| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The event I am going to talk about is how sharp the sword was in the past. We give the sword to the groom at the wedding. When we just wave the sword, it can cut everything, even though the things are not directly touched by the sword. Nowadays, we use it only for the ceremony. Let me tell you about the history of that sword. Many years ago, in a village, there was a drought. Soon, the village chief had a child. They were still suffering from drought, although his daughter became a grown lady. Then the chief made an announcement, "I will let the person who can call rain marry my daughter." A man named Nhtum Di heard that announcement and went to the chief. He asked the chief, "Can you keep your promise?" The chief said, "You have my words. My daughter is also at the right age to get married. I want my daughter to marry the man who can call rain and has power. So I have made that announcement." One day, Nhtum Di just took his crossbow and went into the deep forest. He could hunt a gaur. He cut all the meat and ate the gaur's heart and intestines. And he dried the skin under the bright sun. After a month, he started digging a big pit. He was digging the pit in the middle of the village. And he put the gaur's skin over the pit and tied it to big trees. He also made a hole in the middle of the skin and placed the tree trunk there. And he tied the skin and the trunk by using some ropes. When he hit the rope, the sky changed surprisingly. The sky was filled with clouds and mists, and they could hear the thunder. The villagers were so scared that they just stayed inside the house. Nhtum Di kept hitting the ropes without any rest. Then a thunder nat heard him playing the ropes. The thunder nat was called Mudi. The nat couldn't sleep or eat because of the sound. Then he was curious, "What is that man playing?" He moved the mist and took a look at him. He saw the man playing the gaur's skin (using it as a musical instrument). Nhtum Di was playing it for three days and three nights. Then the thunder nat sent his son, Mudi Zau Lawn, to the earth. He told his son, "Mu Di Zau Lawn, go to Nhtum Di and tell him to stop playing it. I couldn't sleep soundly for three days and three nights! Tell him that I would kill him if he didn't stop!" Mudi Zau Lawn went to the earth and said, "Nhtum Di, my father couldn't sleep well because of this sound! Stop playing it!" But Nhtum Di didn't stop playing it! He even played it hard. Mudi Zau Lawn went back to his place and told his father, "He is unstoppable! Shall I kill him?" The father stopped him and said, "We, the Mudi family, can't kill people. We should help them instead." And he let his son go back to the earth for the second time. He also said, "If he doesn't stop playing it this time too, tell him that he will have to marry the Mudi lady." Mudi Zau Lawn went to the earth and said, "Nhtum Di, my dad said that he would let you marry the Mudi lady." Then Nhtum Di stopped playing it this time. However, he still thought Mudi Zau Lawn was lying to him, so he kept playing it. Then Mudi Zau Lawn went back to his place and said to his father, "Dad, he is still playing it." His father said, "Take your sister and go back to him again." When Nhtum Di saw the beautiful Mudi lady right in front of him, he stopped playing it. He was just sitting down there and couldn't take his eyes off her. Mudi Zau Lawn said, "This is my sister, Mudi lady." Nhtum Di said, "I will marry your sister." And he kept the gaur's skin at home. He said, "If you take your sister back to your place, I will play this again." Then the Mudi family didn't dare take the Mudi lady back home. After some months, they had a baby boy. The Mudi family