This song is a highly political one, and Jay was saying that it was written around the time that the military build-up on Guam was first discussed. In this song, there is both a lament about the way things keep changing, and a call to do more for the islands and our people than to just stand up (which is potentially a poke at the “Fanohge Chamoru”, but that’s just our guess). So here are Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for “Håfa” by Daniel DeLeon Guerrero. Happy listening!
| Chamoru | English |
|---|---|
| Ai håfa na taiguini Mariånas? | Oh why is the Marianas like this? |
| Ai håfa na sigi ha’ matulaika? | Oh why does it keep changing? |
| Kao ta fanohge ha’ ya ta seddi i taotao sanhiyong na u fanhållom ya siha hit u minimånda? | Are we just going to stand and allow the outsiders to come in and rule over us? |
| Gumugupu yu un dia gi batkon aire annai hu atan påpa’ i tano’-hu | I was flying one day in an airplane when I looked down on my land |
| Håssan esta hu li’e trongkun niyok yan i ifit sa’ puru ha’ på’go simentu | It’s already rare that I see coconut and ifit trees because it’s all just cement now |
| Ilek-hu håfa na taiguini Marianas? | I said why is the Marianas like this? |
| Ai håfa na taiguini i isla? | Oh what is the island like this? |
| Kao ta fanohge ha’ ya ta seddi i taotao sanhiyong na u fanhållom ya siha i isla u dinestrosa? | Are we just going to stand and allow the outsiders to come in and they will destroy the island? |
| Ilek-ñiha na an manhållom i marinu para bula ai nai i che’cho’ta | They said that if the marines come in, it will, oh, make many jobs for us |
| Lao bulåña esta taotao sanhiyong manmakonne’ ya siha prumubebecha | But there are many more outsiders (than us) that are being taken (for the jobs) and they are the ones benefiting |
| Ilek-hu håfa na taiguini i islå-ta? | I said why is our island like this? |
| Ai håfa na sigi ha’ matulaika? | Oh why does it keep changing? |
| Kao ta fanohge ha’ ya ta seddi i taotao sanhiyong na u fanhållom ya i kustombre u matulaika? | Are we just going to stand and allow the outsiders to come in and the customs will be changed? |
| Gaige si Madeleine Bordallo Washington, ha mumumuyi Chamoru | Madeleine Bordallo is in Washington (D.C.), she is fighting for the Chamorros |
| Manggaige hit guini på’go gi isla, kana’ manmåmåtai hit på’go* | We are here on the island now, and it’s as though we are dying now* |
| Ilek-hu håfa na taiguini Mariånas? | I said why is the Marianas like this? |
| Ai håfa na sigi ha’ matulaika? | Oh, why does it keep changing? |
| Kao ta fanohge ha’ ya ta seddi i taotao sanhiyong na u fanhållom ya siha hit u dinimånda | Are we just going to stand and allow the outsiders to come in and rule over us? |
| na u fanhållom ya i kustombre u matulaika | that they will come in and the cutoms will change |
| Maila ta fanohge ya ta prutehi i islå-ta | Come and we will stand up and protect our island |
*Manggaige hit guini på’go gi isla, kana’ manmåmåtai hit på’go: Another way to interpret this sentence is that we are having a really hard time on the island.
Lengguahi-ta 