LOVE

A Madagascan Hain-Teny

SONG
by Flavien Ranaivo

SLIDES PREPARED BY: PAOLO ESCOBER

“Think as a Madagascan
thinks.”—Leopold Sedar
Sengor
Flavien
Ranaivo
A lyric poet deeply influenced
by Malagasy ballad and song
forms, in particular the hain-
teny.

He began formal education

only at the age of 8 and his
schooling was entirely in
Malagasy until he was 14. He
became a teacher, and during
Report by: Ranie Baldo
World War II fought with the
Flavien
Ranaivo
After the war he entered the
Civil Service, occupying posts
both in France and Madagascar.
Since 1970 he has lived in
France.

His works are mainly

established through the
synthesis of formal french and
traditional Malagasy verse.
Think of
someone
who
resembles F.
Ranaivo in
our class…
Full name
starts with G
and ends
with G!!!
Madagascan
Poetry
Madagascar is a country situated
between 3 worlds: African, European,
and Asian.

However, Madagascar’s geographical

situation greatly affected the
development of its main language,
Malagasy.
Report by: Alvin Panapanan
Madagascan
Poetry
In essence, people who don’t live
Madagascar will have difficulty in
in

understanding most of the written

literature since most of this is
primarily constructed through local
proverbs.
Hain-Teny
One of the principal forms of written
literature in Madagascar.

It is a poetic dialogue mostly written

with the concept of love.

Report by: Robin Magnaye

Hain-Teny
Most poems of this form are difficult
to be translated into other languages
when it is constructed through
onomatopoeia.

It is not correlated to African style of

writing instead it can be in contrast
with the Japanese Haiki.
Report by: Robin Magnaye
Hain-Teny
It is constructed with the use of
Malagasy language and develop with
the Madagascan folklores and
proverbs that root in central
Madagascar which is Indo-Malayan in
origin.

Report by: Robin Magnaye

TRIVIA!
Our Malayo-Polynesian language is a
sister of Malagasy language.

In Madagascar, the number 1 is

spoken as “isa”, the number 7 as
“fito”, and the hello is spoken as
“Salama!”
Love Song
Do not love me, my friend,
like your shadow—
shadows fade in the evening
and I will hold you
until the cock crows—
Do not love me like pepper,
it makes my belly too hot;
Report by: Rhon Castillo
Love Song
I(continued…)
cannot eat pepper
when I am hungry.
Do not love me like a pillow—
one would meet in sleep
and not see each other during the
day.
Love me like a dream—
for dreams are your life in the night
and my hope in the day.
Love Song
Interpretation and Poem Analysis

The poem exercises three utmost

intrinsic characteristics of
Madagascan poetry: the insistence of
parallelism in symbols, comparison,
and the use of verses as a form of
dialogue.

Report by: Paolo Escober

Love Song
Interpretation and Poem Analysis
But unlike most of Madagascan
poems, the poem doesn’t use too
much metaphorical and
onomatopoetically engulfed phrases.

It used literal meanings of the

original words with comparison to
another related phrase.
Own made Hain-Teny
entitled
“Ode of
Engineers”
Ode of Engineers
By Paolo Escober
Enthuse me to toil.
In the midst of shallowness,
take off—bequest.
Caress me to have strength.
Reverie not unless,
You reach forth—near.
Ode of Engineers
(continued…)
A thousand numbers,
And you begin to lavish.
Refuse not to overlook us.
Anticipate and trust,
The cherubim wings
fluttering—assimilating
on cavernous grounds.
 Thank you for
listening!
---
END OF REPORT