| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
The story I am going to tell is about the rice grain which went up to the Sun. Long time ago, the rice grown on this earth didn't have any husks. The rice grew without husks. The people passing by took the rice and ate it as it was. People who were hungry ate the rice whenever they passed by the field. Whoever passing by the paddy fields ate the rice. The rice grains were so dissatisfied and they went up to the Sun. When the people came back, they found that the rice had gone. There wasn't any rice on the earth. People were dying since they were starving. Animals such as dogs, pigs, cats, and other animals which ate rice suffered starving. So, they discussed it and went to the Sun to take the rice back to the earth. Cows, horses, dogs, pigs, and all those who lived on rice went to the Sun to take the rice back to the earth. When they reached there, the rice did'nt agree. "We can't stay on earth." "There is nothing to protect us." "We don't dare stay there because everyone eat us." Then the rice mother sewed clothes for the children to wear and said. "My babies, just go back to the earth." "I also made a covering for you." "People from the earth are slowly dying because they are starving. So, just go back to the earth." "If you wear these clothes, there will be fewer people to bully you." Animals persuaded the rice, saying "Let's go back together with us." Then, the rice grain decided to go back to the earth. The mother said. "My children, if people kept eating whenever they want, leave the covering that I made for you." "Let them toss you on the round bamboo tray and remove the covering by themselves before they eat." And she gave the blessing upon the rice grain too. She wished, "May your rice grain grow as big as a horse's tail." "May your plant grow as big as the buffalo's leg." The mother also blessed them, "Only the old people or whose hair turns grey will die." "Only elderly will die. Children will live until they get old." Then, she let them go back to the earth. On their way back to the earth, they passed the place where chameleons lived. They said, "Don't make a noise now. Let's pass this place quietly. We're going to walk through the chameleons' place." They stepped everywhere cautiously. Suddenly, the buffalo made a noise when he stepped on the ground. Then, an old female chameleon came out to check what happened. She asked them, "Did you bring the rice grain back?" The people replied to her, "Yes, we did." "They also blessed us when we came back." "The rice grain will be as big as the horse's tail and the plant will grow as big as the buffalo's legs." Then, she said, "No, no! Let the rice grain and plant be like my tail." The people also said, "And they blessed us that people will die only when they get old or their hair turns grey." "Hrrrrrrr! No! No! My child Nhtoi Rawng who was born recently died a few days ago," the old chameleon said. "Not only people whose hair turns grey but also people whose hair is still black will die too." She said a bad omen. Because of that, humans die not only when they are old but also when they are still young. And our rice grains are very small because of the evil omen of the chameleon. That's why people in the past would kill a chameleon on sight.