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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
The title of the story I am going to tell you now is 'A hunter and a tusk.' A long time ago, when the Jinghpaw people still lived in the Mali Nmai Walawng area, there was a hunter named Nhkum La. He made a living as a hunter. One day, he went to the place where he usually hunted and waited for prey. At that moment, a white elephant walked into that area. Nhkum La saw the elephant from far away. It was a huge elephant, much bigger than a regular one. Therefore, he was a bit scared to shoot at it. He thought, "I will just let that elephant go. I think I won't be able to catch it." Then he hid in the bushes near the place where he had been sitting. But the white elephant came right to the place where he was hiding. He thought, "That elephant is going to kill me today for sure." He was scared as it was getting closer to him. It looked as if the elephant was bowing. He watched as the elephant bent its head. Then it lifted him with its trunk. It took him along the path it was going. They passed by about twenty mountains. Soon, they arrived at a plain. There was a herd of elephants there. The white elephant carried him to the place where many elephants lived. When they arrived there, all the other elephants stood up as soon as they saw the white elephant. Only a mother elephant in the middle was sitting. The white elephant took Nhkum La to the mother elephant and put him down in front of it. The mother elephant didn't stand when the white elephant appeared. It simply raised its head and looked at it. It seemed that the mother elephant's leg was injured. He thought the white elephant wanted him to treat the mother elephant's injured leg. When he looked at the leg, it was clearly pierced and injured by a nail. So he used his knife to pull the nail out of the elephant's leg. After the nail was removed, the mother elephant was able to walk. Meanwhile, the white elephant went alone to the nearby lake. Soon, it pulled out a tusk that had been hidden, about two fathoms long. And it placed the tusk in front of Nhkum La. Then he thought, "I think the elephant gave it to me to thank me." He picked it up. Soon, the white elephant carried him on its head and walked back to the place where they had come from. It dropped him at the place where he usually hunted, then retraced its steps. That day, he didn't hunt and just went back home, carrying the tusk. He told the villagers everything that had happened to him. The villagers were talking about the valuable tusk. Later, the news spread to the nearby villages. All the villagers were talking about his story. A wealthy man also heard about the hunter and the tusk, so he went to Nhkum La and said, "I heard that you received the tusk, right?" Then Nhkum La told him about his story of how he got the tusk. The rich man said to him, "Sell me that tusk." But Nhkum La said, "I can't sell it. I will value it and keep it." The rich man kept telling him to sell the tusk. He said to Nhkum La, "Sell it to me. You won't know how to use it, anyway." But Nhkum La refused to sell it. However, the rich man also persuaded him to sell it to him. Nhkum La didn't know how much he should ask for it, even if he decided to sell it. The rich man didn't tell him how much it was worth and kept urging him to sell the tusk. But Nhkum La refused. The rich man offered him, "If you don't know how much you should ask for it, then marry my daughter." In the end, Nhkum La gave it to the rich man, as he kept asking him to sell it. Then the rich man took the tusk and quickly went back to his home. He told his eldest daughter, Ma Kaw, "My daughter, this tusk is truly valuable. I got it by making an offer to the hunter." He explained everything to her. He said to her, "Only brave people can get this valuable tusk. I want you to marry the bravest hunter, the one who owns this tusk. What do you think?" She said, "Father, if you think I should, I will marry him. I will listen to you." The rich man let the hunter marry his daughter and gave them some of his property. The hunter was able to start a happy family with the rich man's daughter. Since then, the Jinghpaw people have given an elephant's tusk as bride wealth.
Transcription (Lu Hkawng)
Ya ngai hkai na maumwi gabaw gaw"Jaugawng wa hte Magwi Kawng" ngu ai re Moi da ndai anhte jinghpaw wunpawng sha ni mali nmai walawng hku ngu ai de naw nga ai ahkying aten hta e ndai Nhkum La jaugawng ngu ai wa gaw galoi mung shi gaw shan sha gap sha nna kan bau ai wa re da dan re nna lani mi hta e shi shawoi sa hkap hkap re ai shan lai lai re ai shan wuhkya kaw shi shan sa hkap dung nga ai da. Shan sa hkap dung nga re jang she magwi kaba law ai magwi jahpraw gaw sa wa ai da. Sa wa hpe e ndai jaugawng wa gaw tsawmra naw tsan ai kaw na hkap mu ai hkap mu ai majaw shi gaw magwi dai gaw kaba ma laga magwi hta na grau ma kaba ai majaw shi gaw gap na mung n gwi re nna she "I i magwi awra hpe gaw ngai makoi shalai kau na re awra ram kaba ai gaw ngai gap mung n gwi gap ai" ngu na she shi gaw