8 Tagalog Poems About Love

Explore José Corazón de Jesús' 1929 poem that can be translated into the title "Hands of a Virgin" or "Virgin Hand."

"Mapuputing kamay, malasutla't lambot,
Kung hinahawi mo itong aking buhok,
Ang lahat ng aking dalita sa loob
Ay nalilimot ko nang lubos na lubos.

At parang bulakak na nangakabuka
Ang iyong daliring talulot ng ganda,
Kung nasasalat ko, O butihing sinta,
Parang ang bulakiak kahalikan ko na.

Kamay na mabait, may bulak sa lambot,
May puyo sa gitna paglikom sa loob;
Magagandang kamay na parang may gamut,
Isang daang sugat nabura sa haplos.

Parang mga ibong maputi't mabait
Na nakakatulog sa tapat ng dibdib;
Ito'y bumubuka sa isa kong halik
At sa aking pisngi at napakatamis

Ang sabi sa k'wento, ang kamay ng birhen
Ay napababait ang kahit salarin;
Ako ay masama, nang ikaw'y giliwin,
Ay nagpakababait nang iyong haplusin."

See how this beautiful poem is translated into the English language.

Fair hands, both soft and silk-like
whenever you touch my hair
all the doubts that I keep inside
are all completely forgotten.

And like a blooming flower,
your fingers are petals of beauty;
that whenever I touch, Oh fair darling,
is like kissing the rose itself.

Kind hands, with softness of cotton
with a swirl at the center that gathers inside,
Beautiful hands that seems to have the cure,
with a simple touch heals a hundred wounds.

Similar to gentle, white birds
that could sleep at their chests
with a single kiss of mine it begins to open
and at my cheeks it feels so sweet.

As the story goes, the hands of a virgin
are gentle and without fault;
I who am evil when I adored you
Becomes very kind when touched by you.

Dive into this short but poignant love poem written in Tagalog with an unknown author.

"Kung ikaw lang sana ay isang bituin
Saka ako’y buwang lagi mong kapiling
Suyuin man kita kung gabing malalim
Walang mapangutyang lilibak sa atin
Sa likod ng ulap, ikaw ay akin din."

Examine the English translation of this sweet love poem.

If only you were a star
And I was a moon always with you
I could woo you in the deep night
And no one would ridicule us
And behind the clouds, you’d be mine.

Huseng Sisiw explores a past love in the Tagalog love poem "Awa Sa Pag-Ibig."

"Oh! Kaawa-awang buhay ko sa iba
Mula at sapol ay gumiliw-giliw na,
Nguni’t magpangayon ang wakas ay di pa
Nagkamit ng tungkol pangalang ginhawa.

Ano’t ang ganti mong pagbayad sa akin,
Ang ako’y umasa’t panasa-nasain,
At inilagak mong sabing nahabilin,
Sa langit ang awa saka ko na hintin!

Ang awa ng langit at awa mo naman
Nagkakaisa na kaya kung sa bagay?
Banta ko’y hindi rin; sa awa mong tunay,
Iba ang sa langit na maibibigay.

Ano ang ganti mo sa taglay kong hirap,
Sa langit na hintin ang magiging habag?
Napalungi namang patad yaring palad,
Sa ibang suminta’t gumiliw ng tapat."

Get lost in the English translation of this unique love poem.

Oh, life of mine so full of misery!
From the very beginning, love has smitten me.
But until now, the end has not yet come
For me to obtain any comfort.

Why is it that you repay my affection
By making me hope and be wistful
And you give in the guise of testament
For heaven is mercy and I should wait for it.

Heaven’s mercy and your own mercy,
Are they one and the same perhaps?
I suspect they are not – your true pity
Would not be the same as that given by heaven.

Is that your answer to my misery,
That I look to heaven for mercy?
Misfortune has overtaken my fate
Your love and loyalty is for someone else.

Love runs deep in the Tagalog poem "Ring of Love" by José de la Cruz under his pen name.

"Ah! Sayang na sayang, sayang na pag-ibig,
Sayang na singsing kong nahulog sa tubig;
Kung ikaw rin lamang ang makasasagip,
Mahanga’y hintin kong kumati ang tubig!"

Non-native speakers can also enjoy this English translation.

