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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
In the past, people didn't know much about God. There was a heaven, and we called it "Mahtum Mahta." Humans communicated with the sky nats from Mahtum Mahta Land and lived closely with them. The sky nats controlled the lives of humans. They had a limit to their lives, but they wanted humans to live forever. They wanted humans to live with their descendants. The death rate of the nats from Mahtum Mahta Land was quite high. Many nats died every day and every month. In the era of animism, they valued the dance of death. The more people participated in the death dance, the prouder they felt. When the sky nat died from the Mahtum Mahta, they called humans to come dance the death dance. Humans went to Mahtum Mahta Land to participate in the death dance for many years. Then they said, "We can also die. When we die, let's go invite the sky nats from the Mahtum Mahta Land to celebrate the death dance. We have danced for them many times before. It will be okay if only one person dies. Then we can invite them." The sky nats said to them, "No, you should not die. There are only a few nats here. Stay here." One day, a hunter went hunting. He saw the dead body of a chameleon lying on the ground. There was an eagle's nest in the tree. A group of monkeys found the eagle's nest and eggs inside it. They ate eggs and destroyed the nest. And they continued their way. When the eagle was back, she found that her nest was destroyed and there was no egg. She was very mad and was looking for the culprit. She said, "Who did this?!" Then she saw a chameleon on a tree. She thought, "It must be him who destroyed my nest! He must be the one who ate my eggs!" She attacked him and killed him. And she dropped it to the ground. When the girls from the village went into the forest to collect banana leaves, they found a dead body and brought it home. And they showed it to the others. The villagers said, "When the girls went to collect wood in the forest today, they found this dead chameleon. They took it here. We want to die too, but the sky nats said we must not die. They die every day. Let's inform the sky nats that we have a dead body now. Let's invite them to come dance the death dance. Let's inform them about it." They put the chameleon in a small bamboo bottle and covered it with a bamboo tray, then placed it inside the house. The sky nats were surprised when they heard about the funeral. They said, "We didn't take anyone's life. Who died? We control their lives. Why do humans call us to dance the death dance? Go to the Earth and participate there. They have danced the death dance many times here." The whole night, the sky nats were dancing the death dance. They were dancing the whole night. When dawn broke and they could see the light, they said, "Let's go back! Let's go." Then the sky nats went back to their land. When they arrived at the entrance to their land, they suddenly remembered and said, "By the way, we danced the death dance there, but what shall we say when our elders ask us who died? What shall we say then? We won't know what to say if they ask us who died there. This is not right. There is no corpse there, but they still celebrate the death dance. Something is not right. Let's go back there again. Let's tell them that we lost our comb and come back to find it." Another sky nat agreed, saying, "You are right. They said they had a corpse, but we didn't see any dead body. They celebrated the death dance. But what shall we say if our elders ask us about the funeral?" The sky nats went back to humans and said that they came back because they lost the comb. Some nats give excuses, like saying they lost buttons. The sky nats went back there and said to the humans, "Our friends, our girls forgot their combs, buttons, and needles when they danced the death dance. We want to search for those things." Humans said, "Go ahead. You can freely search for those things here." The sky nats kept looking for the corpse everywhere. However, they couldn't find it anywhere. They couldn't find any corpse there. They said to each other, "Nothing is here. Let's just go back." When they walked out, they saw a bottle covered with a tray. They lifted it and saw a dead chameleon inside. When they got back to the Mahtum Mahta Land, the elders asked them, "Who died and from which house? At what age? How did he die?" The sky nats said, "We didn't see a dead human body. No one was crying there. We returned to the funeral house and looked for the corpse, but we didn't see any corpse. We only found the dead chameleon inside a bamboo bottle." The elders from the Mahtum Mahta Land got angry. They said, "We told them to live longer with their descendants. Why do they want to die so badly? They really want to die badly, right? But let not the children and young people die. Shall the old people who can't move, walk, or work die." However, humans, no matter how old or young, have been dying since then. Even the children die. Since the time when humans wanted to die so badly, death had begun. The sky nats cut the lives of humans. Since then, death has begun and increased.