said, "They even have a baby now. We should hold a wedding ceremony for them." They took the couple to the Mudi compound. They gave Nhtum Di a sword, a spear, and a traditional bag with many big silver ornaments. The sword was too sharp. Things were cut even when they were touched slightly by the sword. While Nhtum Di was making bamboo splits by using his sword, many birds were flying around him. Then he just waved his sword to make the birds go away. Shockingly, the birds were dead. But he didn't notice it at all. He just moved to the other side and kept making bamboo splits. When there were many birds flying around him, he just waved his sword again to drive them away. Unintentionally, his wife, who was standing near him, was dead when he waved his sword. At that moment, the Mudi king felt the thread on his finger suddenly loosen. Then he sent Mudi Zau Lawn and Mudi Naw Lawn to the earth to check if their sister was okay. They asked Nhtum Di, "Our brother-in-law, did you kill our sister?" He answered, "I don't know why. I just waved the sword. But it just happened like that." They comforted him, saying, "It's alright." And they brought her back to life. However, they scolded him, "Why didn't you use this sword for good? You just killed our sister with this sword. So use it only for ceremonies." Therefore, the sword is used only for wedding ceremonies and as an adornment these days.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ya ngai tsun na maumwi gaw ri nhtu gaw moi gaw grai dai ai. Ningwut dat yang pyi nhtu shan rau n hkra tim hpung dagu pyen mat na di mat ai. Ri nhtu re, ya prat kaw gaw tsawm hpa a matu sha gyin shapru da ai rai byin mat ai dai lam hpang ngai labau hkai dan na nngai. Moi shawng de mare langai mi kaw marang mung nhtu na she jan chyu chyu ja jan chyu chyu ja re na wa re hpang e mare du wa gaw shi kaw kasha langai mi lu ai da. Shi kasha kaba wa ten du hkra tim jan mung nja hkraw da. Aw marang mung n htu hkraw re na she dai marang hpang lu jahtu ai wa hpang shi kasha rau jaw sha na ngu na tsun ai da. Shi kasha rau jaw sha na ngu na tsun re shaloi nhtum di nga wa gaw na kau ai da. Na kau re na dai mare du wa kaw di di sa na mare du wa nang tsun ai ga teng na i ngu na wa san ai da. Teng she teng law nye kasha dinghku mung hkrat ra sai. Dai majaw nye kasha na matu marang mung chye shaga re dan re hpung dagu rawng ai wa hpang mung jaw sha mayu ai, dai majaw ngai dai hku shiga shabra dat ai re ngu na tsun ai da. Dai hku tsun re shaloi she dai nhtum di nga dai wa gaw lani mi na ten hta nam kata de shang re na ndan sha hpai re na shang mat re na hpaw lam langai mi gap wa ai da. Hpawlam langai mi ram gap wa re na shan ni yawng se la kau, salum ni hpa ni yawng sha kau re na dai hpyi hpang, dai hpaw lam hpyi hpang jen la re na jan kaw shawng lam da, lam jahkraw re shata mi ram nga hte kang kang re hkra nan lam kau re na she n hkun kaba law htu sai da. Mare kaang kaw n hkun kaba law htu na she dai hpaw lam hpyi jen da ai dai hku sumri nga gyit na matu sumri kaba law hpun kaw gyit ai hpaw lam hpyi kaang ram kaw hku baw kau re na dai hku shalai la re na she hpun dung langai jun na dai kaw bai sumri gyit da ai da. Dai sumri hpang dum dat yang wa lamu she kachyeng, summwi ni she summwi she pyen hkra nan nan nsen wa kachyeng ai da. Mare ting na mare masha ni pa hka kata kaw she tsing rawng mat ai da. Jan nau ja na hka kata kaw she tsing rawng mat re na she dai nhtum di nga dai wa gaw dum sai da, dum dum tik tik dum tik tik re ntsa kaw na mu di du wa ntsa kaw na gang hkau nat myu mi re mudi du mudi amyu ngu kaw na mudi du mudi nat du wa gaw na sai da. Na she yup taw nga shaloi na re na yup mung nmai, sha mung nmai re, masha ndai dum taw rai gaw hpa baw rai re kun ngu na summwi hpang