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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
There was once a couple in a village. Not very long after their marriage, they had got a baby. Then, they had got 6 children. Their children were so young and they couldn't do any work. So, they didn't have much money. Years later, the husband died. The wife was left with 6 children and became a widow. It was very difficult for her to earn enough money for the family. So, she worked as a day labourer. She got some money that was enough for a day for her family. But she didn't have anything left to save. Some villagers said that they went to cut and clean the bushes from the field. So, she thought, "If I go to do that, we won't have anything to eat. I have to work as a day labourer. Shall I just let my children go together with others to clean the field?" Then, she asked the head of the village if she could do like that. They said, "It's okay." The day before her children went to clean the field, she really worked hard to earn some money. And she cooked breakfast and lunch for her children the next morning. After that, she went to work as a day labourer again. At night, she asked her children, "Did you clean the field?" They said, "Yes, we did." She said, "Okay. Great!" The next day, she went to work again. She prepared lunch for her children before she went to work. But, her children didn't clean any field. They just ate lunch which their mother prepared for them and played there. Then, they came back home in the evening. And they lied to their mother. The mother believed them without knowing that they lied to her. When it was time to burn the field, she asked them, "How much did you clean the field?" They said, "We've cleaned a lot." She said, "Good children." In the past, the villagers said to her, "Why don't you let your children work? Let them work." At that time, she said, "They are still too young to work. And I am still alive. I will work for them." Then, she told her children, "Tomorrow, bring the rice plants to plant in the field. I'll go work to earn some money." Her children just brought the rice plants and put them on the tree stump. They didn't plant any of them. In the evening, they went back home. On that day, the mother worked really hard and earned double. So, she said, "I will go together with you tomorrow, my babies. I will help you plant the rice." She packed the cooked rice for all of them and went there. After walking for a long time, she asked her children, "Where are we? Are we already there?" They answered, "Not yet, mom." They kept walking. And then, she asked, "What about now?" They said, "We are almost there." When they arrived the tree stump, her children said, "There, mom." And they showed her the rice plants on the tree stump. She was so shocked and upset. She cried and shouted, "Oh GOD! Our Mighty GOD!" (Sorry, they didn't reach at the field yet.) At home, the mother asked her children, "Did you plant the rice plants?" They said, "Yes, we did." And she asked them, "Is it time to harvest now?" They said, "Yes, mom." Then she said, "My children, it's difficult for me to work as a day labourer since I am getting old. Shall we just stay by planting the rice?" They said, "Of course, mom." The next day, they all brought a mat, a basket and a round bamboo matting tray and went to the field. When they arrived there, she saw nothing. Then, she was so upset. She was crying while she was covering her head with the basket, putting the bamboo tray under her arms and holding the mat with her knees. At that time, she turned into a cicada. So, the cicadas always make a sound when it is the time to grow the rice plants. It was because she was afraid that people didn't grow any rice plants like her children. When people hear the sound of the cicada, they quickly do their work. The cicada doesn't eat any rice. It only breathes the air. And it doesn't have any babies too. It just shed its skin and changes into a new one.