| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
Once, there was a bright, wise man called Nambya. 'Nawng (lake)' is not a Jinghpaw word. It is actually a Shan word. In Jinghpaw, the lake is 'sha-u'. There was a dragon king who lived with many servants in that lake. Nambya knew that the dragon was there. He tried to scheme the dragon. Then he walked around the lake while laughing. The dragon heard him laughing and said, "My servants might attack and eat you alive! Aren't you scared? Why don't you just run away?" He replied, "Of course, I feel scared. I just feel that you deserve a better place. This lake is not for you. That's why I'm laughing." He intentionally tried to flatter the dragon. The dragon was proud of himself and said, "I know that. However, I couldn't find any bigger lakes, so I just live here." Nambya instantly knew that the dragon had taken the bait. He told the dragon, "If you want to go, there is a big lake at the top of the mountain. I can show you where it is if you wish." The dragon just agreed, "Of course I want to. Show me where it is." The dragon was a type of animal that lived in water. It felt thirsty, and wanted to drink water so badly. Nambya noticed it and said, "You must be exhausted. Take a rest here for a while." And he took some vine and put it into the dragon's nose. He tied it to a fig tree. He told it, "The lake is not far. Let me go check whether there is a human or nat." In fact, he didn't go there to check. He left the dragon there and went back home. It was waiting for him the whole day, but he didn't show up. It just shook the fig tree to escape. Finally, it could escape. The fig trees have never grown up straight since then. It was because the dragon shook it hard. The dragon went back to its previous lake and thought angrily, "This crook man deserves to get revenge!" Then it acted like a floating tree log or a bridge in the stream where Nambya usually crossed. Nambya also knew that he had done something unfair to the dragon. He took a close look at it. He thought, "It might be the dragon." So he said, "If it is a dragon, it will float to a downstream area. If it is a log, it should move to an upstream area." The stupid dragon wanted Nambya to trust it, so it moved to the upstream area. Then Nambya definitely knew that it was the dragon. So he ran away quickly. The dragon was frustrated and declared revenge on him for sure. It made a big hole in the path in the woods where Nambya usually walked through. It covered the hole with a thin layer of soil. When Nambya stepped into the hole, he would directly fall into the dragon's mouth. As the dragon expected, Nambya really stepped on the hole. One of his legs was bitten by the dragon. Then Nambya said, "You can easily bite me, of course. But why don't you just swallow me?" In fact, he tried to trick the dragon. When the dragon made the sound 'ah hum', it would have to open its mouth. When the dragon opened its mouth wide to swallow him, he quickly moved his leg and ran away. As there are many wars, fights, and arguments in every society, we should prepare ourselves not to get into trouble. We should know how to deal with different people. We should be wise in any situation.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Moi da nambya ngu bawnu grai zen ai la langai mi nga ai da. Kalang mi na nawng kaba, nawng ngu gaw jinghpaw ga gaw nre, sam ga she re. Jinghpaw ga gaw sha-u ngu re. Dai sha-u kaw gaw baren hkawhkam langai wa (dabe daban) hte ma hte hpyen la hte rai rawng nga ai da. Dai lam hpe nambya ngu la wa chye nna she dai hpe mawlanyet galaw na matu nawng sha-u makau hku garet di mani di hkan garet hkawm ai da. Hi hi hi nga di garet hkaw she baren hkawhkam na sai hku nga, lasa nambya mana hkit di tsan tsan de hprawng na gaw nnga, ya nye hpyen la ni mu jang nang hpe rim sha kau katut na yaw ngu tsun ai shaloi e re law baren hkawhkam e ngai mung she hkrit loi. Retim ngai mani mayu ai gaw ndai nang baren hkawhkam