| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
I am going to tell why Kachin people need to put sticky rice in a gift basket when the groom-to-be asks the bride's family for the bride-to-be's hand. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl in a village. One morning, her mother asked her, "My sweetheart, do you conceal something from me?" Then, she answered, "Yes, Mom. I have a lover. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Her mother said, "Then, tell him to ask you for your hand." When the boy came to the girl's house and asked for the girl's hand, the boy's family brought a gift basket with sticky rice, sugar, and milk. The girl's mother seemed like she didn't know much about culture. She asked them, "Why did you take only this basket with rice, sugar, and milk? Why didn't you take valuable jades as a bride price?" The groom's father was surprised to hear what she said, so he explained, "We, Kachin people, have a unique culture and tradition. Putting the sticky rice is that we want the new bride and groom to be close and love each other. No one can ever separate them. Putting sugar and milk in this gift basket is to have only sweet moments for the bride and groom. We want them to be happy forever, so we put these things in the gift basket." The bride's father explained it patiently. Then, the groom's mother understood the reasons for putting those things in the gift basket. When she let her second and third daughters marry, there was no problem for her since she had already learned the culture. People these days think, "Putting the sticky rice in a gift basket is just because the bride and groom's family want it." Actually, it is not because someone wants it. Putting the sticky rice is for the newlywed couple to love each other, and no one can separate them till they die. The reason for putting sugar is that the love between the couple is uncountable like sugar and their love will grow more and more. The reason for putting milk is that their love will always be sweet like this milk. When Kachin man asks Kachin woman's hand for marriage, they need to put the sticky rice, sugar, and milk. Since then, the culture has passed generation by generation. No matter which tribe the groom is in, he needs to put those kinds of things in the gift basket when he asks Kachin girl's hand for marriage. Kachin girls are more priceless and valuable than even gold and jades. So, when someone asks the hands of Kachin girl for marriage, he needs to know this culture.
Transcription (La Ring)
Ya ngai tsun na htung hkying a lam gaw anhte Jinghpaw Wunpawng num sha ni hpe hpyi ai shaloi e hkungran poi ngut ai hpang jaw sha dat ai shaloi i hpa na ndai nbaw hpe bang ra ai lam hpe ngai hku na e tsun dan na hku re. Um ndai gaw gara hku i nga jang moi shawng de da mare langai mi hta grai tsawm ai num sha langai mi nga ai da. Num sha langai mi nga re shaloi gaw dai hpe i kanu gaw i shi hpe tsun ai da "Ma nang kaw e myit da ai lam ni hpa mi nga ai kun" ngu na shi hpe san ai da. "Re anu nang pawt na majaw ma ntsun ai ma kaw gaw i ma hte grai tsawra hkat ai la langai mi nga ai" ngu na shi hpe atsawm di tsun dan ai. Tsun dan re shaloi ndai kanu mung da "Sa hpyi shangun u le" ngu sha tsun ai da. "Sa hpyi shangun u le" nga na sa hpyi ai shaloi gaw da hpabaw ni lawm ai i nga jang da ndai nbaw ni lawm ai da jum dwi ni lawm ai da ndai nga chyu ni lawm ai da. Dan re ni lawm rai yang she i ndai kanu gaw i dinggai raitim moi na htung hkying hpe nau nchyoi ai dinggai rai na hku nga. Dan rai jang she dai mau ai da i "Nanhte gaw nye kasha hpe sa h pyi ai gaw ja lung seng ni gaw nlawm na me ndai nbaw ni jum dwi ni nga chyu ni hte sha sa ai hpabaw di na ma" ngu na tsun dat ai da. Ndai la sha a kawa gaw mau mat ai da. Kawa gaw mau mat na shi hpe tsun dan ai da "Anhte Jinghpaw kaw i htung hkying kaw masha ni hta lak lak lai lai htung hkying nan nga ai ndai gaw hpabaw hpe tsun mayu i nga jang ndai nbaw gaw magyep kap ai majaw ndai nye a kasha ndai la kasha hku na na a kasha num sha hpe tsawra myit kaba let magyep kap mat sai nmai gawng la sai" dai hpe tsun mayu ai re. Ngut jang she ndai jum dwi hte nga chyu rai yang gaw nhpa baw hpe tsun mayu i nga jang da e jum dwi gaw dwi ai nga chyu mung dwi ai ndai gaw na na kasha hpe ngai na kasha hte jaw sha ai shaloi da pyaw hpa lam myit pyaw lam myit pyaw hpa ni hpe dai hku i tawn da ya na atsawm di tawn da ya na ngu ai dai hpe tsun ai ga re" ngu. Dai majaw anhte sa hpyi ai shaloi ndai nbaw ni nga chyu ni jum dwi ni hte sa hpyi ai re" ngu na shi hpe ndai hku sang lang dan ai da. Sang lang dan ai shaloi ndai um ndai kanu gaw i la dai tsun ai ndai ndai la dai tsun ai shi na kasha hpe sa hpyi ai shaloi shi na ndai kasha hpe sa hpyi shaloi ndai nbaw ni nga chyu ni jum dwi ni nang labau hpe mung shi chye ai da. Shi i dingla dai sang lang dan na shi mung chye sai da. Chye na shi na kasha Malu ni Maroi ni hpe jaw sha ai shaloi mung i htung hkying hpe shi chye mat ai majaw mayak mahkak n nga ai da. Dai shani kaw na ndai kaw na ni hku nga jang "Ndai nbaw ni gaw shi na ra ai majaw rai nga ai" ngu dai hku myit la ai da. Dai hku myit la ai da kaja nga jang dai hku nre ai ndai nbaw ngu gaw ndai tsawra myit kade ram hkyik hkam ai nga tsawra myit kade ram kaba ai kade ram i shi nang kaw magyep kap mat sai nmai hka la sai nmai sai ngu dai hpe tsun mayu ai. Ngu na she ndai jum dwi ngu gaw i shi hpe tsawra ai kade ram law htam mat ai hpe ndai jum dwi ndai htuk kaw yu na nlu hti ai le grai law ai majaw i "Ndai daram ting law ai" ngu hpe tsun mayu ai ga re ai da. Rai na she ndai nga chyu ngu ai gaw i grai dwi ai i dwi dwi nga jang ndai dwi hpa i "Dwi hpa zawn zawn myit pyaw lam hpe mung jaw na nngai" ngu ai dai ga sadi ni re ai. Dai shani kaw nna da anhte Jinghpaw Wunpawng amyu sha ni gaw da Jinghpaw jet ai num hpe hpyi hkawm ai shaloi da hpyi shaloi i ndai nbaw ni hpe ra ai ngut nna she e nbaw ni hpe ra ai ngut na ndai jum dwi ni hpe ra ai ngut nna she ndai ndai nga chyu ni hpe ra ai dai labau hpe mung dinggai dai chye mat ai. Dinggai dai chye mat na she shi na ndai e ban hte ban prat hte prat prat hte prat dai hku na ya aten du wa du hkra timung da Jinghpaw num ni hpe sa hpyi na nga jang gaw da kaning re Myen la mi raitim kaning re Sam la mi raitim i Jinghpaw num ni gaw kade ram manu dan ai i nga jang ndai ja lung seng hte pyi nlu galai hkra manu dan ai. Ja lung seng hte pyi nlu galai ja hte pyi nlu galai hkra ndai ram ting manu dan ai re ai. Dai majaw anhte num kasha ni hpe sa hpyi shaloi gaw ndai nbaw ni jum dwi ni ndai nga chyu ni hpe lawm ra ai. Dai ndai a labau gaw ndai ram mi re ai. |
