1 h 54 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A bird’s song may heal a dying king—but can kindness survive the jealousy of brothers?
In Berbania, King Fernando suffers from a mysterious illness and a troubling dream about his youngest son. His sons, Don Pedro, Don Diego and Don Juan, face a quest for the enchanted Ibong Adarna. Its songs can heal the sick, but they also send listeners to sleep. Their father’s hope rests on a bird that is no easy prize.
Ibong Adarna follows the kind Don Juan into a world where courtesy matters as much as courage. Family loyalty meets envy, while forbidden love pulls against duty. This anonymous Filipino verse romance takes the form of a korido: rhyming, eight-syllable lines arranged in four-line stanzas. Its steady beat carries a folk tale of magic and deeply human wants.
What you’ll discover
- A song that heals Meet the enchanted bird whose seven songs promise healing while drawing listeners into sleep.
- The youngest prince’s kindness Follow Don Juan as his quiet courtesy sets him apart from his proud brothers.
- A hermit on the road Discover an encounter where help offered to a stranger becomes vital to a quest.
- Brothers divided by envy Feel the strain when shared blood cannot keep generosity and jealousy together.
- The rhythm of korido Explore a rhymed storytelling tradition passed down through singing and recitation in the Philippines.
Is it for you?
This is for readers who enjoy fairy tales, folk epics and stories about brothers and loyalty, and for anyone curious about Filipino literature. If you want deep psychological realism or a quick modern plot, the formal, old-style tale may feel distant.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A king falls ill in Berbania
- The eldest brothers fail the quest
- Don Juan listens to a hermit
- Jealous brothers turn on Juan
- What the story is really about
- How the poem is told
Who’s who
- Don JuanThe youngest prince of Berbania, kind and obedient, who sets out to find the magic bird and cure his father.
- Don PedroThe eldest prince, proud and confident, who fails the first attempt and grows bitter when his younger brother succeeds.
- Don DiegoThe second prince, who follows Pedro on the quest and then follows him again into envy.
- King FernandoThe ruler of Berbania, wasting with a mysterious illness and tormented by a dream about his youngest son.
- Queen ValerianaThe queen of Berbania, wife of Fernando and mother of the three princes, who waits in fear for her family.
- The old hermitA poor holy man whom Juan helps on the road and who repays him with the means to win the bird.
- The Ibong AdarnaThe enchanted bird of Piedras Platas, whose seven songs heal the sick and put listeners to sleep.
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Ibong Adarna
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Three brothers seek a bird whose song can heal their father.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A king falls ill in Berbania
The tale opens in the kingdom of Berbania, ruled by King Fernando and Queen Valeriana. They have three sons, Don Pedro, Don Diego and Don Juan. The king is proud of all three, but the poem makes clear early that Don Juan is the gentlest and most loyal of them. The court seems secure, with a wise ruler, an heir and a loving family.
Then the king is troubled by a terrible dream. In it, his youngest son Don Juan is in danger, betrayed by those closest to him. The king wakes shaken and cannot shake off the fear. Soon he falls gravely ill, wasting away while the doctors of the realm can do nothing.
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What is Ibong Adarna about?
It tells of King Fernando of Berbania, who is sick and can be cured only by the song of the magic Adarna bird. His three sons go to find it, and the youngest succeeds, only to face his brothers' envy.
Who wrote Ibong Adarna?
The author is unknown. Many editions link it to José de la Cruz, also called Huseng Sisiw, but this is tradition and not proof. The work is a korido, a verse romance passed on by recitation.
What is a korido?
A korido is a Filipino metrical romance, usually in four-line stanzas of eight syllables per line. It came from the Spanish colonial period and was sung or chanted, telling tales of princes, magic and adventure.
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