Item details
Item ID
KK1-0423
Title Shata lata ai lam (Keeper of the Thunderbolt) with English translation
Description Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
I would like to tell you about the sky nats choosing a person who would keep a valuable thunderbolt. While humans were living at Hkranghku Majoi, they discussed who would keep the thunderbolt given by the sky nats. A boy who belonged to Dingyau clan said, "That thunderbolt is owned by my ancestors. So, I will keep it." The older people told him, "No, you can't," and locked him in a cage. They hung him at a banyan tree. His mother gave him some food by using a long bar. There was a man called Manje Chyauhpa. He had four daughters. He told everyone, "I have a casket. If you want to be the one who keeps the thunderbolt, you should open the casket and need to guess the object in it correctly. And you need to guess my daughters just by looking at their fingers. If you can guess them correctly, you will be the one who keeps the thunderbolt." He decided that for everyone. Then, everyone tried to open the casket. People tried opening it one after one, but no one could. At that time, the boy who was locked in a cage said, "I can open it. I can guess the girls correctly." His mother went to the crowd and said, "My son said he could open the casket and guess the girls right." Then, people said, "Let's bring him here to open it." The boy could understand the bird's language. The bird told him to hit the casket hard. He did exactly as the bird said. Then, he could open it successfully. When he stood up, his head hit the bar and got hurt. Then, he said, "It's hurt. It's like seeing a firefly!" Luckily, the firefly was inside the casket. He could guess the firefly luckily. Then, the villagers asked him to guess the daughters of Manje Chyauhpa. Only their fingers were shown to him. He couldn't see any of them, just their fingers. Their fingers were shown through small holes. He had to guess them correctly. He needed to guess the girls' fingers correctly. People asked him to do it. When he was going to guess them right, flies were on their fingers and told him whose fingers they were. The boy said, "These are the eldest daughter's fingers. These are the second daughter's fingers. These are the third daughter's and the youngest's fingers." He could guess them correctly. After that, people asked him to differentiate the female and male drongo resting at the top of the bamboo plant. Then, he said, "The one resting a bit higher is a male drongo. And the other one resting a bit lower than him is a female drongo." And they asked him to guess the old palm's top part and bottom part. He took it and put it in the water. Since the bottom part was heavier than the top part, it sank faster than the top part. He looked at them and described them correctly. The boy could guess all correctly. As they promised, the boy got the thunderbolt. And he could marry one of Manje Chyauhpa's daughters. He got the right to keep the thunderbolt. But the newlywed faced difficulties in earning money. His wife told him, "Take my gold ring. Trade this ring with rice." But he didn't know the price of the gold ring. So, he traded the gold ring with only 3 kilograms of rice. When he came back, his wife told him, "My husband, that is a gold ring. It is not the thing you should trade with only 3 kilograms of rice." The boy said, "If that is valuable and expensive, we use it to make a chicken coop or a sty door. There is much gold in that ravine." He showed it to his wife. His wife was surprised and said, "Yes, that is gold." They collected all gold and kept it at home. His wife sold the gold and got lots of money. They built a new house with that money. And they bought cows and buffaloes. They could live as rich people. When he was hung at the tree, he saw palm reading and fortune telling and and saw many carps swimming in group. He became wealthy. He owned many buffaloes and cows too. He could lead the Ju Manau very well too. Ju Manau is for health. When he danced the Manau dance, he offered things to nats. In the rainy season, those offerings were floating through the water. At that time, there was a rich man who went fishing. He cupped the water and drank it. Since he drank the water where the offerings were floating, he had got a serious stomachache. Since he was sick, he let his son go fishing. At that time, his son saw a group of carp swimming in the water. Then, his father felt better. The next day, he went fishing again. At that time, he saw fortune-tellers. Surprisingly, his father's pain was getting better. The father was suspicious and said, "I have got a stomachache after I drank water from the stream where the boy from Dingyau clan held the Manau. Go and escort him." When Dingyau arrived, the rich man told everything to him. It was sure that he had a stomachache because of nats. Dingyau told him, "You will be fine if you hold the Manau festival and give offerings to nats." The rich man asked him for help, "Please, be the Manau dance leader." Then, the boy from Dingyau clan led the Manau dance for the rich man. Gradually, the rich man's pain was gone. When people moved places to live, the leader said, "Live with your group of people." They divided the clans and lived together as the leader told. Kum Ja Magam from Marip clan, the chief, lived at Ningdung Mountain. Naw Lawn, who belonged to Lahtaw clan and the chief, lived at Ngaw Mountain. Daina La, who belonged to Lahpai clan, was the chief and lived at Lahpai Htung Mada. Jasen Tu, the chief, lived at Ningdung Mountain too. Nding Lapyen Tang also lived at Ningdung Mountain as a chief. Matsaw Wa Zinghkum lived at Nran Hkrang Hkra Tsaw as a chief too. Maran Pangwa Sanggan lived at Singgung Kanai where he ruled in a democracy. The boy who belonged to Dingyau clan lived in Dingyau place by ruling in a democracy. Hka Gam also ruled his place in a democracy. He lived at Pakkai Mountain. Lisaw Wa Kahtan ruled his place in a democracy and lived in Hpung Mai Krung. Ningnin Tu Hkyen lived in Tsadi Hkyet and ruled in democracy too. Tangbau Tang ruled Penan (a place) in a democracy. They divided the places to live in that way. They danced Kumran Manau and lived in their respective places. This is the migration of Kachin people.

