| Description |
Translation (Htoi Awng)
'Hkam Hkam Nang Bya', a crook, was a wise man and full of wicked thoughts. In the past, people did farming for a living. But the elephants and the birds destroyed the farms and ate all the crops of the people. People were very disappointed and asked Hkam Hkam Nang Bya, "Please! Help Us! You are a wise man. The elephants were eating all the crops. We are starving." Hkam Hkam Nang Bya said, "Just let them eat the dung. It's okay. I will tie the neck of the elephants with the cane and I will enslave them." The elephants heard that and were searching for Hkam Hkam Nang Bya for three years. All the villages they arrived, they asked, "We want to see Hkam Hkam Nang Bya who is the strongest, the biggest and who will enslave the elephants." People replied to the elephants, "There is an old man who is making bamboo splits. You can ask him. We are sorry we don't know about Hkam Hkam Nang Bya." Actually, Hkam Hkam Nang Bya was that old man. The elephants said, "Grandpa! We are searching for the man who said he would even enslave the giant elephants. We want to meet him. We want to tear his body into pieces, and then we will eat him." Then, the old man said, "I have met him before. And I am finding him too. I also want to meet him. I heard that he is in the east." The elephants said, "Only you know him, grandpa. Take us there." Then the old man said, "You have four long legs and tusks. But I have only two legs. How can I do?" They said, "It's okay. Just stay on our shoulders." He said, "But it's very shaggy." Then they said, "That is okay. Contrive something not to feel uncomfortable." Then, the old man took the hammer and axe, and then he cut a big tree. He made a chair. He put that on the elephant's shoulder and sat on that. And they started finding 'Hkam Hkam Nang Bya'. They had been searching him for almost three years. But they couldn't find him. On the way, the baby elephants and the old elephants were dead. Only some strong elephants left and they were still searching him. One day, the elephants almost fell down into the big lake on the way to find 'Hkam Hkam Nang Bya'. The old man said, "Hold your ears. When you hold your ears, if your ears move a bit, you all will fall down into the lake." The elephants told him, "Do something for us." Then, he hooked the iron on the ears of the elephants. Then, they continued searching for 'Hkam Hkam Nang Bya' for three years. The next day after three years, almost all the elephants were dead since they were too tired. And the old man felt bored to ride on the elephants too. At that time, the elephants said, "This is a nice and pleasant place. Let's take a rest here. We will find some fruits for you. Or we will take some cooked rice if we find." Then, some strong elephants went to find food. When they came back, they brought some food for the old man. They ate some bananas too. They were exhausted. The elephants said, "What will we do now?" The old man answered "You need to change the things that are put on your feet and arms because those are very old. After that, I will tell you something." Then, the elephants tried to change into a new one and drank some water. Meanwhile, the old man renewed the iron pikes and put on the elephants. The elephants said, "Let's go and find him." They tried to stand up. At that moment, the old man said, "I am Hkam Hkam Nang Bya whom you are finding." Then, the elephants cried a lot after hearing that. So, a mahout who trains the elephants is 'Hkam Hkam Nang Bya'. This is the end of the story. Thank you very much.