| Description |
Translation (by Rita Seng Mai)
This story is about birds which danced Manau dance (Kachin traditional dance). Many small or big birds were flying happily in the jungle. While they were flying, they saw a big banyan tree. There were many big banyan trees in the jungle and there had many small fruits on the banyan tree. Then, they really wanted to eat those banyan fruits and said "Let's eat! Let's eat!" One of the birds said, "Let's dance Manau dance first! Before we eat, let's praise by dancing Manau dance for getting a chance to eat these fruits." Then, the other bird asked, "Who will lead the dance?" They thought to let the great hornbill lead Manau dance. The great hornbill lived only in the deep forest and it was the biggest bird among the others. So they told the great hornbill, "Mr. Great Hornbill, please lead Manau dance as you are the biggest among us." The great hornbill agreed to lead the dance. Many other birds participated in that Manau dance ceremony and followed the lead of the great hornbill. They also sang a song like "oh ra e, oh ra ra" while they were dancing. As soon as the great hornbill sang "oh ra ra", the other birds were so afraid and flew away because its voice was too loud. Then, they thought of another way and told each other, "We need to find another one who can lead the dance and can completely unite us." They went to a racket tailed drongo to ask if it could lead Manau dance. The racket tailed drongo, a king of bird, is valuable for Kachin people. Its tails are put on a traditional headdress of ritual leaders during Manau dance. Then, a racket tailed drongo led the Manau dance and sang with its pleasant and mellow voice. All the birds danced Manau dance happily. And the Racket-tailed drongo usually wakes the other birds up at dawn. It usually makes sound with its pleasant and mellow voice. After birds danced Manau dance, they happily ate those banyan fruits together. Then, waiter birds came to a crimson sunbird to ask how to apportion banyan fruits to each bird. A crimson sunbird, the priest of the birds' Manau dance festival, told, "Give a small amount of food to small birds and give a large amount of food to big birds!" The small birds dissatisfied about this. Then they broke a blue-throated barbet's head. That's why a blue-throated barbet has a red head now. A Racked-tailed drongo became the king of bird since that day. The elders from Kachin people told about this.
Transcription (by Lu Awng)
Ya gaw ah u ni manau manau ai lam. Ndai ah u ni nam u numji numjoi ni oh nam mali kaw pyen gawan hkawm yang lagat si oh anhte nam ga de grai nga ai u ni grai sha ai ah si ndai te te te sha law hpun kaba ba tu ai, dai lagat si tu ai shara sa mu tawn sai da, sa mu yang gaw an u kaga ni gaw grai sha mayu na hku rai nga, di sha saka ngu e anhte manau naw manau ga. Ndai namsi ndai e sha na rai yang anhte manau naw manau nna she chyeju shakawn nna ndai namsi e chyawm sha na di ga. Ngu nna tsun yang gaw manau nau shawng kadai shawng na ngu nna bai san wa gaw, ndai hkawnrang u ngu ai ndai hkan ne gaw nnga ai goi, nam ga de she nga ai hkawngrang u ngu ai dai gaw u kaba shanhte u hta na kaba htum rai re nga ai, dai hkawngrang u e nang nau shawng shawng u nang gaw kaba htum rai ndai gaw nang nau shawng shawng u ngu yang wa, dai wa gaw nau shawng shawng ai ngu sa ndai manau nau ai shaloi gaw ya anhte jinghpaw ni pyi oh ra ra nna, nau pa pa re dai, ohrara ai she nrai i oh ra u ni e manau manau saga ngu shaga tsun aw law woi she nre dawng shi a nsen wa grai kaba ai wa re nshe, nsen kaba hte rawng rang ngu shaga dat jang u numji numjoi yawng hprawng n hprit bra mat rai jang gaw um nre ya ndai anhte e woi zinlum na hkawhkam nau shawng tai na nawshe tam ga bai ngu jang gaw ndai ya jinghpaw ni gaw grai manu shandan lang nga ai ndai sinwa ngu ai manau manau ai hkan e gawp du ru gaw ah mai ni jun rai sinwa u dai e bai manau nau shawng woi yang dai gaw grai pyaw ai nsen hte sha woi manau rai nna ya dai ah u ni a hkawhkam gaw u sinwa, kanu sinwa nga dai sinwa u gaw u hkawhkam rai nga da. Rai na ndai u ni gaw ya anhte nam ga ndai gara yang hkan e jahpawt de n htoi htoi n htoi re wa yang dai sinwa u dai u numji numjoi ni e yup jasu ai re da. Grai pyaw hkra hkra rawt shaga nga nga re dai u sinwa, u ni dai manau manau ngut nshe dai hkan hte chyawm sha ga ngu ai lagat si dai e chyawm sha nna nga yang gaw manau manau ai manau hkinjawng ai manau hkinjawng tai ai gaw u tu rai sam ai gaw, u tu nga ya dai ah baw kaw ah hkyeng re hkinjawng jawng htingra kaiset nga kun e gaw ohra hpajau jau ai ni she ya ndai kaning di jau na rai ngu kaji ai ni e kachyi sha jaw kaba ai ni gaw ah law wa jaw mu ngu na rai re na ai gaw, shaloi she dai u tu hkinjawng tai ai wa dan nga dat jang dai e ohra u kaji ni she nrai i nanhte anhte kaji ai ni e kachyi sha jaw na nga ngu ah baw gala ya di nna, ya dai u tu ah mat ah baw ah hkyeng rai nna mun hkyeng ai dai, dai matut maumwi dai nga ai re da. Dai u ni a manau manau ai rai nna ndai u hkawhkam wa gaw u ra u hkawhkam tai dai manau manau ai shani kaw nna rai malu ai da. Dai nga na tsun ma ai moi na salang ni.
Notes
1. The animated version is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riwpfdph3A8 |
