Item details
Item ID
KK1-0256
Title Lup wa a lam (The ditch dug to encircle a grave) with English translation
Description Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
Thanks so much! Thank you so much for giving a chance to tell the story. The stories are very well-known, and the old people have been telling. The story is about the war of Chinese and Kachin. Kachin people were very talented in fighting in war. Kachin people were very talented. Even Chinese didn't win against Kachin in the wars. Many great and talented kings were usually enthroned in Kachin. Chinese had attacked Kachin for many times, but they didn't win. Chinese wise men were thinking hard and finding the ways how to do to get win and to slay all Kachin tribe. Finally, one Chinese wise man found a way. He said, "If we don't deceive or do anything, Kachin will rule us." Then, he let Kachin dig the burial-ground deeper than before. Since then, 'Lup Hka', a method of digging a small tunnel around the tombs, has appeared. Chinese said to Kachin that it was even better if the ground was dug deep. When Kachin king was dead, Chinese told Kachin people to bury the king in a grave with a deep ditch around it. Chinese put that thought into the mind of Kachin people. When the elders and wise men were dead, they were buried in tombs with a very deep ditch around. Chinese couldn't win in the war no matter how hard they tried. That was why they did 'Lup Hka' not to be able to get a new skillful, talented Kachin king. They dug the ground like that. Then, there were no more Kachin king till now. When we did research, we learnt that Chinese celebrates "Gaw Nyen" (New Year's Eve) as a celebration of victory on Kachin. The reason why they set off the fireworks on that day is to press Kachin people down. They use that way till now. I just want to share what I know. When we research in details, it is much better if we dig the deeper burial-ground. But there won't be any king in Kachin. Actually, Chinese are already good in thinking and high in education. They failed in the war because there were many good kings in Kachin. The reason they dug 'Lup Hka' is to end Kachin king dynasty. Since then, there wasn't any good, talented king in Kachin anymore. It is obvious that Chinese are jealous of Kachin. I tell about this not to get offended. I am just telling the story what our elders had told. Chinese are celebrating "Gaw Nyen" at the end of every year. They are setting off the fireworks very loudly on that day. That is the sign of victory on Kachin. We can see that they are still celebrating 'Gaw Nyen' by setting off the fireworks. I want to share this with you and thank you so much.

Transcription (Lu Hkawng)
Grai chyeju kaba sai ya na zawn maumwi labau maumwi hpe e hkai dan lu ai majaw sara hpe mung grai chyeju dum ai re, ya ngai chye da ai hku gaw n re, moi ndai dinggai dingla ni maumwi hku na hkai hkrat wa ai ya du hkra yawng anhte na ga ai maumwi rai nga ai. Ndai maumwi gaw ndai miwa hte anhte jinghpaw maumwi ngu ai anhte jinghpaw gaw majan de grai ram ai. Majan gasat gala ai de grai byin ai re ai majaw miwa ni pyi ndai jinghpaw hpe jinghpaw su ngu na ndang mat wa ai shanhte majan gasat ai n dan mat wa ai shaloi shanhte ndai jinghpaw ni gaw Hkawhkam jahkring hkring ning tawn ai ram ai Hkawhkam ni bai paw wa wa re ai. Miwa gaw grai gasat yu ai n dan ai. Dai shaloi miwa gaw ndai jinghpaw hpe gara hku shamit gara hku amyu shamat kau na i ngu na miwa hpaji chye ai hpaji du ni gaw ndai ladat shaw ai. Dai shaloi ndai lup lup ai kaw e ndai miwa hpaji chye ai ning hkring sara kaba ni gaw ndai jinghpaw ni hpe gaw anhte hpaji n galaw yang gaw anhte up kau na re dai majaw ndai jinghpaw ni hpe gaw lup kaw e grau sung ai hku na htu shangun na re ngu shanhte ndai lup hka ngu ai hpe e htu shangun mat wa ai. Hkawhkam ndai si ai shaloi mung shanhte dai hku grau sung yang grau kaja ai ngu na grai sung hkra hkra lup hpe e htu shing grup kau shangun ai. Dinggai dingla si hpaji chye ai mi si majan grai grai byin ai ni si tim dai hku grai sung hkra lup hpe e htu shing grup na dai hku na manawn kau ai. E ndai miwa ni gaw jinghpaw hpe e gara hku gasat tim ndang ai re ai majaw gaw Hkawhkam npru na hku na shanhte lamu ga lasa hpe e dan di kau ai. Htu di kau shangun ai. E dai hku re na jinghpaw ni gaw Hkawhkam n pru mat wa ai. Ya du hkra re da. Ndai maumwi hpe atsawm sagawn yu ai shaloi madat maram yu yang gaw ya dai ni ndai miwa ni (Gaw-nyen) ngu na (Byawk) kapaw ai e ndai (Byawk) kapaw ai gaw ndai jinghpaw su ngu ai ni hpe e padang dip la ai nhtoi masat ding sat hku na gapaw ai dai ni du hkra ya ya shaning galai shagu gapaw ai shaning shagu rai nga ya du hkra lang taw nga ai re ngu ndai maumwi gaw kaja wa nang byin lai mat wa sai daw chyen hpe chye ai mi daram mi tsun dan ai ga re ngu ya kaja wa atsawm anhte bai madat maram yu yang gaw lup hka gaw grau sung yang grau kaja ai nga lamu ga lasa hpe e grau shadi kau ai shaloi jang gaw Hkawhkam n paw sai Hkawhkam hkaw se n paw jang gaw shanhte miwa ni gaw mi kaw na tim hpaji kaba ai. E shanhte hpaji kaba tim majan de n byin ai re ai majaw jinghpaw hpe sum ai Hkawhkam paw ai majaw e dai hpe shanhte gaw dai lup hka htu ai kaw jinghpaw hpe e htum mat hkra galaw kau dat ai. Dai kaw na jinghpaw ni Hkawhkam ya dai ni du hkra ning tawn ai Hkawhkam n paw mat ai. Jinghpaw kaw e, e shanhte miwa ni manawn kau ai gaw ndai gaw asan sha re mu mada ai dai gaw maumwi hku ya myit n pyaw hkat ai gaw n re ai le rai tim mung myit npyaw ai n rai tim maumwi hku na ndai hku hkai tawn da ai hpe tsun dan ai hku re, ndai (Gaw-nyen) ngu ai gaw shaning shagu galaw ai ya shanhte shaning galai ai re, e dai kaw kabaw ai ndai (Byawk) ngu ai grai ngoi hkra hkra kapaw ai. Dai gaw jinghpaw ni hpe majan dang ai nhtoi masat nhtoi ngu na shanhte ya du hkra dai labau hpe lang nna ya du hkra shaning galai ai kaw e (Byawk) kapaw ai e ndai daram mi gaw chye lu ai ngu na sara hpe chye ai daram mi tsun dan ai ga re grai chyeju kaba sai.
Origination date 2017-01-28
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK1/0256
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
M. Zau Gawng : speaker
DOI 10.4225/72/5988928d43d0a
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), M. Zau Gawng (speaker), 2017. Lup wa a lam (The ditch dug to encircle a grave) with English translation. EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK1-0256 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/72/5988928d43d0a
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK1-0256-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 22.7 KB
KK1-0256-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 3.27 MB 00:03:34.438
KK1-0256-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 118 MB 00:03:34.415
3 files -- 121 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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