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ndai hkam hkam nang bya ngu gaw mungkan e bawnu ngu gaw shi hkum ting kara mun mahkra shi hpaji ngu tup ai la re da. Re yang she dan yang she mungkan ga e shnggyin masha ni yi sun hkauna galaw yang she nam magwi ni mahkra sha kau ya, sa sha kau ya rai shanhte gaw nam hkan na nai sha krawk sha U dumsi hte pawng krawk sha re yang, Shi gaw myit htum sai da, myit htum re jang e ndai langai mung e hkam hakm nangbya e nang grai chye ai wa anhte mung masha ni shat n lu sha nga ai le. Magwi hkrai sha kau sha kau re yang dan yang she magwi ni a magwi hkyi gaw kaba ai gaw i. E dai magwi hkyi mi gaw sa sha mu ga, magwi hkyi dai ma nyi da ai nga re sai sha mu ga. Ya nye du krung kaw htik na kaw shingna hte mahkai nna yam sha na da nga yang, magwi ni gaw n bung hte ga na she tam sai da law, 3 ning tam ai da. Hkanghtan nangbya hpe 3 ning tam re yang she aga gara mare kaw du yang mung e a woi hkanghtan nangbya ngu ai anhte magwi mungkan e kaba dik, n gun ja dik lagaw lata n gun ja dik ai e wa nang du krung e dung nna na kaw e chyinghkyi hte makai nna shangun sha na nga dai wa e mu mayu ai law ngu da. E oh kaw dwi la langai mi ri pali mali sumpum tawn ai dingla nga ai. Dai kaw chyaw sa san yu mu, anhte gaw n chye ai law ngu. Hkanghtan nangbya gaw dai pali mali ai wa re nga. Re yang she e aji e hkanghtan nangbya nga anhte ram mungkan hta kaba dik ai magwi e mi dukrung e dung nna na kaw chyinghkyi makai nna yam sha na nga dai wa e mu mayu ai. Yawng kachyi chyi di na gang je sha na ngu e na gaw na yu ai law hkanghtan nangbya dai e. Retim ngai nmu hkraw nga ai law ngai mung na gaw na ai. Ndai sinpraw maga de nga ai gaw nga ma ai law. E aji nang she chye re nga ai ndai. Woi tam myit e nanhte gaw lagaw mali jinglam mung galu, kawng mung lu, ngai gaw lagaw 2 lata 2 sha re. Nra ai. Anhte shingba e sha ba u. E nanhte mun ju ai law. Nra ai nang mun nju hkra nang (chyahpan) la u. Nang galaw la u nga jang, hkanhtang nangbya gaw hpun kaba law ai sumdu nwa hpai na hkran kadawng anut hkai a nut nde de pa n law law tsip nang kaw mara. Ndai hkan na ni galaw htu hkat na ni galaw, di na she mara na tam 3 ning tam ai nmu ai da. Nmu, magwi ni mung ma ni gaw si ma sai da. Nkung ai ni mung si ma sai, n gun naw rawng ai ni shi hte tam nawng kade kaba ai kaw mung ya nawng kaw di hkrat na na kaw jum u nga. Nanhte jum yang na shamawt jang di hkrat na re. Nang chye ai hku di u ngu jang hkanhtang nangbya gaw hpri magaw lang ai da, dai e na kaw hkai di na noi hkrai noi, dan re she 3 ning nga yang 3 ning dai ni 3 ning na sai nga hte hpawt de she hkanhtang nangbya mung jawn jin mat, shanhte mung si, ma ni mung si ma wa rai, dingla dinggai mung si ma wa jang, e hkanhtang nangbya e nang kaw naw hkring ga law ndai kaw maling grai tsawm ai. Nang e gaw oh namsi namsaw ni tam jaw yi ngam nga jang e masha ni shat shadu tawn ai mu jang dai mung hpai wa jaw na , magwi u la hte u yi 4 hkawm, n gun naw rawng nga hkawm. Ndai ram law ai magyi di na tu ai baw hpai wa she maw shat lu wa sai nga wa jaw she shanhte mung langu si ni sha rai nga nga grai ba sai da. Ya gara hku naw di na, ya nanhte htu ma naw galai ra ai. Ndai lagaw kaw bang ai, ndai lata kaw bang ai dai ma tsam sai, dai naw nnan naw galai myit nanhte ngai lachyum hkai jaw na ngu jang she galai ga nga yawng hpum jawng. Hka sha sa lu hpum jawng, dan rai yang she hkanghtan nangbya gaw nang kaw bang ai baw htu ri hte hkri ai ning ning htat ai htu bang tawn ya. Dai shaloi she ya bai rawt ga nga hkanhtang nangbya ngu ngai re, ngai ngai ngai da, magwi ni hkrap ai da. Dai majaw dai ni magwi bik yang e u dingga ngu ai gaw hkanghtang nangbya re yaw. U dingga ngu ai hkanhtang nangbya re, e ndai kaw (nauksong) re sai, chyeju kaba sai.
Notes:
1. Nang Bya is a popular trickster in Kachin folktales, who are a person or an animal that always lies and teases others. It is known by the names of Nang Bya, Mang Bya, Mawng Byaw, and others depending on dialects and languages.
2. For more stories about Nang Bya, see:
KK1-0027
KK1-0028
KK1-0072
KK1-0233
KK1-0234
KK1-0296
KK1-0297
KK1-0326
KK1-0339
KK1-0364
KK1-0475
KK1-0549
KK1-0640
KK1-0709
KK1-0735
KK1-0973
KK1-1209
KK1-1210
KK1-1286
KK1-1379
KK1-1462
KK1-1711
KK1-1785
KK1-1786
KK1-1788
KK1-1789
KK1-1790
KK1-1791
KK1-1792
KK1-1793
KK1-1794
KK1-1795
KK1-1798
KK1-1855
3. See Kurabe (2018) for a story of Mang Bya.
References
Kurabe, Keita. 2018. A Jinghpaw folktale text: A liar Mang Bya. Journal of Kijutsuken 10: 69-80. |
