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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The title of the story is 'What's the best?'. Once in a village, there were jade mines and gold mines. There was a boy who lived in that village. He traded jade and gold to make a living. One day, he got a rare and valuable jade. He made a fortune after selling it. He was a well-behaved boy. He provided a comfortable life to his parents and took good care of them. He was delighted because he got that valuable jade. He became rich due to the jade. He became a rich boy. When he reached the age to get married, he thought to himself, "I need a partner who can arrange my money wisely and who truly loves me. I am also at the right age to get married." Then he began looking for the girl who would be his wife. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the one. Time flew by, and he still couldn't find any girl. But he didn't give up. He comforted himself, "Somewhere in this world, there will be one girl who is the perfect match for me." One day, he found the girl who was the best match for him. He found her and named her 'Sinhpraw'. He loved her so much. She loved him so much too. They got married and started a family. In a few years, they already had three children. Their children were well-behaved and respectful. One day, Sinhpraw fell sick and passed away. Then the three children grew up alone with their father. The father raised them well. He became older and told his children, "My beloved children, you are now old enough to get married. I will arrange your marriage if I find someone who would be the best match for you." The parents wanted to arrange the marriage for them as they grew older (before the mother died). (No, it is not right. The mother was dead.) The three children grew up with their father. "If I see someone who is the best fit for you, I will arrange the marriage," the father told them. Then they told their father, "Dad, you married to the one who you loved. We also want to marry the girls who we truly love." He said, "Fine. I give my permission to you to marry for love." Later, all of them got married to the girls they loved. Even after they got married, they all lived together in one house. The father and three couples lived together. Day after day, there were issues in their families. The father was feeling unwell too. The issue was raised because of the tremendous amount of money. The three daughters-in-law were in trouble thinking about who was going to keep that money. They were arguing, "You do not deserve to keep the money." They were arguing over who deserved to keep all that money. Their father-in-law felt uncomfortable. Therefore, one day, he called his three sons. He told them, "My sons, I have something to tell you. If you know the best answer to my question, you will get permission to manage all my money." Then the three sons told their wives about what their father said. Then the three daughters-in-law went to their father-in-law one after one. The father-in-law told them, "I have one question for you. What's the most priceless thing in the world? The one who can answer this question by tomorrow will have the right to keep all my money." They were thinking about the answer the whole night. The next morning, the father-in-law called all of them and said, "My daughters-in-law, have you got the answer yet? Let me listen." Then the eldest son's wife gave her answer to the question, "Gold is the most valuable. It's gold." He said, "That's a good answer." And he asked the second son's wife, "What's your answer?" She said, "Ruby is priceless." He said, "That's a good answer too." And he asked the youngest son's wife, "My youngest daughter-in-law, tell me what your answer is." He asked Ma La's wife. (Ma La is the third son.) She answered, "Being pure of heart and speaking good words are the most valuable." He was happy to hear her answer and said, "You are absolutely right, my thoughtful daughter-in-law. You are right. I entrust you with the responsibility of managing my wealth. You are the one." He gave Ma La (the youngest son) and his wife permission to manage his money from that day. This is the end.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng)
Ya ngai tsun na ga baw gaw kaja htum ai hpa rai nga ga baw re. Moi mare langai mi kaw da, ndai ya bai myit yu yang gaw i lungseng ja maw dan re nga ai hkan rai na re ngu, dai shara mi kaw she ndai la kasha langai mi gaw da, shi ndai lungseng bungli ja bungli ni galaw re na she ndai lungseng awng ai da. Shi gaw lungseng awng re na she shi gumhpraw grai lu ai da, myit ma grai su ai la re ai da. Myit ma grai su na shi kanu kawa ni hpe ma bau re nna nga ai re da. Rai she dai la wa gaw da, shi lung seng awng ai majaw shi grai kabu ai da. Kabu na she dai hku na ja gumhpraw ni ma grai lu sahti mung grai sahti mat ai da. Sahti mat wa re ai shaloi she shi gaw da, shi na prat hta shi num la ra sai ngu ai hpe dum wa ai da. ''Aw ngai ndai sutgan ni hpe mahkawng chye ai num ngai hpe i kaja tsawra ai num ngai hte hkrak dik ai num hpe la ra sai ngai na asak aprat mung ram wa sai'' ngu na shi dai hku myit re na she dai hku