| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The story I am going to tell is about the rice that went up to the sun. Long time ago, the rice grown on this earth didn't have any husks. The rice grew without husks. The people passing by took the rice and ate it as it was. People who were hungry ate the rice whenever they passed by the field. Whoever passing by the paddy fields ate the rice. The rice was so dissatisfied and it went up to the sun. There wasn't any rice on the earth. People were dying of hunger. Animals such as dogs, pigs, cats, and other animals that ate rice suffered from starving. So, they discussed it and went to the sun to take the rice back to the earth. When they reached there, the mother of the rice grain told the rice, "My baby, just go back to the earth. I also make a covering for you. People from the earth are slowly dying because they are starving. People will not bully you again since I have made a covering for you. Go back there again." Animals persuaded the rice to go back together with them. Then, the rice grain decided to go back to the earth. The mother said, "My child, if people kept eating whenever they want, leave the covering that I made for you. Let them toss you on the round bamboo tray and remove the covering by themselves before they eat." And she gave the blessing upon the rice grain too. She wished, "May your rice grain grow as big as a horse's tail. May your plant grow as big as the buffalo's leg. I wish lots of rice grain will attach to the plant." On their way back to the earth, they passed the place where chameleons lived. They said, "Don't make a noise now. Let's pass this place quietly. We're going to walk through the chameleons' place." They stepped everywhere cautiously. Suddenly, the buffalo made a noise when he stepped on the ground. Then, an old female chameleon came out to check what happened. (I forgot to say one thing.) When the rice grain and other animals came back from the sun, the mother of the rice grain blessed them, "Only the old people or whose hair turns grey will die. Children will live until they get old." When they arrived at the chameleons' place, the old female chameleon asked them, "Did you bring the rice grain back?" They replied to her, "Yes, we did. They also blessed us when we came back. The rice grain will be as big as the horse's tail and the plant will grow as big as the buffalo's legs." Then, she said, "No, no! Let the rice grain and plant be like my tail." The other animals also said, "And they blessed us that people will die only when they get old or their hair turns grey." The old chameleon said, "Hrrrrrrr! No! No! My child who was born recently died a few days ago. Not only people whose hair turns grey but also people whose hair is still black will die too." She said a bad omen. Because of that, humans die not only when they are old but also when they are still young. And our rice grains are very small because of the evil omen of the chameleon.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Ya ngai hkai na maumwi gaw ndai mam ni jan ga de mam numla ni jan ga de lung mat wa ai lam re nga ai. Moi gaw anhte dinghta ga e ndai mam ngu gaw a hpyi n kap ai n gu si si re ai re da. N gu si si re yang she ndai lai wa lai sa ni mung majoi joi maret sha, kawsi hpang gara nga ai lam hkawm, kanang nang hkawm ai ni mung yi hku lai wa jang majoi di maret sha re jang ndai mam ni gaw yawn na anhte e nau zingri ma ai nga na jan ga de lung mat wa ai da. Lung mat wa re yang she shinggyin masha ndai dinghta ga kaw gaw kawsi hpang gara na si mat ma wa sai da. Si mat ma wa yak hkak jam jau jang she ndai dusat ni gwi ni, wa ni, lanyau ni yawng mung mam ni nnga shat ngu nlu sha jang gaw yawng kawsi hpang gara wa yang she shanhte yawng gaw myit hkrum la na jan ga de mam ni e wa woi ai da. Mam ni e dumsi gumra ni da yawng gwi wa ni yawng n dai mam e sha, ngu e sha sha sha ai ni gaw yawng n gu shat sha na asak hkrung ai ni yawng gaw jan ga de lung nna mam ni e wa woi sai da. Wa woi re yang she grai n hkraw ai she ndai jan ga de nga ai mam ni a kanu gaw palawng chywi jahpun nna she kasha e e yu wa su, yu wa su, ma e yu wa su, ya gaw nang e a nu ntsa lawng lam mung chywi jahpun sai. Yu wa su, shinggyin masha dinghta ga e nga manga ni kawsi hpang gara nna si mat ma wa nga ai da yu wa su. Ndai palawng hpun ntsa lawng lang hpun jang gaw nang e zingri ai ni nau nnga na re ngu na yu wa shangun, nyau ni gwi ni yawng mung yu wa ga law, na mam e yu wa ga law nga yawng yawng tsun jang shi gaw yu wa na myit sai da. Myit re jang she kanu gaw ma e ya nang ndai dinghta shayi sha ni nang e ndai shoi wa wa nna a chyaw jang ndai nang a ntsa lawng lam raw kau u yaw ngu, shaloi gaw mashaw hkaw-awn kaw katsap nna e ndai nang a ntsa lawng lam hpe e katsap kau nna shadu sha mu ga ngu nna kanu gaw matsun dat re na yu wa sai da. Yu wa re yang she shaman dat ya ai da kanu ni. Kanu ni shaman dat ya ai yu wa na matu shaman dat yang she, ya kaw na gaw ndai nang a asi gaw ndai gumra ningmai daram bum nna si wa u ga, a hpun gaw ndai wuloi nga hkap daram kaba nna tu kaba wa, asi wum wa u ga ngu shaman dat ya na yu wa shangun sai da. Yu wa shangun re yang she lam kaw she ndai sanyen ni nga ai hku lai yu wa ai da law. Lai yu wa re yang she ndai hkum shaga mu law, a katsi ngu lai ga law ngu, sanyen kahtawng du sai law ngu di she, ndai wuloi a lam hkawm yang lagaw gawk krak nga gaw oh ga wa kabye she wuloi hkawk krak nga shara dat ai da. shaloi she sanyen dinggai gaw pru wa ai da. Mi (aw ngai ga hkaw langai ) kanu ni shaman dat ya ai shaloi she ndai dinghta shinggyin masha ni ya law na gaw baw hpraw ai ni sha si mu ga ngu dinggai dingla ni sha si mu ga, ama ni gaw n si na hku ngu na shaman dat ya ai da. Shaman dat ya re, mam nsi ni mung gumra n mai zawn na bum na hku shaman dat ya she dai sanyen kahtawng kaw du yang she sanyen dinggai gaw hkap san ai da. Hkap san yang she ya mam e woi yu wa sai i, woi yu wa sai law, angwi a pyaw nga na shaman dat ya sai, amam hpun gaw wuloi lahkap daram pa kaba, mam nsi gaw gumra n mai daram bum nga na shaman ya nga ma ai law ngu yang she e hpa mi nre ndai nye a nmai zawn re ri ri re u ga ngu na dai hku ngu tsun jahten ya ai da. Re yang she shinggyin masha ni gaw bawhpraw sha si na hku baw chyang gaw nsi na hku shaman ya ma ai ngu she, Har n re law n re law nye a kasha (kahtoi rawng) pyi ya hte sha si ai re. Baw chyang baw hpraw gayau gaya re na si mu ga ngu na sanyen dinggai a ga jahten kau ai majaw dai ni anhte shinggyin masha ni gaw a ma mung si, dinggai dingla mung si re du ai da, ndai mam nsi hpun ni mung kaji mat re ai da.
Notes
1. The animated version is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn5QGk2HbvY |
