Alamat ng Mirasol - Legend of the Mirasol

FILIPINO VERSION

Scroll Down for English Version

Noong unang panahon, may isang mag-asawa na ubod ng bait. Napamahal sa mga kapitbahay ang mag-asawa sapagkat ang mga ito ay matulungin sa lahat. Nakita rin ng diyosa ng araw ang lahat ng mabuting gawain ng mag-asawa at ito ay labis na natuwa sa kanila.

Subalit ang mag-asawa ay hindi lubusang masaya sapagkat sila ay hindi biniyayaan ng supling. Matagal nang nagsasama ang dalawa ngunit hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin silang anak. Tumatanda na ang mag-asawa at sila ay nalulungkot sa tuwing naiisip nila kung kanino nila iiwanan ang kanilang ari-arian. Naisip ng mag-asawa na ipamana na lamang ito sa isang malayong kamag-anak sakaling hindi talaga sila mabigyan ng anak.

Ngunit taimtim pa rin silang nagdarasal na sana’y bigyan din sila ng batang aalagaan. Narinig ng diyosa ng araw ang panalangin ng mag-asawa. Dahil nakita niyang mabait sa kapwa ang dalawa, ipinagkaloob niya ang kanilang hiling. Ang mag-asawa ay nagkaroon ng isang anak na babae na kanilang pinangalanang Mirasol.

Mahal na mahal ng mag-asawa ang kanilang anak na si Mirasol. Dahil sa siya ay ang nag-iisang anak, lahat ng magagandang bagay ay binibigay ng dalawa sa bata. Lumaking mabuti at matulungin ang bata katulad ng kanyang mga magulang.

Isang araw, nagkaroon ng malubhang sakit sa bayan at sa kasawiang palad. ang mag-asawa ay kasama sa nadapuan nito. Dahil sa matanda na, alam ng dalawa na mahirap na silang gumaling mula sa sakit. Naging malubha ang kalagayan ng dalawa at walang magawa si Mirasol.

Bago namatay ang mag-asawa, inihabilin nila ang kanilang nag-iisang anak at ari-arian sa pangangalaga ng kanilang malayong kamag-anak.

Pumayag ang kamag-anak ngunit alam niya na pag umabot sa tamang gulang ang bata, kay Mirasol mapupunta ang lahat ng ari-arian. Naging sakim ang kamag-anak. Ninais nitong mapasakanya ang lahat ng ari-arian kaya’t si Mirasol ay ginawa niyan alipin habang siya ay nagpapasarap sa yamang naiwan ng mag-asawa.

Si Mirasol ang pinag-lilinis niya ng bahay, pinag-lalaba, pinag-papakain ng mga alagang hayop at iba pang gawaing bahay. Madalas ding pinapagalitan at pinaparusahan ng kamag-anak ang bata. Ilang ulit din siyang hindi pinapakain. Natutulog na lamang itong pagod at walang laman ang tiyan.

Isang araw, hindi na naman nakakain si Mirasol. Habang naglilinis sa bakuran ay umiiyak ito na nagdarasal na sana’y matigil na ang kalabisang ginagawa ng kamag-anak sa kanya.

Narinig ng diyosa ng araw ang hinagpis ng bata. Ito ay nagsalita at sinabing simula sa araw na iyon ay hindi na siya masasaktan ng kamag-anak. Habang maliwanag at naririyan ang diyosa ay may magbabantay sa kanya.

Pagkatapos magsalita ng diyosa, nagpasalamat si Mirasol at nakita niyang unti-unting nagbabago ang kanyang anyo. Si Mirasol ay naging isang halaman na may maganda at kulay dilaw na bulaklak. Simula noon, tinawag ng taong bayan ang halaman na Mirasol.

Sa ngayon, makikita natin ang halaman na Mirasol na nakatingala sa araw na waring nagpapasalamat sa pagliligtas ng diyosa. Sa gabi, pag wala na ang liwanag ng araw, ito ay yumuyuko upang hindi mapansin ng mapang-aping kamag-anak.

ENGLISH VERSION

Back in the ancient days, there was once a good and generous couple who were loved dearly by their neighbors. The neighbors loved them since they helped all of them whenever they could. Everybody was fond of them because of their giving nature and the goddess of the sun was very pleased with their work.

But despite this, there was something that was lacking because they couldn't have a child of their own. The two have been together for quite some time now and were getting old. They thought about the future and and worried about who would take care of their property when they are to pass. They pondered on just giving their property to their distant relatives if they aren't able to conceive.

Yet they remained hopeful and prayerful that they would still be given that chance to have a child of their own to take care of and love. The goddess of the sun heard their prayers and because she saw that they were very kind to their neighbors she granted them their desires.

The couple was very elated to find out that the wife was pregnant and after a few months she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her name was Mirasol.


The couple loved their only daughter Mirasol dearly. Since she was their only child, they showered her with gifts and beautiful things to play with. She grew up just as helpful and benevolent as her parents and they were very happy.

It would seem that this happiness would not last long for darkness was soon to overcome their small town. A plague swept from out of nowhere ravishing their little barrio, decimating the populace to a fraction of what it was.

Mirasol's father and mother were among those who died.

Try as she might to revive them, there was nothing the little girl can do. She was all alone. Before her parents died, they gave their relatives one dying wish, to take care of Mirasol until such time that she can take care of herself.

But these relatives, long envious of the fortune of the family, carried within them the poisoned seeds of envy. They knew that when the time comes when Mirasol is of age, she would be the one who would partake of it. They became greedy and plotted on how they could seize it from the little girl.

They treated her shabbily and made her live as a slave while they enjoyed the fruits of the couple's hard work and fortune.

Every day, they would make Mirasol clean the house, do the laundry and feed the animals and do the other difficult chores. Mirasol was always scolded harshly and punished horribly. At times, they wouldn't even feed her and she became accustomed to starving as she slept in a tiny and dirty corner of the house.

One day, as the starving child was cleaning the fence, she remembered her parents and cried. She missed them horribly and prayed that the harsh treatment given to her would end.

Unbeknownst to her, the goddess of the sun was watching her plight. She made herself known, came forward and consoled the little girl. She promised that she would never again be hurt by them. For as long as sunlight is there then the goddess of the sun will also be there to protect her.

Mirasol managed to give her thanks to the goddess and as she was looking in the goddess eyes, she began to feel her body changing. It felt like sunlight was coming out of her and her hunger disappeared. When the brightness has gone, she realized that she has turned into a plant with a beautiful yellow flower.

The townsfolk tried looking for the girl but she was nowhere to be found. They searched in vain but all that they could find was the yellow flower who raises its head to the sun whenever it appeared. At night, it would bow its head so as to hide itself from the abusive relative.

---

Researched and Rewritten by Lovedy
Translated and Formatted by Daniel Andrei Garcia