ahkrai kau dat na yu dat yu yang nga hpyi dum taw nga ai da. 3 ya 3 na tup dum taw nga nhtum di nga wa hpang mu ai da. Mu re na she dai nhtum di nga wa dai wa e shi na kasha mudi zau lawn hpang lamu ga de dat dat sai da. Mu di zau lawn nang dai nhtum di nga wa hpang wa tsun ya jang jang hkring na da ngu, na wa yup nlu sha ai 3 ya 3 na re sai ngu na wa tsun su. Nhkring jang gaw sat na ngu na wa tsun ngu na tsun ai da. Tsun retim dum tik tik sha re da, mudi zau lawn ngu wa kalang ta jen re na lamu ntsa kaw na gumhtawn hkrat re na e nhtum di nye wa tsun yang yup nlu sha ai da hkring na da ngu na wa tsun ai. Wa tsun re jang she dai nhtum di wa dum chyu chyu dum da, dum dum na she na, na she na hkra tim dum tik tik da. Dum tik tik re na she dai mudi zau lawn gaw bai lung mat wa na wa n hkring hkraw ai ngu da. Dai masha e sat kau ra na i ngu da, anhte mudi amyu ngu ni gaw masha nmai sat ai. Masha hpang garum ra ai she re ngu na tsun re na she dai mudi zau lawn hpang kalang bai yu shangun ai da. Kalang bai wa tsun nhkring hkraw jang gaw na nnau mudi shayi rau jaw sha na ngu na tsun u yaw ngu na bai dat dat sai da. Dat dat re shaloi dai mudi zau lawn gaw jen re na bai yu wa na e nhtum di nye wa tsun yang mudi shayi nye kanau rau jaw sha na da ngu yang mai mat sai da. Har nga na shi gaw retim shi gaw masu ai mai byin ai ngu na naw dum ai da. Dum dum re shaloi wa nhkring hkraw ai ngu yang na nnau mudi shayi hpang woi na lawan sa u ngu na bai dat dat sai da. Dat dat re shaloi jen re hte num grai tsawm ai mudi shayi langai mi lawm wa jang dum ai pyi naw hkring mat ai da. Hkring mat re na she dung mat hkra re na yu taw nga ai da. Ndai re sai nye kanau mudi shayi ngu ai nang hpa shadu ai ngu na tsun dat re shaloi mai sa, ngai hkring na. Na kanau hpang ngai la na ngu na tsun re na she dai shi na nga hpyi jan da ai hpang nta kaw bai wa jen da ai da. Nta kaw wa jen da re na she nanhte na nnau mudi shayi hpang bai woi la kau jang gaw ndai bai dum na yaw ngu na bai jahkrit da ai da, dai majaw shanhte ma nwoi la gwi sai da. Nwoi la gwi re na she dai hku jaw sha da re na wa jang kasha langai mi lu ai da. Kasha langai mi pyi lu sai gaw num jaw sha ga ngu masat masa langai mi hku na galaw ra sai ngu na tsun ai da. Galaw ra sai ngu na tsun na she dai mudi nat wang de woi sa wa sai da. Dai n htum di wa hte mudi shayi sha hpang woi sa wa re na ri nhtu hte gumhpraw n hpye jaw dat ai da. jaw dat re na she dai ri n htu gaw mi ngai tsun ai hku ning di dat yang shan rau nhkra tim hprut hprut sha re da. Dai majaw shi gaw dai ri nhtu rau pali shit taw nga da, shit taw nga re shaloi u ni sa wa re na shi makau hku nau kamyang wa na shoi ngu na di dat ai shaloi u du ni hprut hprut sha re mat ai da. Shi gaw dai nmu ai da tin ai re majaw nang de sha bai ninghku nga di dat ai re majaw nang de sha shit shit re shaloi shi madu jan bai sa wa ai maga u bai kamyang sai da, shoi ngu dat ai u du mung hprut, shi madu jan na du mung hprut, dai mudi hkawhkam wa na sumri ndai hka kaang kaw gyit da ai sumri kya wa ai da. Kya wa um ndai na kanau mudi shayi lama ma byin sai, mudi zau lawn hte mudi naw lawn hpang lamu ga de dat dat ai da. Dat dat re shaloi e hkau nhtum di nang nye kanau hpang sat kau sai i. Ngai mung n chye ai hkau wa e ndai ri nhtu rau dai hku sha byin mat ai, hpyi nem sai law ngu na tsun yang. Hpa n ra ai goi ngu na nsa bai gawut bang la ai da. Mudi shayi hpang nsa bai gawut bang la re na she bai hkrung wa re shaloi nang gaw ndai ri nhtu dai hpang kaja ai kaw gaw akyu n jashawn, n kaja ai kaw gaw nye kanau e sha sat ai, dai majaw ri nhtu ndai gaw dai ni dai na kaw na tsawm na matu sha lang da ai hku sha re nu ga ngu na tsun kau ai kaw na dai ni du hkra ri nhtu gaw tsawm na matu gyin shapru da ai rai sha rai mat ai da. |
