# bahag ang buntot



## Qcumber

*Maíngay táyo pag tayô-tayô láng péro pagkaharáp ang kalában bahág ang buntót.*
"Just let’s all stand up vociferously, but after facing the adversary 'the tail is a loincloth'."

I find this sentence (from a website) hard to understand because of the grammar - it seems some linkers are missing - and because of the expression *bahág ang buntót* "the tail is a loincloth". Of course it’s figurative, but I can’t figure out what it means, and how it can fit in the structure of the sentence. Hence my ludicrous translation.

From the context (below) It seems to convey the idea of "fighting to the end".

Pero nasaan and daan-daan na sumulat dito upang ipahayag ang suporta para sa Pilipino. Parang gusto ko nang maniwala na ang Pilipino hanggang bulong nalang. We cannot even air our complaints in the open. Para tayong mga bata na nagrereklamo na pabulong. *Maingay tayo pag tayo-tayo lang pero pagkaharap ang kalaban bahag ang buntot.* Probably that is why we spent 300 years under the Spaniards, 100 years with the Americans, 21 years under Marcos and who knows how many years under the dwarf of Malacanang. We are just a bunch subservient creatures. We really deserve the government we have. Bagay nga tayo sa Gobyernong ito. Linoloko na tayo ng harapan pumapalakpak pa tayo. Ang Galing ng Pinoy! Hindi lang Bobo, Tanga pa!!! Kaya nahuli sila Faeldon at San Juan ay dahil sa reward money na P100,000/head. Ganyan na tayo kababa. We are not only a country of prostitutes and thieves but also of traitors. Ano ang gagawin mo Pinoy. Iaasa mo nanaman ang kinabukasan mo sa iilang bayani tulad ni Faeldon at San Juan. Tulad ng pagtapon mo sa basura sa harap ng bahay mo! Umaasa ka na may ibang pupulot at maglinis ng iyong dumi. Hind kaya ni Faeldon at San Juan o ang buong Magdalo ang labang ito. Gumising ka Pinoy at Lumaban. Laban!!!


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## kios_01

Actually, your translation is way off the mark. "Bahag ang buntot" actually suggests cowardice, fear or something to that effect. 

It's been a while since I heard that figure of speech again. I remember it being used quite often in Filipino books we used back in school.

I'm not familiar with the origin of the expression. My guess is that it came from the fact that when a warrior retreats from a fight, what his enemy would see is his backside (figuratively his _buntot_ or tail) covered, of course, by the loincloth (the _bahag_). Of course, that's just my guess.


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## Qcumber

kios_01 said:


> Actually, your translation is way off the mark. "Bahag ang buntot" actually suggests cowardice, fear or something to that effect.  It's been a while since I heard that figure of speech again. I remember it being used quite often in Filipino books we used back in school. I'm not familiar with the origin of the expression. My guess is that it came from the fact that when a warrior retreats from a fight, what his enemy would see is his backside (figuratively his _buntot_ or tail) covered, of course, by the loincloth (the _bahag_). Of course, that's just my guess.


It makes sense! When a warrior fled his enemy, he turned his back, ran away, and what his enemy saw was the tail (buntót) of his loincloth (bahág). Thanks a lot, Kios.
As you can see, this expression occurs in a recent text, so it is still in current usage.
What I still don't understand is the grammar of the whole sentence.
How would you translate it?


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## Qcumber

I think the sentence should be corrected as:
*Maíngay táyong pag tayô-tayô láng péro pagkaharáp ang kalában ay bahág ang buntót.*
"Just let’s all stand up vociferously, but after facing the adversary who has fled."
which I'd rephrase as:
"Just let's all stand up in protest, but only once the enemy has fled." [a very ironical remark]

This being said, from a syntactic point of view the frozen expression _bahág ang buntót_ sounds wrong. It should be _(ipakíta ang) buntót ng bahág_, shouldn't it?

BTW, Eng. _coward_ comes from French _couard - _now pronounced [kwa:R]_ - _derived from _queue_ "tail". A similar metaphor.


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> *Maíngay táyo pag tayô-tayô láng péro pagkaharáp ang kalában bahág ang buntót.*



Literally: We are noisy among ourselves but when faced with our _opponent_, [we become] cowards.

It's a description: 

I'm sorry I cannot find the right synonym for _adversary _in this context. *Kalaban* in this sentence can also symbolize someone higher than you or simply, an equal. 

Let me give two scenarios: 

1. You are one of the employees of a company with lots of complaints about the system.  Among your colleagues, you are not afraid to voice out your complaints but when the boss is around, you seem to be submissive, though unwillingly. You would even give him a fake smile. 

