| Description |
Translation (Gun Mai & Keita Kurabe)
Now I will tell you a story about a gibbon and an otter. Once upon a time, the gibbon and the otter were good friends. The gibbon lived on land. The otter lived on land and in rivers. Although they lived in different places, they were very close and great friends. They each had a grandmother. The gibbon had one grandmother. The otter also had a grandmother. One day, the otter said to the gibbon, "My brother, the day your grandmother dies, I'll prepare the food for her funeral." "I'll bring the fish." "You gibbons can eat as much as you like." "I'll take that responsibility." Then the gibbon also said, "Oh, you're going to do that much for us?" "Don't worry, brother otter." "On the day your grandmother died, I'll prepare bamboo shoots for her funeral." "I'll take the bamboo shoots for you." A few days later, the gibbon's grandmother passed away. It was around July, during the rainy season. Because it was the rainy season, the river overflowed and the water turned brown and muddy. So no matter how many times the otter dove into the water, he could not find any fish. No matter where he dove, he could not find any fish. So the otter said, "Hmmm, I promised the gibbon, that I would bring them the fish when their grandmother died." "I'm ashamed." "I couldn't keep that promise." "So I have no face to show to the gibbons anymore." From then on, the otter never saw the gibbon again. However, the gibbon said, "Well, my friend the otter couldn't keep his promise, but I will." "When the otter's grandmother dies, I'll take lots of bamboo shoots." He said to himself. A few days later, the otter's grandmother also died. It was around April, the hottest month of the year. It was so hot that bamboo shoots did not grow. Even leaves did not grow well. The gibbons were trying to bring bamboo shoots, as they had promised. No matter how hard they searched, no matter which mountain they went to, no matter which bamboo they looked under no bamboo shoots were found. So the promise between the gibbon and the otter was broken. Since then, the gibbon and the otter were so embarrassed that they stopped seeing each other.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ya hkai na maumwi gaw La-gang hte Sharam a lam re. Moi shawng de, La-gang hte Sharam gaw grai hkau ai jinghku yan rai ma ai da. La-gang gaw kawng de nga, Sharam gaw kawng de mung nga, hka de mung nga rai nna nga shara ni she n bung hkat tim shan gaw grai hkau ai jinghku kaba yan rai ma ai da. Shan lahkawng kaw gaw kadwi dinggai langai hpra mung lu ai da. La-gang mung kadwi dinggai lu ai. Sharam mung kadwi dinggai lu ai da. Lani mi gaw, Sharam gaw La-gang hpe tsun ai da. "Hkau La-gang e, na dwi si ai shani gaw, simai sihtu gaw ngai lit la na yaw." "Ngai nga simai jaw na." "Nanhte La-gang amyu ni sha ra ai daram sha u." "Ngai lit la na," ngu nna tsun ai da. Dai shaloi La-gang mung, "Aga, nang pyi ngai hpe dai zawn lit la na pyi she nga ai gaw." "Hkau Sharam, hkum tsang yaw." "Na dwi si ai shani gaw makru yawng a matu ngai lit la na yaw." "Kawa makru ngai jaw na," ngu tsun ai da. Dai hpang kade n na ai shaloi gaw, La-gang a kadwi dinggai si ai da. Dai si ai aten gaw lanam ta, July shata hta re ai da. Lanam ta re majaw, hka grai kaba nna hka ni yawng mung hkyeng mat ai majaw, Sharam gaw kade hpung lip na tam tim nga n lu ai da. Gara kaw hpung lip tim nga n lu tam ai da. Dai majaw Sharam gaw, "Um... ya ngai Hkau La-gang na kadwi si yang, nga lit la na ngu ga sadi jaw da ai re wa." "Ya ngai kaya sai." "Ngai na ga sadi n teng mat sai." "Dai majaw, ngai Hkau La-gang hte n hkrum sai," ngu nna La-gang hte n hkrum mat ai da. Rai tim, La-gang gaw, "Um... nye manang Hkau Sharam ga sadi n teng tim, ngai gaw teng na re." "Shi kadwi si ai shaloi gaw, ngai gaw kawa makru shaw nan shaw ya na re," ngu nna shi hkum shi tsun ai da. Dai hku rai nna kade n na ai hte Sharam a kadwi dinggai mung bai si sai da. Sharam a kadwi si ai aten gaw, kahtet ta, April shata hta re ai hte grai kahtet nna makru mung n rawt, namlap pyi n kam lap ai aten re da. La-gang mung, shi a ga sadi hte maren, makru jaw na ngu na kade tam tim, gara bum kaw sa tim, gara kawa pawt kaw sa yu tim, makru n lu tam ai da. Dai majaw La-gang hte Sharam gaw ga sadi n teng hkat mat ai majaw dai ni du hkra kaya nna n hkrum hkat mat ai da.
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https://doi.org/10.15026/0002000073 |
