Kanlungan - Noel Cabangon

This was a background music of McDonald's old TV commercial. It was sung by a Pilipino artist I admire, together with the rest of the artists who use their music in declaring love for the nation. I find Noel Cabangon as a nationalist artist. He was the composer of the song Tatsulok, popularized by another Pilipino artist Bamboo.

I tried to translate this song in English, in the nearest possible translation I can think of. It was a challenge to translate the word "panahon" because in tagalog (or Filipino dialect) the word either means "time" or "weather". I found the former to be most fitting translation for the song.

I was still living in Quezon city when I first saw this artist. I came to appraciate him more when our parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus, was able to invite Noel during a show or concert of all the church choirs. Two of my closests friends worked with the parish and that is where we go to during Sundays in Kamuning. My friend and I watched the concert, staged inside the church. The presentation was great!

Noel Cabangon sang this song live accompanied by his own guitar. It was really marvelous. There I learned that prior to being a popular singer, he used to be a parishoner of that church and he spent most of his childhood days in Kamuning area. Perhaps, he was even referring to Kamuning, as his "cradle" when he sang this song.
I am not really sure but one thing is guaranteed: he is a good artist and it's too hard not to admire him.
>>>>>> end <<<<<<

LYRICS OF KANLUNGAN
Pana-panahon ang pagkakataon (Time is chance)
Maibabalik ba ang kahapon? (Can we bring back yesterday?)

Natatandaan mo pa ba (Do you still remember?)
Nang tayong dal'wa ang unang nagkita? (When we last saw each other)
Panahon ng kamusmusan (Age of childhood and innocence)
Sa piling ng mga bulaklak at halaman (In the company of flowers and plants)
Doon tayong nagsimulang mangarap at tumula (There we started to dream and create poems)

Natatandaan mo pa ba (Do you still remember?)
Inukit kong puso sa punong mangga (The heart that I etched in mango tree)
At ang inalay kong gumamela (And the flower I gave)
Magkahawak-kamay sa dalampasigan (Holding hands at the sea shore)
Malayang tulad ng mga ibon (free as a bird)
Ang gunita ng ating kahapon (the memories of yesterday)

Ang mga puno't halaman ay kabiyak ng ating gunita (The trees and plants are the spouse of our memories)
Sa paglipas ng panahon (In the passing of time)
Bakit kailangan ding lumisan? (Why do we also have to leave?)

Pana-panahon ang pagkakataon (Time is like chance)
Maibabalik ba ang kahapon? (Can we bring back yesterday?)

Ngayon ikaw ay nagbalik (Now you've returned)
At tulad ko rin ang iyong pananabik (And my eagerness is like yours)
Makita ang dating kanlungan (To see the old cradle/place)
Tahanan ng ating tula at pangarap (The home of our poems and aspirations)
Ngayon ay naglaho na (Now it disappeared)
Saan hahanapin pa? (Where shall we find it?)

Lumilipas ang panahon
Kabiyak ng ating gunita
Ang mga puno't halaman
Bakit kailangang lumisan?

Pana-panahon ang pagkakataon
Maibabalik ba ang kahapon?

Kanlungan - Noel Cabangon