Too bad, too bad for my love, ah me!
Too bad my ring fell into the sea;
If no one but you could get it for me,
I'd rather wait till the sea ebbs away!

The old saying "love never dies" hits a tender chord in the poem "Kahit Saan."

"Kung sa mga daang nilalakaran mo,
may puting bulaklak ang nagyukong damo
na nang dumaan ka ay biglang tumungo
tila nahihiyang tumunghay sa iyo. . .
Irog, iya’y ako!

Kung may isang ibong tuwing takipsilim,
nilalapitan ka at titingin-tingin,
kung sa iyong silid masok na magiliw
at ika’y awitan sa gabing malalim. . .
Ako iyan, Giliw!

Kung tumingala ka sa gabing payapa
at sa langit nama’y may ulilang tala
na sinasabugan ikaw sa bintana
ng kanyang malungkot na sinag ng luha
Iya’y ako, Mutya!

Kung ikaw’y magising sa dapit-umaga,
isang paruparo ang iyong nakita
na sa masetas mong didiligin sana
ang pakpak ay wasak at nanlalamig na. . .
Iya’y ako, Sinta!

Kung nagdarasal ka’t sa matang luhaan
ng Kristo’y may isang luhang nakasungaw,
kundi mo mapahid sa panghihinayang
at nalulungkot ka sa kapighatian. . .
Yao’y ako, Hirang!

Ngunit kung ibig mong makita pa ako,
akong totohanang nagmahal sa iyo;
hindi kalayuan, ikaw ay tumungo
sa lumang libinga’t doon, asahan mong. . .
magkikita tayo!"

While a translation never does a poem justice, explore this beautiful English translation of a poem about love in Tagalog.

If on the roads you walk,
the bent grass has white flowers
which when you passed by suddenly turned
seems embarrassed to look at you. . .
Irog, that's me!

If there is a bird at dusk,
approaching you and looking around,
if in your room enter friendly
and you will sing at night deep...
That's me, Giliw!

If you look up at a peaceful night
and in heaven, there is an orphan
blowing you out the window
of his sad beam of tears
That's me, Mutya!

If you wake up early in the morning,
you saw a butterfly
that in the masetas you would have watered
the wings have been shown solely to give a sense of proportion...
That's me, darling!

If you pray in tears
of Christ there are tears streaming down,
but thou shalt anoint with regret
and you grieve over the tribulation...
That's me, Hirang!

But if you want to see me more,
I truly love you;
not far away, you head
in the old tomb and there, expect...
we will meet!

Japanese Haiku has nothing on Clodualdo del Mundo's poem "Her Eyes."

"Dalawang bituing
kumikislap-kislap
sa gitna
ng dilim. . .

Tambal ng aliw
na sasayaw-sayaw
sa tuwing ako’y
naninimdim. . .
Bukang-liwayway
ng isang pagsintang
walang maliw

Takipsilim
ng isang pusong
di magtataksil!"

Watch how a lover's eyes shine in this English translation.

Two stars
twinkling
in the middle
of the darkness. . .

A patch of consolation
that will dance
every time I
reflect. . .
Dawn
of passion
unfailing!

Twilight
of a heart that will
not betray!

See how Santos plays tribute to a shy woman in the poem "The Sulker."

"Damong makahiya na munting masanggi’y
nangunguyumpis na’t buong nakikimi,
matalsikan lamang hamog na konti’t
halik ng amiha’y mabigla sa dampi
mga kinaliskis na daho’y tutupi’t
tila na totoong lanta na’t uns’yami.

Mutyang balintataw ng buwang maningning
sa salang mabiro ng masayang hangi’y
pipikit na agad sa likod ng dilim,
panakaw-nakaw na sa lupa’y titingin,
sa tanaw ng ulap at ng panganorin.

Malinaw na batis ng mahinhing bukal
na napalalabo ng bahagyang ulan,
kahit dahong tuyo na malaglag lamang
ay nagdaramdam nang tila nasugatan;
isang munting batong sa kanya’y magalaw
ay dumaraing na at natitigilan.

Matingkad na kulay ng mayuming sutlang
kay-sarap damitin at napakagara,
munting mapatakan ng hamog o luha,
ay natulukot na’t agad namumutla;
salang malibangan sa taguang sadya’ y
pinamamahayan ng ipis at tanga.

