| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
In our culture, we ask for help when we build a house. We don't ask for help from the housewives. We ask for help only from youth. When the young ladies come to help in building a house, the young men welcome them. Some ladies already hide since they don't want to meet the boys. Some ladies can't run away from the boys, so they have to see them. The boys introduce themselves to the girls and welcome them warmly. They need to sleep at a new house where they are going to help. The next morning, they cover the roof with thatch. That is called 'ga tsun ga la'. Ga tsun ga la is asking for help to do something. Boys and girls from other villages meet each other while they are helping somebody. This is our Kachin culture. It's a beautiful and lovely culture. So, that is the part when youth roof the thatch. Let's say, young ladies sleep at a man from Sumdu clan's house the next day. When young boys know that, they go to the youth leader from that village and ask his permission to go there. In the past, we didn't have coffee. So, the boys take some liquor and ask the youth leader's permission. Then, the leader said, "Since you are youth, I don't have any permission to stop you guys. Speak politely and introduce each other there. Don't forget to ask the house owner's permission. If they are sleeping, you can play the gong too. Just be polite." When the boys get permission, they go to Sumdu's house and play the gong in front of that house. And they take the girls out. And they build a campfire behind a big tree near the outskirt. They introduce each other happily. They introduce each other like, "I belong to this clan, that clan," and "You are my brother-in-law or sister-in-law." If the boy and the girl are brother and sister (according to types of clans), the boy goes back home. In the past, we had the culture of singing a traditional Kachin love song. Maybe, youth from these days won't know that culture. It is a meaningful moment. That is not only bragging good about ourselves. It is a kind of culture when we praise the girl. We praise the girls from our clan. Let me give you one example. A boy from Maran clan introduces himself to a girl from Sumdu clan. He said to the girl, "You are Mayu (the wife's relatives)." And he can sing a traditional love song for her. The song is about how beautiful she is, how they got to know each other a long time ago, and how clever she is. And the girl could praise him too. We praise each other the whole night beside the campfire. We can't flirt a bit there and do bad things. We respect each other so much. Some people said that youths got drunk and got pregnant because of that kind of event. It's not true at all. We didn't know how to read or write in the past. So, we made a knot as our symbols. We make a knot and give it as a keepsake. When a girl felt upset, she sent a knot and chilli to her brother-in-law (whom she could get married). When a girlfriend felt sad and worried about her boyfriend, she sent a letter and chilli to him to show her worries. Then, the boyfriend could send the salt back to her. The reason for sending the salt was: "It will be fine. All of your problems will be gone. Your life will be meaningful like this salt." Although we didn't know how to read and write, we could communicate in those ways. Some boys sang the traditional love song for their girls. Let's create a song now. That night, the boys started creating the song for the girls. We start by saying, "Oh ye law..." "Oh ye law" has meaning too. 