| Description |
Translation (Nbanpa Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
Now I will tell you a story called "The Dragon Husband." Long ago, in a forest village where the Mali Hka River and the Nmai Hka River meet, there lived two daughters who looked very much alike, named Hkawn Nan and Lu Mai. They lived together with their father and mother. One day, their father passed away, and their mother was overcome with grief. Day after day, she wept without end. She cried for so long that her eyes eventually became sick. The daughters cared for her as best they could, but her eyes did not get better. So the daughters went from village to village, saying, "We will marry whoever can heal our mother's eyes." They said. One day, they met a man carrying a basket of medicine. The man said, "If I can cure your mother's eyes," "will you truly marry me?" The daughters answered, "Yes." "We will marry the one who heals our mother's eyes." The man went with them to their home, and healed their mother's eyes. The elder sister, Hkawn Nan, took a liking to the man, and fearing that her younger sister might marry him first, she quickly said, "Medicine master, in our village custom, the elder sister marries first." "So I will go and become your wife." The healer replied, "That is fine." "Either one is acceptable." "But there is one thing I must tell you first." "I am not a human." "I am the Dragon Prince who lives where the Mali Hka River and the Nmai Hka River meet." When Hkawn Nan heard this, she was suddenly afraid, and no longer wished to marry the dragon. So she said to her younger sister, "Lu Mai, I am the eldest." "I must stay at home and take care of our mother." "You should marry this healer instead." Lu Mai, grateful that her mother had been cured, agreed to marry the Dragon Prince. As the Dragon Prince led Lu Mai away, they soon reached the riverbank. Then the Dragon Prince said, "Lu Mai, my wife, blink your eyes seven times." When Lu Mai blinked seven times, she found herself standing in a magnificent royal palace. They made their living there, and in time, they had a child. After some time had passed, Lu Mai began to miss her mother and sister, and longed to see them again. She sat lost in thought. When her dragon husband asked her why, she told him she wished to visit her mother and sister. The prince gave her permission to return home. And so, Lu Mai carried the golden basket her husband had given her, carried her child on her back, and returned to her parents' home. Her mother and sister were overjoyed to see her. Lu Mai told them how wonderful life was in the dragon palace, and how dearly her husband loved her. Hearing this, Hkawn Nan grew jealous, and began plotting to take her sister's place. She invited Lu Mai to go gather fruits in the forest. When they reached the forest, Hkawn Nan said, "Put your child down on the ground," "and climb the tree to pick the fruit." Lu Mai climbed the tree. No matter how many ripe fruits she dropped, her sister kept saying, "They are not ripe yet! Climb higher!" When Lu Mai reached a thin branch, Hkawn Nan pinched the child lying below the tree. When the child began to cry, "A tiger has taken the child!" she shouted loudly. Believing it was true, Lu Mai turned in shock, and the thin branch she was standing on broke. Lu Mai fell from the tree and lost her life. Hkawn Nan took her sister's child in her arms, carried the golden basket, and set off for the dragon land. The Dragon Prince believed she was Lu Mai, and lived with her without suspicion. One day, the old nursemaid was walking in the garden with the child. A bird landed on a tree branch and cried, "My child... my child..." The old woman heard this every day. So she asked, "Why do you cry like that?" The bird told her that she was the child's true mother, that her sister had envied her, caused her to fall from the tree, and that she had become a bird after death. She also said she did not hate her sister, but worried only about her child. When Hkawn Nan heard this cry, she realized it was her sister's voice, and told her husband to kill the bird. As the prince obeyed her words, and was about to shoot the bird, the old nursemaid stopped him. "Prince, you must not kill that bird!" "That bird is your true wife!" "The one beside you now is her sister, Hkawn Nan." "Out of jealousy," "she caused her sister to fall from the tree and die." "Your wife has now become a bird." "If you do not believe me, ask the bird yourself." When the prince questioned the bird, the bird told him everything. After learning the truth, the prince gave the dragon medicine to the bird. At once, the bird returned to her former form as the beautiful Lu Mai. The prince then gave the medicine to Hkawn Nan, and turned her into a bird. And so the mother and child lived happily together once again.
