AN MAROL NGAN ALIJANDRIA

(The Sampaguita and the Rose)

Lyrics: Iluminado Lucente
SATB Arrangement: Stephen Q. Lagarde
Translation: Leyte-Samar Studies, DWU

An marol bukad nga pili Sweet sampaguita, loved is she

Bisan kon diri maanyag A beauty though she may not be
Bisan diri parayawnon Unassuming in her grace
Talagsa-on mapatanyag Shyly does she show her face

Ha luyo han mga dahon But ‘round about her leafy lair
Nakadto an pangalimyon Waves of fragrance scent the air
Kay bukad han kaagahon Blossom of the morning bright
Ngan lipay hininb panahon Days she fills with pure delight

Alijandria ha pungkay panhurak High on the stem the red rose grows
Naparayaw kay limba-on Her pinkness proudly flaunting
Kon sabagay madagmit mapurak But fast she fades, this glorious rose
Lumalabay an kamatahum Briefly her beauty vaunting

An marol mapa-inubsanon Humble is the sampaguita

Didto la ha kahudluman Always on the sidelights
Kay bukad han aton nayon Flower of our native land
Minahal ha panumduman Always loved and remembered

Diri sangkap hin kahusay Her beauty is unassuming

Kay kablas hiya hin palad She of humble beginnings
Kundi angay mayuyu-on But she must be loved
An kamaanyag han kalag The beauty of her soul

Alijandria kon namumukalkag Whenever the rose blooms

An kabaysay napa-unop Her beauty can be deceiving
Kon ugaring tighatag hin sakit For she can give pain
Kay an lawas lukop hin tunok Because her body is wrapped with thorns

According to the Leyte-Samar Studies Journal (Vol. 2, No. 2, 1968) of the Divine Word
University, Tacloban City, the song “An Marol Ngan Alijandria” consists of three verses. While verses
1 and 2 were written by Iluminado Lucente, verse 3 is considered to be the folk song version. It is
Lucente’s version which have been used for this arrangement for the reason that these verses are often
heard and performed in public. In these verses, the marol (sampaguita) and the alijandria (rose) symbolize
two types of women. While the marol represents the timid, traditional, reserved and conservative kind of
a woman, the alijandria represents the opposite—aggressive, adventurous, cunning and deceiving.

Undoubtedly, the lyrics of the song provides listeners with a very good glimpse of traditional
Filipino culture and identity. The worldview that the lyrics portrays is apparently different from the kind
of culture, identity and mindset that contemporary Filipinos today adhere to.
 PERFORMANCE NOTES

Performers will be able to increase their chances of winning by following these performance notes
as indicated below:

1. The song should and must be performed andante expressivo. It should never be hurried and
rushed.

2. The melody of the song should always be at the foreground during the entire performance
while all other voices should remain at the background supporting the main melody. Singers
should exactly know which vocal section is singing the melody.

3. The song should be sung legato or legatissimo. Phrasing should be fluid and well connected.

4. It would be best to sing the vocables “tm, tm, tm, tm” as “tung, tung, tung, tung” (with an
emphasis on the “ng”) so that they may be heard well by the audience. While “tm, tm, tm,
tm” runs the risk of closing, confining or swallowing the vocable inside a singer’s mouth,
“tung, tung, tung, tung” opens that vocable giving the singers more chances of producing a
guitar-like effect.

5. Singers should faithfully observe the values of the notes and rests. They should not alter the
values of the said notes or rests carelessly.

6. The melodic contour and direction of the entire song should be well analyzed and understood.

7. Singers are expected to really understand the harmony of the entire arrangement. They should
be able to effectively bring out both the chords of the song (vertical structure) and the
polyphonic effect (horizontal structure) of the arrangement.

8. The conductor should be able to execute clear and appropriate gestures which are apparently
understood and followed by the choir. With the end in view of demonstrating his or her control
of the choir, the kind of gestures that the conductor should give should follow the basic
principles of choral conducting.

9. Overall, the choir should be able to demonstrate a pleasing bel canto vocal timbre. They
should be able to perform the song with genuine sincerity, focus, full-heartedness and warmth.

STEPHEN Q. LAGARDE, PhD

Arranger