Ibong Adarna is a 16th-century Filipino epic poem. It is about an eponymous magical bird.

The
longer form of the story's title during the Spanish era was "Korido at Buhay na Pinagdaanan ng
Tatlong Prinsipeng Magkakapatid na anak ni Haring Fernando at ni Reyna Valeriana sa
Kahariang Berbanya" ("Corrido and Life Lived by the Three Princes, children of King
Fernando and Queen Valeriana in the Kingdom of Berbania"), and is believed by some
researchers to have been based on similar European stories. The tale is also known as The
Aderna Bird.[1]

The story revolves around the life of King Fernando, Queen Valeriana and their three sons,
Princes Pedro, Diego, and Juan. The three princes vie for the throne and kingship, and are
trained in sword fighting and combat. The most courageous would inherit the throne. The story is
commonly attributed to the Tagalog poet José de la Cruz or "Huseng Sisiw";[2] however, he has
not been proven to be the actual author.

The poem forms part of the curriculum for Junior High School students as well as those in Grade
7 in the Philippines.

King Fernando and his wife Queen Valeriana rule the Kingdom of Berbanya. They have three
children: Don Pedro, Don Diego, and Don Juan. One night, King Fernando dreams of Don Juan
being murdered by two traitors (which would turn out to be his two older sons), and becomes so
frightened and depressed that he would not even eat nor rest. He becomes ill and none of his
constituents are able to cure him. An old doctor advises that the Ibong Adarna, a mythical bird,
would be the only creature that could restore his health by its marvelous songs. He initially sends
out Don Pedro to look for the Ibong Adarna. After three months of wandering through the forests
and thickets, Don Pedro arrives at a golden tree, known as Piedras Platas. At the foot of the tree,
he falls down tired and thirsty; but what he does not know is that the golden tree is where the
Ibong Adarna roosts for the night. By nightfall, the bird flies into the air and sings the first of its
seven songs; its melody is so softly sweet that everyone, including Don Pedro, is lulled into a
profound sleep. After emitting its seventh song of the night, the bird excretes droppings on the
sleeping prince that turn him into stone.

With the disappearance of Don Pedro, King Fernando then sends his second son Don Diego to
search for the bird. Don Diego undergoes the same hardships (but ventures for five months, two
more than Don Pedro) and meets the same fate as his older brother. After three whole years
without hearing any more news, Don Juan, the youngest and most favored son is (unwillingly by
King Fernando) sent forth also. Don Juan, however, has the fortune to meet on his way an old
hermit who is impressed by the virtues and good manners of the young prince. The old hermit,
knowing the mission on which Don Juan embarks, puts him on guard against the treacheries of
the bird.

The hermit tells of the golden tree where the famed bird roosts every night after singing seven
songs, warning of the spells in its seven songs which lulls the hearer to sleep and the excretion
which petrifies anyone. He provides Don Juan with a knife and calamansi lemons,[3] both of
which Juan must use to cut seven wounds on his hands and distill into them the juice of the fruits
to create pain that will prevent him from being lulled by the seven songs. The hermit then gives
Juan a golden rope that the prince must use to bind the bird's legs while it is asleep and take it
inside a cage. Before Juan leaves, the hermit provides him with a bucket which he must use to
scoop water from a well near the tree and pour over his two petrified brothers to restore them.
Don Juan did as was bidden and soon finds himself in possession of the desired bird and on his
way back to his home country with his two brothers, Don Pedro and Don Diego. Don Juan's
venture in search of the Ibong Adarna lasts for four months in total.

However, on the way back, with his brothers and the Ibong Adarna in tow, Don Juan's older
brothers grow envious; after all, Don Juan has obtained what they were not able to. Therefore the
two older brothers conspired between themselves to do away with him. Don Pedro suggested that
they should kill him, but Don Diego, who was less brutal, convinced Pedro that it was sufficient
to beat him, which they did. After beating Don Juan to whom they owed their lives, they left him
unconscious in the middle of the road as the two brothers continued on their way to the palace.
Once there in the palace, they convinced the king that they never knew what happened to Don
Juan, but the bird was disheveled and did not sing for it awaits Don Juan, the true captor of this
bird. Don Juan woke eventually, but could not move due to the pain caused by the beating. He
prayed fervently for the health of the king and the forgiveness of God to his brothers. The same
hermit who gave him advice before catching the bird arrives and heals him magically. Upon
return to the palace, everyone was happy except his two brothers, worried that Don Juan might
tell what happened to the king. The bird then started to sing. Its enchanted song revealed to the
king that Don Pedro and Don Diego beat up Don Juan and that he was the true captor of the bird.

The two were sentenced to being cut off from the royalty and banished, but they were reprieved
due to Don Juan being forgiving and asking to give them another chance. They were given one,
however, any consequent fault would mean death. They enjoyed the bird, they did not treat it as a
pet, but rather like a person. So they made the three princes watch over the bird for 3 hours each
every day. Don Pedro wanted revenge, so he conspired again and forced Don Diego to go on
board with it yet again. They planned to trick Don Juan into thinking that under his watch, the
bird escaped. They successfully did it and Don Juan set out to find the bird before the king wakes
up. The king finds the bird missing and so is Don Juan, so he asked the two to find the bird and
their brother.