Transcription (Lu Awng & Sumlut Gun Mai)
Ya tsun dan na maumwi gaw "Baren La Wa A Lam" nga ai maumwi re. Moi shawng de, Mali Nmai Zup makau kaw na nam kahtawng langai mi kaw Hkawn Nan hte Lu Mai ngu ai grai bung hkat ai num kasha yan nau hte kanu yan kawa ma rai nna dinghku langai mi nga ai da. Lani mi na nhtoi hta kawa si mat wa ai shaloi, kanu gaw grai yawn ai hte hkrap chyu hkrap, hkrap chyu hkrap rai nna aten na na hkrap ai majaw myi machyi mat ai. Num kasha yan nau mung shan nau chye ai daram tsi tsi ya tim n mai hkraw ai majaw, shan nau gaw mare shagu sa nna "An nau a kanu a myi hpe lu shamai ya ai wa kaw gaw an nau num wa na ga ai," ngu nna ndau hkawm mat wa ai shaloi, lani mi hta gaw tsi htingpa gun ai la langai mi hte hkrum ai hte dai la wa gaw "Nan nau a kanu a myi hpe shamai ya yang," "kaja nan sha num wa na re i?" ngu san yang shan nau mung "Re." "An nau a kanu a myi hpe shamai ya ai wa hpang de an nau num wa na ga ai," ngu bai tsun ai. Dai la wa mung dai num kasha yan nau a nta de hkan nang nna kanu a myi hpe shamai dat ya ai. Dai zawn myi shamai ya ai la hpe gaw kana Hkawn Nan mung grai yu ra wa ai hte kanau mahtang lu mat na tsang nna shi shawng tsun ai. "Agu tsi sara e, anhte na htung hta gaw kana shawng she num wa ra ai re." "Dai majaw agu hpang de wa na gaw ngai mahtang re," ngu tsun ai shaloi tsi sara la wa mung "Mai ai." "Kadai rai tim mai ai." "Rai tim ngai na lam hpe shawng tsun dan na." "Ngai gaw shinggyim masha n re ai." "Wo... Mali Hka Mazup kaw na baren hkawhkawm kasha she re ai," ngu tsun dan ai. Dai shaloi, myi grai yu ra dum ai Hkawn Nan gaw grai hkrit wa nna she, dai baren la hpang de n kam hkan ai majaw, kanau Lu Mai hpe tsun ai. "E, kanau Lu Mai e, Ashawng gaw kana kaba myit su sai re majaw" "nta kaw nu hpe yu na nga na." "Nang mahtang ndai agu tsi sara kaw wa u yaw," ngu tsun yang, kanau Lu Mai gaw kanu hpe tsi tsi ya ai majaw chyeju dum ai myit hte dai baren la wa hpang de hkan nang mat wa ai. Dai zawn kanau Lu Mai hpe woi mat wa nna hka makau kaw du ai shaloi, baren la wa gaw "Ngai nam Lu Mai e, nang myi sanit lang grip dat u," ngu tsun nna myi sanit lang grip dat ai shaloi gaw grai hkik hkam ai hkawhkam htingnu kaw du mat wa ai hte dai kaw dinghku de nna grai pyaw let nga rai nna, kasha langai mi lu sai. Dai zawn aten na wa ai shaloi gaw, dai Lu Mai gaw kanu hte kana hpe marit ai hte hkrum mayu wa ai majaw mau chyu mau nna nga ai shaloi, madu wa baren hkawhkam kasha gaw hpa majaw mau nga ai lam san yang, Lu Mai mung kanu yan kana hpe marit ai majaw mau nga ai lam tsun dan ai shaloi gaw madu wa mung wa jahkrum na matu ahkang jaw dat ai. Dai zawn madu wa ahkang jaw dat ai hte maren, Lu Mai mung madu wa jaw dat ai ja shingnoi sha gun, ma hpe sha ba lang rai nna nta de du wa ai. Dai shaloi kanu yan kana mung kasha, kanau Lu Mai hpe mu nna grai kabu ma ai. Lu Mai mung shi baren hkawhkam hkaw kaw kade daram pyaw ai lam, madu wa mung shi hpe