Transcription (Htu Bu)
Moi gaw Shinggyim masha ni gaw Karai Kasang a lam hpe garai n chye ai shaloi, Mahtum Mahta ngu ai sumsing de, lamu de nga ai. Dai ni hte chyu sha shanhte matut manai nna nga ma ai da. Shinggyim masha ni a nsoi nsa gaw Mahtum Mahta ni jum tawn da ai re ai da. Shanhte gaw si tim Shinggyim masha ni hpe gaw n si shangun mayu ma ai da. Law htam mayat maya nna nga shangun mayu ma ai da. Shanhte Mahtum Mahta ga de na ni rai jang gaw grai si ai da. Shaning shagu masha si, shata shagu masha si rai jang gaw, moi nat jaw hku nga jang gaw, ndai Kabung dum ai hpe shanhte gaw grai arawng la ai. Masha grau law magang arawng grau lu magang dai hku sawn ma ai da. Mahtum Mahta ni masha si sa i nga jang Shinggyim masha ni hpe, Kabung dum na matu galoi mung Kabung wa ya mi nga na sa shaga ga re ai da. Shaning hti na nga lai wa ai shaloi gaw Shinggyim masha ni gaw, Mahtum Mahta ga de e, Kabung wa ai gaw grai lang shaning hti nna nga wa sai da. Dai majaw shanhte Shinggyim masha ni mung, "Anhte, anhte mung si yang mai ai law. Anhte si jang gaw Mahtum Mahta ni hpe ma anhte Kabung wa shaga na. Anhte, shanhte kaw ga grai la da sai re. Anhte Shinggyim masha langai mi si yang mai ai law. Si yang mai ai law." nga tim, Mahtum Mahta ni gaw, "N mai si ai. Nanhte mungkan jahpring nna nga mu. Masha n law ai. Grai law nna nga wa mu." ngu ai da. Kalang mi hta na gaw, la langai, jaugawng langai wa mi gaw, shi jaugawng gawng hkawm ai shaloi, Jahkai mang langai mi, ga kaw taw ai shi sa mu ai da. Dai gaw Galang Langda kaba langai mi, hpun ntsa kaw tsip tsip tawn da ai wa, U Di di tawn da sai wa, dai wa Woi wu nawng mi lai wa nna she, U Di dai ni yawng baw lu kau ya, tsip ni mung yawng jahten kau rai na, Woi ni gaw U Di sha baw lu na le, shara shagu du mat wa. Galang bai du wa ai shaloi gaw shi a tsip mung jahten kau ya, U Di mung n nga mat rai jang gaw, shi gaw grai... pawt ai da, grai pawt. Galang gaw grai pawt mayu na, "Kade e ndai zawn di kau ya ai rai kun?.." ngu na hkan tam hkawm wa yu yang, Jahkai langai mi hpun kaw e noi nga ai hpe mu ai da. Dai majaw Galang gaw, "Ndai wa rai ang sam sai, nye tsip sa jahten ai. U Di yawng sha kau ya ai, ndai wa rai sai." ngu na dai Jahkai dai kaw sa htim amya nna, achye sat nna, ga de jahkrat tawn da ai da. Ning rai jahkrat tawn da ai shaloi gaw, dai mare kaw na num, ma ni gaw hpun, lahpaw la nga nna e nam de sa ai shaloi, Jahkai langai mi dai hpe e gun wa ma ai da. Gun wa na nta kaw na ni hpe wa madun ai. Mare hkan na ni hpe ma madun ai. "Daini num sha ni hpun hta sa, lahpaw la sa re na hkawm wa hkawm sa re shaloi ndai Jahkai langai mi hpe e gun wa ai. Ya, anhte Shinggyim masha ni mung grai si mayu ai wa, anhte rai yang gaw n mai si ai nga. Mahtum Mahta ni rai yang gaw chyahkring n're si si re. Ya ndai Mahtum Mahta de na ni hpe mung, 'Anhte Shinggyim masha ni mung si saga ai law..' ngu na shana ga. Shing rai na e, 'Anhte kaw e Kabung wa ya mi.' Kabung sa dum wa mi.' ngu nna e shana na re." ngu nna dai hku shana sai da. Jahkai dai hpe rai jang gaw, htaw, ndaw kaw na ahtum kaw she, htum hku kaw she Jahkai mang dai kaw tawn da nna she e, dai kaw bang tawn da, hku wan hte bai dagup tawn da rai. Mahtum Mahta ni gaw grai mau ai da. "Kadai na sumri sumdan nu ai lam mung n nga, di ai lam mung n nga. Kadai si ai i?.. Shanhte a asak sumri gaw anhte she jum ai