'Law' in 'Oh ye law' is 'let's be happy. Let's celebrate." We continued, "My sister-in-law, carry a big rice pot and marry me. If you don't marry me, will you marry a dog that is sitting in front of the house?" We teased each other in that way. If the old people do not like that traditional song, they show their anger. If the girls don't like it, the trees make strange noises. If the boys don't like the girls' traditional love song, the logs become loose. When a boy can't give the bride price, he will get married to a poor girl. In the past, we created the traditional song about migration. But the song I am talking about is to get the girl. "If you are not going to marry me, will you marry the dog?" means "If you don't marry me, who are you going to marry?" We continued, "My sister, who is going to marry me and will be my parents' daughter-in-law, come to me with a rice pot." Then, the girls give their answers through the song. I am just telling you how the boys sing the traditional love songs.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
E moi gaw nta galaw hpa galaw re shaloi e anhte nai anhte a htung hkring hta gaw nta galaw tawn na htingrim rim tawn shaloi e gat sa nna bai wa ai num hpaw mi hpe gaw nwoi la ai. E nanhte zawn re na ram re na mahkawn ni hpe gaw dai nta galaw ai kaw na shabrang ramma ni gaw dai num mahkawn kasha ni hpe hkap hkum ai. Hkap hkum ai shaloi nkau mi gaw shawng shawng kaw na tau chye na she hprawng lawt mat wa ai le. Hprawng mat wa ai, hprawng mat wa jang gaw nkau mi gaw nlu hprawng jang gaw dai kahtawng na shabrang ma ni gaw lu woi la jang she dai nta galaw nga ai nta kaw dai shana shanhte hpe e atsawm akawm re na shachyen shaga la re na she dai nta kaw e shat ni woi sha re na dai shana gaw dai kaw woi yup sai. Dai manam hku na shanhte hpe e shayup sai, shayup jang gaw hpang shani gaw shangu bai woi htat re le, shangu bai woi htat re na she dingshawn shang ai re nga moi gaw anhte shangu galup ai shaloi gaw shanhte mahkawn shabrang ni dan re na shangu woi htat la re nta lu galup ngut re jang gaw dai shaloi dingshawn shang ai mung n rai hkra retim me mung bungli woi galaw ai. Ga tsun ga la ngu ai mung re nga ai. Oh ra kahtawng de ndai kahtawng na mahkawn shabrang ni dan re na e da sang wa mi n saw la hkra retim mung gat sa ai kaw na mi tsun ai hku na e hkap woi la re na anhte a htunghkying hpe e laga mi hku nga yang gaw grai pyaw ai re nga. shaloi jang gaw ya dan re na nta dingshawn shang ai shangun woi htat woi galup ai dai daw gaw dai re sai. Shing re na she ya gat sa nna ndai kahtawng kaw na oh ra kahtawng yup na hpang shani wan tum tum ai ngu re nga, ai wantum sa wa ai shaloi mung mahkawn ni gaw ga shadawn sumdu ni nta yup ai rai, chye sai nga jang she shabrang ni gaw dai shana e sumdu ni nta dai na gaw oh ra kahtawng na num mahkawn ni wa yup ma ai da loh nga chye jang she dai kaw na ram ningbaw wa hpe dai kaw na ramma ni gaw moi gaw anhte gaw (cofe) hpa lap nnga ai le. Nnga jang gaw ndai tsa chyaru ngu re nga ndai hpe she tsa palin lang chyaru palin lang na she dai ram gyi wa kaw ahkang sa hpyi ai re nga ai. Ahkang sa hpyi re jang she e nanhte ma ni shada shachyen shaga hkat na re yang gaw dai nta madu wa hpe ahkaw ahkang sa hpyi mu. Lama re na yup mat jang mung htung alai nga ai hte maren nanhte apau dum ai re yang dum, shing re na dai nta shangu shaw la na ah chyaw ai ahtung dai ni nga ai re majaw nanhte atsawm re na sa woi mu, sa woi na sa jahta mu, sa shachyen shaga hkat mu nga na ram ningbaw wa ahkang jaw jang gaw dai ramma ni gaw dai mi sha tsun ai sumdu ni nta na manam mahkawn 3 rai yang 3, 4 re yang 4 hpe she htung lai nga ai hte maren pau dum shapraw la. Shangu shaw la na achyaw shapraw la, re na gaw shanhte le ra mare shingnawm de ndai hpun kaba nhpang hkan ne shanhte gaw wan wut kra re na dai shana gaw shanhte shachyen shaga hkat ai. Nang gaw hpa baw kasha, kahkri daw ai re yang kahkri, ganam daw ai re yang ganam, katsa daw ai re yang katsa daw ai, kahpu kanau daw ai re yang kahpu kanau daw ai nga. E dai kahpu kanau daw ai nga ai lama la kasha re jang gaw wa mat sai nta de, dai kaw n lawm sai. Kahkri ganam kagu garat daw ai dai hku re jang gaw dai shana