untill we
have lost it because only loss teaches us about the value of things.
On the second stanza it was stated that the singer or the girl felt heartbreak that
is high as the sky because maybe this is the only thing that her mother given to her to
serve as a legacy. So it has a sentimental value and we expresses great sentimental
value on inherited object from our parents. The girl crossed her hands upon the table
and pray that she will able to retrieve her ring. Then she say that whoever found the
ring for her, she will offer to that man her poor heart. This stanza saying that the girl is
incapable to find her ring for herself, because of eagerness to take back what she loss
she still has to present her heart as a prize for the man who could find it. The ring here
is very important since she was willing to sacrifice her love. It is implied that the girl
loves her mother so much so that she values and secures the ring but she failed. The
concept of this song is that love and feeling for family members is more important than
our personal benefits and intentions. We can also see on this song how Filipinos way
of expressing gratitude. Offering the heart is like telling someone that you will love him
or her for the rest of your life and it seems to be a great thing to do for thankfulness
and this is a reflection of the Kapampangan’s deep sense of gratitude. There are things
that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind but keep in mind
that what is happening has a reason, maybe this will pave the way to find something
or someone that is more importance than the one that lost.