kade tsaw ra ai lam ni hpe tsun dan ai shaloi gaw kana Hkawn Nan gaw bai manawn wa sai hte kanau Lu Mai a shara hpe la na hku nyan shaw let, kanau hpe nam de nam si wa di sha ga ngu saw ai. Nam kaw du ai shaloi, kana Hkawn Nan gaw kanau Lu Mai hpe she "Na kasha hpe ndai ga kaw tawn da nna" "nang hpun ntsa de lung nna nam si di su," ngu tsun ai majaw, kanau Lu Mai mung hpun ntsa de lung ai shaloi gaw nam si myin ai kade di jahkrat tim, "Ndai nam si n myin ai." "Grau tsaw ai hpun lakying de naw lung u," sha ngu tsun ai hte kanau Lu Mai mung hpun lakying kachyi sha law ai kaw lung nna di nga yang, npu kaw na kana Hkawn Nan gaw hpun pawt kaw tawn da ai Lu Mai a kasha hpe she mahti jahkrap dat nna, ma hkrap wa ai shaloi gaw "Sharaw ma dun sai law! Sharaw ma dun sai law!" ngu nna masu marawn dat ai shaloi, kanau Lu Mai gaw shi kasha hpe sharaw dun sai ngu kaja shadu nna kajawng nna npu de yu dat ai ngu yang shi kabye da ai hpun lakying kaji daw nna dai hpun kaw na di hkrat si mat wa ai. Dai shaloi Hkawn Nan gaw kanau a kasha hpe sha hta ba, ja shingnoi sha gun la nna baren mungdan de wa ai shaloi, madu wa baren gaw madu jan Lu Mai re ai sha ngu nna shadu nna matut woi nga sai da. Dai zawn nga re ai shaloi, ma woi ai dinggai gaw ma hpe shinggan na sun kaw wa woi chyai chyai re ai shaloi, dai sun kaw na hpun lakung kaw she u langai mi gaw "Ngai sha e... Ngai sha e..." ngu nna sa ngoi taw taw re ai hpe shani shagu na ai majaw dai dinggai gaw u hpe "Nang hpa majaw 'Ngai sha e... Ngai sha e...' nga na ngoi taw taw re ai rai?" ngu san yang dai u gaw shi gaw ma a kanu majing re ai lam hte kana shi hpe manawn ai majaw hpun kaw na di hkrat si hkra galaw ai majaw si mat ai hte u bai tai mat ai lam, rai tim kana hpe mung hpa matai n htang mayu sai lam hte ma hpe sha ya na zawn wa yu yu sha rai na lam tsun dan ai. Dai zawn u gaw shani shagu nsen wa shangoi ai hpe kana Hkawn Nan na ai shaloi gaw shi kanau a nsen re ai hpe chye kau ai hte madu wa hpe dai u hpe sat kau na matu tsun ai. Madu wa mung madu jan tsun ai hte maren u dai hpe gap sat dat na hkyen ai shaloi gaw, ma woi ai dinggai gaw "Hkawhkam kasha e, nang ndai u hpe n mai sat na re." "Dai u gaw nang na madu jan majing mahtang she re." "Ya nang na makau kaw nga ai gaw nang na madu jan a kana Hkawn Nan nga ai mahtang she re." "Shi kanau hpe manawn ai majaw" "hpun kaw na di hkrat si hkra galaw dat ai majaw" "ya u tai mat ai re." "N kam yang dai u hpe san yu u," ngu tsun dan ai shaloi, kaja sha hkawhkam kasha mung u hpe san ai shaloi gaw u mung yawng tsun dan dat ai. Dai zawn byin ai lam yawng chye ai shaloi, hkawhkawm kasha gaw shi na baren tsi hte u tai mat ai shi na madu jan hpe jaw sha dat nna dai u gaw myi na shi na grai tsawm ai madu jan Lu Mai tai wa nna shi na makau kaw madu jan masu wa galaw taw ai kana Hkawn Nan hpe baren tsi jaw sha dat nna u shatai kau ai hte shan nu wa ni mung grai pyaw let matut nna nga pra sa mat wa ai da. |
