| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
Now, I am going to tell you about the beginning of death among human beings. Long time ago, when human beings first appeared there was no such thing as death. At that time, human beings lived on earth, and the sons and daughters of the sun lived in the sky. They were decendents of the spirit of the sun. They are from the sun. They and humans lived in friendly manner with harmony. There was death among the sons of the sun before humans, so they invited humans to their funerals. They invited humans to a ritual where people beat traditional drums and danced at the house of the dead one before burying it But, there was no death among human beings. Then, one day, on a tree branch in the forest where ladies went to collect some banana leaves one eagle laid eggs in its nest. A group of monkeys came and found the eggs. The monkeys took the eggs and threw them out. When the eagle returned, it did not see its eggs. The eagle was furious finding that all the eggs had been broken. The eagle cursed, "As my children die, the ones who did shall die too." At that time, an Indian giant squirrel happened to be near the nest. It is similar to a squirrel but a little bigger than that. The eagle killed the Indian giant squirrel thinking it destroyed its eggs. Actually, the ones who did were monkeys. But, the eagle killed the squirrel thinking it destroyed its eggs. The dead squirrel dropped to the ground. Ladies who were in the forest to collect banana leaves saw that dead squirrel and they took it to their village. They thought it was unusual because there was no death among humans. The chiefs of the village said, "There is death among us," when they saw that dead squirrel. "Since there is death among us" "let's invite sons of the sun to our death dance ritual on the earth." They went to the land of the sun to invite them to the ritural. They went to the land of the sun. When humans went to the land of the sun, they said to the chiefs of the sun, "Chiefs of the sun, there was death among us humans." "You can come to us for the death dance ritual on the earth." "Come and dance with us." They invited the people of the sun to the ritural. But when the chiefs of the sons of the sun checked life string of human being, they found that it was still very strong. The chiefs said, "Your life string, your souls are still very strong." "It is not the least bit slack." "Your life string is still strong." "So, none of you died." Humans argued back saying, "No, we died!" "We died!" "We did die!" "So, come to our land and let's celebrate the ritural." The humans were so insistent that the sons of the sun also went down to earth. At the house where the dead squirrel was brought, they danced the death dance with the humans. The sons of the sun also danced. However, no matter how long they danced, they did not see the corpse. They did not see the dead person. "Where did the humans hide the corpse?" They were searching the dead body at the corners as if they dropped their combs. Even then, they did not see the dead person. Finally, when they came down to the cattle plot in front of the house they found the dead body of an Indian giant squirrel hidden in a mortar covered with a winnowing basket. They saw that but they did not consider it as people died. The sons of the sun did not recognize the squirrel's body as a human body. After finishing the dance, they went back to the land of the sun. They went up to their land, thinking how to tell this thing to their chiefs. Because they did not find a human body. "Hmm, how shall we report this to the chiefs?" Since there was no human corpse, they returned to the land of the sun. When the chiefs asked the returning sons of the sun, they said, "We celebrated the ritual, but we did not see the dead person." "We just saw a dead squirrel put in a mortar covered with a winnowing basket." Then, the chiefs said, "If human beings really want to die that much, let them die." "However, only those who are in old age, those with bad teeth, and those who have grey hair shall die." When they said this to human beings, White-crested laughingthrushs, whose heads were white from birth, heard that. So they died right after they were born. So they cursed, "Any human being who is meant to did shall die!" "May those who should die die, whether 'sheathed' or 'black-headed'!" "Sheathed" refers to those who are old enough to still have only the scabbard of their sword on their shoulder. "Black-headed" means those who have no gray hair. "Despite their age whether they are old or young, anyone who is meant to die shall die!" Ever since the bird cursed in that way, death has been a part of human life. That is how the people of old spoke. Thank you very much, everyone.