rawng ai nawng sha-u wa nang hte n grin dan ( nhtike ntan) ai ngu wa myit nna mani mayu ai re nngai law ngu nna loi mi ya na ga hku nga ( kawlan) sharawt ya ai da. Dai shaloi she baren hkawhkam gaw re gaw re law nambya e ngai mung ndai hta grau kaba ai nawng sha-u nmu ai majaw nang koi rawng nga ai re nngai law ngu jang nambya bawnu ndai wa ngai na bawnu de shang sai ngu hpe kalang ta myit tik. E nang kam yang chyawm hto ra bum nta koi manu mana kaba ai nawng sha-u langai nga ai. Nang kam yang gaw hkan nang rit, ngai woi madun na ngu ai da. Mai ai le nambya hkan nang ai, hkan nang na bum de woi lung wa ai da. Bum ka-ang du gaw baren ngu gaw hka koi rawng ai baw amyu re, hka lu mayu hpang gara ai wa yu hkraw de sharaw she hkru na daram hkam sha ai da. Re gaw e baren hkawhkam e nang nau ba sai, ndai kaw la sa u yaw, numru gawng la na she shoi shoi ladi kaw shajut nna gyit nna maihpang hpun kaw dun da nna oh ra ah htoi nga kaw sha rai sai, nawng sha-u gaw ya ngai masha nga n nga, hkrung kanu nga n nga lung yu na yaw ngu na gyit dun da na nta de wa shakram kau ai da. Baren hkawhkam hpe baren hkawhkam gaw ba hkoi nna la retim npru nga lak hkrai lak, gang hkrai gan, dun hkrai dun, tsawm mari she maihpang hpun hpe ga nga kadang la na lu di ai da. Dai shani kawn maihpang hpun gaw gara retim dingdiing dingdung re tu nnga ai ka nga ai sha re da, baren e gang ga nga kau ai re da. Rai nna baren hkawhkam gaw mi nna shi na nawng sha-u de bai nhtang yu wa nna lasa manay nambya mana nang gaw matai htang ai katut sha u, ngu nna hto nambya lai lai re hka shi langai kaw me baren wa e punghkaw zawn zawn mahkrai zawn zawn rai taw nga ai hku nga, nambya mung zen ba nga shi mung shi nre galaw da ai re majaw sa wa yu she punghkaw zawn zawn rai mahkrai tai nna hka kaw nda ban rai nga nga ai da. Lahta e lung wa yu, hkanam de yu wa yu yu myi tu ai zawn zawn bai rai, um ndai baren she re sai nga na, e punghkaw re yang gaw hkahku de yawt lung wa u loh, baren re yang hka nam de yawt yu wa loh, (labing) mana le, punghkaw wa hkahku de yawt wa ai ngu gaw lachyum ma nnga ai gaw i, htung ma nnga ai gaw, baren hkawhkam gaw punghkaw shadu u ga nga na hkahku maga de nawt re lung wa she nambya gaw oh hkrit hpa law baren law nga na hprawng swi tawm. Shakram kau da, um ndai lang nang lawt ai, hpang na nang katut naw na ngu hto nam maling lam nambya galoi mung lai lai re lam, le kata hku ga htu nna she ga hpe ahpa di nna nambya kabye dat ai hte hkrup lup, baren n gup mahka ai kaw lagaw lut re gaw hkawp di na hku matai htang na hku hkap nga ai hku nga. Kaja mung baren sawn da ai hte maren nambya wa she lagaw lut re na baren a ngup lagaw daw, aw hum ngu na hkawp di kawa da ai hku, sara e baren hkawhkam e ngai zawn re hpe sha gaw lu gawa ai gaw ah hum nre ah harm ngu mayu kau u le. Ah harm ngu jang n gup mahka ra ai gaw i. Ah harm ngu n gup mahka rai she, sik hkwi e maw nsha mayu ndai i ngu she maidang kadawng jaw da wa swi tawm re ai da. Dai majaw ndai prat hta mung hpyen majan prat re le i, gara hpung gaw kaw gaw gara hku katut na ngu tinang galoi mung myit jin jin di ra ai. Kaning ngu san ai wa hpe kaning ngu htai na ngu galoi mung anhte shinggyin masha ni hta galoi mung nyan bawnu hpaji rawng ra ai ngu gaw maumwi re da.
Notes:
1. Nang Bya is a popular trickster in Kachin folktales, who are a person or an animal that always lies and teases others. It is known by the names of Nang Bya, Mang Bya, Mawng Byaw, and others depending on dialects and languages.
2. For more stories about Nang Bya, see:
KK1-0027
KK1-0028
KK1-0072
KK1-0233
KK1-0234
KK1-0296
KK1-0297
KK1-0326
KK1-0339
KK1-0364
KK1-0475
KK1-0549
KK1-0640
KK1-0709
KK1-0735
KK1-0973
KK1-1209
KK1-1210
KK1-1286
KK1-1379
KK1-1462
KK1-1711
KK1-1785
KK1-1786
KK1-1788
KK1-1789
KK1-1790
KK1-1791
KK1-1792
KK1-1793
KK1-1794
KK1-1795
KK1-1798
KK1-1855
3. See Kurabe (2018) for a story of Mang Bya.
References
Kurabe, Keita. 2018. A Jinghpaw folktale text: A liar Mang Bya. Journal of Kijutsuken 10: 69-80. |
