4.

“Ano Kayâ Ang Kapalaran” Music and text by Francisco Santiago

Dito sa mundó’y Here in this world

Walâng kasing tamís Nothing is more pleasant
Gaya ng umáwit Than to sing
Ng sariling himig One’s own melody.
Bawa’t tagintíng. With every sound
Ang wika’y pag-íbig The language is love.
Siyang humahabi She weaves
Ng pusong nagiliw. A heart that is charmed.

Mahirap nga palang umirog, How hard it is to love,

Sintá’y dalhin-dalhing may lunos.
Araw gabi ang puso
Ang tibók ay siphayò
Ano kaya ang kapalaran
Ng abat imbing lagáy.
Asahan mo’t di palad,
Kakamtan mo’y sakláp.
My dear quickly bring compassion.
Day and night
The beating heart is oppressed.
What fate lies ahead
Of a humble state.
Expect not fortune,
You will receive bitterness.

Ah! Araw gabi’y ang puso, Ah! Day and night

Ang tibók ay siphayò, Ah! The beating heart is oppressed
Ng abat imbing lagáy Of humble state
Asahan mo’t di palad Expect not fortune
Kakamtan mo’y sakláp, Ah! You will receive bitterness, Ah!

Dito sa mundo’y
['di.to sa mun.'doɪ]
Here on earth is

Walâng kasing tamis

[wa.'laŋ ka.'siŋ ta.'mis]
None as sweet

Gaya ng umáwit
['ga.ja naŋ ʔu.'ma.wit]
Like as to-sing

Ng sariling himig
[naŋ sa.'ri.liŋ 'hi.mig]
Of own melody

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Bawa’t tagintíng.
['ba.wat ta.gin.'tiŋ]
Every sound

Ang wika’y pag-íbig

[ʔaŋ 'wi.kaɪ pag.'i.big]
The language-is love

Siyang humahabi
[sjaŋ hu.ma.ha.'bi]
She weaves

Ng pusong nagiliw.
[naŋ 'pu.soŋ na.'gi.liʊ]
Of heart charmed

Mahirap nga palang

[ma.'hi.rap ŋa pa.'laŋ
Difficult indeed then

Sintá’y dalhin-dalhing may lunos.

[sin.'taɪ dal.'hin.dal.'hiŋ maɪ 'lu.nos]
Dear is bringing some compassion

Araw gabi ang puso

['ʔa.raʊ ga.'bi ʔaŋ 'pu.so]
Day night the heart

Ang tibók ay siphayò

[ʔaŋ ti.'bok ʔaɪ sip.'ha.jo]
The heartbeat is sadness

Ano kaya ang kapalaran

[ʔa 'no ka 'ja ʔaŋ ka pa 'la ran]
What then the fate

Ng aba’t imbing lagáy.

[naŋ ʔa.'bat im.'biŋ la.'gaɪ]
Of mistreated humble state.

Asahan mo’t di palad,

[ʔa.'sa.han mot di 'pa.lad]
Hope you-and not fortune

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Kakamtan mo’y sakláp.
[ka.kam.'tan moɪ sak.'lap]
Receive you-is bitterness

Written in 1938, the seemingly cheerful melody of the song starkly contrasts with the sad

mood of the text. The dance-like rhythm depicts a matter-of-fact treatment of the gloomy

disposition in the text. A jovial mood is found in this Kundiman waltz but it is a mere façade

when compared to the mournfulness of the text. In the end, bitterness is the outcome when

pursuing love and happiness. It is a state of helplessness that tends to be a recurrent theme in

Kundiman art songs. Happiness is not necessarily about finding one’s beloved but being free to

sing his or her own melody as an expression of one’s self. The B section modulates from the

previous d minor key of the A section to the parallel key of D major (see Music Example 9).

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 Music Example 9: “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran”40

Overall, the song is arranged in ABB’ binary form, where the B’ section is a modified

embellishment of the B section. The melismatic section of this song makes it suitable for a

coloratura soprano. Ascending staccato eight notes on “ah” require a light vocal mechanism that

engages breath control. An example of this is found in measure 91 (see Music Example 10).

Music Example 10: “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran?”41

40
Ibid., p. 36-37.
41
Ibid., p. 39.

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 This skipping pattern of eighth notes represents freedom and an inherent ability to

express one’s self without consequence of oppression. Moreover, the vocal freedom of the

coloratura portion in this song could prove a challenge for a young aspiring soprano because of

the vocal agility that is required.

It is also interesting that Santiago directly quotes the opening phrase of a popular folk

song, “Leron-Leron Sintá” (Sea Shells, Sea Shells, Darling) (See Music Example 11).

Music Example 11: “Leron-Leron Sinta” 42

He then combines these note segments to form a unique composition that is similar to the

previously mentioned popular folksong (See Music Example 12).

42
Cavan, Emilia S., Filipino Folk Songs: Collected and Arranged by Mrs. Emilia S. Cavan (harmonized by
Francisco Santiago), 1924, p. 2.

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 Music Example 12: “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran”43

In the text “araw gabi” (day and night) the piano accompaniment is chordal and climaxes

with an octave leap of the f-sharp minor chord in second inversion. The octave leap in measure

65 functions as an interjection or a music exclamation point that answers the text of the vocal

line (see Music Example 13).

Music Example 13: “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran”44

43
Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Kundiman At Iba
Pa. (Manila: Likhawit Enterprises, 1994), p.36.
44
Ibid., p. 37.

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 Similarly, this occurs in the text “ang tibok ay siphayo” (beating is oppressed). In this

occurrence the octave displacement of the G chord is strategically place between “ay” (is) and

“siphayo” (oppressed). The seemingly comic nature of this octave leaping chord is used as a

device for irony to the one who searches for love. Out of the four songs by Santiago selected in

this essay, this song seems to be the most light-hearted. This serves as a nice change of pace for

the usual melancholic music theme.

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