Item details
Item ID
KK1-0149
Title N-gun ja wa (The strong man) with English translation
Description Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
This story is about a strong man. Once upon a time, there was a married couple in a village. The wife was pregnant. As days passed by, she gave birth to a son. On the day she gave birth, her husband was not at home. As soon as the baby was born, he asked for rice. He asked for rice from his mother. When the mother heard that, she thought to herself, "Oh! This child must be something special. He asks for rice instead of breast milk as soon as he was born." Then, she gave food to him. And the baby asked, "Where is my father?" His mother answered, "Your father went to the place where water is stored." (In highland areas, we store drinking water on the hill or high places.) But here, it was in the lowland area. His father went there and cut wood to make a new mortar. The son said, "Then, I will follow my father." The newborn baby asked his father, "Dad, what are you doing there?" His father replied to him, "I am making a mortar." After his father had made, he carried that big mortar alone. His father was so shocked to see the baby boy was carrying that heavy mortar alone. The father thought, "How could the baby be so strong?" Soon, about the baby boy was spread around the villages. The chiefs heard that news and thought, "Ummm, this child will usurp our positions." Since that place was not anarchic, the chiefs couldn't kill a person as they wanted. So, they were thinking of an idea how to handle that baby. Then, they said to him, "Let's go to Hpyihpai where witches live and ask to get our gold back! Since you are so strong, you go there." And they ordered him to get around a bushel of the gold back from the witch. He accepted to do that. And he said, "Okay, I will go. But let 2 or 3 people accompany me." Then they set forth. On their way, they met one person. That man was clearing the bushes. He was doing it with his shins, not with knife. The strong man asked him, "My friend, do you know the way to Hpyihpai village?" But that man didn't show any reaction to him and didn't say a word. Then, the strong man grabbed him with both hands. As he was so strong, that man felt really hurt and told him, "I will show you the way. Release me, please." Then, the strong man released him and continued their journey. After they had walked for some time, they saw another man who was fishing in the ocean. That man used an elephant as a bait. By looking at that, that man was also so strong. Then, the strong man asked the man who was fishing, "Do you know how to go to Hpyihpai?" But that man didn't tell anything. So, he strongly grabbed that man with both hands. That man was so hurt and said, "Release me, please. Release me. I will tell you how to go there." They continued their journey then. On their way, they met another man again. That man's right leg was stepping on one side of the ocean and left leg was on the other side. He was standing astride. Then, the strong man asked him, "My friend, can you tell me the way to Hpyihpai?" But that man said nothing. So, the strong man grabbed him again and asked forcefully, "Will you tell me or not?" Then, that man told how to go there. Finally, the strong man and his fellows reached at Hpyihpai village. The strong man let his friends go first, and he left behind. He waited outside the village. When those people arrived at 'Hpyihpai' woman's house, she fed some kind of medicine to them. Surprisingly, they turned into pigs after taking that medicine. After some time, the strong man followed them. But he didn't see his friends. So, he asked Hpyihpai woman, "Grandma, didn't my friends come here? Don't you see them?" The woman replied, "No, I didn't see them. They didn't come here." But the strong man suspected her. The woman fed him some medicine too. But he didn't take it. Then, the woman told him, "Let's cook rice and eat! Build a fire. Use 'Chying-ma' when you build a fire. (Chying-ma is a kind of tree which bear small sour fruits.) But there will be many flames. So, close your eyes tightly in case you might get hurt by sparks." But he didn't close his eyes and built a fire. At that moment, that woman tried to hit him with a hammer. He quickly grabbed her and asked her, "Where are my friends?" She said, "They have turned into pigs." He said, "Quickly turn them into human!" The woman fed them some medicine again, and all of them turned into human. Then, the strong man asked for gold. He got his friends back and gold too. And he fed the medicine to that woman, and she had transformed into a pig. Even though he was ordered because of the chiefs' jealousy, he brought the gold back to his village. This is the end of the story.

Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ngun ja wa da, moi shawng de madu jan hte la langai mi nga ai da. Shan gaw ndai madu jan gaw gawngli ai hpang ma langai hkrai shangai ai da. Ma shangai ai shani gaw kawa nnga ai. Kawa gaw hkawm sam ai gaw re jang she ma dai gaw kan kaw na pru ai hte kalang ta nu shat ngu da. Shat jaw rit ngu nu shat ngu reng gaw ma ndai gaw loi lak lai ai gaw kanu mung ya she kan kaw le ai shat wa ah pyi ai gaw ngu chyu nhpyi ai sha shat hpyi ai le i jaw dat reng gaw wa gaw ngu yang she, na wa gaw le hka shawn lam de ya bumga de gaw mare kahtawng langai mi kaw hka shawn ngu shawa ja lu hka gaw loi mi le ra anhte jinghpaw ni gaw kawng tsaw kaw nga ai. Retim hka shawn gaw le lawu de re, e dai hka shawn lam de nhtum le i mahtum ai htum daw taw ai nga ngu da. E dai ngu reng gaw dai hpang de ngai wa hpang sa na ngu sa wa yang gaw, e kan kata she rawng ai ma wa ma wa nang hpa baw galaw ai i ngu, nhtum daw ai law ngu, reng gaw shi gaw dai kaw kawa gaw nhtum daw taw nga ai kaw ndai nhtum daw ngut jang she nhtum ngu ai gaw mam htu ai htum le, jinghpaw ni na htum mu ai nrai, dai gaw grai kaba ai le shi gaw nta de hpai wa. Shi langai sha hpai wa na ma wa mi kawa mung mau sai, ah ga ya she shangai ai ma wa gaw ngun grai ja ai nga jang she re shaloi gaw shi gaw shi a mying gaw grai gumhkawng wa sai le, gumhkawng wa nna she dai kaw nna du ni salang ni gaw um ma ndai gaw anhte du salang ah rawng ah ya kashun na ma re. Retim mung mungkan ga e gaw i htung tara nnga ai le, majoi mi sat kau na gaw reng gaw shanhte gaw hpaji daw ai le, gai ngun ja wa e nang dai ram ngun ja ai gaw anhte hpyihpai ga ngu gaw ndai ah she le masha nat ga le i, nat ga de anhte hka ji la ra ai, hka ji ngu chye ai i, hka ji ai ngu gaw ndai shahte hpe moi hkoi da ai bai la ra ai hpe hka ji ai ngu ai, ja tang mi i, shingnoi kaba tang mi ngu gaw bye 16 rawng ai dai zawn re ja tang hka sa ji su ngu hku re mu i, re jang gaw shi mung n ningdang sai, mai sa ngai sa ji na ngu raitim ngai hpe manang ni gaw 1,2 gaw lawm u ga ngu jang she shi mung e dai e hka ji sa re yang gaw hto lam kaw she ndai masha langai mi hte hkrum ai. Dai la dai wa gaw lam dan taw nga ai. Lam dan ai nga tim nhtu hte nre, shi na shinglang shinglang gaw chye ai i, ndai shinglang le ndai hte nam dan ai wut wut nhtu hte ndan re jang e hkau hkau nam dan wa e ndai hpyi hpai mung ga de sa ai nang lam nchye ai i ngu jang oh ra wa gaw hpa zawn n nawn ai le i re jang she ntsun dan re jang she oh ra n gun ja gaw ta lakap hte she shi e tep shi gaw n gun grai ja ai le i, oh ra wa gaw e hkau e dat u dat u ngai tsun dan na si wa magang nga ai gaw i deng gaw lam bai madun dat lam bai madun dat rai yang gaw, hto la langai mi she magwi hte nga myek ai ngu gaw nang ma myit yu u le anhte gaw kajin jai hte myek ai nrai, la dai wa kade ram kaba nna kade ram n gun ja ai ngu gaw panglai hka kaw she magwi hte nga myek taw nga ai da. Re jang she dai wa hpe mung hkau e ndai anhte hpyihpai ga de sa ai lam lam matsun u ngu she dai mung nyeng n garu ai le i, hpa zawn nnawn nna she ntsun dan re jang dai mung lata lakap hte sha shinglang kaw tep, dat u law hkau e ngai si wa magang sai, ngai matsun na ngu dai kaw sa mat wa. Reng gaw hto grai tsan ai de bai sa wa yang gaw panglai hka shingkrang kra ngu ai gaw shingkrang kra ngu ai gaw ya gashadawn nga yang ndai zawn re hpe gaw lagaw lahkawng hte le i shingkrang kra ngu gaw dai re yaw lagaw na maga langai kabye, ndai kaw panglai hka ngu ga le ndai maga lagaw langai kabye, ndai maga langai, dai shingkrang kra ngu gaw ya nang kaw shingkrang kra re wa hte she hkrum reng gaw e hkau panglai hka shingkrang kra wa e ndai hpyihpai mung de sa ai lam madun nu ngu da, re shaloi gaw shi mung n hkraw lata hte lahkap tep tsun na i ntsun na i nang, e tsun na tsun na ngu gaw, reng gaw hto hpyihpai ga de kaja wa dai hpang jahtum rai sai da, shi sa yang gaw du rai yang gaw shi gaw nang shingnawm kaw nga nna shi na manang ni hpe shawng dat ai da. Mare de dat rai yang gaw dai kaw na hpyihpai gumgai hpyihpai gumgai kaw du re jang she hpyihpai gumgai dai gaw ndai n gun ja wa a manang ni hpe tsi amyu mi jaw dat ai le, tsi amyu mi jaw dat yang gaw yawng wa tai mat wa. Shinggyim masha kaw na wa tai mat re yang gaw ndai n gun ja wa nga jang gaw taw dai de sa wa ai gaw mu tim nnga re jang she taw ngai na dwi e ngai na manang ni nang kaw nsa wa ma ni ngu jang she nsa ai ngu da. N sa ai ngu retim shi gaw loi gaw nhten sai ndai ah she hpe gaw re jang gaw shi gaw dai tsi shi hpe mung wa shatai na mata tsi jaw shi nlu, re jang she shi hpe gaw hpa baw ngu i nga she e shu e shat shadu sha ga wan wut u ngu da, wan wut du ngu re jang she chyingma hpun ngu ai i chyingma hpun nang nchye na re law, chyingma si ngu ai ndai hkri hkri nga nna ya hte gaw kanoi dut wa sai, chyingma si chyinma hpun gaw ju yang grai kahprek grai kahprek ai law shu e nang myi di chyip di nna wut u ngu da. Hpa majaw nga myi de wan shingyam shang na ra ai kahprek ai ngu jang she n gun ja wa gaw zen ai, re yang she shi gaw n myi di ai sha wan wut dat jang she dinggai jan dai wa she sumdu langai mi hte she shi hpe ah byen na ngu di ning re wa ai da, re jang shi kalang ta gra nang nye na ma ni hpe gara kaw tawn da, na ma ni hto yawng wa tai mat sai. Nang dai dai wa dai ni hpe ya ah lawan wan nang i masha shatai ya ngu shi mung tsi bai jaw yang shi na manang ni gaw bai tai. Bai hkrung mat wa re nna she dai n gun ja wa mung hpa baw tsi jaw ai ngu yawng shi chye sai le i, dai hku matsing da re na she ndai oh ra ndai ja tang mi ngu le i dai hpe bai hpyi la, hpyi la lu sai i nga jang she dai hpyihpai gumgai jan dai hpe she mi na wa tai ai tsi jaw kau da ai le, re jang shi gaw wa kanu tai mat wa ai da. Re nna ndai n gun ja wa gaw ndai ja tang i shi hpe manawn tim mung le ja tang mi gun nan shanhte buga de bai nhtang wa ai nga ai maumwi ndai re sai.
Origination date 2016-12-21
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK1/0149
URL
Collector
Keita Kurabe
Countries To view related information on a country, click its name
Language as given Jinghpaw
Subject language(s) To view related information on a language, click its name
Content language(s) To view related information on a language, click its name
Dialect Standard Jinghpaw
Region / village Northern Myanmar
Originating university Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Operator
Data Categories primary text
Data Types Sound
Discourse type narrative
Roles Keita Kurabe : depositor
W. Awng : speaker
DOI 10.4225/72/5988910fd172a
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), W. Awng (speaker), 2016. N-gun ja wa (The strong man) with English translation. EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK1-0149 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/72/5988910fd172a
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK1-0149-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 25 KB
KK1-0149-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 7.78 MB 00:08:30.903
KK1-0149-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 281 MB 00:08:30.874
3 files -- 289 MB -- --

