| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The story is about a gong thief, 'Nangbya'. Nangbya was a crook and lied to everyone. Nangbay wanted to prove to people that he could not only tell a lie but also steal things. One man sneered at Nangbya and said ironically, "Nangbya can only tell a lie. He doesn't know how to steal things." When he met Nangbya, he said, "My brother Nangbya, you only know how to lie to the others. You can't steal things, can you?" Nangbya said, "My friend, telling a lie and stealing things are the same, not much difference. If you can make people fall for your lies, you can steal things easily." The man denied, "No. Stealing and telling a lie is totally different. If you say they are the same, go steal something from my house." He challenged Nangbya. Nangbya asked him, "What valuable thing, which can attract me, do you have at home?" He said, "I have a traditional gong that weighs a tenth of a viss. Come steal tonight." Nangbya said, "Okay. I'll steal your gong tonight." Then, they both went back home. When the man got home, he told his wife, "Nangbya will come to our house tonight to steal the gong. So, build a fire when he comes." And he told his children, "Don't sleep tonight. Stay alert and wait for Nangbya." He put a knife beside him and waited for Nangbya the whole night. But Nangbya didn't show up. Meanwhile, Nangbya was eating goat meat at his house leisurely. Although the man's whole family was waiting for Nangbya, he didn't come to steal the gong. So, the man said to his wife and children, "Let's sleep. It's almost morning. Nangbya will not come." While they were sleeping, Nangbya came to their house. Nangbya took the pipe that was used to fan the fire and left a flute. He also took the knife inside a bag and left a goat's head instead. And he left the goat's stomach in the middle of the man's two daughters sleeping. He stole the gong successfully. The next morning, Nangbya played that gong somewhere far from the man's house. He shouted, "I stole your gong." Then, the man who challenged Nangbya was shocked and woke up. He grabbed his bag where he put his knife and chased Nangbya. His wife built a fire and tried to fan the fire. But when she blew the pipe, only the flute sound was coming out. His two daughters also woke up to help their father. But there was a goat's stomach between them. When they saw it, they argued and fought. The man carried the goat's head and ran around the village while shouting, "Thief! Thief!" He thought it was his knife. The villagers laughed at him. Nangbya proved that he could not only tell lies but also steal things.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ya gaw bau lagut nangbya. Nangbya wa grai ndai maumwi hpe yu ai shaloi gaw masu ai hkrai re hku nga. Nangbya wa masu sha chye nre lagu mung chye ai ngu hpe shi gaw madun mayu ai ngu hku nga. Dai majaw shi gaw la langai gaw nangbya gaw ndai wa gaw masu sha chye law lagu gaw n chye na re ngu di shi gaw nangbya hpe yu kaji ai da. Hkau nangbya deng nang gaw masu ai sha na ai le. Lagu ai gaw nna ga ai lagu gaw nchye sam ai ngu nangbya wa gaw tsun ai da. Hkau masu ai hte lagu ai gaw maren sha re hpa n yak ai. Masu chye yang lagu chye sai ngu tsun ai da. Masu ai hte lagu ai gaw laga ga she re ngu da. Deng gaw nang masu ai hte lagu ai gaw maren re nga gaw nye nta na rai sa lagu yu ngu oh ra wa nangbya wa hpe saw ai hku nga. Nangbya wa na nta ngai lagu ram nan re rai hpa baw lu ai nang ngu hku re nga, nye nta 10 hkan bau nga ai ngu sai da. Nye nta 10 hkan bau la ga, dai na sa lagu u yaw dai na nang kam ai ten sa lagu ngu tsun ai da. Nangbya wa gaw mai sai ngu deng gaw oh ra wa gaw madu jan ni hpe tsun sai hku nga, dai na gaw nangbya wa sa lagu na re majaw nangbya wa sa ai hte wan wut dat yaw ngu di hpun ni hta di kawa wan htau wan gawut ai baw la da ya ai hku nga, la da madu jan hte kasha ni hpe gaw dai na nangbya wa lagu na re yaw ngu kasha ni hpe hkum yup yaw ngu tsun ai da. Shi gaw nangbya wa lagu yang na ngu di shi gaw dingre chyinghkyi nhtu nga sha hpyau re hku nga. Nangbya wa shana tup la sai da, shana tup la tim ndu. Nangbya wa shi nta kaw e achyi a mu rai bainam sha sat sa re di nga na hku re nga. Dai she nangbya wa gaw oh ra ni gaw shana tup la tim ndu re yang nangbya wa gaw e ya gaw kanu ni e ma ni e n htoi htoi wa mahka she re sai nangbya wa nsa na sai yup sa ga ngu ai da. Shanhte yup nga ai shaloi nangbya wa sa di she madu jan na wan gawut ai sumpyi wan gawut ai la kau di sumpyi kawa hkra di da ya na hku nga. Dai she oh ra nta madu wa na sanpye nhtu gang noi da ai gawk gaw n htu n gang la kau di dai sumri sha gaw noi di she dai kaw bai bainam baw noi da ya na hku nga. Hto ma mahkawn kasha 2 yup ai lapran na gaw bainam kan hkra di da ya ai da. Ndai nangbya wa gaw shanhte yup nga ai kaw sa lagu sai hku nga, oh ra ni gaw n htoi htoi sai ngu na a chyi amu nga, nangbya wa gaw mare loi tsan ai kaw shi hkam bau dum dan ai da. Bau lagu mat sai yaw ngu di marawn da na hku nga oh ra wa gaw nangbya wa bau lagu sai nga di shi nhtu n-ga gra shi n hpye hpye la di kalang ta soi madu jan mung wat wan gawut dat na ngu di gawut dat ai hte she wan gaw nre di sumpyi wa ngoi wa da. Oh ra yen nau rawt yu yang shan a kan kaw ma langai ma lau, ma re langai mi lau lau, kasha kaw mung kaw jan mung kana jan mung e ndai na ma, lu mung na ma , nye ma , na ma nga di ga law hkat ai da. Shan 2 dai a shai hkat, kawa wa gaw dai bainam baw wa hpye di mare ting lagut lo lagut lo ngu di (saw aw) hkawm di masha ni yanwg mani ai da, nangbya wa gaw masu sha chye ai nre, lagu mung chye ai wa re ngu chye mat 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. |