Transcription (La Ring)
Ya bai matut nna lamu madai mahtum mahta du ni kaw nna ap jaw ai aga hkan hpa hpe e anhte shinggyim masha ni kadai lang na nga ai lam hpe e manawt dingsawt lang na matu masha lata ai lam hpe tsun jahta dan na. Hkranghku majoi kaw nga yang mahtum mahta du ni jaw da ai aga hkan hpa shakawn rai ni hte manawt dingsawt kadai lang na ngu ai masha lata na matu bawng ban sa wa ma ai. Dai shaloi ma dingyau gaw "Moi aji dumsa nna lu ai aga hkan hpa ni re ai majaw ngai lang na" nga nna tsun wu ai da. Dai shaloi "Nang gaw nmai lang ai" ngu nna ma dingyau hpe wapung ka kaba hta rim bang nna hkrang hka lung tawn ntsa kaw na lagat pawt makau kaw noi da sai nga ma ai. Dai zawn noi da hkrum sai ma dingyau hpe kanu gaw htamawng galu hta shat shadap jaw nna rem da sai nga ai. Masha lata sana rai yang kasha num kasha mali lu ai manje chyauhpa gaw "Ndai ngai galaw ai yep krup hpe hpaw ngut yep krup kata kaw rawng ai arai hpe mung tak chye lu bai ngai a shayi sha marai mali a lata layung ni hpe mung langai hte langai a lata layung re ngu ai tsun lu tak chye ai wa hpe anhte a aga hkan hpa hpe lang shangun saga" nga nna manje chyauhpa gaw tsun ai da. "Dai rai jang gaw mai sa" nga nna zuphpawng kaba galaw nna aga hkan hpa manawt dingsawt hpe lang na matu nambat langai manje chyauhpa galaw ai krup hpe langai hte langai hpaw yu ma ai. Dai hpang dai krup hpe shawng langai hte langai kahti galai hpaw chyam yu yang kadai mung nhpaw ya lu ai nga ma ai. Dai shaloi hkranghku lung htawn de noi da ai ma dingyau gaw "Ngai gaw hpaw lu ai" nga nna tsun ai nga ai. Bai tak ai lam hta mung "Ngai gaw tak chye ai" nga nna kanu hpe tsun dat ai shaloi kanu gaw mung masha ni nga ai shara de sa nna "Ngai a kasha ma dingyau gaw krup mung hpaw lu ai tak mung ngai chyoi ai nga tsun ai" ngu nna shana dan sai. "Dai rai yang noi da sai ma dingyau hpe woi la saga" nga nna woi la hpaw shangun yang shi gaw u ga chye madat nna nbring bri u gaw "Brin di u" ngu tsun ai majaw ma dingyau gaw dai manje chyauhpa galaw ai krup hpe brin di hpaw lu sai hte rawt wa yang garap rap dawng hta baw adit la nna "Hti hta nga sai" ngu tsun dat ai ga gaw yep krup kata hta rawng nga ai hti hta kanu hpe mung kalang lata tak chye kau mat sai wa tai wa sai nga ma ai. Dai hpang mung manje chyauhpa na shayi sha mali a lata layung hpe langai hte langai a layung ni hpe tak shangun yang masha kadai hpe mung nmu lu ai hku layung ni hpe chyu sha langai hte langai a layung ni hpe hku kaji sha waw nna dinghkrawn shadap tawn ai hpe she tak shangun ai nga ai. Ndai zawn shadap tawn ai layung ni hpe she "Ndai gaw kana a layung kanau a layung" ngu nna langai hte langai tak tsun dan shangun ai nga ma ai. Dai zawn layung ni langai hte langai a layung ni rai ai ngu san htai sa wa na rai yang san ai layung shagu hta ji nu ni pa nna tsun madun dan sai re majaw ma dingyau gaw "Ndai gaw kaw a layung ndai gaw lu a layung ndai wa gaw roi a layung htu a layung" ngu nna yawng hkrak tsun dan lu sai nga ma ai. Dai hpang mung kawa wa roi sang ndung ntsa hta dung nga ai shingkri u lahkawng