myit nna tam sai da. Shi dai num hpe tam sai da. Tam re ai shaloi she shi kade tam tim shi hte htap htuk ai num n mu ai da. Lani hte lani dai hku aten ni gaw lai wa sai da. Dai she rai tim shi gaw myit nhtum ai da. Ngai hte hkrat ai num mung shara mi kaw gaw nga na re ngu myit masin langai hte shi gaw dai hku naw tam ai da. Tam re ai shaloi she lani mi na aten hta gaw shi hte htap htuk ai num hpe shi mu sai da. Shi hte htap htuk ai num hpe shi mu rai yang she dai num hpe gaw dai num hpe gaw shi gaw sinhpraw num ngu shamying ai re da. Sinhpraw num ngu na shamying hkra shi grai tsawra ai num re ai da. Rai na she dai num kasha ma dai num ma shi hpe grai tsawra na shan lahkawng mayaw htinggaw de re nna nga sai da. Nga re ai shaloi she shan lahkawng hta kasha masum lu ai da. kasha masum lu rai yang she dai kasha ni gaw da, grai myitsu ai da. Ma dai ni ma grai myitsu ai da, rai tim mung lani mi na aten hta she ndai ma ni na kanu gaw machyi ti na dai hku n nga mat ai da. N nga mat re ai shaloi she shan nau ni gaw dai hku re na kawa hte nga kaba wa sai da. Kawa hte lani hte lani dai hku nga kaba wa re yang she kawa mung asak aprat ram wa sai re ai majaw kasha ni hpe tsun ai da. ''Ngai tsawra ai ma ni i, nye kasha ni e ya gaw num la ra sai, num la ra ya ra sai majaw gaw nanhte htap htuk ai (aw nre ai law) kanu n si shi ai shaloi asak kaba wa ai majaw tam jaw na matu hkyen ai. (Dai hku.. aw n re ai law n re ai law) si sai da law. Dai hku na kawa hte she dai hku nga re na she kawa gaw shanhte hpe dai hku ''Ah wa htap htuk ai num mu yang ah wa htap htuk ai num mu yang nanhte hpe jaw sha na'' ngu na ga san san dat ai. Tsun dat ai da. Dai shaloi she ndai kasha ni gaw kawa hpe bai tsun ai da. ''Ah wa nang mung nang grai tsawra ai num hpe nang la ai n re ni dai majaw anhte mung anhte grai ra ai num hpe she anhte la na'' ngu na tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she ''E rai yang mung mai sa, nanhte ni i nanhte ra ai num hpe nanhte ni la na ahkang jaw ai'' ngu na kawa dai hku tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she kaja nan shan nau ni marai masum gaw da, kaja nan shanhte tsawra ai num hpe she shanhte la sai da. La re ai shaloi she, la na ndai dingghku kaw mung shanhte shanau ni masum rau nga ai da. Dai dingghku kaw kawa hte rau shan ga nna she, Nga wa ai shaloi she lani mi na aten hta gaw dai hku lani hte lani gaw yak ai lam ni pru wa ai da. Yak hkak ai lam ni pru wa kawa gaw dai aten hta grai nga n pyaw ai da, dai yak hkak ai lam gaw hpa baw re i nga yang she, ndai dinghku na sut rai gaw grai law taw ai da. Dai sut rai hpe kadai zing na ngu na shanhte masum shanhte ni wa she grai yak ai da, dai num ni masum wa she grai yak hkat taw re ai shaloi she, nang gaw i ndai hpe zing na matu n gying dan ai ngu tsun ai da. Langai mung nang grau n gying dan ai ni dai hku ni tsun na she, kagu ngu na wa gaw grai nga yak ai da. Dai majaw she lani mi na aten hta shanhte shanau ni hpe shaga ai da. Shanhte ni marai masum hpe she ''Ma ni nanhte ni marai masum hpe wa gaw nanhte hpe tsun ra ai nga sai. Dai majaw ya wa tsun dat ai ga hpe gying dan ai mahtai chye htai wa gaw ndai rai ni yawng hpe i lu zing na ahkaw hkang jaw na re'' ngu na tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she ndai kawa tsun ai ga hpe she kasha ni gaw madat la na tinang na madu jan ni hpe wa tsun ai da. Wa tsun re ai shaloi she madu jan ni gaw langai hpang langai dai hku kagu kaw yawng sa sai da. Yawng sa na she ''E ngai nam ni hpe dai hku tsun ra ai'' ngu na shi gaw ga san langai san dat ai da. ''Mungkan hta reng htum ai gaw hpa rai ngu'' san dat ai da. ''Dai ga san hpe hpawt de gaw dai ga san hpe nanhte lu htai ai wa gaw ndai rai hpe lu zing ai wa rai na re'' ngu na tsun dat ai da. Dai shaloi she hpang jahpawt du re shana tup myit ai da. Yawng mung dai hku myit re na she hpang jahpawt du yang kagu wa ai shaga sai da. ''E ngai nam ni nanhte hpe san da ai ga san nanhte ni lu htai sa na kun gai htai yu u ngu'' tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she ndai Ma gam na madu jan ngu na wa gaw da, htai dat ai da, dai hpe hpa baw hku htai dat ai i nga yang ''Ah ja ngu ai gaw grai manu dan ai'' ngu htai dat ai da. ''Ja lungseng gaw grai manu dan ai'' ngu htai dat ai da. Dai shaloi kagu gaw rai sa ''Nang htai ai mung jaw sai'' ngu na tsun ai da. Dai shaloi ma naw jan hpe bai ''Gai ya ngai nam i nang bai htai yu u'' ngu na tsun ai shaloi she, ''(Padamya) ngu ai gaw grai manu dan ai'' ngu na bai htai ai da. Dai shaloi nang tsun ai mung jaw ai ngu tsun ai da. ''Gai ngai nam i nang bai htai yu u'' ngu na ma la jan hpe bai htai shangun ai da. Ma la jan hpe htai shangun re ai shaloi ma la jan gaw tsun ai da. ''Myit masin hpraw san ai hte i, kaja ga hpe chye shaga ai wa gaw manu dan dik re'' ngu na ga htai dai hpe htai dat ai da. Htai dat re ai shaloi she kawa gaw ''Rai sa i, grai myit sawn sumru chye ai grai myit kaja ai nye kanam e, nang gaw i dai ni kaw na gaw ndai arung arai ndai dum nta kaw na sut rai mahkra hpe i nang lu lakawn na ahkaw ahkang nang hpe jaw sai'' yaw ngu na she shi hpe dai shani kaw na shan la hpe dai sut rai ni hpe makawp maga na matu ahkaw ahkang jaw kau ai da. Dai kaw ngut sai. |
