| Description |
Translation (Seng Pan)
This is about an elephant and six blind men. There were six blind men and an elephant. A mahout rode the elephant and passed by the six blind men. At that time, the blind men said, "What is the elephant look like?" Since they were blind and didn't know anything if they didn't put their hands on, they agreed to touch the elephant. For example, if they touch this, they know it is the book. If they touch the table, they know that is the place to put on the things. They only know what it is when they touch it. Therefore, they also touched the elephant. Among six blind men, a man touched the elephant's trunk and said, "The elephant is like a rope." Another man touched the elephant's tusk and said, "The elephant is pointed like a spear." Next blind man touched the elephant's ear and said, "The elephant is like a hand fan." The other man who touched the elephant's leg said, "The elephant is like Shinglin tree (it's a kind of wood-oil tree)." He means that what he touches is like a tree, a Shinglin tree. A blind man touched the elephant's belly and said, "The elephant is like a brick wall." Another man touched the tail and said, "The elephant is like a snake." Then, the mahout gathered all the blind men and explained, "The part you touched is the elephant's trunk, the one that you touched is the elephant's tusk, the part you put your hands on is the elephant's ear, your part is the elephant's leg, the one that you touched is its belly, and that part is the elephant's tail." The mahout explained them well, and the six blind men were also so happy.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Magwi hte myikyaw ai dingla, mi na kaga ndai gaw kaga. Ya magwi hte myikyaw ai dingla 6 nga ma ai da. Dai she magwi gawt ai wa gaw gawt sa wa ai da. Dai shaloi myikyaw ai ni gaw magwi ngu gaw kaning re re ta nga ai da. Dai shaloi she da grai masawp yu ga nga na, shanhte gaw myi nmu ai re majaw n masawp yang gaw n chyoi ai le i, masawp yang gaw chye ai, ndai hpe myi nmu ningdi masawp yang gaw laika buk re ngu, ndai masawp dat jang ning re saboi hpe masawp, aw saboi rai mara ai baw re nga chye ai zawn, shanhte gaw masawp yang she chye ma ai da. Ta hte jum yu yang she, re majaw magwi hpe chyam yu ma ai da. Marai 6 re yang gaw maria langai mi gaw da magwi jinlam dai hpe masawp ai da. Har magwi ngu ai gaw sumri zawn re she re hka i nga ai da. Re yang she bai langai mi gaw dai magwi u kawng dai hpe masawp ai, aw magwi ngu gaw n ri zawn masen re ai hka i nga ai da. Bai langai mi gaw na hpe masawp magwi na hpe masawp hkrup jang gaw aw magwi ngu gaw layit zawn re re hka i nga ai da. Bai langai mi bai re jang gaw magwi lagaw hpe masawp hkrup ai da. aw magwi ngu gaw shingli hpun zawn she re nga hka. Hpuntawng zawn re ngu mayu ai ga, shinglin hpun zawn san re i ngu tsun ai da. Bai marai langai mi gaw bai garep magwi a ndai garep hpe sa masawp, aw magwi ngu gaw wut shakum zawn re she re nga i bai nga ai da. Bai marai langai mi gaw bai n mai hpe masawp hkrup ai da. Aw magwi ngu gaw lapu hte bung ai she re nga ai nga tsun ai da. Dai shaloi she da magwi gawt ai wa gaw yawng hpe shaga la na she a tsawm ngu na magwi ngu gaw ding re na masawp ai gaw nang masawp ai gaw na nang masawp ai gaw kawng, nang masawp ai gaw jinlam, nang masawp ai gaw lagaw, nang masawp ai gaw garep, nang masawp ai gaw nmai re ngu na tsun dan ai tsun dan ai da. Tsun dan ai nga mayen ga lawm wa ai, dai ngu tsun dan ai shalen dan ai da, dan na shanhte mung grai kabu ma ai da.
Notes
1. This story is widely distributed in Asia and has its root in a parable originated in the ancient Indian subcontinent.
2. For a similar story in Lahu, see Lahu Texts (28) at: https://stedt.berkeley.edu/node/18.html |
