Item details
Item ID
KK1-0802
Title Kanu taukawk byin mat ai lam (Mother who turned into a tortoise) with English translation
Description Translated by (Rita Seng Mai)
This story is about a girl's mother who turned into tortoise. Many years ago, there lived a good mother and daughter, and a terrible, ill-natured mother and daughter in a village. One day, that ill-natured mother asked the other friends to go fishing. That good-natured mother also went fishing together with them. Then, she went fishing on the other side of water where there was many fish. And that ill-natured one went fishing on the other side where there wasn't lots of fish. Then, that good-natured mother got lots of fish and that ill-natured mother got little. She felt jealous about that. She went to that good-natured lady and told her, "My friend, you've got lots of fish. That's really nice!" Then that good-natured lady replied to her, "Yes, good luck touch me." At that moment, that ill-natured lady pushed her from her back. Then that good lady fell into the big hole between rocks in water. That ill-natured lady acted like nothing happened and kept going fishing. After she had got lots of fish, she went back home. When she arrived home, the daughter of good-natured mother asked her where her mother was. The ill-natured lady answered, "Your mother is still going fishing there." Then the daughter of good-natured mother ran to her mother quickly. When she arrived there, she saw that there were only fishing net and slippers of her mother. She was finding where her mother was while weeping. Then, she heard her mother's voice coming out from the water. Her mother told, "My sweetheart, I'm here." Then she asked her mother, "Why are you there, mom?" Her mother told her what had happened and she told, "My sweetheart, don't despair! Don't feel sad! I will be with you forever." The daughter was happy after she had heard what her mother told. So she happily went back home. Every day, she went to her mother and talked with her. Then that ill-natured lady and her daughter were curious why that girl always went there. So they followed that good-natured lady's daughter on the next day. They crept after her and they heard that good-natured lady and her daughter talking. Then, that ill-natured lady planned a way to kill that good-natured lady who turned into a tortoise. She told the villagers, "There is a big tortoise in that place. Let's kill it and let's eat its meat together!" But the daughter of that tortoise heard that. Then, she quickly went to her mom and told her mom, "Mom, the villagers are trying to catch you. They will kill you. You can't leave me alone, mom. So not to be killed, do as I say. Just listen to my voice. If I tell you to move forward, move forward. If I tell you to move backward, move backward. Okay?" Her mother said Ok and she would do what she says. The villagers came to catch that tortoise on the next day. Her daughter also came and shouted how to move. The villagers couldn't catch the tortoise because her daughter kept telling her how to move. So they shut the girl's mouth. Then they had caught that tortoise with fishing net. The girl kept crying and crying. The villagers told the girl to cook the tortoise as she was the daughter of that tortoise. She had to say okay. Her mother told her to put lots of firewood when she cooked her. And her mother also told her, "My sweetheart, don't worry about me. I will look after you forever. After the villagers have eaten my meat, get the bones and bury them." She buried the bones as her mother told. Then there grew a tree and there bloomed many beautiful flowers. She plucked those beautiful flowers and sold them in the market. Then she earned some money by selling them. Finally she lived happily forever.

