It must be a mother’s instinct that makes me hum Ilonggo folk song Ili-Ili nowadays. Any day from now I am going to be a mother myself and the thought makes me reminisce my childhood and remember the lullaby that my Nanay used to sing to me to make me fall asleep.
I can’t remember much of my toddler days but Nanay’s voice singing to me the hauntingly beautiful lullaby Ili-Ili is so vivid in my memory. Yes, my baby will definitely going to hear me sing it to her no matter how buki others may think of it.
The lyrics of Ili-Ili is really simple. Maybe that’s why it’s easy to remember even by a kid. In the song, somebody sings to the baby telling her to sleep while her mother went to the market to buy bread. Then the mother wakes up the child asking help in carrying what she bought. Those of us who grew up with this lullaby would probably be very familiar with the first stanza of the song because that’s what gets repeated often.
For those not familiar with this Ilonggo folk song, here’s the lyrics of Ili-Ili.
Ili-ili Tulog anay
wala diri imo nanay
Kadto tienda bakal papay
ili ili tulog anayMata ka na tabangan mo
ikarga ang nakumpra ko
kay bug-at man sing putos ko
Tabangan mo
ako anayili ili tulog anay
wala diri imo nanay
kadto tienda bakal papay
ili ili tulog anay
This version was sung by Pauleen Luna in the movie White Lady. It’s a horror movie but hopefully that did not make Ili-Ili scary for non-Ilonggos.
