The Chavacano Translation of The Little Prince Is Now Available
This Spanish-based creole language is spoken in Zamboanga City and Basilan.
(SPOT.ph) The Little Prince (1943) by Antoine de Saint Exupéry is the second most translated literary work in the world, next only to the Bible. Originally written in French, it now has been translated into more than 500 languages, including a Filipino translation (Ang Munting Prinsipe) by essayist and poet Lilia F. Antonio and a Bikol translation (An Sadit na Prinsipe) by Wilmer Joseph Tria. If you want to take things further and celebrate this well-loved book in another local language, you can also grab a copy of The Little Prince in Chavacano. The reprint of El Diutay Principe is available online for P699.
Also read: The SPOT.ph Guide to Chavacano Cuisine in Zamboanga
The Little Prince in Chavacano
Translated and self-published by Jerome Herrera, El Diutay Principe was first released in September 2018. It is a translation into the Spanish-based creole language that's widely spoken in Zamboanga City and Basilan, with existing variations in Cavite City and Ternate. Chavacano, sometimes written as Chabacano, is the only Spanish-based creole in Asia.
"I created this translation because I love the Chavacano language and I have a lot of respect for it. I did not translate just so that I can say that I did or to make my resume or my credentials look nicer. This book is a true labor of love. It is priceless. Not even all the stars in the sky can compensate [for] the amount of time and effort that has been placed in making this book a reality," Herrera said in a statement.
Born and raised in Zamboanga City, he began to take interest in his mother tongue after learning the "many glaring similarities and nuances" between the Spanish language and the Chavacano language. He later created Bien Chabacano, a website that celebrates the Chavacano language. Herrera only came across The Little Prince in 2013, which was a "very timely point" in his life when he needed the optimism of the children's book.
But translating the book into Chavacano was not easy.
"The number one challenge was definitely spelling. While the city government of Zamboanga came out with a recommendation that all Chavacano words should be spelled etymologically, they did not establish specific rules and limitations that surround that general rule. It wasn’t clear how etymologically pure or how close to the original language they wanted the spelling system to be. Thus, I decided to create a unique spelling system surrounding the general orthographic rule prescribed by the local government," Herrera explained.
The book, which comes with colorful illustrations printed on glossy paper, also includes a glossary to widen the reader's Chavacano vocabulary.
El Diutay Principe is available online for P699. For more information, follow El Diutay Principe on Facebook.
Ang Munting Prinsipe is available for P450 through Southern Voices Printing Press's Facebook page, and An Sadit na Prinsipe is available for P350 through Savage Mind's Shopee page.