Three Wise Pinoys

Let us remember the reason for the season: Merry CHRISTmas!

The Star of the Kings
Horacio dela Costa, SJ


I do not think the three wise men
Were Persian kings at all.
I think it much more likely
That they set sail from off Manila Bay
In answer to the call.

And though the great historians
May stare at me and frown,
I still maintain the three wise men
Were kings from my hometown.

And if you ask why I affirm
That Melchor was king of Tondo,
When Gaspar ruled Sampaloc,
And Baltazar Binondo—

We will not argue. We will walk
The streets on Christmas Eve,
And I'll show you the poor man's rafter
Where hangs the Star the Kings sought after,
High above Christian prayer and laughter—
You will see it, and believe!

For when they crossed the sea again
From Bethlehem afar,
They lost their camels in the sea
And they forgot the Christmas tree
But they brought back to you and me
The secret of the Star.

Note: It is important to remember that dela Costa kept rewriting his works and that the version presented here is the one usually performed by Dulaang Sibol, a theater group at the Ateneo de Manila High School. Click on image to view source.


Category: The Philippines, Events