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ya ngai hkai na maumwi gaw "Mam ni jan ga de lung mat wa ai lam" re. Moi gaw dinghta ga kaw nga ai mam ni gaw ahpyi n kap ai da. N-gu si si ai re da. N-gu si si yang she, lai wa lai sa ni mung majoi joi maret sha ai. Kaw si hpang gara nga ai lam hkawm ai ni mung majoi joi maret sha ai. Kanang nang hkawm ai ni mung yi hku lai wa jang majoi di maret sha re majaw Mam myin ai ni gaw yawn nna she, "Anhte hpe nau zingri ma ai," nga na jan ga de lung mat wa ai da. Masha ni wa yu yang mam ni n nga sai da. Mam ni jan ga de lung mat wa yang she, dinghta ga kaw gaw shinggyim masha ni, kawsi hpang gara nna, si mat ma wa sai da. Dusat ni, gwi ni, wa ni, lanyau ni yawng mung, mam ni n nga, shat n-gu n lu sha jang gaw, yawng kaw si hpang gara wa ai. Dai majaw shanhte yawng gaw myit hkrum la na, jan ga de mam ni hpe wa woi ai da. Nga, dumsu ni, gumra ni, gwi, wa ni yawng ndai mam n-gu hpe sha ai ni, n-gu shat sha na asak hkrung ai ni yawng gaw, jan ga de lung nna mam ni hpe sa woi sai da. Wa woi yang she, mam ni gaw grai n hkraw ai da. "Anhte dinghta ga de n nga lu sai." "Anhte hpe makawp maga ai mung n nga ai." "Yawng yawng anhte hpe jawm sha ai majaw anhte n nga gwi ai. Hkrit ai." Dai shaloi jan ga de nga ai, mam ni a kanu gaw palawng chywi jahpun nna she kasha hpe tsun ai. "Yu wa su, yu wa su. Ma e, yu wa su." "Ya gaw nang hpe anu ntsa lawng lam mung chywi jahpun sai." "Yu wa su, shinggyim masha ni, dinghta ga e nga manga ni, kawsi hpang gara nna si mat ma wa nga ai da. Yu wa su." "Ndai palawng hpun, ntsa lawng lam hpun jang gaw nang hpe zingri ai ni nau n nga na re," ngu na yu wa shangun ai. Nyau ni, gwi ni, yawng mung "Yu wa ga law, na mam e, yu wa ga law," nga na yawng yawng tsun jang shi gaw yu wa na myit sai da. Myit jang she kanu gaw matsun dat ai da. "Ma e, ya nang ndai dinghta shayi sha ni nang hpe shoi wa wa nna achyaw jang ndai nang a ntsa lawng lam raw kau u yaw," ngu tsun ai. "Shaloi gaw mashaw hkaw-awn kaw katsap nna ndai nang a ntsa lawng lam hpe katsap kau nna shadu sha mu ga," ngu nna kanu gaw matsun dat ai da. Yu wa na matu shaman dat ai gaw, "Ya kaw na gaw nang a asi gaw gumra ningmai daram bum nna si wa u ga." "Ahpun gaw wuloi nga lahkap daram kaba nna tu kaba wa u ga. Asi wum wa u ga," ngu shaman dat ya ai. Bai nna kanu gaw "Dinghta shinggyim masha ni ya kaw na gaw baw hpraw ai ni sha si mu ga." "Dinggai dingla ni sha si mu ga, ma ni gaw n si u ga," ngu na shaman dat ya ai da. Shaman dat ya na yu wa shangun sai da. Yu wa shangun yang lam kaw she, sanyen ni nga ai hku lai yu wa ai hku rai nga. Lai yu wa yang she "Hkum shaga mu law. Akatsi sha lai ga law. Sanyen kahtawng du sai law," ngu di nga yang she ndai wuloi wa a, lam hkawm yang, lagaw hkawk krak nga shara dat ai da. Shaloi she sanyen dinggai pru wa ai. Pru wa nna hkap san ai da. "Ya mam hpe woi yu wa sai i?" Shinggyim masha ni gaw tsun ai. "Woi yu wa sai law." "Angwi apyaw nga na shaman dat ya sai." "Mam hpun gaw wuloi lahkap daram pa kaba, mam nsi gaw gumra nmai daram bum nga na shaman ya ai law," ngu tsun ai da. Shaloi sanyen dinggai gaw, "E, hpa mi n re. Ndai nye a nmai zawn ri ri re u ga,” ngu na tsun jahten ya ai da." Re yang she "Shinggyim masha ni gaw baw hpraw sha si na hku, baw chyang gaw n si na hku shaman ya ma ai," ngu tsun yang "Har, n re law, n re law. Nye a kasha Nhtoi Rawng pyi ya hte sha si ai re." "Baw chyang baw hpraw gayau gaya re na si mu ga," ngu na sanyen dinggai aga jahten kau ya ai da. Dai ni anhte shinggyim masha ni gaw a ma mung si ai. Dinggai dingla mung si ai Rai nna she, mam nsi hpun ni mung kaji mat ai da. Dai majaw moi na ni gaw sanyen hpe mu jang mu ai shara kaw sat kau ma ai da. |
