Item details
Item ID
KK1-0231
Title Lagawng ai kawa (The lazy father) with English translation
Description Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
There was once a lazy father. He had many children too. His neighbours did some businesses, and some worked as traders. In the past, Jinghpaw people used to trade salt. Then, his wife said to him, "Try to do some businesses like other people. Work from today." He agreed to work. In the past, there were many travellers and traders. But there weren't many restaurants or shops. So, he took nine gallons of rice and went somewhere to start a business. But he was too lazy to work. So, he hid behind a bundle of bamboos without going to trade. He made a bamboo pot to cook the rice. And he cooked it and ate his dinner. At night, he secretly went back to his house and eavesdropped on his wife and children's conversation. He heard that his family killed some chickens and ate them, they left one leg of chicken for him, and the conversations between his family and the neighbours. After staying in the wood for one month, he went back home. He didn't have any rice left. When he got back home, his wife asked him, "My husband, how much money have you earned?" He said, "Don't tell anyone. I earned lots of money. I have bought something really valuable." She asked him, "What did you buy?" He showed a bottle and said, "I have bought this." In fact, he lied to her. He said, "This bottle can guess everything right." The next day, the neighbours asked the wife, "How much did your husband earn?" She said, "he told me not to tell anyone." The neighbours were more curious and said, "Tell us. We are not strangers." The wife said, "He earned a lot of money. But he bought something valuable." They asked her, "What is that?" She said, "It can guess everything right." But the neighbours told everyone in the village about it. The news was spread throughout the whole country. Meanwhile, the lord of the village lost his gold pot. The lord said, "I heard there is someone who has a special bottle that can guess everything right. Call him. Let's ask him to catch the thief." The villagers actually thought the pot could guess anything right. But it was not. That night, two thieves came to the lazy man and said, "We buried the gold pot under a banana plant. Don't mention our names, please. The lord will kill us if he knows we stole his pot." The man, Nangbya, promised that he wouldn't mention their names. Since his bottle was not special, he couldn't know where the gold pot was. But now, the thieves admitted they stole it and where they buried it. Soon, the lord called Nangbya to find the gold pot. Nangbya pretended to shake his bottle and said, "It can't figure out where it is yet." And he shook it again. He said, "It's under the banana plant. Go dig there." The lord ordered his servants to go there and see if the pot was really under it or not. When they dug there, they found a gold pot. Since then, Nangbya's fame was spread. He got lots of money as a gift from the lord. He became rich. Many months later, there was a drought in a far village. They called Nangbya to guess why there wasn't any rain. Nangbya was in trouble. He didn't know what to say. So, he pretended to be sick. He said to them, "I'm sick. I think I can't go to your village today." But they made a cart and said, "We will take you with this. Ride on this, please." He didn't know what to do and thought, "I won't make myself ashamed. I will just die." Since the way to their journey was far, they had to sleep on their way. Nangbya said to sleep at a place where there were only deep ravines beside it. The villagers had to do what he said. He thought to fall down into the ravine at night. He really did it as he thought. But he didn't know there were many trees in the ravine. So, he got stuck on a tree when he fell down. And there was a frog couple in the ravine. The female frog asked the male frog, "What happened to this man?" He answered, "I will tell you tomorrow." She kept asking, "Tell me." The male frog said, "There is no rain in that village for so many months. He has a magical bottle. He can guess why there is no rain." She asked him again, "What can make the rain falls?" The male frog said, "Don't ask me. I will tell you tomorrow." The female frog said, "Why don't you tell me now? Don't you love me anymore?" Then, the male frog said, "When we hit the ground with our shredded skin, there will be rain." Nangbya heard their conversations while he was on the tree. So, he quickly jumped down from the tree and caught the frogs. The male frog ran away, and only the female frog was caught. He killed the female frog and shredded her skin. And he went back to the villagers. He blamed them, "You took me here even though I said I didn't want to go! So, I fell into the ravine! I will tell about this to your lord." The villagers were scared and apologized to him not to tell the lord. When they reached the village, the lord asked Nangbya, "What should we do?" Then, Nangbya shook his bottle and said, "We have to hit the ground with a frog skin." As soon as they hit the ground, heavy rain was falling. So, Jinghpaw people often hit the ground with a frog's skin to get rain when they grew plants and vegetables. Nangbya got lots of money then. There was another lord from another village. The lord wanted to test Nangbya and his bottle. He didn't lose anything or didn't have any problems. The lord called Nangbya and said, "I want you to guess about one thing." Since the lord didn't have any problems or didn't lose anything, Nangbya didn't know what to do. The lord held something tight in his hand and asked Nangbya, "What's inside my hand?" Nangbya shook his bottle and pretended like he tried to guess it right. But how come he knew about that? He felt embarrassed after doing like that for a while. At that time, his bamboo bottle was broken, and a piece of bamboo hit his head. He felt hurt and was dizzy. He was like seeing stars in his eyes. Then, he mumbled, "Oh, I am so dizzy. I feel like I see stars. It's like a firefly." The lord heard him and said, "Yes, it's correct. It's a firefly." Them, he was so happy. He became richer than before.

