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Translation (Nbanpa Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
Now I will tell the tale of the Snake Bridegroom. Once upon a time, in a village lived a widow and her four daughters. The daughters were very hardworking, but their mother was sick. The mother longed for ripe fruit growing near the house, and she asked her daughters to pick it. But the tree was very tall, and they could not reach the fruit. Though the daughters couldn't get the fruit, the mother still wanted to eat it every day. One day she said, "I am very ill." "I want that fruit so badly." "But my daughters can't pick it." "So I will give one of my daughters in marriage to whoever gets me that fruit." "If he wants the eldest, he may have her." "If he wants the second, then the second." "If he wants the third, then the third." "And if he wants the youngest, then the youngest." "I need a son-in-law who can get me that fruit!" she cried. A snake heard her voice, climbed the fruit tree she longed for, knocked down many fruits with his tail, and brought them to her. The widow finally ate the fruit she desired. While she was eating, the snake was waiting in the sitting room. Seeing this, the widow said, "No human came to fetch the fruit to become my son-in-law." "But this snake has brought it for me." "So, as I promised," "I must give one of my daughters in marriage." She first said to her eldest, "My eldest daughter, go and marry this snake." But the eldest replied, "Mother, I'm afraid." "How could I marry such a snake?" "I will not marry him." Then she spoke to her second daughter. "My second daughter, as I promised," "I must give one of you to this snake." "So you must marry him." But the second said, "Oh, Mother, this snake is terrifying to look at!" "How could I marry such a creature?" "I'd rather die." "I will never marry him." Then the widow spoke to her third daughter, "My third daughter, you are a clever girl." "So you must go with this snake." "We cannot keep this snake son-in-law in our house." "You must go with him." But the third daughter also refused. At last she spoke to the youngest, "My youngest daughter, you must be wise." "I made a promise." "I cannot break it." "So you must marry this snake." The youngest obeyed her mother and went with the snake. The snake took the youngest as his bride, and carried her far away, through forests, rivers, and rocky lands, to the land of snakes. When they arrived, everything there was made of gold. He welcomed her with golden houses, golden beds, and golden carpets. By day he became a snake, but at night he turned into a man, and he cared for his wife. After some time, the youngest said to him, "I miss my mother so much." "Please take me to see her." "Will you?" When she asked her husband, the snake replied, "Yes, of course." "Here is a basket of gold." "These bracelets and leggings are of gold as well." "Put them all on," "and come with me." So he brought her back to the village where her mother lived. Then when they arrived, night had fallen, and the snake changed into a handsome young man. When he entered the village, the elder sisters were full of envy. "Oh! The man our youngest sister married is such a handsome one!" "We made a terrible mistake!" Jealousy burned in their hearts. That night, the second and third plotted to kill their younger sister so they could both become the snake's brides. The next day the sisters invited the youngest, "We were able to meet again." "Let's collect banana leaves" "to serve food at the feast," they said and they went to the forest. On the way, the elder sisters had already dug a deep pit. The pit was connected to the river, and they laid banana trunks over it. They led the youngest to walk there first. She stepped on the banana trunks, the ground gave way, and she fell into the deep pit. The second and third exclaimed, "We did it!" "Now we will be the snake's wives!" They went home, lied that their younger sister had fallen and died, and said they would go in her place. But the snake cared nothing for them, and returned to his own country. He went home in sorrow, but unexpectedly, the pit into which the youngest had fallen was connected to the river of the snake's land. From the water, the snake rescued his bride. Never again did she return to her mother or sisters. The youngest lived happily ever after in the land of snakes.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng, Lu Pan & Sumlut Gun Mai)
