How Do I Love Thee - My Tagalog Translation

I fell in love with this poem more than a decade ago.
Lines are poignant. Passionately expressed.
'Hope you'll enjoy reading this E.B. Browning masterpiece as much as I do!


How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

- Elizabeth Barret Browning


Here's my Tagalog translation of the poem..

Gaano kita iniibig? itulot mong isaisahin ko..
Iniibig kita hangang kataimtiman, kalaparan at kasukdulan
Ang aking kaluluwa'y kaya kang sapitin, kapag ang pandamdam ay naglaho na
para sa katapusan ng Buhay at Huwarang Pagpapala.
Iniibig kita kahanay ng pangaraw-araw'
ng pinakamayuming pangangailangan, ng araw at tanglawan.
Iniibig kita ng malaya, gaya ng pagpupunyagi ng sangtauhan para sa Katarungan;
Iniibig kita ng dalisay, gaya ng pagbaling ng karamihan sa Kapurihan.
Iniibig kita gamit ang karubduban
Sa aking malaong pighati, katuwang ng aking musmos na pananampalataya
Iniibig kita ng may pagsinta na tila ba ito'y maglalaho na!
Sa gabay ng aking pintakasi, --- iniibig kita ng may hininga,
Ngiti, luha, lahat sa aking buhay! --- at kung itutulot ng Pangininoon,
Mamarapatin kong mas ibigin ka sa kabilang buhay.


- Kristin Ann Laurel

Somebody Posted My Tagalog Translation of Browning's Poem On Yahoo

I posted my authentic 3-year old Tagalog version of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem "How Do I Love Thee" ( Sonnet 43 ) on Multiply last July 2007. Since then I've noticed that blog post has heaped plenty of spectators and a handful of them privately messaged me about the poem. Albeit the fact that I don't know these people, I generously messaged them back and candidly thanked them for appreciating my work.


These people are not included among my few Multiply contacts so I was profoundly wondering how they knew about that vernacular translation post. Last January 12, 2008 , an anonymous Multiply user posted a comment on that blog and privately messaged me. And again, inquisitive and confused, I contiguously messaged that stranger , thanked him for his comments and inquired how he knew about my Tagalog translation and my site as well. But I received an undeviating vague response. Again.


Days sublimely passed by, viewers have been strangely increasing. I was wondering further because these spectators were viewing only that page.. never my photos,  not even my homepage! For so long I've been pondering about it.

Around 2 AM I hoisted up because pesky mosquitoes feasted on my legs and savored my blood. Grrrrrrr!

I turned on the PC and checked my social network sites as usual. St. Internet unsparingly stole away my sleepiness and found myself gazing at Yahoo's Homepage. My fingers daintily kissed the keyboard , started to scribble my name on the search engine. My eyes slothfully scanned the results and something caught my attention.





I checked it and found out that somebody posted my Browning's Tagalog's translation and my Multiply URL. on Yahoo .








This discovery has affirmed my conclusion that somebody posted my Browning's Tagalog translation URL on the web and has enlightened me why unfamiliar spectators kept viewing that particular Multiply post. And to the one who posted my literary objet d'art.. my candid gratitude to you for giving some acknowledgment to my modest piece! However, I would be more thankful if you sought my consent before publishing my work. :P