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Translation (Nbanpa Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
I'm going to tell the story of "The Otter and the Painted Quail." Once upon a time, there was an otter and a quail. The quail, eating fish in the river every day, lived happily The otter, searching for food on land, lived happily. As they lived like this, one day, the quail began to wonder, "Hmmm... Living in the river is fun, but..." "If I could live on land like other animals..." "Would it be even more fun?" At the same time, the otter who lived on land was also thinking, "Hmmm… I have to search for food on land every day." "If only I could look for food in the river..." "That would be so much fun!" Some time later, one day, the quail and the otter met. First, the quail asked the otter, "Hey, Otter, what's it like living on land?" The otter replied, "Living on land is wonderful." "I can search for food," "and when I get sleepy," "I can fall asleep right here on the ground." "I'm free, with nothing to fear." "It's really enjoyable." Then the quail said, "I love searching for food in the water," "but I'd like to try finding food on land, just like you!" The otter responded, "Yeah, I'm getting tired of living on land." "So I'd like to try living in the river instead!" Then the two of them said, "In that case, why don't we trade places?" And so, they agreed to switch homes for life. From then on, the otter lived in the river, and the quail lived on land. But when the quail lived on land, there were many hunters who set traps and shot birds, so the land was full of danger. "Hmmm... Back when I lived in the river," "no one ever tried to catch me." "No one ever tried to shoot me." Regretfully, the quail had no choice but to live on land. As for the otter: "Hmmm... Back when I lived on land," "life was so much fun." "But now in the river, I'm always wet," "and there are even creatures that try to kill me." "It's not much fun at all." Regretfully, the otter also had to live on that way. And that is why, even today, when the quail looks for food on land, it cries out, "Nga Baw!" which means "Fish Head!" It is remembering the fish heads it used to eat long ago when it lived in the river.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng, Htu Bu & Sumlut Gun Mai)
Ya tsun dan na maumwi gaw "Sharam Hte U Gam" nga ai maumwi re. Moi kalang mi hta Sharam hte U gam nga ai da. Dai U gam gaw shani shagu hka kaw na nga ni hta sha nna grai pyaw let nga ai. Sharam gaw kawng kaw na lu sha ni tam sha let grai pyaw na nga ai. Dai zawn tam sha nga yang, lani mi gaw U Gam gaw myit ai da. "E, ngai wa ndai hka kaw lu sha tam ai gaw grai gaw pyaw ai re wa." "Kaga ni zawn kawng de tam sha yang" "grau pyaw na re kun?" ngu myit lu ai. Dai U Gam zawn sha, kawng kaw tam sha nga ai Sharam mung, "Um... ngai mung shani shagu kawng ntsa kaw lu sha tam sha nga ra ai." "Hka kaw tam sha lu yang gaw" "kade she n pyaw na," nga nna myit ai da. Dai zawn myit nna kade n na ai shaloi, lani mi na nhtoi hta gaw dai U Gam hte Sharam hkrum ai. U Gam shawng, Sharam hpe "E, hkau Sharam wa e, nang kawng kaw lu sha tam sha yang gara hku ta?" ngu san yang, Sharam gaw "Kawng kaw lu sha tam sha ai grai pyaw ai re." "Lu sha tam sha let," "yup mayu wa yang mung" "dai kawng kaw sha kalang ta yup la..." "Ahkraw ahkra hte hpa hpe mung n hkrit ra ai hte" "grai pyaw ai re," ngu tsun ai da. Dai zawn tsun yang U Gam gaw "Ngai hka kaw tam sha ai mung grai gaw pyaw ai rai tim" "nang zawn kawng kaw tam sha mayu ai," ngu tsun ai. Dai shaloi Sharam mung, "E, hkau e, ngai mung kawng kaw tam sha ai grai jin wa sai." "Dai majaw hka de she tam sha mayu ai," ngu nna bai tsun ai shaloi shan lahkawng gaw "Dai hku nga yang an lahkawng shara galai hkat ga i?" ngu nna she shan lahkawng gaw lu sha tam sha ai shara prat tup na matu galai hkat ma ai da. Dai zawn rai nna, Sharam wa mung hka kaw tam sha, U gam wa mung kawng kaw tam sha ai. U Gam wa dai zawn kawng de tam sha yang she U hkam hkam ai ni U gap hkawm ai ni grai nga wa ai majaw, grai hkrit tsang ra wa ai hte "Um... ngai moi hka kaw tam sha nga yang gaw" "ngai hpe kadai mung n hkam," "kadai mung n sa gap ai re wa," ngu myit malai lu let matut tam sha ra mat ai da. Sharam wa mung "Um... ngai mung kawng kaw lu sha tam sha yang gaw" "grai pyaw ai re wa." "Ya hka kaw gaw madi manyap nga ai hte" "ngai hpe sat mayu ai ni mung nga ai hte rai nna" "grai n pyaw ai," ngu myit malai lu let matut tam sha ra mat ai da. Dai majaw, U Gam gaw dai ni na aten hta rai tim, kawng ntsa kaw lu sha tam sha yang, "Nga Baw... Nga Baw..." nga ai zawn nga ai nsen shapraw ai gaw moi shi hka kaw tam sha yang na nga baw ni hpe shingran ai majaw re da.
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