e dai kaw moi na ni gaw shangawn ai ngu ai n chyin chyin ai ngu nga ai. Shangawn ai, shangawn ai ngu gaw ya dai ni nanhte ramma ni gaw nna ga sai, ndai shangawn ai ngu ai gaw ya na hku nga yang gaw lachyum nga ai ( adakepel) nga ai. Ndai shangawn ai shaloi e shada ahpraw gawng hkat ai lam nre sha, Shada shayi sha hpe e ndai shakawn shagrau ai. Tinang a ru sai hpe shakawn shagrau ya ai. Ya ga shadawn tsun ga, sumdu kasha re nga jang e nang gaw anhte maran ni a mayu kasha re, nam e nga nna she shachyen la lu sai nga jang she nchyin chyin ai shangawn ai kaw gaw ndai sumdu a labau hpe e anhte maran ni kaning re na moi kaw na an yu an ma ni re shachyen la na she dai num kasha a labau hpe e ning chyin chyin let shagrau hkat ai. Shaloi jang she ganam daw ai wa mung kagu hpe e dama she re yang gaw nye moi mung re, nye dwi mung re nga na she bai sagawn hkat rai na she dai shana gaw shanhte wan wut kra nna ram prat na dai ningchyin chyin ai. Dai kaw e ya nanhte ma ni na shut na, dai kaw nse nsa kachyi mung n mai galaw ai. Grai hkungga hkat ai. Ya nkau mi nla dap nga ai nga, dai hpe e dai kaw tsa lu nang nna shada shut hkat, n gyi lahpan ba hkat ai nga ai, nre. Dai nla dap ai gaw kaja wa nla hkat ai shachyen shaga hkat ai, nanhte ramma ni moi gaw anhte laika hpaji nchye ai re majaw gaw ndai ari makyit hkat ai hte (tinkayta) hku na shingre na e shada shachyen hkat ai. Hpang e retim mung dai hku ri makyit hkat ai. Lama nang shayi sha wa myit ru nga nngai nga na nang hpe shachyen da ai na a kagu garat daw ai wa hpe myit ru ai lam shadan shaleng mayu jang gaw majap matep nna shagun ai. Shaloi jang gaw myit kahtet nga nngai ngu na tinang a sumtsaw wa hpe e dai laika hte maren dai hku na shagun hkat ma ai. Shing re na she la kasha wa mung myit pyaw u ga nga na she jum matep bai shagun dat re. E hpa nra ai, nang myit kahtet ai lam gaw hpa nra na re ngwi wa, pyaw wa u ga ndai jum zawn re na shum u ga ngu ai lachyum re na. E dan re na moi gaw anhte jinghpaw amyu sha ni laili laika nchye timmung ning re na e rai wa ai re. Dai majaw gaw ndai dai shana na ningchyin chyin ai ngu ai hta gaw dai shi a sumtsaw jan hpe ningchyin chyin ai ningchyin ni nga ai. Ngu mayu yang gaw ya ndai ya kachyi mi chyin ga le shaloi gaw ndai dai shana anhte la kasha ni shawng chyin ai hku nga. Dai shaloi gaw (oh ye law aw) ngu na hpang ai re nga. Oh ye law ngu ai dai mung lachyum nga ai. Oh ye law nga dai dai ( law ) nga ai dai wa kabu aw law ai ga rai nga. Shing re na she (ah gu a kanam daw na e, a shat bunghkrawng kaba hpai na e) nga i, ya ngai ning gu kaw nwa yang da, ntawt na gwi la gwi chyang kaw me she wa na nni ngu nna shada ndai ningchyin chyin ai hku na dai num kasha hpe e tsun ga nga yang gaw shi a myit masin hpe achyaw la ai rai nga. Shing re na she ndai, dai hpang gaw ndai sharaw rawng ba nra yang da gumgai dingla asak kung wa yang nkung nkang re jang sharaw ngu ai gaw da kinting gat nai amya ai da. Re jang she shayi numsha ni nra yang hpun lam ashin ai da. Shadang lasha ni nra yang ndai katsing hpunlawn ahpya ai da. E dan re dai majaw gaw ya ndai du magam ngu ai hpu ja hpaga nlu jang darat daroi num la ai da yaw e dan re ningchyin ni re. E dai majaw gaw ndai anhte a labau hta e ginru ginsa chyin ai labau ndai ningchyin chyin ai ngu timmung anhte na gaw shayi sha ni hpe e tinang hpang de lu woi la hkra ga lami laman shaga ai hku re. Dai ntawt na gwi la gwi chyang hpe she la na nni ngu ai dai gaw kaja wa nga yang e shayi numsha wa ngai kagu kaw nwa yang kadai kaw wa na ni ngu ai e dai re nga ai. E dai majaw gaw shi hpe bai tsun ai gaw yu gu a ganam daw na e da nu yen wa a ganam tai na e, a shat bunghkrawng kaba hpai na wa e ngu ai dai re nga ai. E dai majaw gaw ndai num kasha ni a htai ai gaw num kasha ni htai ai, ya ngai gaw la kasha ni num kasha ni hpe e dai sumtsaw ga tsun hpang ai dai hpe e a ga kadun mi tsun mayu ai hku re sai. |
