A few weeks ago, a friend of mine showed me her heartbreaking post, "Good night, world", which has become viral online. The post is both a painful lamentation of the tragedy in Marawi and a firm reminder of the city's resilience. I felt myself crushing while reading it, but I relieved knowing that this is not just an ordinary city they sought to burn. This is one of the region's jewels, with centuries of history of rise and fall behind it. No matter how many times they burn it to the ground, the city will rise and rise again.
The post has since been translated into many various languages, including Cebuano, which I did myself. I hope I did justice to the original. Thank you, El Anisha.
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Maayo’ng gabii, kalibutan.
Maayo’ng gabii, kalibutan. Ug ang akong hinigugmang Dakbayan sa Marawi nagdilaab, daw usa ka babaye’ng gihimong halad sa usa ka mangtas. Sa kining higayon, dili alang sa pagluwas sa dakbayan gikan niining mangtas. Nagdilaab kini aron pagtagbaw sa kahangol sa katawhan sa giyera ug kagubot gamit ang dakbayan. Ang iyang mga anak nagtan-aw samtang kini ginasunog, walay mabuhat samtang nagdahunog ang tingog sa tambol sa gubat sa tibuok dakbayan, timaan sa iyang kamatayon.
Sige magdilaab ka, ako’ng hinigugmang dakbayan. Gipili kang pangasaw-unon sa kayo sa mga tawo’ng pulos nahangol sa imong abo. Kung magdilaab ka, piliing mahayag kaayo aron ang imong pagkaugda maoy magpakita sa tana’ng gusto sa imong kagub-anan unsay nagapaabot kanila sa impiyerno. Kay gikan sa imo’ng abo, mobarog ka. Sama sa usa ka Phoenix mabanhaw ka, ug ipanganak ang bag-ong Marawi. O dili kaha, mabalik ang kanhing bantoga’ng Dansalan.
Bisan pa gipasakitan, gibudhian, gituros, imong mapildi kining tanan aron lamang imong matagamtam pag usab ang gakos sa imong mga anak. Walay labing hingpit ug lig-on pa sa pagpangga sa usa ka inahan ngadto sa iyang mga anak.
Mabuhi ka, ako’ng hinigugmang dakbayan. Ang imong matuod nga mga anak ug mga sinagup nagahulat kanimo. Kadtong mibudhi kanimo, may adlaw ra nga magbasol sila…gipili nila ang sayop nga dapig sa imong istorya.
Ang orihinal sinulat ni El Anisha
Gihubad sa Binisiya ni Christine Rom
Good night world.
by El Anisha
Good night world. And my beloved Marawi City profusely burns, like a sacrificial woman offered to the monster. This time, it is not to save the city from the monster. She burns that men’s lust for war and destruction might be satisfied at the expense of the city. Her children watch her being torched, unable to douse off the fire from her as the crescendoing war drums reverberate throughout the place, heralding her funeral pyre.
Burn now my beloved city. You were chosen to be the bride of fire by men whose only common denominator is their desire for your ashes. If you must be ablaze, then burn brightly that your conflagration may demonstrate to those who had wanted your devastation what awaits them in hell. But from your ashes, you shall rise. Like the Phoenix, you will be reborn from your ashes to a new Marawi. Or to your old glory—Dansalan. Though broken, betrayed, and bleeding, you will overcome all of these to be with the loving embrace of your sons and daughters. There is no greater, more sublime, and more powerful love than the love of a mother for her children.
You will rise my beloved city. Your true sons and daughters and your adopted children await you. Those who have set you on fire will one day rue that they were ever on the wrong side of your story.
Check the other translations here.