I was scouring my feed one day when I came across @jazzhero's heart tugging, well-nuanced and cleverly-written Tagalog poem titled Tagpuan. Tagpuan means rendevous or meeting place, and his poem was an entry to a word poetry challenge of that theme. I was at once captivated by its rhyming and nuanced word play as the hopeful, almost wistful meaning of the poem was slowly unraveled. Starting off in a bitter and regretful tone in the first major stanzas, he managed to make both (somber) tones "meet" in a hopeful reconciliation at the ending stanzas both in a literal and figurative way. An excellent wordplay and melding of ideas in the ending parts showed that combined negative tones can form positive vibes, but would translate to negative meanings if read or taken separately independent of one another.

"Rendezvous"   is a humble English translation of @jazzhero's original Tagalog poem. I enjoyed translating it to English because the original version gave an encouraging and solid start. But there are some beautifully profound Tagalog words that I found hard to translate or find a counterpart in English, I hope this translation captured the semantics, concept and meaning of the original without much loss of context.

Thank you @jazzhero for encouraging me to post this fan-made English translation of your poem. This is a tribute for your 10-km journey 😉

An English Fan Translation

Rendezvous (Tagpuan)

Many times I've walked the 10-kilometer road
Footfalls heavy, I'm enticed to expire and unload
I will endure if somewhere, joy awaits
But always you— Many times I find an empty place

Tears flowed in our promised place
For we ended up parting ways
Who gave the verdict and judged what should not?
It seems that love be tainted, be for naught
Our promised place— I long to forget

This long and lonely road I will endure with eyes closed
While wailing memories usher you back
Your words etched forever in the back of my mind
Sowed bitter anger that broiled my heart stark

I journey back to our days of yore
And the Present brought about by loneliness
Seems like fate that hearts collide and then break, explore
That we parted forever must be a kindness
Do not show in our promised place, I implore

Many times I've walked This long and lonely road
Some hundred miles I can trudge with eyes closed
The weight of each footfall Ushers you back to me
I want to give up The wailing memory

I can endure if Your words I comprehend
A happiness is promised, will never end
You always never failed To sow in my heart
An empty rendezvous of anger and pain

In our promised place, Recall the days of yore
Tears flowed For joy traveled with us forevermore
We wounded up In this Present brought
By the end Of bitter loneliness
Who would have thought? Seems like Fate dictated
And decided Never two hearts part
Seems like never It was good that we walked apart
Let love be pure, forever

In our sacred place I, In our rendezvous you,
Hope we Will not
Forget To visit

-translated by @raiserxn
 2018/06/29