hpe yi la ginhka dan shangun ma ai. Dai shaloi mung ma dingyau gaw u ga ni hpe tsat ai majaw "Ntsa lahta dung ai wa gaw la rai nna lawu kaw dung ai u mahtang gaw yi rai ai" ngu tsun ai lam mung hkrak rai mat sai nga ai. Hpang jahtum laisi dalim dingsa lahkawng hpe ndung hte npawt tsun shangun yang mung ma dingyau gaw dai laisi dalim yan hpe la nna hka hta tsing yu yang pawt maga gaw li grau nna ndung hta gaw li grau nna hka hta htin wa ai hpe yu nna laisi dalim dingsa yan hpe mung ndung npawt hpe hkrak sha tsun ginghka dan lu sai nga ai. Ma dingyau gaw san htai shangun ai lam ni hpe yawng hpe san htai awng dang kau lu sai nga ma ai. Dai majaw tsun da sai hte maren ma dingyau hpe aga hkan hpa hte shakawn rai ni lang na hte manje chyauhpa a kasha nang shayi la nna manawt dingsawt ni lang na matu ahkaw ahkang hpe lu la sai nga ma ai. Shi gaw nang shayi hpe la sai raitim shat lu sha yak nga ai majaw nang shayi sha gaw "Shi a lata chyawp hpe n-gu hte dut u" ngu tsun yang ma dingyau gaw lata chyawp ja rai ai manu masa hpe nchye nna n-gu bye lahkawng masum hte sha dut galai kau sai nga ma ai. Dai shaloi nang shayi gaw "Ma dingyau e ndai gaw ja lata chyawp ngu ai re n-gu bye lahkawng masum hte sha dut galai kau ai baw nre ai" ngu tsun yang ma dingyau gaw "Ndai baw mi reng ai baw hpan rai yang gaw an dwi gaw ndai baw hpe sha uraw magap walawng chyinghka ni hpe galaw lang nga ga ai bai an dwi mu da ai htama mi hkaraw de ya mung grai naw nga nga ai" ngu ma dingyau gaw nang shayi hpe ja dingpa uraw magap walawng chyinghka magap ni hpe hta la madun yang nang shayi sha gaw "Ndai rai ni re" nang shayi sha gaw "Ndai ni re ai le ja ngu ai grai reng ai baw rai sai" ngu tsun dan nna ya mu da ai ja nga ai shara de sa nna ja ni hpe yawng hta lahkawn shinggyin la da sai da. Ndai ja tawng ja pa ni hpe nang shayi gaw "Grai reng ai rai sai" ngu gumhpraw manu law law hte dut nna dum nta gap nga dumsu hpaga arai hkum sumhpa hpe mari la nna grai lu su nga mu nga mai wa sai nga ma ai. Dai hta n-ga ma dingyau gaw hkranghku lunghtawn ntsa hta noi da ai shaloi ri lap kabyit ai shaba lap ningwat ai hkrang lungga de ndu tep ni singgaw daw nna kabyit ai nga ngalai hpung ni kanawng gayawt hkawm nga ai ni hpe grai yu mu da sai nga ma ai. Dai hpang ma dingyau gaw ja gumhpraw hte dumsu nga ni mung law law lu sai rai nna manau dum yang chyanun ndat hte hkrak rai ju manau dam lu sai nga ai. Ma dingyau manau dum ai hta nat n-gawng kapung ai kapung dingsa gaw lanam hta hta hka hte tsawt nna hkrang hka lungga de taw nga ai kapung dingsa hta nna nga hkwi sa ai sut mu nu aw sut mu du gaw hka ja lu sai. Shingrai nat n-gawng kapung ai kapung dingsa hta hka ja lu ai majaw manau nat shang nna sut mu du gaw kan bu machyi kaba byin wa sai nga ma ai. Sut mu du machyi nga yang hkrang hka de nga hkwi sa shangun yang kalang na sa ai shaloi hkrang hka hta nga lai hpung ni hpung hku nna kanawng kayawt hkawm ai hpe mu da nna wa yang kawa sut mu du a kan bu machyi ai lam loi loi mai wa magang ai. Bai kahtap nna hkrang hka de nga hkwi sa yang ri lap kabyit ai shaba