Transcription (La Ring)
Grai lagawn ai kawa langai nga ai da. Grai lagawn ai kawa langai nga rai yang she gumhpraw mung ntam ai kasha mung grai nga sai nta kaw. Dai majaw htingbu nta hkan na ni gaw gumhpraw tam sa htaw jum gun sa anhte Jinghpaw ni gaw moi jum gun, kanoi hpaga ga sa nsa ai hku rai nga la ndai wa gaw. Kawa dai hpe ma yan nu ni hte madu jan gaw "Nang mung gumhpraw tam sa su gumhpraw hpaga ga rawt su kawa e" ngu da. "Le she rawt su law rawt su" nga jang "E rawt na re" ngu dai shani gaw rawt na sa. Moi gaw hpaga ga ai law tim n-gu mari sha na n-gu seng nnga dai majaw nta kaw na yawng htu dat ya ra ai jarik htu n-gu gun rai n-gu dang mi gun nna sa mat rai. La dai grai lagawn ai majaw gara de nkam sa ai. Anhte moi hkan na Jinghpaw mare ni gaw nam hkrai re le i mare kaw na lai jang nam hkrai. Wo wora mare loi lai re kaw na kawa pawt kaba re kaw makoi nga ai hku rai nga shi gaw. Dai kaw makoi nga rai di shani gaw shi gaw kawa langai kran la na ndum langai ndai ram re ndum dai hpe sha nhtu hte hkut shatsawm nhtu hte hkut hkut rai shing di na dai n-gu sha shadu sha na yup. Shana de nta de wa masem nna she nsin sin yang she nta masha ni shana kaning nga jahta ai ngu hpe sa madat ai hku rai nga shi gaw. Nta kaw u kasha ni kraw sai u kasha ni kade kraw ai, nta na ni u sat sha ai nta na ni hpe masha ni hitngbu ni gara hku nga sa tsun ai nta na ni u sat sha ai shi matu u magyi langai htaw garap kaw jahkraw da ya ai ni yawng shi madat nga na hku rai nga. Shata mi daram nga yang n-gu ma ma shi ma gara de nhkawm hkawm di wa sai da. "Dingla wa e nang gumhpraw hpabaw la wa ai" nga. "Kadai hpe hkum tsun lu kadai hpe nmai tsun ai ngai gumhpraw grai lu ai re, gumhpraw grai lu tim ngai ahkyak ai rai langai mari kau sai tim nang kadai hpe hkum tsun lu yaw" ngu. Rai yang she shi gaw "Hpabaw ma mari kau ai ma" nga "Ndum ndai mari kau ai" masu na hku rai nga shi gaw. "Ndum ndai gaw yawng chyoi mungkan ga e nga ai yawng chyoi ai ndai yawng tak ndum tak ndum re ndai tak yang yawng chyoi ai" ngu ai hku rai nga. Dai hku masu sai hku rai nga shi gaw. E dai madu jan hpe gaw wo san sai htingbu nta hkan na ni "E ning na dingla wa gumhpraw tam wa hpabaw la wa a ta" nga. "Yi kadai hpe hkum tsun nga ai lo" nga da. "E she tsun dan rit le anhte me kadai hpe ntsun hkawm ya ai gaw" "Hkum tsun nga kadai hpe hkum tsun nga ai" ngu yang "Adeng hpa ma re da i" "Gumhpraw gaw grai lu ai wa ning e ndai hku da lu gumhpraw grai lu ai wa tak ndum ngu wa mari kau ai da lo". "Taw kaning re tak ndum wa ta" nga "Yi grai hkyak ai dai tak yang yawng chyoi ai tak ai re da lo tak ndum mari kau ai da". Dai hkum tsun yaw ngu tim langai bai tsun num ni gaw langai bai tsun tsun rai mare ting chye sai hku nga la dai wa tak ndum la wa ai ngu hpe yawng mare ting chye mat. Re yang she htaw ra hkaw hkam mare du wa a nta kaw na ja di bu mat mat ai da. Ja di bu mat mat rai yang she hkaw hkam wa gaw mare du wa gaw "Ndai tak ndum lu ai wa nga ai da mare kaw ndai wa hpe tak shangun na, rai na she ndai lagu ai ndai ni hpe rim na gyit na re" ngu da mare ting ndai wa tak ndum lu ai na mat ai. Hkrak nga yang gaw tak ndum nan gaw nre raitim mare na mare na na ai ni yawng kaja wa tak ndum ajet shadu ai hku rai nga. Lagut yen lahkawng sa ai hku nga, lagut yen lahkawng sa na "Yi jinghku wa e tak ndum lu ai wa e dai langu pawt kaw lup da ai