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Shinggyim masha ni hta e si hkrung si htan byin hpang wa ai lam hpe hkai dan na re. Moi shawng de kinting kinnai nnan lat shinggyim masha ningnan hpan prat ai ten hta gaw shinggyim masha ni hta e si hkrung si htan ngu ai gaw n nga ai da. Shinggyim masha ni hte dai ten hta gaw jan sha ni rau nga ma ai da. Jan sha ni gaw mahtu mahta nat amyu rai nga. Shanhte gaw hto jan ga de na re. Rai ti mung shinggyim masha ni hte hku hku hkau hkau kanawn mazum na nga ma ai da. Dai jan sha ni gaw shanhte jan mung hta si hkrung si htan byin na lasu su yang shinggyim masha ni hpe saw na shinggyim masha ni hpe kabung dum na matu galoi mung saw ma ai da. Rai ti mung shinggyim masha ni hta gaw si hkrung si htan ngu ai n nga ai da. Lani mi hta gaw num hpaw mi mahkawn ni lahpaw sa htat htat re ai nam mali kata kaw na hpun lakying kaba langai mi kaw galang langai gaw tsip tsip na galang di ni di da ai da. Dai hku galang di ni di da ai hpe she woi sumpum mi gaw mu rai na dai galang di ni hpe shaw la rai na taleng jahkrat shaga kau ya ai da. Dai shaloi she galang gaw shi tsip de bai wa re shaloi gaw shi galang di ni n nga mat rai na galang di ni yawng jahten shaga kau ya ai hpe mu re shaloi gaw shi gaw grai pawt ai da. Grai pawt rai na shi gaw "Ndai galang di ni hpe jahkrat shaga kau ya ai wa gaw si wa u ga," ngu na shi gaw matan ai Ngut na shi dai ten hta shi dai galang tsip makau kaw yu dat re shaloi gaw jahkai langai mi gaw nga taw ai da. Jahkai ngu ai gaw kadu hka hte kachyi mi bung ai. Dai jahkai hpe galang gaw mu rai na grai pawt mayu ai majaw htim achye sat kau ya ai da. Kaja nga jang gaw woi ni taleng jahkrat kau ya ai rai nga. Rai ti mung galang bai shadu ai gaw dai jahkai wa re ngu na htim achye sat kau yang she jahkai gaw si na dai hpun kaw na hkrat mat ai da. Dai hku hkrat na si taw re hpe she num hpaw mi ni mahkawn ni gaw lahpaw htat sa re shaloi she jahkai si taw ai hpe mu rai na dai jahkai hpe hpai na mare de bai wa ma ai da. Mungkan ga hta galoi mung si hkrung si htan n byin yu n mu yu ai re. Rai ti mung "Ya gaw shinggyim mung hta mung jahkai si sai," ngu na she shanhte gaw, shanhte gaw langai hte langai sahpaw rai di na "Ndai kalang gaw anhte ni hta mung si hkrung si htan byin sai re majaw" "Jan sha ni hpe mung anhte shinggyim ga de kabung dum ka na matu saw shaga ga," ngu di na sahpaw la di na shinggyim masha ni gaw jan ga de kabung dum na matu sa saw ma ai da. Jan ga de sa ma ai da. Jan ga de du re shaloi gaw shinggyim masha ni gaw jan sha ni hpe bai tsun sai da. "E jan salang ni e, anhte shinggyim ga de mung si hkrung si htan ngu byin sai, si sai." "Dai majaw anhte shinggyim ga de mung kadung sa dum rit." "Sa ka marit," ngu na jan sha ni hpe saw ai da. Dai shaloi gaw jan salang ni gaw shinggyim masha ni na asak sumri hpe gang yu re shaloi gaw ngang ngang kang kang sha naw re ai da. Dai shaloi she jan salang gaw hpa tsun ai i nga yang she "E shinggyim masha ni e, nanhte na asak sumri gaw grai naw kang ai." "N nu shi ai, kachyi pyi n nu ai." "Nanhte shinggyim masha ni na asak sumri gaw grai naw kang ai law," ngu tsun ai da. "Langai mung n si ai," ngu yang she shinggyim masha ni gaw "N re ai, si sai." "Si sai," ngu bai tsun ai da. "Si sai." "Re majaw gaw kabung dum ga," ngu na saw ai da. Rai jang she shinggyim masha ni gaw nau saw yang she dai jan sha ni mung yu wa rai nna she dai myi jahkai si ai nta kaw she kabung dum na ka ma sai da. Jan sha ni mung rau ka ai da. Kade ka na kabung dum na ka tim mang hpe n mu ai da. Shinggyim mang hpe n mu na Rai tim shanhte ni gaw "Aw, ndai shinggyim masha ni gaw mang hpe gara kaw wa makoi da ai kun?" "Chyinghka jut hkan makoi da ai kun?" ngu na hkan abram tam yu ai da. Pasi jahkrat ai zawn rai di na she tam yu na ka ai da. Kade tam yu ka na tam yu tim n mu ma ai da. Rai jang she jan sha ni gaw tam n mu rai nna she npan de yu rai di na npan kaw na yu wa re shaloi gaw myi si ai jahkai hpe wa she nhtum hku kaw bang na ku-awng hte up da ai hpe mu ai da. Dai hpe mu ai rai ti mung jan sha ni gaw ndai jahkai hpe she masha si ai ngu hku na n sawn la ya ma ai da. Shanhte ni gaw jahkai si ai hpe masha si ai ngu hku n sawn la ya ai majaw shanhte ni gaw kabung dum ka ngut re na jan ga de bai wa sai da. Jan ga de wa re yang gaw shanhte ni gaw "Hto jan ga na salang ni hpe gara hku tsun dan ra na i?" ngu na shanhte gaw myit ma ai da. Hpa majaw i nga yang shanhte gaw shinggyim mang hpe n mu ai re majaw. Rai nna she shanhte gaw "Hmm gara hku jan salang ni hpe tsun dan ra na i?" ngu na she mang n mu ai majaw myit rai na jan ga de wa mat sai da. Jan ga de bai du rai na jan salang ni san ai shaloi gaw kadung sa dum ai jan sha ni gaw hpa tsun ai i nga yang she "Hto kaw shinggyim masha si ai gaw n mu ai." "Rai tim shanhte jahkai langai mi hpe gaw si ai nga na htum kata kaw bang rai na ku-awng hte magap da ai gaw mu ai law," ngu na tsun ai da. Shaloi gaw jan salang ni gaw "E dai ram ram si mayu ai shinggyim masha ni gaw si mu ga," ngu na tsun dat ai da. "Rai ti mung si na masha ni gaw asak kung sai, wa rum sai, baw hpraw ai ni sha si mu ga," ngu na tsun ai da. Dai hku na jan salang ni gaw "Si mu ga," ngu tsun dat re shaloi gaw dai u ju naw ngu ai u bai rai jang gaw shangai wa ai hte baw hpraw ai da. Baw hpraw re yang gaw shangai wa ai hte si na hku bai ang wa sa. Dai re majaw she "Shinggyim masha ni mung e si ging ai wa gaw kaning re na mung si u ga." "Ningga dang madang baw chyang machyang si ging yang gaw si u ga," ngu na tsun dat ai da. Ningga ngu gaw nhtu ningga hpe sha hpye dang ai asak. Baw chyang machyang ngu gaw kara n hpraw shi ai. "Si ging yang gaw si u ga," ngu na tsun dat ai da. U ju naw e dai hku na tsun matan dat ai kaw na she shinggyim masha ni gaw si hpang wa ai re da. Moi na masha kaba ni dai hku hkai dan ai re. Yawng hpe chyeju kaba sai.
PDF version
https://doi.org/10.15026/0002000112
|
