Manang Biday

Manang Biday (Kurditan: ᜋᜈᜅ᜔ ᜊᜒᜇᜌ᜔) is a traditional Ilocano folksong in Northern Luzon, particularly in the province of Ilocos. This song implies the courtship of a young maiden named Manang Biday. Serenading a love interest is a custom of the Filipinos. Until today, it is still practiced by the Ilocano. It is also a courtship dance. "Manang Biday" was originally composed by Florante Aguilar.

Original Ilocano lyrics
Manang Biday, ilukatmo man

Ta bintana ikalumbabam

Ta kitaem ‘toy kinayawan

Ay, matayakon no dinak kaasian

Siasino ka, nga aglabaslabas

Ditoy hardinko pagay-ayamak

Ammom ngarud a balasangak

Sabong ni lirio, di pay nagukrad

Denggem, ading, ta bilinenka

Ta inkanto ‘diay sadi daya

Agalakanto’t bunga’t mangga

Ken lansones pay, adu a kita

No nababa, dimo gaw-aten

No nangato, dika sukdalen

No naregreg, dika piduten

Ngem labaslabasamto met laeng

Daytoy paniok no maregregko

Ti makapidut isublinanto

Ta nagmarka iti naganko

Nabordaan pay ti sinanpuso

Alaem dayta kutsilio

Ta abriem ‘toy barukongko

Tapno maipapasmo ti guram

Kaniak ken sentimiento

ᜃᜓᜇ᜔ᜇᜒᜆᜈ᜔᜶ (Kurditan transcription)
ᜋᜈᜅ᜔ ᜊᜒᜇᜌ᜔᜵ ᜁᜎᜓᜃᜆ᜔ᜋᜓ ᜋᜈ᜔

ᜆ ᜊᜒᜈ᜔ᜆᜈ ᜁᜃᜎᜓᜋ᜔ᜊᜊᜋ᜔

ᜆ ᜃᜒᜆᜁᜋ᜔ 'ᜆᜓᜌ᜔ ᜃᜒᜈᜌᜏᜈ᜔

ᜀᜌ᜔᜵ ᜋᜆᜌᜃᜓᜈ᜔ ᜈᜓ ᜇᜒᜈᜃ᜔ ᜃᜀᜐᜒᜀᜈ᜔

ᜐᜒᜀᜐᜒᜈᜓ ᜃ᜵ ᜅ ᜀᜄ᜔ᜎᜊᜐ᜔ᜎᜊᜐ᜔

ᜇᜒᜆᜓᜌ᜔ ᜑᜇ᜔ᜇᜒᜈ᜔ ᜃᜓ ᜉᜄᜌ᜔-ᜀᜌᜋᜃ᜔

ᜀᜋ᜔ᜋᜓᜋ᜔ ᜅᜇᜓᜇ᜔ ᜀ ᜊᜎᜐᜅᜃ᜔

ᜐᜊᜓᜅ᜔ ᜈᜒ ᜎᜒᜇᜒᜂ᜵ ᜇᜒ ᜉᜌ᜔ ᜈᜄᜓᜃ᜔ᜇᜇ᜔

ᜇᜒᜅ᜔ᜄᜒᜋ᜔᜵ ᜀᜇᜒᜅ᜔᜵ ᜆ ᜊᜒᜎᜒᜈᜒᜈ᜔ᜃ

ᜆ ᜁᜈ᜔ᜃᜈ᜔ᜆᜓ ‘ᜇᜒᜀᜌ᜔ ᜐᜇᜒ ᜇᜌ

ᜀᜄᜎᜃᜈ᜔ᜆᜓ‘ᜆ᜔ ᜊᜓᜅ‘ᜆ᜔ ᜋᜅ᜔ᜄ

ᜃᜒᜈ᜔ ᜎᜈ᜔ᜐᜓᜈᜒᜐ᜔ ᜉᜌ᜔᜵ ᜀᜇᜓ ᜀ ᜃᜒᜆ

ᜈᜓ ᜈᜊᜊ᜵ ᜇᜒᜋᜓ ᜄᜏ᜔‘ᜀᜆᜒᜈ᜔

ᜈᜓ ᜈᜅᜆᜓ᜵ ᜇᜒᜃ ᜐᜓᜃ᜔

ᜈᜓ ᜈᜇᜒᜄ᜔ᜇᜒᜄ᜔᜵ ᜇᜒᜃ ᜉᜒᜇᜓᜆᜒᜈ᜔

ᜅᜒᜋ᜔ ᜎᜊᜐ᜔ᜎᜊᜐ᜔ᜀᜋ᜔ᜆᜓ ᜋᜒᜆ᜔ ᜎᜁᜅ᜔

ᜇᜌ᜔ᜆᜓᜌ᜔ ᜉᜈᜒᜂᜃ᜔ ᜈᜓ ᜋᜇᜒᜄ᜔ᜇᜒᜄ᜔ᜃᜓ

ᜆᜒ ᜋᜃᜉᜒᜇᜓᜆ᜔ ᜁᜐᜓᜊ᜔ᜎᜒᜈᜈ᜔ᜆᜓ

ᜆ ᜈᜄ᜔ᜋᜇ᜔ᜃ ᜁᜆᜒ ᜈᜄᜈ᜔ᜃᜓ

ᜈᜊᜓᜇ᜔ᜇᜀᜈ᜔ ᜉᜌ᜔ ᜆᜒ ᜐᜒᜈᜈ᜔ᜉᜓᜐᜓ

ᜀᜎᜁᜋ᜔ ᜇᜌ᜔ᜆ ᜃᜓᜆ᜔ᜐᜒᜎ᜔ᜌᜓ

ᜆ ᜀᜊ᜔ᜇᜒᜁᜋ᜔ 'ᜆᜓᜌ᜔ ᜊᜇᜓᜃᜓᜅ᜔ᜃᜓ

ᜆᜉ᜔ᜈᜓ ᜋᜁᜉᜉᜐ᜔ᜋᜓ ᜆᜒ ᜄᜓᜇᜋ᜔

ᜃᜈᜒᜀᜃ᜔ ᜆᜒ ᜐᜒᜈ᜔ᜆᜒᜋᜒᜁᜈ᜔ᜆᜓ

English translation
Dear Biday, please open

Open your window

So you can see the one who adores you

Oh, I will die if you will not care

Who are you who keeps passing by?

In my garden where I play

You know I'm a lady

My flowers has not bloomed

Listen my dear so I can tell you

Just go south

Get a mango fruit

Even lanzones and other kinds.

If it's low, do not grab it

If it's high, don't reach for it

If it fell, don't pick it

But pass by it

My handkerchief if I drop it

Whoever finds it will return it

My name is written in it

Also embroidered is a heart

Get that knife

To open my chest

To pass your anger

to me and sadness

In popular culture
In 1954, Filipina actress Gloria Romero played the role of Biday in the movie Dalagang Ilokana with Filipino actor Ric Rodrigo. The movie was produced by Sampaguita Pictures and the folksong Manang Biday was used as a theme song sung by Gloria Romero herself.

Manang Biday was the title of a Filipino comedy film directed by Tony Cayado and was released by Lea Productions 17 April 1966 starring Amalia Fuentes and Luis Gonzales.