Item details
Item ID
KK1-0811
Title Kani hte hpa hka pu (The opium and the bitter tea) with English translation
Description Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
When human beings first existed on this earth, there were no poppy or green tea leaves. There were two human beings called Shwe Dagon Brang and Nang Shing Yan. Shwe Dagon Brang loved Nang Shing Yan so much. But he had to cross the river if he wanted to see her. He had to ride on a crocodile to cross the river. They lived far away from each other. Then, some people made mischief between them. They asked her, "Does he let you sleep on his arm?" She answered politely, "No. Since a man has his glory, he doesn't let me sleep on his arm." They told her, "Oh, then he doesn't really love you. He is just playing you. Ask me to let you sleep on his arm next time." When Shwe Dagon Brang came to her again, she insisted on asking him to let her sleep on his arm. He told her that he couldn't allow, but she kept asking. She asked him that she wanted to sleep on his arm by tying his little finger for seven times with a thread. In the end, he had to agree to let her sleep on his left arm. When he went back to his village at night, the crocodile didn't want him to ride on it. The next day, he called the crocodile to send him to the other side of the river. But it didn't come to him. The two lovers were apart and pined for each other. They couldn't even eat or drink. They were sitting beside the river all day long and looking at the other side of the river. They were acting like that for many days. In the end, they both died at the same time. In the past, people didn't bury the corpses. They burnt them. The villagers were preparing to burn them. They were waiting for each other who would burn them first. In the end, they were impatient and burnt them at the same time. The smoke from burning their corpses was moving up in the sky and combined there. In summer, we can see the bright long light in the sky. That is the smoke coming out from burning the corpses of Shwe Dagon Brang and Nang Shing Yan. Kachin people call it as Mali Shingna (Shingna is shadow). A green tea tree was growing at the place where Shwe Dagon Brang's corpse was burnt. A poppy was growing at the place where Nang Shing Yan's corpse was burnt. It was really addictive. Poppies first grew there. Green tea trees grew at the place where Shwe Dagon Brang's corpse was burnt. Drug addicts drank green tea. It was because Shwe Dagon Brang and Nang Shing Yan were lovers. Our elders said that poppies grew at the place where the girl's corpse was burnt. Green tea trees grew at the place where the boy's corpse was burnt. They give harms to every one on this earth. This is how poppies and green tea first existed.

Transcription (La Ring)
Moi mungkan ga nnan lat shinggyim ngu nnan prat yang da kani ngu hte hpa hka ngu garai nnga yang Shwe Dagon Brang ngu yan Nang Shing Yan ngu ai lahkawng shawng nga ma ai da. Shwe Dagon Brang ngu gaw Nang Shing Yan hpe ndi nhka tsawra nja sumtsaw sumra wawn na la na nga na ga sadi tawn da ma ai da. Raitim mung e Shwe Dagon Brang gaw Nang Shing Yan hpang sa na matu hka kaba rap na matu hkangse kaba jawn rai sa ra ai da. Dai kaw e Nang Shing Yan hpe manang nseng n-ang ai ni gunglau ai da. "Na sumtsaw wa Shwe Dagon Brang gaw ta lahpum kaw hkum shangun ai i" ngu na san yang nhkum shangun ai nmai hkum shangun ai da. La ngu ai gaw hpung shingkang hte hpung dagu hte nga ra ai re majaw nhkum shangun ai da. "Dai