Baleleng is a
Filipinofolk song of
Sama Dilaut and/or
Tausug origin.[1][2] The composer of the song is not credited and unknown.[3] The tune was passed by mouth from province to province and the original lyrics of the song was altered. Versions of Filipino local artists have made the song popular both in
Visayan and
Tagalog languages.[4]
Leleng was the original title of the song[5] which means Darling, Sweetheart, my lady or my dear in
Sama Dilaut language.[6] In
Philippine languages such as
Visayan and
Tagalog, the enclitic "ba" is used as a question marker.[7] Example: (Tagalog) Aalis ka na ba? (English) ɑre you leaving now? Since the song was passed from tongue to tongue, the lyrics was wrongly interpreted as Baleleng.[1]
The song is about a man bidding goodbye to a lady called Leleng as he is going to war. Like other
Sama Dilaut songs, it is sung with the accompaniment of a string instrument like
gitgit and
biula,
gabbang and the
kulintangan.[8][9]
^Reyes- Alivio, Elvinia; D. Naquira, Junefe; M. Lendio, Josephine (2017). Selected Ongkah-Ongkah of Sama Dilaut in the Province of Tawi-Tawi: Their Forms and Styles of Expression. International Conference on Education. College of Education, Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography. pp. 234–246.
doi:
10.17501/icedu.2017.3125.
S2CID62820528.
^Alivio, Elvinia Reyes; Naquira, Junefe D.; Lendio, Josephine M (2017). Selected Ongkah-Ongkah of Sama Dilaut in the Province of Tawi-Tawi: Their Forms and Styles of Expression. International Conference on Education. pp. 234–246.
doi:
10.17501/icedu.2017.3125.
S2CID62820528.
^Kimpo-Tan, Eva (June 4, 2014).
"On the wings of song". IAG. Institute for Autonomy and Governance. Retrieved 6 August 2019.