ja di bu sha tsun u law, an na mying hkum tsun shalawm u lo, an na mying tsun shalawm jang mare du wa an hpe sat kau na ra ai lo" ngu da "Mai ai mai ai mai ai" ngu da. Shi mung tak ndum nre majaw shan hkawng lagu da ai ja di bu langa pawt kaw lup da ai ma shi nchye ai. Wo ra lahkawng tsun sai majaw shi chye sai le dai majaw "Ntsun ai ntsun ai na na mying ntsun ai" ngu shi gaw dai grai myit su ai zawn nga di dai Nambya wa mung. Hkaw hkam wa shaga sai "Bai ndai ja di bu mat mat ai ndai nta kaw na nang tak yu u". Shi tak ndum hpa pa nre hpe garu masu "Atsawm nchyoi shi nga law" bai ngu da. Hkrawk hkrawk bai di "E ya atsawm nchyoi nga law" kalang bai hkrawk hkrawk di masu na she "Aw dai wora langu pawt kaw htu yu mu". Lagut yan hkawng hkrit di tsun kau sai le. "Langu hpun pawt kaw htu yu mu" nga yang she ja di bu rai taw na hku nga. Gai dai kaw na mying kaba sai da dai kaw na shi gaw gumhpraw mung grai lu sai hku nga dai Nambya wa dai gaw. Mying kaba mat grai gumhkawng mat ai shi. Rai yang she hpang e she htawra mare tsawm ra tsan ai langai de bai hka nlu mat ai marang nhtu na hka nlu mat ai. Dai majaw she "Hka ndai kaning di lu na" ngu tak ra sai lo da. Tak ra sai nga yang she "Wo tak ndum lu ai wa hpe shaga su" ngu na hku rai nga. Sa shaga hkaw hkam wa e sa shaga shangun. Wo ra wa gaw dai shaloi gaw nchye tak ai re nga yang she masu nna she machyi masu su "E ngai machyi ai lo ngai dai de daini ngai hkawm njin sai lo gara hku mung nbyin sai lo" ngu masu sai da Nambya wa gaw. "Ngai nhkawm jin ai law" nga da. Hkaw hkam wa na aming "Machyi tim woi wa nanhte hpai" ngu sa shaga ai ni koi rap galaw leng galaw di she hpai sai hku nga. Hpai rai shi gaw "Masha man e ngai gaya hkrum na daw gaw ngai na ngai hkrai jang si mat na" ngu myit ai hku rai nga shi gaw. Wo ra ni gaw mare kaw du ai da yup saga nga "E ndai kaw nyup ai ndai kaw nyup ai" nga ai da. "Gara hku tim ndai kaw nyup ai" nga da. Hpang jahtum shana nang de mung n-gam, nang de mung n-gam re kaw she dai n-gam ntsa kaw du yang she "Nang yup ga law" nga na hku rai nga dai tak ndum lu ai Nambya wa gaw. Wo ra ni mung hkaw hkam wa e shangun ai re nga yang gaw shi ngu ai kaw yup ra sa. Shi myit ai gaw "Ya ngai hkaw hkam wang kaw she tak nchyoi di si mat na gaya mat na daw gaw ndai de mahtang ngai shana taleng si mat na" ngu myit ai hku rai nga. Dai majaw she ndai kaw yup sai hku nga. Nhkap dai kaw kaw she shana shi gaya na she nhkap de hkawn si mat ai hku rai nga. Hkawn taleng mat yang she si gaw nsi na she hpundu langai kaw wa dau mat ai da shi. Nsin e re nga yang she hpundu nga nnga mung nchye ai i majoi taleng ai. Hpundu langai kaw dau shi npu kaw she shu yi yan shu la sumtsaw nga ai hku rai nga shan nga ai da. Shu yi wa gaw san sai da "E wo ra shinggyim masha gaw kaning re rai ta dingla wa" nga yang "Hkum tsun lo ya dai hkum tsun hkum tsun ya hpawtde rai yang tsun dan na lo" ngu ai da. "E kaning re re mi dai" nga yang she "Ya wo ra mare de hka nlu mat ai dai majaw hka dai gara hku lu yang tak na gara hku lu mai ai ngu hpe ndai tak ndum lu ai wa hpe shaga ai re da" nga. Shu yi gaw "Kaning rai yang dai hka lu wa na" ngu san ai hku rai nga shu wa la gaw "Nhtoi htoi jang she tsun dan na hkum san u lo" nga. Bai san tik tik da shu yi gaw "Nhtoi htoi jang she tsun na law" ngu da shu yi gaw tsun sai hku rai nga "E dingla wa nang ngai