2. You are the second child and your eldest brother is the breadwinner in the family. All of your siblings hate his behavior and every time he's not around, you would gossip about him. But when he's at home, all of you are quiet and shows him respect because you are depending on him.


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> I think the sentence should be corrected as:
> *Maíngay táyong pag tayô-tayô láng péro pagkaharáp ang kalában ay bahág ang buntót.*
> 
> "Just let's all stand up in protest, but only once the enemy has fled." [a very ironical remark]



The sentence is correct and it's a description and not in imperative mood. 

It is the inverted form of *Tayo ay maingay kapag tayo-tayo lang; pero pag kaharap [natin] ang kalaban, bahag ang [ating] buntot.  

*It would sound unnatural to add the omitted words. Also, the *ay* structure (be verb=is) is only used in written language.


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> The sentence is correct and it's a description and not in imperative mood.
> 
> It is the inverted form of *Tayo ay maingay kapag tayo-tayo lang; pero pag kaharap [natin] ang kalaban, bahag ang [ating] buntot. *
> 
> It would sound unnatural to add the omitted words. Also, the *ay* structure (be verb=is) is only used in written language.


So its *kapág táyo-táyo láng* "when we are among ourselves". 
Now I understand how this sentence is constructed. Your explanation, and your punctuation are illuminating, FFrancis.Thank you so much.

P.S. Tagalog *ay* is not a verb. It's a particle whose grammar would deserve a monograph.


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> I'm sorry I cannot find the right synonym for _adversary _in this context. *Kalaban* in this sentence can also symbolize someone higher than you or simply, an equal. [...]


I didn't know this particular value of *kalában*. It's not in my dictionary where the glosses for this entry are: adversary, opponent, antagonist, enemy, combatant.
Try as I may, I have the impression there is no English translation for this particular meaning of *kalában.*


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> P.S. Tagalog *ay* is not a verb. It's a particle whose grammar would deserve a monograph.



You may be right, but as far as I know, *ay* _can be_ the equivalent of *be* verbs. It is not an *action* verb; rather a *state-of-being* or a *linking* verb. 

Siya ay masaya. (simple present)
She is happy. 

Siya ay kumakain. (present progressive) 
She is eating. 

It is used in written language. In conversations, we would say: 

Masaya siya. 
Kumakain siya.


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> I didn't know this particular value of *kalában*. It's not in my dictionary where the glosses for this entry are: adversary, opponent, antagonist, enemy, combatant.
> Try as I may, I have the impression there is no English translation for this particular meaning of *kalában.*



In the examples given, the boss is not aware that his subordinates are his secret enemies; and the eldest bother doesn't know that his siblings are his secret enemies.  

kalaban = enemy (be it known or in secret)


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> You may be right, but as far as I know, *ay* _can be_ the equivalent of *be* verbs. It is not an *action* verb; rather a *state-of-being* or a *linking* verb.





ffrancis said:


> Siya ay kumakain. (present progressive)
> She is eating.



I don't know who came up with this wrong idea and disseminated it, but sticking to it will stray you into misunderstandings. 
If this were true, and using your example as a guide, then
e.g. *Hindî siyá kumáin ng isdâ. > Siyá ay hindî kumáin ng isdâ.*
would translate as:
"*She was not eating fish."
Whereas it actually means:
*"She didn't eat the fish."*


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> I don't know who came up with this wrong idea and disseminated it, but sticking to it will stray you into misunderstandings.
> If this were true, and using your example as a guide, then
> e.g. *Hindî siyá kumáin ng isdâ. > Siyá ay hindî kumáin ng isdâ.*
> would translate as:
> "*She was not eating fish."
> Whereas it actually means:
> *"She didn't eat the fish."*



You may be right but I'm not sure because I'm not a linguist like you. That's why I said *ay* can be the equivalent of *linking verbs* [in some cases]. Though I tend to believe that it can serve as a linking verb or a particle, depending on the sentence.


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## Pinyot

Maíngay táyo pag tayô-tayô láng péro pagkaharáp ang kalában bahág ang buntót.

Translation: We make noise when we are alone but when the enemy is in front of us we get scared.

Common English: We make such a fuzz when it's just us but we get tongue-tied when (insert proper alternative for enemy) is here.

The expression "bahag ang buntot" refers to cowardice. It comes from the reaction of animals that are scared. They usually hide their tails between their legs. That reaction looks as if the tail is being worn like a loin cloth.


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## Qcumber

Pinyot said:


> The expression "bahag ang buntot" refers to cowardice. It comes from the reaction of animals that are scared. They usually hide their tails between their legs. That reaction looks as if the tail is being worn like a loin cloth.


Yes, a very clever and clear explanation. Thanks a lot, Pinyot.


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