Kalapating puting may batik sa pakpak,
munting makalaya’y malayo ang lipad;
habang masagana sa sariling pugad,
ay napakaamo at di lumalayas;
nguni, pag sa palay ay minsang manalat,
sa may-alagad man ay nagmamailap.

Oh, Pusong tampuhin! Ang langit ng buhay
ay wala sa pusong laging mapagdamdam;
hindi nagluluwat ang kapayapaang
mamahay sa palad na hubad sa lumbay;
lalo sa pag-irog, ang tampo’y di bagay
kaning maya’t-maya at, nakamamatay!"

Explore this work of literary mastery through this English translation.

Weeds that are a little shy,
they are squealing and they are all smirking,
just a little fog and a little
kiss of amiha will be surprised by the touch
of scales that the leaves will fold and it
looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring.

The shining moon of the bright moon
in the mischievous room of the happy air will
close immediately behind the darkness,
stealthily looking at the ground,
in the view of the clouds and the sky.

Clear streams of soft springs
obscured by partial rain,
even dry leaves that fall only feel
as if injured;
a small rock to move him was already
moaning and stunned.

The bright color of the delicate silk is
very nice to wear and very elegant, slightly smeared
with dew or tears, it
is wrinkled and immediately pale;
salang malibangan sa taguang sadya 'y
inhabited by cockroaches and fools.

White dove with spots on the wings, a
little free to fly away;
while abundant in its own nest,
is very gentle and does not run away;
but, when it is ripe, it sometimes spreads, even when
the disciple is hungry.

Oh, Heartbreaking! The heavens of life
are not in the heart always sensitive;
peace does not linger
in the palm of the hand naked in sorrow;
especially in love, the contribution is not appropriate from
time to time and, deadly!

Dive into the beauty of the sea through this Tagalog love poem by Ildefonso Santos.

"Marahang-marahang
manaog ka, Irog, at kata'y lalakad,
maglulunoy katang
payapang-payapa sa tabi ng dagat;
di na kailangang
sapnan pa ang paang binalat-sibuyas,
ang daliring garing
at sakong na wari'y kinuyom na rosas!
Manunulay kata,
habang maaga pa, sa isang pilapil
na nalalatagan
ng damong may luha ng mga bituin;
patiyad na tayo
ay maghahabulang simbilis ng hangin,
nguni't walang ingay,
hangganq sa sumapit sa tiping buhangin...
Pagdating sa tubig,
mapapaurong kang parang nanginigmi,
gaganyakin kata
sa nangaroroong mga lamang-lati:
doon ay may tahong,
talaba't halaang kabigha-bighani,
hindi kaya natin
mapuno ang buslo bago tumanghali?
Pagdadapit-hapon
kata'y magbabalik sa pinanggalingan,
sugatan ang paa
at sunog ang balat sa sikat ng araw...
Talagang ganoon:
Sa dagat man, irog, ng kaligayahan,
lahat, pati puso
ay naaagnas ding marahang-marahan..."

Though it's not a perfect English translation, see the beauty of this Tagalog poem about love.

Softly-softly
down, Move and let us go,
indulge crab
remarkably calm in the sea
there is no need to
cover the peeled onion,
the ivory finger
and heel that look like a pink rose!
Witch kata,
while still early, on an embankment
covered
with grass with tears of stars;
tiptoe that we
will chase as fast as the wind
but no noise,
until it reaches the sand dunes…
When it comes to water,
you will be pushed back like a coward,
gaganyakin kata
in the presence of locusts:
there is mussels,
oyster and magical charm,
we can't
fill the basket before noon?
Late afternoon
kata will return to the origin,
injured the foot
and sunburn…
Really like that:
Whether in the sea, irog, of happiness,
all, including the heart
is also decomposing slowly…

Examples of Tagalog love poetry, also known in the Philippines as tula sa pag-ibig, tula ng pag-ibig, or tulang pag-ibig, meaning poem of love, love poem, or poem on love respectively, are a great addition to any poetry collection. The beauty of the language makes the works of these poets even more special for readers to experience. Enjoy more about the Tagalog language by looking through beautiful Filipino words and their meanings.