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Collection Information
Collection ID KK1
Collection title Kachin folktales told in Jinghpaw
Description Recordings of Kachin folktales and related narratives in Jinghpaw. These materials were collected by Keita Kurabe, Gumtung Lu Awng, Sumdu Ja Seng Roi, Hpauhkum Htu Bu, Labang Tu La, Gumtung Htu Nan, and Lashi Seng Nan as part of community-based collaborative fieldwork in northern Myanmar. A total of 2,491 stories with 2,481 ELAN files, 2,481 transcriptions, and 1,369 translations are currently available (March 25, 2024). Transcriptions were contributed by Gumtung Lu Awng, Pausa La Ring, Galang Lu Hkawng, Sumdu Ja Seng Roi, Hpauhkum Htu Bu, and Keita Kurabe. Stories were translated by Nbanpa Rita Seng Mai, Sumlut Gun Mai, Lazing Htoi San, Maran Seng Pan, Dumdaw Mike Tu Awng, Nhkum Htoi Awng, and Keita Kurabe.

Animated stories are available at:

https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/KK3
https://www.youtube.com/@kachinfolktales
https://www.facebook.com/KachinStories

Other Kachin culture and history are available at:

https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/KK2

Our research was made possible under the support of JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP17H04523, JP20K13024, JP20H01256, Linguistic Dynamics Science 3 (LingDy3) from Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), and JSPS Program for Advancing Strategic International Networks to Accelerate the Circulation of Talented Researchers "A collaborative network for usage-based research on lesser-studied languages."
Countries To view related information on a country, click its name
Languages To view related information on a language, click its name
Access Information
Edit access Nick Thieberger
Keita Kurabe
View/Download access
Data access conditions Open (subject to agreeing to PDSC access conditions)
Data access narrative
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