natutulog pa rin ang nazarenong itim
sa loob ng eskaparateng salamin.

gaygayin mo man, lolo hugo
mulang bibig ng r. hidalgo
hanggang dibdib ng bilibid viejo
wala kang matatalisod ni piso
walang pandesal mula sa langit
walang lugaw sa pondang maanghit
sa paa mo’y biglang hahaplit
sigarilyo ng mga sugapang gaya ko
magpapakislap sa mata mo, lolo hugo.

natutulog pa rin ang nazarenong itim
sa loob ng eskaparateng salamin.

ilang dekada na ba, lolo hugo
nagtitinda ka ng tingi-tinging sigarilyo?
nagtagpo na tayo sa plaza miranda
sa maalab, madugong mga protesta
sa panahon ng malagim na diktadura
mabulas ka noong gaya ko
sumasabit pa sa mga estribo
sa mga sasakya’y nakikipagpatintero
ngayo’y kapwa lolo na tayo.

natutulog pa rin ang nazarenong itim
sa loob ng eskaparateng salamin.

ilang dupikal na ba ng batingaw, lolo hugo
sa pandinig mo’y umalingawngaw?
ilang himno’t salmo na ba ang nagpasayaw
sa utak mong humihiyaw?
sigarilyo, sigarilyo kayo diyan!
bawal mang hithitin sa maraming lugar
pero usok ng tambutso ng mga sasakyan
di lason sa hungkag na tiyan
sa kauri nating laging nagkakalkal
sa grasyang mula raw sa poong maykapal
paano pakakainin apong naghihintay?

natutulog pa rin ang nazarenong itim
sa loob ng eskaparateng salamin.

anong malay natin, lolo hugo
baka sa wakas magising din
sa pagkakahimlay nazarenong negro
sa yakap at halik ng milyong deboto
baka biglang bumangon din
sa dasal at misa ni padre san pedro
espada’y hawakan putulin ang ulo
ng mga ganid sa mga palasyo
busbusin ang tiyan ng mga impakto
upang grasya nati’y di nila masolo.

natutulog pa rin ang nazarenong itim
sa loob ng eskaparateng salamin.

malay natin, lolo hugo
kapag nagising negrong nazareno
itataas natin ang kalis ng dugo
bendisyon ng tabak at koro ng bomba
iparirinig natin sa mga asyenda
sa mga empresa at mga pabrika
sa naglumot na kuta ng inhustisya
prusisyon ng masa’y agad huhugos
palalayain ang uring busabos!
oo, lolo hugo…
kapag nagising negrong nazareno
di ka na magtitinda ng sigarilyo
litson adobo’t asado iuuwi mo
sa pinakasisintang bunsong apo
pero, sa ngayon, lolo hugo…

natutulog pa rin ang nazarenong itim
sa loob ng eskaparateng salamin.

STILL SLEEPING IS THE BLACK NAZARENE

how many packs of cigarettes, lolo hugo
do you have to sell through the day
to buy pancit guisado
in be ho’s restaurant
at the corner of elizondo
for your waiting grandchild
inside a kneeling praying shanty
on the shoulder of the murky estero?
could you not just take home
plenty of holy bread
from the altar of father san pedro
and soak in holy water your cold rice?
the food might taste like stewed lamb
in the mouth of your crying haggard wife.

still sleeping is the black nazarene
inside the glossy glass coffin.

even if you walk oftentimes, lolo hugo
from the spouting mouth of the streets of r. hidalgo
down to the pulsating breast of bilibid viejo
your feet could not kick a peso
nor a bread from heaven falls
nor your hands be wet with porridge
cigarettes of those addicted like me
yes, cigarettes, and cigarettes
would make your eyes glare, lolo hugo.

still sleeping is the black nazarene
inside the glossy glass coffin.

how many decades had past, lolo hugo
yet you’re still retailing cigarettes?
we’ve met so many times
at the bosom of plaza miranda
during the many seething bloody protests
against the grim unjust dictatorship
we’re both young and strong then
and could still run and board a jeepney
but now we’re both jerking grandpas
struggling hard to survive
hoping against hope for a better life.

still sleeping is the black nazarene
inside the glossy glass coffin.

how many bell’s tolls, lolo hugo
reverberated in your ears?
how many hymns and psalms
made you dream forevermore?
cigarettes! cigarettes!
though forbidden to be smoked everywhere
but poisonous is not the carbon monoxide
from the vehicles exhaust pipes
for us scavengers of whatever graces
from the pockets of our merciful god
how would you feed then
your dear waiting grandchild?

still sleeping is the black nazarene
inside the glossy glass coffin.

but we couldn’t tell, lolo hugo
soon the black nazarene might wake up
through the kisses and embraces
of his millions of devotees
he might stand up and move
through the masses and prayers
of blessed father san pedro
then the nazarene would brandish
a glaring sharp sword
and behead the greedy mammals
in the palace of injustices
and slash open the bellies of bureaucratic crooks
so they couldn’t grab and monopolize
the blessings we so rightly deserve.

still sleeping is the black nazarene
inside the glossy glass coffin.

yes, we couldn’t tell, lolo hugo
once the black nazarene wakes up
we’ll raise the chalice of blood
we’ll make the enslaving haciendas
and factories of greed and penury
and the moss-covered bastions
of the rapacious ruling class
hear the chorus of gunfires and bombs
and the rampaging procession of the masses
would surge on to liberate
the oppressed-downtrodden class
from the manacles of injustices and greed
so, you, lolo hugo
could take home pork lechon and adobo
for your waiting dear grandchild
yet, now, lolo hugo…

still sleeping is the black nazarene
inside the glossy glass coffin!