The Tanaga is a Filipino poetic form. It consists of four lines with seven syllables each; the rhyme scheme is AABB.
Traditionally, Tanagas don’t have titles and they are composed in the Tagalog language. Most have been handed down through oral history, and, according to Wikipedia, they “contain proverbial forms, moral lessons, and snippets of a code of ethics.”(1)
Here is an example of a Tanaga in archaic Tagalog(1):
Catitibay ca tolos
sacaling datnang agos!
aco’I momonting lomot
sa iyo,I popolopot
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Here is the poem once again, translated into English(1):
Oh be resilient you Stake
should the waters be coming!
I shall cower as the moss
To you I shall be clinging."
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Unfortunately, the Tanaga has been dying out in its native Tagalog. The Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippines’ National Commission of the Arts have been trying to revive it. Several poetry groups and cultural groups have been promoting the form in English as well.
As you might expect, the form is beginning to change slightly because it has been discovered by non-traditional groups. Not only are Tanagas appearing in more frequently in English, they are picking up titles and varying their rhyme forms (for example, AABB, ABAB, ABBA, AAAB, BAAA, ABCD, and so on). Morals, ethics, and proverbs may or may not be present.
Additional Resources:
http://allpoetry.com/contest/2432449-Tanaga
(1) Wikipedia.org - Tanaga
Poetry Form of the Month: Tanaga
Tanaga Background Information