Mandala ng Awit ng Panday

Mandala ng Awit ng Panday
Mandala of the Blacksmith’s Song

2012 Metallic Gel Pen on Illustration Board
“Sa tunog ng bakal
Ang awit ng panday
Umaalingawngaw sa bayan

Ang diwa ni Bathala
Ay nasa Lahat

Ang diwa ng tao
Ay nasa kanyang kamay

At sa pagunawa ng sarili
Isang paglakbay sa kalooban

At sa pagbalik
Dangal
Sa isip
Sa salita
At sa gawa”

“The tones of steel
The balcksmith’s song
Echoing throughout the land

The spirit of God
Is in all of us

The spirit of man
Is in all of us

In the discovery of self
A journey within

And in returning
Honor
In thoughts
In words
And in deeds”

* In my studies of the ancient Tagalog script of the Baybayin, I have discovered the beauty in it calligraphic use. I took the time to study the aesthetics of Islamic calligraphy, then I applied it to the Tagalog script called the Baybayin. I am however using the Lopez variation to the script to allow me more leeway in the expressions of the words.

I am also presently doing some historical research on my hypothesis that the Baybayin was actually written in a calligraphic style, at least 100 years before the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.