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Translation (Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
I will now tell the tale of "The Magical Golden Fish". Long ago, there lived an elderly couple without children. They were very poor, and had only a worn-out pot in their house. Their house too was dilapidated and leaning. Despite being very poor, and old, the old man loved his wife dearly. For his wife, who loved fish, without being asked, he always went out to fish. One day, as the old man was fishing, he caught a golden fish. Then, the golden fish spoke, "Please don't catch me." "What is your wish?" it asked. The old man said, "No, I need nothing." "As long as I have my beloved wife," "that's enough for me." "I need nothing more," he said. Then, the golden fish said, "Then, please let me go." "If you release me," "I will give you many other fish," it said. The old man released the fish, and continued fishing, catching many fish, which he brought home. When he returned with the fish, he told his wife about the golden fish, about their conversation, and how, as the golden fish had said, he had caught many fish. Then, as his wife was greedy, she said, "Oh, you are a fool!" "We have only one battered pot." "Go back again!" "You will meet the golden fish." "If it asks what you want," "ask for many beautiful pots, jugs, and dishes!" she said. So, the old man returned to the river where he had met the golden fish. When he called out, "Golden fish, golden fish," the golden fish appeared, "What do you want?" It asked. As his wife had instructed, the old man said, "Our only pot at home is old and worn." "I want many beautiful pots, jugs, and dishes," he said. The golden fish said, "Then go home." "When you arrive home," "everything your wife wished for will be there," it said. When the old man returned home, indeed, there were many beautiful pots, jugs, and dishes in the house. Having acquired so many beautiful things, his wife's greed grew, and she said, "Didn't you ask for anything else?" "You really are a fool!" "Our house is falling apart." "Go back again," "and ask for a larger, nicer house!" she said. Hearing this, the old man went back to the river, and asked the golden fish for a new house. The golden fish said to him, "Go home." "When you arrive home," "the big, beautiful house you wished for will be there," it said. The old man returned, and when he arrived home, indeed, there was a beautiful, large new house. Having acquired such a beautiful house, his wife became even more greedy, and asked him for gold. When the old man went to the golden fish to ask for gold, the golden fish granted him gold. Even after acquiring a lot of gold, his wife's greed did not cease. Being very old, she demanded to be turned into a young girl. When the old man went back to ask, the golden fish did as she wished, and turned her to a young girl. Even after obtaining many things, his wife could not stop her greed, and again said to the old man, "Turn the new house we got into a house of gold!" "Ask the golden fish to do so!" and sent the old man again. Reluctantly, the old man did as his wife said, and asked the golden fish, but the golden fish became angry. "I have granted everything your wife asked for," "but your wife is full of greed." "No matter what is given," "she is never satisfied." "So, I can give no more." "I will take back everything I have given." "You should go back home," it said. When the old man returned home, as the golden fish had said, everything given by the golden fish was gone. His wife, who has become younger, had aged even more. Because her greed was too deep, they became very poor again, as before. They lived in a dilapidated house and cooked with a worn-out pot and had to live like that.
Transcription (La Ring)
