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Translation (Nbanpa Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
This is the story of “The Poor Man and the Ogre.” Long ago, in a village, there lived a poor couple who didn't even have clothes to wear. The husband was extremely lazy, so one day, the wife said to him: “Hey, all you ever do is sleep.” “We don’t even have food to eat,” “or clothes to wear!” “Not even a place to sleep!” The husband replied, “I can find all that easily if I just go look.” “If I look, I can get anything.” But in reality, he did nothing, and spent every day just sleeping. He would wake only to eat what his wife had made. One day, the wife became very angry and said: “Today, you must go find work!” “If you don’t, don’t bother coming home!” “Even if you come back, there’ll be nothing for you to eat!” Having been thrown out, the husband left the house and came to a place in the forest where a big banyan tree stood. “Hmm, if I stay here, I won’t have to listen to my wife complain.” “I’ll get some more rest,” he said, and lay down under the banyan tree. Just as he was about to fall into a deep sleep, an ogre came out of the banyan tree and said: “Oh! I was just getting hungry!” “Now there’s a delicious-looking human lying in front of my home!” “Good!” “Saves me the trouble of hunting for food!” Saying that, he began to dance joyfully. Hearing that, the man became terrified, but he racked his brain to avoid being eaten. Though he was lazy, he cared about his appearance, and had a mirror in his bag. He took out the mirror and began dancing like the ogre. Seeing this, the ogre said: “What? I’m dancing because I’m happy to eat you.” “Why are you dancing?” “Aren’t you afraid of me?” The man said: “Why should I be afraid?” “You’re going to die soon.” He said this back to the ogre. Then the ogre asked: “Why would I die?” “How could someone like you kill someone as big as me?” “I could crush you with one hand!” The man replied: “Ah, I'm a sorcerer,” “a person who can extract souls.” “Why should I be afraid of you?” Hearing this, the ogre began to feel a little scared. The man continued: “Don’t believe me?” “I’ve already captured your soul!” He held up the mirror to the ogre’s face. “Look! Isn’t this your face?” “Your soul is already trapped!” “That’s why you’ll soon die!” Now the ogre was truly frightened. Terrified, he said: “Please don’t kill me!” “Forgive me!” “If you let me live,” “I’ll give you a golden box!” When the ogre begged, the man said: “Alright, then bring me your golden box!” “Don’t try to trick me!” When he said that, the ogre truly brought a golden box. When the man lifted the box of gold, it was very heavy, so he said: “Take this box to the front of my house!” “Then I’ll release your soul!” he said, showing the mirror. Terrified, the ogre did exactly as he was told, and brought the golden box to the front of the couple’s house. After setting the box down, the man said: “Good. Now I’ll release your soul.” “But listen carefully!” “Never come here again!” “If you do,” “I’ll pull your soul out again!” “Got it?” The ogre replied: “Got it!” “I’ll never come back to this village again!” and left. Thus, though the man was lazy, he was clever, and thanks to the golden box, the couple was able to live in wealth.
Transcription (Lu Awng & Sumlut Gun Mai)
