| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The story is about changing the farms. When it was the season to grow rice, the villagers started to clear their farms. Nangbya was lazy and didn't clear any weeds on his farm. When he looked at the other farms, they were all cleared. Then, he thought, "I can't get any rice if my farm is filled with weeds. I have to deceive a stupid man." Then Nangbya said to a man, "My friend, let's change our farms. Your farm is not good enough to grow rice. But mine is really fertile." That man said, "No, my farm is good." Nangbya said, "Look! Rice plants are not growing well on your farm. Look at mine. Green rice plants are growing high on my farm." He showed the farms to the man from a far distance. Nangbya continued, "There is only rough soil on your farm. It's not good. Look at mine! Green rice plants are growing well." That man fell for Nangbya's lie and said, "You want to change your fertile farm with my barren farm. Okay, fine." They changed their farms. That man needed to clear all the weeds and grow rice plants. Then, his farm was filled with green rice plants. Meanwhile, Nangbya didn't work. So, grass and weeds were growing on his farm again. Nangbya lied to that man again. Nangbya called him and said, "Let's climb up the tree and look at our farms. Look at your farm. It's not doing well. Let's change our farms again." That man was naive and totally fell for Nangbya's lie. So, he changed his farm with Nangbya's farm again.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
E ya gaw yi galai ai lam. Nangbya wa mung yi galaw mare masha ni yi galaw re nga, nangbya wa gaw lagawn masu hkrai masu di, bungli mung n galaw di tsing magang na ten gaw magang mam gaw hkai da da. Masu hkrai masu, bungli n galaw re she nangbya wa tsun sai hku re nga. Nangbya wa maw sai, nye yi ndai hku sha re yang gaw shaning tup ngai mam n lu la sai. Dai majaw ngai gaw masu ra sai, la langai shi masu lu nan re nau n zen ai la e she e hkau e saw yi galai ga nkam i ngu hku re nga. Ngai yu yang na yi gaw mam n kaja ai, nye yi she mam kaja ai ngu da. Deng nye yi kaja ai re le ngu. Oh ra gaw nre na yi n kaja ai yi du yang hpun kaw na lung di she nangbya gaw hto yu hto na yi ga hkrai hkrai san re n mu ai i yu, hto nye yi bai yu nye yi gaw a tsit re gaw ngu tsawm ra tsan ai kaw na madun ai hku re nga. Shi gaw tsing n magang da ai re nga ga hpyi ndawng ai le i, ntsa de yu yang gaw a tsit, oh ra wa tsing magang da ai re nga asan asan re yu na yi gaw ga hkrai re, n kaja ai ga re lu dai. Nye yi gaw a tsit san taw ai nmu i ngu tsun ai da. Dai nangbya wa ding ngu sai hku nga, aw deng gaw kaja ai hte n kaja ai galai ga nga she mai law da, galai ga le ngu da. Galai rai, oh ra wa yawng bai yi hkyen tsing ni yawng bai shatsai baw kau mam ni hpe bai galau, kaja wa tsawm wa sai hku nga. Nangbya wa mi na nan nan hpa n galaw jat tsing bai kaba wa di nangbya yi kalang bai n kaja wa. Dai shaloi nangbya gaw mi na zawn sha bai masu oh ra wa hpe. Hpun ndung de bai lung yu ga, an na yi yu yu na yi gaw n kaja wa nga ai lu na yi gaw hkyeng nga ai lu ngu ai da. Na yi n kaja ai bai galai ga bai ngu ai da. Oh ra wa mana re nga loi n zen ai re nga she nangbya ngu ai hpe kam di hpang jahtum gaw nangbya wa hte yi galai kau ai da.
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. |
