Bituing walang ningning = Star without a shine
By Sharon Cuneta
Loose translated by Phantombliss
This is a love song is about finding love and comparing that love to a star that is brightly shining. And without that special love/ special someone in your life would be like a star without that shine, that sparkling brilliance.
1st stanza
Kung minsan ang pangarap / Sometimes, dreams
Habambuhay itong hinahanap / It takes forever to find it
Bakit nga ba nakapagtataka / why is it such a mystery?
'Pag ito ay nakamtan[i] mo na '/ Once you have reached it
Bakit may kulang pa[ii]/ Why it feels there is something missing?
Habambuhay itong hinahanap / It takes forever to find it
Bakit nga ba nakapagtataka / why is it such a mystery?
'Pag ito ay nakamtan[i] mo na '/ Once you have reached it
Bakit may kulang pa[ii]/ Why it feels there is something missing?
2nd stanza
Mga bituin aking narrating / the stars that I have reached
Ngunit langit ko pa rin ang iyong piling[iii] / But my heaven is still within your arms
Kapag tayong dalawa'y naging isa / When the two of us become one
Kahit na ilang laksang[iv] bituin / Even with the multitude of stars out there
'Di kayang pantayan ating ningning[v] / they cannot outshine us
CHORUS 1
Balutin mo ako ng hiwaga ng iyong pagmamahal / Wrap me in the mystery of your love
Hayaang matakpan ang kinang na 'di magtatagal / Let it outshine the glimmer that will never last
Mabuti pa kaya'y maging bituing walang ningning / is it better to be a star that doesn’t shine?
Kung kapalit nito'y walang paglaho mong pagtingin[vi] / If the price of it, is your unfading gaze(admiration)
CHORUS 2
Itago mo ako sa lilim ng iyong pagmamahal / Hide me through the shades of your love
Limutin ang mapaglarong kinang[vii] ng tagumpay / Forget the playful glitter of fame and success
Sa piling mo ngayon ako'y bituing walang ningning / within your arms now, I'm a star that doesn’t shine
Nagkukubli sa liwanag ng ating pag-ibig / that dwells within light of our love
[Repeat 2nd Stanza]
[Repeat CHORUS 1]
[Repeat REFRAIN 2 except last line]
Nagkukubli sa liwanag at kislap[viii] ng ating pag-ibig / that dwells within light and sparkling brilliance of our love
Mga bituin aking narrating / the stars that I have reached
Ngunit langit ko pa rin ang iyong piling[iii] / But my heaven is still within your arms
Kapag tayong dalawa'y naging isa / When the two of us become one
Kahit na ilang laksang[iv] bituin / Even with the multitude of stars out there
'Di kayang pantayan ating ningning[v] / they cannot outshine us
CHORUS 1
Balutin mo ako ng hiwaga ng iyong pagmamahal / Wrap me in the mystery of your love
Hayaang matakpan ang kinang na 'di magtatagal / Let it outshine the glimmer that will never last
Mabuti pa kaya'y maging bituing walang ningning / is it better to be a star that doesn’t shine?
Kung kapalit nito'y walang paglaho mong pagtingin[vi] / If the price of it, is your unfading gaze(admiration)
CHORUS 2
Itago mo ako sa lilim ng iyong pagmamahal / Hide me through the shades of your love
Limutin ang mapaglarong kinang[vii] ng tagumpay / Forget the playful glitter of fame and success
Sa piling mo ngayon ako'y bituing walang ningning / within your arms now, I'm a star that doesn’t shine
Nagkukubli sa liwanag ng ating pag-ibig / that dwells within light of our love
[Repeat 2nd Stanza]
[Repeat CHORUS 1]
[Repeat REFRAIN 2 except last line]
Nagkukubli sa liwanag at kislap[viii] ng ating pag-ibig / that dwells within light and sparkling brilliance of our love
Translator notes: This song really killed me trying to translate it into English. Causes literally there are thousands of ways to describe/translate this song. - . Please don't use this translation in subing of this song.
You see, Some of the Filipino words can't be directly translated to English. Cause Filipino words is as complex as the English language itself in terms of meaning and that if you do it line by line, you end up with a hodge-podge of literal mess. Also some the words are not commonly use now with the advent of Taglish, a mixture of Tagalog and English, so it added more to the confusion of translation.
You see, Some of the Filipino words can't be directly translated to English. Cause Filipino words is as complex as the English language itself in terms of meaning and that if you do it line by line, you end up with a hodge-podge of literal mess. Also some the words are not commonly use now with the advent of Taglish, a mixture of Tagalog and English, so it added more to the confusion of translation.
Also, there are a hundreds English translated version of this song on the web and the worst of it is using Google translate and it is just a mess, so I’m adding to that stats, and this is my loose (maybe literal?) English translation of the song, and I warn you that there are some mistakes in translation of some of the words above and grammar of the lines is not perfect but feel free to correct it.
[i]Nakamtan has various meaning = reaching/achieved/attained a dream. In this line, it means finally when you have reached your dreams/goals.
[ii] may kulang pa = also means having feelings of incompletes, emptiness, unfulfilled
[iii] Piling has various meaning = in your arms, in your presence or being with you.
[iv] Laksa =means ten thousand, laksang can have multiple meanings like multitude/great number = ten thousands, army, host,
[v] Ningning = shine
[vi] Pagtingin=Gaze or looking at someone, in this line it means that undying admiration
[viii] Kislap =sparkle, brilliance