lap kabyit ning wat ai ni hpe mu da nna wa yang grau grau grau nna kawa kan machyi mai wa ai nga ma ai. Shingrai ai ni hpe mu yang grau grau mai wa ai re majaw kawa gaw "Ma dingyau a manau poi hta nat n-gawng kapung dingsa hta hka ja lu ai hte byin ai manau nat shang nna machyi ai rai sai" ngu kasha ni hpe ma dingyau shaga la sa shangun nna ma dingyau du ai hte shi hta byin ai lam ni hpe tsun dan yang Manau nat shang ai teng sai dai majaw nang gaw manau dum yang she mai sai" ngu tsun ai hte maren sut mu du gaw ma dingyau hpe nang nan manau madu tai nna manau dum ya na matu tsun ai. Dai hte maren ma dingyau gaw shi nan manau madu tai nna sut madu a manau hpe hkrak dum ya sai hte sut madu kan bu machyi kaba byin ai hta mai tsai wa sai nga ma ai. Dai hpang ginru ginsa la ni gaw ginru ginsa woi ai wa matsun ai hte maren "Ginru ginsa lam hkawm ai maraw raw nna nga mu" ngu da sai. Nga rudi garan nna bra wa nga ai lam. Ginru ginsa lam woi ai wa tsun matsun da sai hte mare tinang ru di garan da sai ru di shara de bra wa nga masai nga ai. 1) Marip wa Kum Ja magam gaw du wa nga na ningdung bum de wa nga sai. 2) Lahtaw wa Naw Lawn mung du wa nga nna ngaw bum de wa nga sai. 3) Lahpai Daina La mung du wa nga nna lahpai htung mada de wa nga sai. 4) Jasen Tu mung du wa nga nna ningdung bum de wa nga sai. 5) Nding Lapyen Tang mung du wa nga nna ningdung bum de wa nga sai. 6) Matsaw wa zinghkum mung du wa nga nna nran hkrang hkra tsaw de wa nga sai. 7) Maran Pangwa Sanggan gaw gumrawng gumtsa magam nga nna singgung kanai de yu wa nga sai. 8) Ma Dingyau mung gumrawng gumtsa nga nna dingyau hkang de wa nga sai. 9) Hka Gam mung gumrawng gumtsa nga nna pakkai bum de wa nga sai. 10) Lisaw wa Kahtan mung gumrawng gumtsa nga nna hpung mai krung de wa nga sai. 11) Ningnin Tu Hkyen mung gumrawng gumtsa nga nna tsadi hkyet de wa nga sai. 12) Tangbau Tang mung gumrawng gumtsa nga nna penan lungpu de wa nga sai. Ndai zawn nga shara ru di ni hpe garan la nna majoi hpang htingbut de lung wa nna kumran manau dum la ngut ai hpang she tinang nan garan da sai rudi shara de bai bra wa nga masai nga ma ai. Ginru ginsa yu hkrat wa ai lam gaw ndai kaw htum sai da.
Origination date 2017-02-03
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK1/0423
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
L. Tu Awng : speaker
DOI 10.4225/72/5988955b27e40
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), L. Tu Awng (speaker), 2017. Shata lata ai lam (Keeper of the Thunderbolt) with English translation . EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK1-0423 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/72/5988955b27e40
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK1-0423-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 82.6 KB
KK1-0423-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 15.2 MB 00:16:37.773
KK1-0423-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 548 MB 00:16:37.746
3 files -- 564 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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