Ya tsun dan na maumwi gaw "Matsan Ai La Hte Sha Lawa" nga ai re. Moi shawng de mare langai mi hta, bu hpun palawng pyi hpa n hpun na daram matsan ai madu jan hte madu wa, shan la nga ma ai da. Madu wa gaw grai mung lagawn ai majaw, lani mi na nhtoi hta madu jan gaw madu wa hpe tsun ai. "E, madu wa e, nang gaw shani shagu yup sha yup sha rai na sha nga." "Lu na sha na gaw hkum tsun." "Hpun na bu hpun palawng pyi hpa n lu wa nga le." "Yup na shara mung n lu wa nga le," ngu tsun yang, madu wa gaw "Dai sha gaw, ya ngai tam yang lu na rai nga." "La ni tam sai kaw na gaw n lu ai ngu gaw hpa n nga ai gaw," ngu tsun ai da. Dai hku tsun tim, hpa gaw n galaw ai sha, shani shagu yup nna sha nga, madu jan shadu jaw ai sha, rawt sha la rai nna chyu sha nga ai da. Lani mi na nhtoi hta gaw, madu jan gaw grai pawt mayu wa sai hte, "Dingla wa, dai ni gaw nang bungli nan sa tam sanu." "N lu tam yang, nta mung hkum wa." "Wa tim pyi shat mung hkum wa sha," ngu nna gau kau dat ai da. Madu jan dai hku gau dat ai re majaw, madu wa mung pru hkawm mat wa ai hte nam maling langai kaw na lagat hpun kaba law tu taw ai kaw wa du ai da. "Um... ya chyawm nye madu jan pawt angun ai nsen mung n na sai." "Apyaw sha naw yup la na re," ngu nna dai lagat hpun pawt kaw yup galeng wa sai da. Dai la wa n yup pyaw shi yang she, dai lagat hpun kaw na sha lawa wa she pru wa nna "Aga... dai ni gaw ngai pyi shat kaw si nga yang," "ndai grai sha mu na zawn re ai masha langai nye nta man kaw nan she wa galeng taw ai." "Hkrak she rai sai." "Ngai lu sha n tam sha hkawm ra sai," ngu shi hkum shi tsun nna grai pyawt let ka manawt taw sai da. Dai zawn nga na ai shaloi, wo ra la wa gaw grai gaw hkrit ai rai tim, n sha kau hkrum na matu nyan shaw sai da. Shi gaw she lagawn tim, grai shakya ja ai majaw, shi nhpye kaw pat langai galoi mung gun da ai hte dai pat hpe shaw lang nna shi mung sha lawa zawn sha rawt ka sai da. Dai zawn dai sha lawa wa shi hpe mu ai shaloi gaw "Aga... ngai gaw nang hpe lu sha sana rai na grai pyaw let ka taw ai." "Nang gaw hpa majaw ka ai ma?" "Ngai hpe n hkrit ai i?" ngu san yang, dai la wa gaw "Ngai hpa na hkrit na ma?" "Nang kade n na yang si hkyen sai," ngu nna sha lawa hpe bai tsun dat ai da. Dai shaloi sha lawa bai "Ngai hpa majaw si hkyen na ma?" "Ngai ram kaba ai hpe nang gara hku di na lu sat na ma?" "Nang hpe mahtang ngai na lata she sha tim lu manat sat kau ai," ngu tsun yang, dai la wa bai "E... ngai gaw nat sara she re mi." "Numla ni hpe gang la la re ai wa re." "Nang hpe ngai hpa majaw hkrit ra na ma?" ngu bai tsun dat ai shaloi gaw sha lawa wa gaw loi hkrit wa sai da. Matut nna dai la wa bai "Nang ngai tsun ai n kam ai i?" "Nang na numla pyi ngai rim da sai lu," ngu nna sha lawa wa na myi man kaw she shi na pat hpe chyaw di dat nna madun dat nna she, "Yu, ndai na na myi man re n re i?" "Nang na numla hpe ngai rim da sai re." "Dai majaw, nang kade n na yang si na ra ai," ngu tsun dat yang, sha lawa gaw kaja sha grai hkrit mat sai da. Dai zawn grai hkrit ai hte she, "Chyeju hte ngai hpe hkum sat law." "Matsan naw dum la rit." "Ngai hpe n sat na rai yang," "nang hpe ngai ja sut dek jaw na," ngu nna dai la wa hpe tawngban ai shaloi, dai la wa gaw "E... rai yang gaw nang na ja sut dek wa shaw la wa yu rit teng." "Nang masu na hkum myit yaw," ngu bai tsun dat ai shaloi gaw, sha lawa mung kaja sha shi na ja sut dek hpe dai la wa hpe wa shaw jaw ai da. Dai ja sut dek hpe hpai yu ai shaloi gaw grai li ai majaw, dai la wa gaw "Ndai ja sut dek hpe ngai na nta shawng kaw du hkra wa sa ya u." "Rai yang, nang na numla hpe ngai n rim da sai sha dat dat kau ya na," ngu nna shi na pat hpe madun let she bai tsun ai da. Sha lawa mung grai hkrit ai hte dai la wa tsun ai hte maren, dai yan la na nta shawng kaw du hkra ja sut dek wa sa ya ai da. Nta shawng kaw ja sut dek jahkrat ngut ai hte dai la wa gaw "E... ngai ya nang na numla hpe dat kau dat sana." "Rai tim, naw madat u." "Nang an la na makau de galoi mung hkum sa yaw." "Bai sa wa yang," "nang na numla hpe ngai bai shaga la dat sha re." "Na sai i?" ngu tsun yang, sha lawa mung "Mai sa." "Ngai ndai mare de galoi mung n sa na re," ngu tsun nna wa mat wa ai da. Dai zawn rai nna, grai lagawn ai rai tim zen ai majaw lu la wa ai ja sut dek hte dai madu wa hte madu jan gaw grai pyaw let matut nna nga mat wa ai da.
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