rai jang nang hpe kaja wa ra ai nre nang hpe roi ai she re. Ya na sa jang gaw hkum na hku hpyi u" ngu na tsun ai. Ga kam nna hpang na sa yang gaw Nang Shing Yan gaw Shwe Dagon Brang hpe ta hpum hkum shangun na matu hpyi ai da. Shwe Dagon Brang kade tsun ningdang tim nhkraw nna hpang jahtum gaw Swe Dagon Brang a lapai lata yung sha yung hkyi hpe ri hte sanit htap hkyen nna hkum shangun na matu hpyi wa ai majaw kaning nchye di nna hkum shangun ai da. Dai shaloi wa let hkangse gaw kanoi noi njawn shangun nna kanoi noi hka de di bang ai da. Hpang bai sa na ngu bai shaga yu yang gaw hkangse kaba gaw nsa hkraw mat sai da. Dai shani kaw na gaw shan lahkawng gaw hka wora hkran nang hkran rai na marit nna myit ana byin sai da. Shat mung nsha hka mung nlu rai na hka hkingau ntsa chyu dung. Wora hkran mada nang hkran mada rai nga ai da. Mali shata nhtoi law wa jang gaw shan lahkawng shat mung nsha hka mung nlu re majaw si mat wa masai da. Shan lahkawng gaw ahkying hkum mi minute second hkum mi hta nsa di ai da. Wora hkran na ni mung nang hkran na ni mung moi gaw masha mang hpe nlup ai wan hta ju kau ai re majaw gaw wan ju na maw ma ai da. Nang Shing Yan nga ai maga na ni hte Shwe Dagon Brang nga ai mang maga na ni gaw "Wora hkran ni shawng ju mu ga ndai hkran ni shawng ju mu ga" nga la hkat. La jin wa ai nga yang kalang ta ju dat ai da shan lahkawng a mang hpe gaw. Shan hpe ju wan hkut gaw dai panglai hka pai hkra hku nna lung wa na lamu de htaw rum nna makyit mahkai ahkyen di lamu de lung wa ai da. Ya lamu san ginhtawng ta lamu ntsa de ahtoi ding yan re dai gaw dai Shwe Dagon Brang yan Nang Shing Yan hpe ju ai mang ju wan hkut re da. Daini na Wunpawng sha ni a shamying ai gaw dai hpe mali shingna nga na shamying ma ai da. Dai hpang she Shwe Dagon Brang ju ai mang ju ai wan mang kaw gaw hpa hka tu pru wa ai da. Nang Shing Yan ju ai mang ju ai wan mang kaw gaw kani tu pru wa ai da. Lai malai mahti sha mahti manam mahti na mata yu yang gaw grai marit na zawn grai mu na zawn grai myit swe na zawn nga majaw daini du hkra dai kani ngu ai paw pru wa ai dai ning pawt gaw dai Nang Shing Yan ngu ai ju ai wan mang kaw na pru ai re da. Shwe Dagon Brang ju ai mang ju ai wan mang kaw na hpa hka ngu dai hku pru wa ai re da. Dai majaw ya kani ya ni kani lu yang hpa hka mung lu ra ai shan gaw mi kaw na sumtsaw sumra re da. Ndai kani ngu gaw num kaw na paw pru wa ai re nga na tsun ma ai moi na salang ni. Hpa hka gaw la kaw na paw pru wa ai re da. Shan lahkawng gaw mi kaw na mung ningrum ningtau tai na matu ga sadi tawn da ai majaw daini du hkra mungkan bra hkra yawng hpe tsin yam jaw ai kani hte hpa hka ngu ai ndai a ning pawt gaw dai re.
Origination date 2017-02-11
Origination date free form
Archive link https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/repository/KK1/0811
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
N. Gum Ja Naw : speaker
DOI 10.4225/72/5989e4f6e62fe
Cite as Keita Kurabe (collector), Keita Kurabe (depositor), N. Gum Ja Naw (speaker), 2017. Kani hte hpa hka pu (The opium and the bitter tea) with English translation. EAF+XML/MPEG/VND.WAV. KK1-0811 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/72/5989e4f6e62fe
Content Files (3)
Filename Type File size Duration File access
KK1-0811-A.eaf application/eaf+xml 27.1 KB
KK1-0811-A.mp3 audio/mpeg 3.7 MB 00:04:02.782
KK1-0811-A.wav audio/vnd.wav 134 MB 00:04:02.752
3 files -- 137 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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