wa mi, Shinggyim masha ni si sai nga Kabung shaga ai gaw. Raitim Kabung naw sa dum masu. Shanhte, anhte kaw grai sa sai re majaw sa dum masu." ngu, Shana ting Mahtum Mahta ni gaw Kabung dum ai. Kabung grai nan nan gaw dum sai. Dai hku dum, jahpawt de nhtoi htoi du hkra dum. Rai jang gaw, "Wa saga, saga." nhtoi hprim hpram re shaloi gaw "Wa saga, wa saga." nga na shanhte gaw Mahtum Mahta mahkawn shabrang ni gaw wa sai da. Htaw, numshang kaw du ai shaloi she, loi loi myit-su ai ni mung lawm re, re majaw she, Dai loi mi myit-su ai wa tsun ai da, "E, anhte le ya, mana ting gaw Kabung gaw sa dum sai wa, ya kaba ai ni lama hkap san yang gaw 'kadai rai nni?' ngu anhte hpe hkap san yang, anhte gaw kaning ngu na tsun dan na rai? 'Kadai si ai rai?' nga yang anhte n chye tsun dan na ra ai. Kaning ngu na wa, wa tsun dan na rai? E, ndai gaw n jaw sai law, Kabung gaw dum amang mung n taw re kaw wa. Masha si ai mung n mu ai kaw wa mi, Kamung sa dum ai gaw. Ndai gaw n jaw ai law. Naw nhtang sa ga. Pasi shamat kau ai ngu nna naw nhtang sa tam ga." ngu na tsun ai da. Manang ni mung, "Re law, masha si ai gaw nga mang mung n taw ai kaw mi Kabung woi dum ai gaw. Kaba ai ni hkap san jang kaning ngu na law na lo e." nga myit hkrum na shanhte gaw, Pasi shamat kau ai ngu na tsun ai da. Nkau mi gaw Hkyindang hkrat mat ai ngu na tsun ai da. Mahtum Mahta mahkawn shabrang ni bai nhtang sa. Bai nhtang sa nna she, "E, mana anhte Kabung dum ai kaw e, Num ni Pasi shamat kau, Samit shamat kau re nga na, Hkyindang shamat kau re nga na, dai naw tam mayu ga ai law." nga jang nta madu ni mung "Tam mu. Nanhte ra ai hku tam mu. Tam la mu." ngu ahkaw ahkang jaw. Oh..sumbu sumdang, shingjut shingnaw tam she tam hkawm, tam she tam hkawm, Hpa n mu, nhku ting shabrang ni, mahkawn shabrang ni mawng she rai tam tim, hpa mang mung n mu, hpa mang n taw ai kaw she Kabung dum kau sai ngu. "E, n mu sai ka re. Naw wa sana." nga na shanhte pru mat wa yang, le ndaw kaw e, htum kaw e, hku wan langai mi dagup tawn da ai mu ai majaw, Shanhte gaw dai kalap yu yang Jahkai mang taw ai sha mu ai da. Dai majaw dai Kabung dum ai ni gaw, Mahtum Mahta gaw de bai du wa ai shaloi gaw, Kaba ai ni hkap san ai, "Kade nta kaw, kaning ngu ai la, asak kade ram kaba sai wa si ai? Kaning rai na si ai da?" ngu na san ai shaloi gaw dai, Mahtum Mahta mahkawn shabrang ni gaw, "Hpa masha mang mung n mu ai. Hpa masha mang mung n mu ai. Hkrap ai ma kadai n nga ai. Anhte dai hpawt sha numshang kaw na bai nhtang sa nna e, amang sa tam ai hpa mung n mu ai. Le htum kaw e hku wan hte dagup tawn da ai Jahkai mang chyu sha mu ga ai." ngu na wa tsun ai da. Rai jang Mahtum Mahta ni gaw loi pawt mayu wa ai. "Ga...Shinggyim masha ndai ni gaw, garai hkum si mu. Mungkan jahpring nna naw nga mu she ngu yang me e, ya kaw nna dai ram si mayu wa ai gaw." Dai ram si mayu jang gaw Mahkawn Shabrang ni, a Ma ni gaw n si u ga. pung hpraw pung law re ai ni, gumgai dingla sai, n shamu lu sai, n hkawm lu, bungli n galaw lu sai ni mahtang si mu ga." ngu na shaman ya ai da. Dai kaw na gaw Shinggyim masha ni gaw, pung hpraw pung law re sha n ga, Mahkawn Shabrang mung si wa, Ma kaji ni mung si wa re, si hkrung si htan a npawt gaw ndai kaw na Shinggyim masha ni nau si mayu ai majaw, Mahtum Mahta ni Shinggyim masha ni a asak sumri dan ya majaw daini si hkrung si htan law wa ai re da. |