Transcribed (by Lu Awng)
Ngai hkai na gabaw gaw kanu gaw taukawk tai mat ai na lam re. Moi shawng de mare langai kaw da i nkaja ai hte kaja ai nga ai da. Dai n kaja ai hkanu gaw i manang e da nga wa hkoi ga ngu tsun ai da i. Dai kaja hkan nu mung e wa hkoi ga le ngu tsun ai da, wa hkoi ga le ngu na tsun na she sa mat sai dai she dai i kaja hkan nu gaw da n dai hkran maga de nga grai law ai maga de hkoi ai da, n kaja ai hkannu gaw nga kachyi sha nga ai maga de hkoi ai da. Dai kaja hkannu gaw i nga grai law ai da, nga grai law i dai kaja ai wa i dai wa gaw nga grai law ai da, nga grai law she ohra n kaja ai ah num wa gaw nga kachyi sha lu na dai num wa gaw grai manaw wa ai da. Grai manawn wa na dai, grai manawn wa ai da, manawn wa na nre i shi gaw dai kaja ai hkannu kaw sa, i da ah ning nang na nga grai law nga ai le nga tsun, e law oh shi hpe i oh yu dat yu u ngu tsun ai da, shi hpang kaw na i ganawng dat ai da, ganawng dat she oh ra nlung din na hku kaba law dai kata kaw shang mat ai, shang mat na shi gaw dai num gaw nga bai hkoi ai da, kaja num wa hkoi da ai kaw na nga bai hkoi hkoi, hkoi re na hkoi she hkoi grai law mat sai, grai law mat na shi nta de wa, nta de wa i dai kaja ai na kasha gaw i ah nu gara kaw rai ngu tsun ai da. Na nu oh kaw naw hkoi nga ta sai ngu tsun ai da. Hkoi nga ta sai ngu na tsun, hkoi nga ta sai ngu jang she kanu kaw lagat sa na she kanu na i nga hkoi ai baw singgawn hte hkyep din sha nga taw ai. Hkyep din i dai wa hkrap ai le ah nu gara kaw rai nga hkrap ai she nre i, dai hka kaw na nsen pru wa ai da, e ah nu ningkaw ngu tsun ai da. Ah nu ningkaw tsun ai da i, ah nu hpa na dai kaw du mat ai i, dai n kaja ai hkan nu dai hku di kau na re, ma nang hpa myit n kaji ra ai ngu tsun ai da, ah nu nang ma makau kaw galoi mung nga ai ngu shi gaw sa ai da i, kabu na wa mat ai da. Kabu na wa mat ai da, kanu nga ai ngu na grai kabu na nta wa mat ai she, hpang jahpawt bai sa kanu hte i ga ni wa shaga ai da, ga ni wa shaga di da i, shani shagu sa majaw le i dai n kaja ai hkannu gaw ndai wa i hpa na dai de sa ai kun nchye ai ngu she i, dai wa sa ai de dai ma hkan nang ai, hpang kaw hkan nang ai. Hpang kaw hkan nang, hkan nang she i ga shaga taw ai da, ga shaga taw ai majaw i, ga shaga ai na kau ai le, na kau ai majaw i mare masha ni hpe tsun ai da i, anhte na dai ohra hka kaw da i, taukawk kaba nga ai i, dai hpe anhte mare masha ni jawm rim sha ga ngu tsun ai da. Jawm rim sha ga ngu tsun ai she i, dai ma ma na ai da. Ma ma na she nrai kanu hpe wa tsun ai da i, ah nu da ah nu nang hpe i masha ni gaw rim na matu rai sai ngu tsun ai da, hpa nra ai ah nu si na, ar ah nu nmai si ai ngu da, ah nu gaw ma ndai maga de yen nu ga ah nu ndai maga yen na, hpang de sit u ga hpang de sit u yaw ngu yang hpang de sit na. Kanu gaw i e e wa ngu na wa mat ai, hpang shani gaw wa rim ai da, dai ma mung (ah pyet) marawn ai da, ah nu ndai maga de sit u, hpang de sit u, shawng de sit u ngu, marawn ai da, dai she dai ma hpe rim da u n gup (pake) na rim da ai she nre i, hpang e singgawn hte rim kau ai da. Rim kau rai yang she, lu rim kau na shi nu hpe i dai ma gaw shi nu re majaw i nang ndai taukawk hpe shadu u yaw ngu tsun ai da, e ngu na hkrap ai da lu, shi nu gaw wan law law bang u ngu tsun ai da, wan law law bang shi gaw hkrap she hkrap, hkrap she hkrap na ah nu e, hpa nra ai ma hpe makawp maga na ra ai ngu tsun na, shi nu dai gaw i ndai i ah nu hpe sha da ai nra hpe i ga kaw wa lup da su ngu tsun ai da. Shi gaw nrai tsun ai da, dai oh shadu kau sai shi nu hpe shadu kau she nrai dai shanhte i masha ni sha ai da, nra dai ga kaw wa lup da na, grai tsawm ai nampan grai tsawm ai dai hpe la na dai gat hkan ne dut sha dut sha na shi pyaw pyaw rai nga mat ai da.
Origination date 2017-02-11
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK1/0802
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
S. Seng Mun Mai : speaker
DOI 10.4225/72/5989e4d070408
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), S. Seng Mun Mai (speaker), 2017. Kanu taukawk byin mat ai lam (Mother who turned into a tortoise) with English translation. EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK1-0802 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/72/5989e4d070408
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK1-0802-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 19.9 KB
KK1-0802-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 3.35 MB 00:03:39.585
KK1-0802-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 121 MB 00:03:39.573
3 files -- 124 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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