Ya tsun na maumwi gaw "Lak Lai Ai Ja Nga" nga ai maumwi re. Moi shawng de, kashu kasha mung n lu ai, asak grai kaba sai dinggai yan dingla yan la nga ai da. Shan lahkawng gaw grai mung matsan ai hte nta ting rai yang she nyawp nyawp re ai di langai mi sha lu ai. Shan lahkawng na nta mung nhkyeng nhkang nyawp nyawp sha re ai nta re da. Grai matsan grai yak hkak ai rai tim, asak ni grai kaba wa sai rai tim dingla wa gaw shi na dinggai jan hpe galoi mung grai tsaw ra ai da. Shi na dinggai jan Nga grai sha ra ai re majaw dinggai jan hpa n shangun tim, Nga sa myek myek re ai. Lani mi na ten hta gaw shi Nga myek ai shaloi Ja Nga langai mi lu myek la ai da. Dai shaloi dai Ja Nga gaw "E, ngai hpe hkum rim ya rit." "Nang hpa baw ra ai rai?" ngu na san wa ai da. Dai shaloi dingla wa gaw "E... ngai kaw hpa n ra ai law." "Ngai grai tsaw ra ai ngai na dinggai jan hte rau rai yang" "yawng hkum tsup sai re majaw" "hpa n ra ai," ngu tsun dat ai da. Dai shaloi Ja Nga bai, "Rai yang ngai hpe dat dat ya rit." "Nang ngai hpe dat dat yang" "kaga Nga ni grai law lu hkra galaw ya na," ngu nna tsun rai nna dingla wa mung dai Ja Nga hpe dat dat ya nna matut myek yang gaw Nga ni grai law hkra lu myek nna dai hpe nta de la wa ai da. Dai lu la ai Nga ni hpe la nna nta de du ai shaloi shi na dinggai jan hpe shi Ja Nga hte hkrum ai lam, Ja Nga hte shi hte tsun hkat ai lam hte, shi Ja Nga tsun ai hte maren bai dat dat ai majaw Nga law law lu wa ai lam ni hpe tsun dan dat ai da. Dai shaloi gaw dinggai jan gaw lawhpa ai myit rawng ai hte "Aga.... dingla nang gaw grai anya ai she rai nga." "An lahkawng kaw nyawp nyawp re ai di langai sha lu ai le." "Bai sa su!" "Ja Nga hte bai hkrum na ra ai." "Dai hku hkrum na shi hpa baw ra ai rai nga san yang" "di ni, di bu ni, hka wan ni tsawm tsawm re ai law law ra ai ngu wa tsun su!" ngu nna tsun dan dat ai da. Dai shaloi dingla wa mung Ja Nga hte hkrum ai hka de bai sa mat wa nna "Ja Nga e, Ja Nga e," ngu wa shaga dat yang, Ja Nga mung pru wa ai hte "Nang hpa baw ra ai rai?" ngu dingla wa hpe san ai da. Dingla wa gaw madu jan tsun dat ai hte maren, "Nta kaw nga ai langai sha re ai di gaw nyawp nyawp re ai majaw" "di ni, di bu ni, hka wan ni grai kaja ai, tsawm tsawm re ai law law ra ai," ngu tsun dan dat ai da. Ja Nga gaw "E, rai yang nta wa su." "Nang nta kaw du ai hte" "na madu jan ra ai rai ni yawng nga taw na ra ai yaw," ngu tsun dan dat nna dingla wa mung nta de wa yang kaja sha tsawm tsawm re ai di ni, di bu ni, hka wan ni grai law hkra nta kaw nga taw ai da. Dai zawn tsawm tsawm re ai di ni, di bu ni, hka wan nnan ni lu ai shaloi gaw, dinggai jan gaw grau lawhpa wa ai hte dingla wa hpe, "Nang kaga ni n hpyi dat ai i teng?" "Grai anya ai le." "An lahkawng na nta gaw nyawp nyawp re taw sai le." "Ya bai sa nna" "grai kaba ai, grai tsawm ai nta bai wa hpyi su!" ngu tsun dan dat ai da. Dai hku tsun dat yang myi na hte maren dingla wa mung hka kau de bai sa mat wa nna myi na hte maren Ja Nga hpe nta nnan bai wa hpyi yang, Ja Nga mung dingla wa hpe "Nta de wa sanu." "Nang nta du ai hte" "nang hpyi ai grai tsawm ai, grai kaba ai nta nga taw na ra ai," ngu nna tsun dan dat ai. Dingla wa mung nta de bai wa nna nta du ai hte kaja sha grai tsawm ai hte grai kaba ai nta nnan nga taw ai da. Dai zawn nta grai tsawm ai lu ngut jang, dinggai jan gaw grau bai lawhpa wa sai hte dingla wa hpe Ja Nga kaw bai ja gumhpraw ni bai wa hpyi shangun ai da. Dingla wa mung Ja Nga kaw bai sa nna ja gumhpraw ni wa hpyi yang Ja Nga gaw ja gumhpraw mung bai jaw dat ai da. Dai zawn ja gumhpraw grai lu ai hpang mung dinggai jan gaw matut nna shi grai asak kaba sai majaw asak kaji ai mahkawn kaji bai galaw ya na matu bai sa tsun shangun ai da. Dingla wa mung kalang bai sa nna wa tsun yang, Ja Nga mung dingla wa hpyi ai hte maren, shi na dinggai jan hpe asak grai kaji ai num bai galaw kau dat ya ai. Dai zawn grai hkrum tsup sai rai tim, dinggai jan gaw shi na lawhpa ai myit hpe n lu jahkring ai hte kalang bai dingla wa hpe tsun ai. "Dingla wa, ndai myi yat sha lu da ai nta nnan nta ting hpe ja nta galaw kau ya na matu" "Ja Nga hpe bai sa tsun su!" ngu na bai shangun dat ai da. Dingla wa mung grai gaw n kam sai rai tim madu jan nau tsun ai majaw Ja Nga kaw bai sa tsun ai shaloi gaw Ja Nga gaw pawt sai da. "Na madu jan gaw shi tsun ai ni yawng hpe ngai shadik shatup ya sai." "Rai tim, na madu jan gaw lawhpa ai myit hte hpring chyat nga ai." "Shi hpe hpa mung matut jaw tim" "myit dik ai lam nga na n re." "Dai majaw ngai hpa n lu jaw sai." "Myi ngai jaw da sai ni yawng mung bai la kau sana." "Nang mung wa sanu," ngu tsun dat ai da. Dingla wa mung nta de bai du wa ai shaloi gaw Ja Nga tsun dat ai hte maren, myi yat sha shan lahkawng hpe jaw da ai ni yawng mung n nga mat ai hte myi asak grai kaji mat sai madu jan mung shawng e na hta pyi grau nna dinggai mat ai zawn zawn byin mat ai da. Dinggai jan na lawhpa ai myit nau law ai majaw dai dinggai yan dingla gaw myi na hte maren sha grai matsan ai hte nta mung nyawp nypaw re ai kaw sha nga, di mung nyawp nyawp re ai kaw sha shadu sha rai nna bai nga ra mat ai da.
Picture Story Version
https://doi.org/10.15026/0002000174 |