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Moi da kahtawng langai mi kaw she num langai hte la langai dinghku gaw de re wa kasha gaw langai hpang langai, langai hpang langai lu 6 ting lu yang gaw yawng shawng no 1 lu ai de mung hpa bungli nlu galaw mat re yang gaw bungli nchye galaw shi mat kaji ai gaman da. Kaji gaman nga yang laning mi langai ngai she nlu sa dawng i, dai re she hto ra kawa mung bai si shakram kau da da. Kawa mung bai si shakram kau da re na shan nu ni sha na shat tam jaw ai mung nnga mat re na she kanu gaw aw (nayzar) chyu nga baw i dai ni tam dai ni sha re baw tam na kade tam tim lani mi tam na jahpawt shana sha na ma mat, lani mi sa tam ai mung jahpawt shana sha na ma mat na jan na mahkawng shalaw da na wa nlu hkraw ai da. Nlu hkraw re yang gaw dai kahtawng na masha ni gaw yi hkyen yi hkyen nga yang gaw chye ngai gaw yi hkyen sa mat yang gaw nye kasha ni an nu sha na ma bai nlu mat re na, ngai gaw n chyang chyang, masha ni kaw n chyang sa shang ra ai re majaw ndai nye kasha ni manang ni kaw shakap dat na yi sa yu hkyen shangun na kun ngu tsun yagng she salang ni hpe tsun yang mai ai le. Kaja wa kanu gaw dai kasha ni yi sa yu hkyen na hpawt ni re nga hte gaw dai ni a gying a gang galaw na shi la wa sai da. Re na hpang jahpawt jau jau rawt na she shat ni shadu re na kasha ni shani shat ni shadu shangun re na shi gaw shan nu ni sha na bai chyang sa mat wa sai da. Shana du wa yang gaw kanu gaw ma ni e yi yu da sai i ngu yang yu da sai ngu da. E e re sai, nga na hpang shani bai sa hkyen sanu e nu gaw an nu ni sha na shat tam sa na ngu yi bai hkyen sa mat. Kasha ni e she bai makai shagut dat rai e dai hku re sa, yi hkyen ngut na daram kanu gaw tam chyu tam na shagun jaw shagun jaw, dai kasha ni wa she kanu shangun dat ai shat sha sa jawm hpyen sha na wa, yi mung n hkyen ai sha gasup chyu gasup, sa gasup bai wa na kanu hpe bai masu da. Kanu gaw nchye nna tam chyu tam, masha ni ya gaw yi nat sana re nga, kade wa hkyen da sa ngu, manu mana hkyen da sai ngu. E e rai sa nye kasha ni ram sai, ram sai ngu, ya jau jau kaw na she shadum re sai gaw masha ni gaw, e na kasha ni bungli ngalaw ai le, i hpa ntai shi n kaba shi ai matsan mayen ngai kanu wa ting naw nga nga ai mi gaw ngai lu galaw ai daram galaw na re ngu shing ngu na dai hku di ai da. Shaloi yi nat ai gaw ya gaw mam sa ting na matu, hpawt ni gaw mam sa ting na matu mam nli sa gun sa yaw ngu, nu mam nli sa chyang na ngu di na, kaja wa a si asat bungli sa galaw, shan nu ni sha na matu da, mam nli na matu da sa galaw nna lu wa sai da. Shing rai hpang jahpawt jau jau ya mam nli sa gun da magang yaw, ngu nna tsun dat yang she kasha ni gaw mam gun sa wa na oh masha ni yi hpun du kaw sa shadun kau da na hpa mung mam n ting ai bai wa ai da. Shaloi gaw hpang shani gaw kanu gaw dai shani gaw shawoi na hta grau na bungli galaw shakut nna shawoi na hta jan nna lu wa ai da. Dai shaloi gaw hpawt ni gaw nu ma sa na re, nan nau ni sa gun sa ai mam dai nu mada re na sa ting gaw ngu na sa wa sai da. Shat sah makai gun rai sa wa, n du hkraw sai da, ma yen nau ni e ya gaw ngu yang, karai ndu shi i, karai ndu shi, hkawm she hkawm, hkawm she hkawm, masha ni yi kade lai mat wa tim, shan nau ni yi gaw ndu hkraw re na she ya gaw kanang ya du wa sa, du wa sa ngu yang gaw gara ngu yang she dai mam nli dai hpun du kaw shadun da nga mu jang she kanu gaw aw myit htum ai hte yawn ai hte rai, wah . . . mungkan e nye a prat e sagya e ngu na marawn ai da. Marawn na hkrap ai hte re mat na dai shani gaw dai shani gaw mam ting sa na re nga hku wan gaw gun, shingnoi mung gun, (aw hpa rai na i, naw she hkrat nga lu ai, naw hkrat ai garai ndu shi ai) hto ah she mam ting da sai ngu da, mam ting ngut sai. Mam myin wa na sai nga gaw mam min ai shaloi she kanu sa ai gaw, shawng e nsa ai, mam myin sai, chye ma yen nau ni e ya nu mung nau dinggai wa na shani shagu n chyang chyang sha jin wa gaw ndung dung htoi wa ai ngu la na sha magang na kun goi, mai ai mai ai nga na sa wa hku re nga, dai shaloi kanu gaw jahtai gun, shingnoi gun, hku-awn gun, katsap la na n shat gawat na sha na matu katsap la na hku hku-awn ni mung gun rai sa wa yang, sa tam gawm kau na hpa mam yi mung n lu rai, yawn ai hte rai hkrap ai hte rai na marawn na hku-awn e gaw shingnoi e gaw dai baw de gup di kau, hku-awn e gaw kahpa npu de tep di kau na jahtai gaw lapran kaw tep di kau na marawn ai hku re nga. Marawn ai hkrap ai nga yang hkra tai mat ai da. Dai majaw hkra tai na, mam ting ten du wa jang shadum dum re le i, dai hkra kanu gaw, moi na shi kasha ni zawn re mam n ting sha ai hkra du na tsang na hkra ngoi ngoi re. Hkra ngoi jang gaw ah she hpang hkrat wa sai nga na n ngut ai ni lawan wan shangut la, ya hkra tai mat ai da. Ya gaw shat nsha ai n bung sha chyu na kasha mung kaga nlu ai da lu hkra gaw dai shi na kawp sa galai na kata kaw a kalung re na bai pra wa wa re ai da. |
