| Description |
Translation (Seng Pan)
A long time ago, two men traveled together. Before they reached their destiny, it was getting dark. One man said, "Brother, let's sleep in an elephant's old footprint!" Another replied, "No! Let's sleep in a new footprint." Since one of them could not try to get the last word in an argument, he said, "Ok! OK! As you say, let's sleep in an elephant's old footprint!" However, the one who was afraid of sleeping in that slept on a tree. Another slept under it. When they were sleeping soundly, a group of elephants passed by. And the one who was sleeping under the tree was stepped on. The next morning when another man who slept on the tree came down, he saw his friend was knocking on the tree, "Kwat Kawt Kawt" (knocking sound). "Brother, what happens to your head?" he asked. "Last night, the elephant stepped on it," his friend replied. "See! I told you not to sleep there. But you neglected my word. Now I have to go. Don't block my way," the man on the tree said. But his friend, the one under the tree didn't clear the way. And he kept knocking it. So, another man shouted loudly not to block his way. Although he screamed again and again, the man under the tree didn't move. He was so scared and later he became an eagle. The one who slept on the tree turned into an eagle and the one who slept under the tree became a vulture. Till now when the vulture makes the sound, "Buk buk buk da lwi", the eagle on the tree also makes a sound, "Wuu.. nya..." When it stops, the vulture emits a sound, "Buk buk buk" again. Just after that the eagle also produces "Ummm nya" sound. Till now the two birds make the sounds and they are the spirits of two travelers who slept in an elephant's old footprint. One became a vulture and another came to be an eagle. Therefore, whoever travels through the deep forests should not sleep an elephant's old footprint although when it gets dark. Because the elephants could come back to their old pasture.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng)
Moi masha la lahkawng gaw bu hkawm ai da, bu hkawm ai she, bu hkawm ai wa jan du mat na she, e hkau e magwi hkan dingsa kaw yup ga nga langai mi gaw she n nan kaw she yup ga nga shan ye nau dang ran hkat na um ndan dang ran hkat na shi manang wa mung mai ai mai ai nang tsun ai hku magwi hkan dingsa kaw yup ga ngu yang she, dai magwi hkan dingsa yup hkrit ai wa gaw htaw hpun ndung kaw yup mat ai da, dai magwi dingsa hkan kaw yup sharaw ai wa gaw hpun pawt kaw yup re, dai sha na yup tung re wa ai shaloi gaw magwi u-nawng ni wa lai wa na shi grai up a taw nga ai re gaw dai hpun pawt kaw yup ai wa hpe gabye pa kau da ai da. Gabye apa kau da yang gaw, um jahpawt nhtoi htoi rawt wa yang hpun n dung kaw yup ai wa yu hkrat wa yang she, dai hpun pawt kaw wa kawt kawt kawt nga na hkap akawt nga na she e hkau dai gaw hpa byin ai ga ngu yang, na baw kaw hpa byin ai ma ngu yang she, mana magwi ni abye pa kau ya ai law ngu yang she, magwi ni apa kau ai ya ai le ngu yang she, dai yu le nang dai kaw hkum yup ngu yang nang yup ai n re ngu jang she, dai majaw ngai gaw wa ra sai nang gaw yen gaw yen u ngu yang n yen hkraw na she, gara hku n yu wa na she dai hpun pawt chyu akawt chyu akawt nga yang she shi gaw marawn ai da, shi gaw marawn re e.. shi na shi lai na a hkum nga ngu na yen u ngu na marawn re she, Kadai marawn tim mung dai hku sha nsin nga re ai majaw nau hkrit mat nna galang manya tai mat ai da, dai majaw dai hpun ndung yi yup ai wa gaw galang manya tai mat hpun pawt yi yup ai wa gaw buk palwi tai mat re majaw ya ya du hkra buk buk buk da lwi nga, buk balwi ngoi ai hte gaw hpun ndung de gaw galang manya bai wuu nya... loi bai hkrit loi bai hkring rai jang bai buk buk buk nga jang umm nya nga ngoi ai ya du hkra ngoi ai dai gaw galang manya hte buk balwi dai gaw moi na dai magwi hkan dingsa kaw yup ai la wa yan hpe num la re ai da, langai mi buk balwi tai mat langai mi galang manya tai mat ai re da. Dai majaw kadai rai tim mung nam hkawm lam dam hkawm n sin sin mat ai re tim magwi hkan dingsa kaw n mai yup ai da, magwi ni shanhte tam sha shara de bai kayin nhtang wa chye ai da. |