hpe ntsawra ai i nang dai sha pyi nkam tsun dan ai i" shu yi gaw tsun sai madu wa hpe. Dai majaw madu wa gaw hpang jahtum shu yi ding nau ngu ai majaw she "E dai gaw an la hpyi langai ngai gawng na ga chying dum dat yang she hka lu na re" ngu tsun ai hku rai nga. "Aw dai hku rai sai i" nga tak ndum lu ai wa gaw kalang ta mi gaw machyi nga wa gumhtawn tsat rai di shu la gaw hprawng swi shu yi hpe gra di lu ai hku rai nga. "Rai sai" nga shu yi hpe sat na shu yi hpyi sha gaw la di wa sai shi gaw, wo ra ni hpe shi nhtang bai masu ai. "Nanhte ngai hpe hpai wa na ngai pyi nkam sa ai nga yang sa na ya ngai taleng machyi na lak na ngai hkawn wa ai pyi nanhte nmu i, nanhte hkaw hkam wa hpe tsun dan na" ngu yang "Hkum tsun lu hkum tsun lu ngu manu mana tawngban ai hku rai nga ndai ni. Hkaw hkam wang kaw du re hte "Ya kaning rai yang lu na" ngu tsun ndum garu masu na she "E dai shu hpyi hte ga chying dum ra ai re" ngu di she shu hpyi hte dai ga tawang di na dum sai da. Dai dum ai hte kalang ta marang raw rai kaja wa hka lu mat ai. Dai majaw Jinghpaw ni gaw wora mam ting nsi naisi hkai maw yang marang nhtu hkraw jang daini htu hkra shu hpyi ga chying dum ai hku nga dai kaw na re. Dai hku dum sai dai kaw mying kaba mat sai shi gaw grai lu sai raitim shi hpe hpang langai mi naw nga ai hkaw hkam langai mi. Hkaw hkam langai mi gaw chyam mayu ai shi hpe "Ndai wa re i nre i" ngu chyam mayu ai majaw she hkaw hkam wa gaw hpa ma nmat ai hpa ma nra ai mang hkang hpa nnga ai kaw hkaw hkam wa shaga sai hku nga. "Bai nang hpe tak shangun na sa wa yu" nga hpa nmat ai hpa mang hkang nnga ai re majaw shi hpe tsun dan na ma kadai nnga sai gara hku byin wa na lam ma nnga sai. Hkaw hkam wa dai wa hpe she lata kaw ning di na she "Bai ndai hpabaw re" nga hku nga. Dai shaloi gaw kade garu tim nmu da kade galaw tim nmu jahtum e shi gaya nna she kahtan kaw grai shaja di she "Hpat hpat" di shi kahtan kaw abrek yang she shi na kawa tawng hte. Dai shaloi nau machyi di ndai myi she kabrim ai. Myi kabrim rai yang she wo ra nhti htan nhti htan i nhti htan zawn "Brim brim rim" she rai mat wa hkra. Rai nga yang shi gaw nang nau machyi mat ai wa nang kabrim mat ai wa she shi tsun shut mat ai n-gup kaw "Nhti htan" ngu majoi ma nau machyi di htan ngu dat ai wa hkaw hkam wa "Jaw sai" ngu hku rai nga. Nang kaw bang da ai nhti htan re mung nchye shi na shi naumachyi na she ndang na nhti htan ngu dat ai wa jaw mat ai da. Dai majaw shi Nambya wa grai lu mat ai da.
Origination date 2017-01-27
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK1/0231
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.La Tawng : speaker
DOI 10.4225/72/598892212bbd6
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), W.La Tawng (speaker), 2017. Lagawng ai kawa (The lazy father) with English translation. EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK1-0231 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/72/598892212bbd6
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK1-0231-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 51.6 KB
KK1-0231-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 7.27 MB 00:07:57.439
KK1-0231-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 263 MB 00:07:57.423
3 files -- 270 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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