Sunday 1 May 2016

Lullaby: Ili-Ili

I never quite understood the meaning of "Ili Ili" until I became a mother...

"Ili-ili" is an Ilonggo lullaby that is so famous, it is considered a Filipino Folk Song.  

Ili-ili Tulog Anay
Wala Diri Imo Nanay
Kadto Tienda
Bakal Papay
Ili-ili Tulog Anay



It just means, "Please sleep for now. Your mom is not here. She went to the market to buy bread."

Such a simple and probably silly song...

...But when you are a mom and you have to leave your baby so that you can go to work and provide for the family...this  song suddenly takes on a new meaning.

The song is the easiest way to explain to a child why you can't be with her. 

Every time I sing this to my daughter, my heart goes out to all the OFW mothers.

I end up crying and chocking on my own tears.

3 weeks into motherhood and I have decided that I won't be accepting job offers anytime soon...

Who would've thought that I will be a hands-on and territorial mother...

Even I didn't even expect it.


Shocked,

L




4 comments:

  1. Huuuuuugs! Dati takot na takot ka maging mommy paglabas ni baby, but now I can just imagine you overflowing with love :) Will you be teaching baby G Ilonggo? Just curious hehe! :)

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    1. Ofcourse! I speak and I sing in ilonggo, so she will naturally pick it up. Her nanny is ilonggo too. It's a beautiful dialect

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    2. Thats great :) Kami rin sa bahay we grew up speaking Ilocano because of my mom and our nanies, yung Hokkien na pick up namin from our dad and when we started going to school na.

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    3. Thats what I told my husband. Sya na magturo

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