Ya tsun dan na maumwi gaw "Lapu La A Lam" nga ai maumwi re. Moi shawng de kahtawng langai mi hta gaida jan hte kasha num kasha mali nga ma ai da. Dai kasha num sha ni gaw magam bungli galaw ai grai ket ma ai rai tim kanu gaw machyi ai majaw, shanhte nta makau kaw na grai myin ai nam si ni hpe sha mayu ai hte kasha ni hpe di shangun tim hpun grai tsaw ai majaw n lu di ya ma ai da. Kasha ni nam si n lu di ya ai tim kanu gaw shani shagu nam si grai sha mayu ai majaw, lani mi gaw "Ngai grai machyi grai n pyaw ai hte" "nam si grai sha mayu ai." "Rai tim nye kasha ni mung n lu di ya ma ai. " "Dai majaw ndai nam si di ya ai wa hpe gaw nye kasha hpe ngai nan jaw sha na." "Ma kaw wa hpe ra yang Ma Kaw," "Ma Lu hpe ra yang Ma Lu," "Ma Roi hpe ra yang Ma Roi," "Ma Htu hpe ra yang Ma Htu hpe jaw sha na." "Nam si di ya na kahkri ra ai law," ngu nna marawn dat ai da. Dai hku marawn dat ai hpe lapu la langai mi gaw na dat ai hte dai gaida jan sha mayu ai nam si hpun de lung mat wa nna shi na ningmai hte nam si ni hpe arun jahkrat nna she di dat ya ai hte gaida jan mung shi sha mayu ai nam si ni hpe lu sha sai da. Dai zawn nam si ni hpe sha nga ai aten hta dai lapu la wa mung nta daw dap kaw la taw ai. Dai hpe mu ai shaloi gaw kanu gaida jan gaw "Ngai na kahkri tai na matu shinggyim masha ni gaw kadai mung nam si n sa di ya ai hte" "ya ndai lapu wa mahtang nam si di ya ai majaw," "nye na ga sadi hte maren," "nye kasha ni kaw na langai mi n rai yang langai mi hte gaw jaw sha ra sai," ngu tsun let kasha Ma Kaw hpe shawng, "Nu sha Ma Kaw e, nang ndai lapu la kaw wa u yaw," ngu yang kasha Ma Kaw gaw "Ah Nu e, hkrit ai law." "Dai zawn re ai lapu kaw gara hku wa na." "Ngai gaw n wa ai," ngu tsun ai da. Dai hpang kasha Ma Lu hpe bai "Nu sha Ma Lu e, nu na ga sadi hte maren" "nu na kasha langai ngai hte ndai lapu hpe jaw sha ra ai majaw," "ndai lapu la kaw wa u yaw" ngu tsun yang, kasha Ma Lu mung "E, Nu e, dai zawn re ai lapu hpe gaw yu pyi n yu gwi ai." "Gara hku na dai zawn re ai lapu kaw wa ra na ma." "Si mat yang si mat sanu ga." "N kam wa ai," ngu bai tsun ai da. Dai shaoi, gaida jan gaw kasha Ma Roi hpe bai "Roi e, nang she myit su na sai." "dai majaw ndai lapu kaw hkan nang wa na hku di u yaw." "Anhte nta kaw gaw ndai hkri lapu hpe woi nga ai gaw n mai na re majaw," "nang mahtang hkan nang wa mat u yaw," ngu tsun yang" kasha Ma Roi mung bai ningnang ai da. Hpang jahtum kanu gaw, kasha Ma Htu hpe bai "Nu sha Htu e, nang sha myit n su yang gaw kaning n di sai." "Ah nu gaw ga sadi dat da sai majaw," "n jaw sha yang n mai sai." "Dai majaw ndai lapu la kaw wa u yaw," ngu tsun yang, kasha Ma Htu gaw kanu na ga madat ai hte dai lapu la na hpang de hkan nang mat wa ai da. Dai lapu la mung Ma Htu ngu na num kasha hpe lu ai hte shi lapu mungdan ngu na mare hte grai tsan ai shara, nam ni, hka ni, lung rawk ni lai di ra ai shara de woi wa mat wa ai hte dai lapu mungdan kaw du ai shaloi gaw dai kaw gaw ja ni hte hkrai hkrai gaw gap da ai da. Ja nta ni, ja yup ku ni, ja panyep ni kaw sha woi nga ai da. Dai lapu gaw shani rai yang gaw lapu tai nna, shana rai yang gaw shinggyim masha tai wa ai hte shi madu jan Ma Htu hpe atsawm sha woi nga ai. Dai zawn nga rai nna loi mi na ai hpang e gaw Ma Htu gaw lapu hpe tsun ai da. "Ngai nye nu hpe grai hkrum mayu ai." "Nu hte wa woi jahkrum rit le." "Mai na i?" ngu nna madu wa lapu hpe san yang lapu wa mung "Mai ai." "Rai yang gaw nang ndai shingnoi kasha mung ja shingnoi re." "Ndai lahkawn ni laraw ni ma hkra ja re." "Ndai ni ma hkra nang chyi u yaw." "Chyi nna nye hpang bai hkan u," ngu nna madu jan a kanu ni nga ai mare de bai woi sa mat wa ai da. Dai zawn rai nna sa mat wa ai hte shanhte na mare de du wa ai shaloi gaw shana jan du wa sai hte lapu mung grai tsawm ai shinggyim la kasha zawn gale mat nna mare de shang wa ai shaloi gaw Ma Htu na kana ni gaw manawn sai da. "Aga! Ma Htu wa ai wa gaw ndai zawn re grai tsawm ai la she rai nga." "Ngai gaw shut sai lu," ngu nna kana ni gaw grai manawn let she shana gaw kana Ma Lu hte Ma Roi gaw kanau Ma Htu hpe sat kau nna lapu kaw shan lahkawng mahtang bai wa na hku bawngban sai da. Hpang shani rai yang, kana yan gaw kanau Ma Htu hpe she "Saw... anhte ni yawng hkrum ai ten" "pyaw poi lu sha jawm sha na matu" "lahpaw htat sa ga," ngu shaga nna she lahpaw woi htat sa ai. Dai lahpaw htat sa ai lam kaw gaw myi jau jau kaw na, wo grai sung ai nhkun - npu de hka hte pyi matut ai nhkun ntsa kaw she langa tawng sha mara da masu ai lam hku na she woi sa wa nna, dai Ma Htu hpe shawng she lai shangun dat ai nga yang, Ma Htu gaw dai langa hpun kaw kabye dat ai hte daw kashawt mat wa nna dai grai sung ai nhkun de shang mat wa ai da. Dai shaloi Ma Lu hte Ma Roi gaw "Rai sai." "Ya chyawm lapu kaw an lahkawng wa wa saga," ngu nna nta de wa nna Ma Htu nhkun kaw di hkrat si mat ai lam wa masu tsun ai hte shan lahkawng shi kaw wa na lam tsun ai shaloi gaw lapu gaw shan lahkawng hpe kachyi mi myit n shang sha ya ai hte shi na lapu mungdan de wa mat wa ai da. Lapu la wa gaw grai myit n pyaw let wa ai wa, n myit mada ai sha, Ma Htu hkrat mat ai nhkun kata kaw na hka hte shanhte lapu mungdan na hka gaw matut ai hte dai hka kaw madu jan Ma Htu hpe bai lu sa hkye la nna kanu hte kana ni nga ai mare de mung galoi n woi wa sai sha, prat tup lapu mungdan kaw sha grai pyaw let woi nga mat ai da. |
