Did er a Sechou

Today’s song – Did er a Sechou [the bridge of Sechou] — celebrates a special place in Ngeremlengui, on the jetty (btelulachang) that extends from Ngermetengel.  This song was composed by Yoichi Rengiil.

Btelulachang era Ngermetengel
me a Did er a Sechou

The first recording of this song is from the Ngerel Belau Radio tapes, recorded sometime between 1963 and 1967 [1] by Baurie Oingerang [2], with Yoichi singing this song backed by the VOP (Voice of Palau) band, consisting of Hidebo Sugiyama on mandolin and Aichi Ngirchokebai on guitar. [4]  Source [3] lists the composition date as 1968; Yoichi said that date is too late and his best estimate is that he wrote it in 1963 or 1964.  This was the first song Yoichi wrote.   Yoichi recalled that this was recorded at Aichi’s Theater in Koror and that they had to wait until 2 or 3 in the morning when it was quiet enough to do the recording.  [4]

The song is played in waltz (3/4) time, is in a major key (Ionian mode) and is diatonic (all 7 notes are used).  In the 1960s recording, the chords are limited to the I, IV and V chords.  In later recordings, the musicians substitute relative minor chords.

Did ra Sechou, Yoich Rengiil and the VOP band, 1960s

The lyrics are:

(V1) [Ke] merael el mo er a did er a Sechou
e a sils a kebesengei
Lengelel a charm er a kereker
el melatk er a rengelekel

(C1) Susuri naku ng melatk er a rengelekel
Te chebuul tang te diak lodengei
el kmo kemam a chetikol

(V2) Kol oingerang kuk mo er ngii a
mo ungil deledesed
me kede mo odingel a oiloled
el ngar bita er a tab

(C2) Altae e ng sel orakiruu
me a lechub e ng tab el buil
Tanosimi ni matteru er a itsumademo

(V3) [Ke] merael el mo er a [kuk mlo] [dimla] soam
E ngak a kurusii
Kmelatk a ungil cheldechedecham
El ua blol blulekngem

(C3) Tilecha ia rengul el di obengkem
leng kau a ilteklii
Nakuna kamome dori e a aika lengelek re kau

(V4) Sarabayo di mechikung
altang mo ungil besum
E bo bechikak e ak mekerior
kuk mlo blingelek er a chelid

(C4) Meral meringel a dourureng
er a soad el di merolang
a rebldekek te ngar keltang e diak bel ngesukak

I translate this as follows:

You make your way to the bridge at Sechou
as the day descends into evening
The cries of the birds over the reef
is a reminder of her children

The birds’ crying sound, it reminds me of her children
They are the poor ones who don’t know
that we have come to dislike each other

When will it almost be
that we will both have free time
and we can go visit our place to play
that is next to the view point

Perhaps there will be a full moon
or maybe a new moon
I am looking forward to enjoying myself forever

You make your way toward what next you desire
as I am in pain
I remember your sweet words
which it turns out was just your lie

This heart is just with you
but you turned things upside down
The cries of the sea gulls are like my crying over you

Farewell, just goodbye
Perhaps your situation will be improved
Just go and leave me be as I am the unfortunate one
Instead this was my destiny

It is very hard when we are nostalgic
for our desires that are just slipping away
my ancestors, where are they and why don’t they help me?

In the fourth verse, Yoichi uses the phrase “kuk mlo blingelek er a chelid.”  A similar line is used in the song Ringelel a Chesebreng [the pain of heartache] (composer and date of composition unknown):  “altang mlo blingelek er a chelid,” with both meaning “instead/perhaps it was my fate.”  I find this an interesting phrase, which I would literally translate as “instead/perhaps it was the portion (of my life) that belongs to the gods” since blingelek is the possessed version of bliongel [share, portion, chapter].  The idea behind the phrase, I think, is that there are some things in our life that we control and others that we have no control over; these are controlled by the gods.

The Friday Night Club recorded this on their third reunion tape/CD, Friday Night Club #3.  Here is a copy posted on Soundcloud (Portia used a closeup of the actual bridge through the jetty as the photo for the song).  I have not identified the singer or the guitar player on this recording.  I believe that this recording was done in the late 90s.  According to my ears, the musicians substitute a ii-m chord for the IV chord in the last line of the verse (e.g., on the word “melatk” in the first verse).

Mariana Kikuo recorded this song on the tape “Reng el Orakiruu:  Elitekelel Belau.”  No date is given on the tape liner notes. The keyboardist on this recording was either Wilbur Ngirngeterang, Paul Paulis or Howard Charles.  The tape lists Yoich Rengiil as the composer.  On this recording, the backup musician do some further chord substitutions.  In the first verse, they substitute a iv-m chord for the I chord (on the 2nd syllable of “kerreker“) and then, like the last recording, I think they substitute the ii-m chord for the IV chord on the word “melatk“).

Did era Sechou, Mariana Kikuo, Date Unknown

The song was also recorded by Lisa Sandei on her tape “Soak Kau Belau” in 1997 and Silver Takada on the 1997 tape “Mluut el Mei;”  I don’t have either of those recordings.

This is a beautiful waltz that conveys the heartache of a man mourning his farewell to his sweetheart.

Sources:
[1] – Email correspondence with Yoichi Rengiil, May 16, 2017.
[2] – Email correspondence with Yoichi Rengiil, January 2018.
[3] – Cisca Yalap Soaladaob’s song book, August 2002.

[4] Zoom calls between Yoichi Rengiil and Jim Geselbracht in 2021.