| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
A long time ago, there were only three households in a whole village. There was a son in one of the families. Since he grew up in a village, he was interested in hunting. He usually made traps and caught some birds and animals. Since there were few people in their village and their village was also very far from other villages, many wild, fierce tigers were near their village. The tigers often ate the cows, pigs and other animals and even people. So, he thought that he could catch the tigers and kill them one day. He had the desire to kill the tigers. When he became a grown-up man, he tried many ways to catch the tigers. In the past, Jinghpaw people were animistic. We gave some offerings to Nat spirits and prayed to them to give what we wanted. It is like we pray to GOD these days. The villagers usually offered things to the protectors. So, the boy did that too. The boy offered the drinks and prayed before he set the trap, "Give me the ability to be able to catch the tigers, please." But he couldn't catch any tigers. Later, he called a shaman and gave chickens, pigs, drinks to Nat spirits as offerings. And he set the trap again. He cleared bamboos and trees on the way of the tigers and spread the iron chains there. And he put the dried leaves on it. But he still couldn't catch them yet. Then, he offered again to Gumgun Gumhpai Nat (guardian nat). In the past, we used to grind rice grains at N pan (a covered but unfloored house). There was a watchman at the mill too. One day, the tiger killed the watchman while he was guarding their mill. After that event, the boy wanted to kill the tiger even more than before. So, he offered some offerings to Gumgun Gunhpai Nat again. He called upon the watchman who was killed by the tiger too. He prayed, "Mighty Nat and my friend! I want to kill the tigers, which scared the villagers. Please! Give me the strength and power to kill them." The next day, he really caught the tigers in his traps. Many tigers had died. More and more, he caught the tigers. He was talk of the villages and became famous. The chiefs from other villages gifted him and people praised him a lot, "This guy killed our strongest enemy." In the time of animistic, we could get success and everything we wanted if we offered to our Gumgun Gunhpai (guardian nats). This is the end of the story.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Moi shawng de kahtawng langai mi kaw mare ting retim mung dai mare langai mi hta htinggaw 3 sha nga ai. Dai gaw kahtawng 3 sha nga re wa dai kaw e la kasha langai mi lu ai. N ta langai mi kaw la kasha langai mi gaw kaji ai kaw na ndai nam ga kaw nga ai re majaw u hkam ai baw, sharaw hkam ai baw, dusat hkam ai ni, grai myit lawm ai da. Grai myit lawm rai kaji ai kaw na, shi gaw dai sha hkam re, hkam sha hkam sha re, u ni laga dusat ni bai lu ai re yang dai kahtawng dai mare dai kaw gaw masha ma nau nnga. Ndai laga kahtawng ni rau grai tsan hkat ai majaw sharaw ni mung grai ju ai mare hkan na wa ni dumsu, nga, nga manga masha pyi naw sha ai. Dai majaw ma dai gaw lani hte lani kaba wa re yang ngai ndai sharaw ngu hpe hkam kau yang mai na re ngu shi myit hta rawng na shi gaw hkam mayu myit rawng ai. Hkam ai shi na dangdi dangdep ai hku hkam ai, retim mung nlu retim moi gaw anhte wunpawng amyu masha ni gaw tinang a Gumgun Gumhpai ngu ai jinat jaw ai amyu re, ji nat jaw re yang gaw tinang myit ai lam, ya na karai kasang kaw hpyi ai zawn zawn i hpyi yang lu ai hku, shanhte mung shanhte jaw ai Gumgun Gumhpai nat kaw e oh n pan de tsa jaw na she matan ma hpyi ai i. Ngai hpe ndai sharaw hkam yang mung lu shangut rit ngu na tsa jaw re na hkam ai retim shi gaw nlu ai. Hpang e gaw wa ni ndai u ni sat na dumsa shaga na nat jaw ai, nat jaw re yang she nat jaw re na she dai tsa jaw re na hkam ai shi gaw, ndai bum ga kaw nam ga kaw re yang gaw kawa ni kum kau, hpun ni kum kau re na she dai lai lam ngu na kaw sha hpri sumri hkawang jahkrawt na hka da ai. Hkam da re yang she, hkam da di na shi gaw dai hku hkam retim mung nlu ai re yang shi nat jaw. Gumgun Gumhpai kaw nat jaw re yang ndai moi na anhte bumga kaw nga ai masha ni gaw moi na htunghkying hku nga gaw n pan ngu gaw mam htu sha ai shara re. Mamhtu sha ai shara re kaw she ndai majan nga ai, majan nga ai hta she ndai zanzi zawng ai dai hkap ai la wa hpe wa she sharaw wa la sha kau na hku nga. Shanhte na na npan de mamhtu sha ai nhtum kaw i lagyim taw nga ai, lagyim taw nga ai hpe sharaw la sha kau, dai kaw na dai ma dai gaw dai la wa gaw sharaw hpe grau sat kau mayu sai. Grau sat kau mayu re yang shi gaw bai dai Gumgun gunhpai nat hpe tsa bai jaw na bai hpyi re yang gaw, bai hpyi re na e sharaw e la sha kau sai la wa hpe mung shi gaw matan na hpyi, a hkau e ngai ndai nang hpe mung lasha kau, ndai mare masha hpe mung grai jam jau jaw ai sharaw hpe gaw ngai hkam nan hkam na sat kau mayu ai. Ngai hpe hpan rit, ngai hpe shaman jaw rit ngu na shi gaw tsa jaw nna hpyi re yang kaja wa she dai shani kaw na shi hkam ai sharaw ni, grai lu kau ai. Sharaw ni grai si mat ai, grai si mat re na ndai masha hpe la sha kau jam jau jaw ai sharaw, kahtawng shagu hkan shi gaw mying kaba wa hkra, yat gaw grai lu sharaw grai lu sat na shi mying grai gumhkawng wa re na she ndai salang ni kaw na wa she shi hpe shagrau dazik ni pa jaw ai, ndai la wa grai byin ai, anhte na hpyen, sharaw hpe sat kau ya ai ngu na shi hpe gaw shagrau ai. Ndai gaw hpa re i nga yang anhte moi jijaw nat jaw prat e retim mung ndai tinang a Gumgun Gumhpai nat ngu hpe jaw yang gaw ndai myit ai lam ni yawng awng dang ai ya na prat hta gaw karai kasang kaw hpyi yang lu ai, maumwi gaw ndai kaw ngut sai. |