shi hkap dung nga ai shara kaw na loi mi sit re ai nam sumwum kaw sa makoi tsap nga yang she magwi hpraw dai wa shi makoi nga ai shi man ang ang de nan sa wa da. Sa wa jang shi gaw aw daini chyawm gaw ngai hpe gaw magwi jahpraw aw ra gabat gabye sat kau na chya lu re sai law ngu na she grai myit n pyaw re nna grai hkrit let nga nga yang she magwi jahpraw dai wa gaw shi man ang ang sa wa shi kaw du hkra sa wa da sa wa na she shi hpe magwi jahpraw dai wa dai jaugawng wa hpe sa naw dat ai zawn zawn re da. Sa naw dat ai zawn zawn re nga ngu naw yu nga yang she shi hpe wa hta ba mat wa sai da magwi jahpraw dai gaw hta ba nna she le shi sa wa ai hpang lam de dung dung woi mat wa ai da. Woi mat wa re gaw bum marawn ni lai hkrai lai lai hkrai lai re na bum marawn shi hkun lai mat wa sai da. Lai mat wa bum marawn shi hkun lai ngut yang she pa layang kaba re kaw woi pru wa ai da. Dai pa layang kaw gaw magwi wuhpung grai law ai ni nga taw nga ai da. Magwi wunawng wuhpawng sumpum mi ting re dai kaw e dai kaw du hkra ba wa ai da jaugawng wa hpe kaga dai magwi ni nga kaw du wa yang she kaga magwi ni gaw dai magwi jahpraw du wa jang e yawng ni gaw rawt tsap ai da. Re jang she dai shanhte hkaang kaw hpum ai magwi kanu gaw n rawt ai da n rawt re yang she ndai magwi jahpraw ndai wa gaw jaugawng wa hpe e dai magwi kanu hpum taw ai dai kaw du hkra ba wa nna she magwi kanu a man kaw e dai jaugawng wa hpe wa shayu dat ai da. Wa shayu re jang gaw ndai magwi kanu dai wa gaw ndai magwi jahpraw du wa tim shi gaw baw sha rawt shadap yu nna n rawt ai da. Shi hpe yu jang lagaw machyi zawn zawn re taw re nna she jaugawng wa gaw shi hpe dai magwi kanu a makau kaw shayu dat ai shaloi she aw ndai magwi kanu lagaw machyi ai hpe yu ya nga re sam nga ai ngu nna myit la nna shi gaw magwi kanu a lagaw kaw yu dat yang she kaja wa hpri masawn ju bang da ai da. Ju bang da hpe shi mu dat re nna shi gun ai n-htu n-hkyi hte dai hpri masawn hpe alai shaw kau ya sai da. Alai shaw kau ya jang magwi kanu dai gaw rawt tsap hkawm lu sai da. Re jang she ndai magwi jahpraw re jang gaw htaw dai makau na hkanawng de shi hkrai sa mat wa ai da. Sa mat wa kade nna yang she magwi ni shanhte makoi bang da magwi kawng lalam lahkawng jan galu ai magwi kawng wa shaw wa ra ai da. Dai nna she ndai jaugawng wa a man kaw wa tawn da ya re jang gaw jaugawng wa gaw aw ngai hpe ndai magwi kanu a lagaw na hpri masawn ju shaw kau ya majaw kumhpa jaw ai re sam ai ngu nna shi mung hta la re jang she magwi jahpraw dai wa gaw jaugawng wa hpe e bai hta ba mat wa sai da. Hta ba mat wa nna htaw mi shan wa ai lam de dingyang bai ba mat wa mi jaugawng wa shan hkap dung nga ai shara kaw du hkra wa ba sa da nna shi gaw le shan sa wa ai hpang lam de e dung dung bai wa mat ai da dai magwi mung re gaw jaugawng wa gaw dai shani kaw na gaw shan gaw n hkap sha n gyam sha sai da jaugawng n gawng sai sha dai magwi kawng dai hpe sha hta hpai re nna wa shanhte mare na htingbu htingpyen kahtawng masha ni hpe she ndai magwi shi hpe gara gara hku re re magwi jahpraw shi byin ai lam hpe e jahta dan re sai da jahta dan re gaw dai htingbu htingpyen mare na ni mung ndai magwi kawng gaw manu grai dan ai re lam shanhte jawm jahta re da deng gaw dai makau hkan na ginwang kahtawng shagu gaw ndai magwi kawng kumhpa lu la ai lam hpe e lani hte lani gaw aw kahtawng shagu de na mat wa sai da. Kajai kumhkawng mat wa sai da re jang she ndai ginwang kaw na ndai lusu sahti wa mung ndai shiga hpe na dat ai da. Na majaw ndai jaugawmg wa kaw sa re nna"E jaugawng wa e nang magwi kawng kum hpa lu ai nga n re i?" ngu nna daihku sa san yang gaw dai Nhkum La jaugawng wa mung shi gara gara hku ndai magwi kawng hpe lu la ai lam hpe jahta dan re na she ndai sahti wa gaw shi hpe ndai magwi kawng dut ya kau rit shi hpe dut ya kau rit nga nna grai aput sa tsun nga ai da raitim jaugawng wa gaw"E e n mai dut ya law nye prat sha gaw ndai magwi kawng ndai hpe yu chyai na re n mai dut ya ai" ngu tim dai sahti wa gaw dut ya rit law nang gaw tawn da tim hpa chye di na n re ai ngai hpe she dut ya rit ngu tim jaugawng wa mung n hkraw shan lahkawng dai hku hpyi aput hkat ningdang hkat daihku re yang gaw n dai jaugawng wa mung ndai magwi kawng gaw sahti wa hpe lama dut ya tim kade hte dut ya ra na mung n chye re majaw shi gaw n wam dut ya sahti wa mung nang kade dan ai hpe n tsun gwi ai rai nga ndai tsun u dut ya rit hkrai hkrai ngu retim aw ra wa mung jaugawng wa mung ningdang chyu ningdang nga re jang she e nang ndai magwi kawng hpe kade dan ai re n chye tsun jang gaw nye kasha hpe la u ngu nna dai hku bai tsun sai da. Dai hku bai tsun re nna she ndai jaugawng wa mung sahti wa nau aput nga sai majaw kaning n chye di nna ya kau dat sai da. ya kau dat re gaw ndai sahti wa gaw magwi kawng dai sha lang re nna tin shapun re hkra nta de wa re nna nta kaw du wa jang kasha ma kaw hpe she"Ma e ndai magwi kawng ngu ai gaw manu kade kade dan ai re kaning kaning re na she ndai lu la ai re"ngu nna dai lam ni shawng tsun dan re nna she "Ma e ndai magwi kawng ngu ai gaw kade ram kaning re masha kade ram magrau grang ai masha she ndai magwi kawng hpe lu la ai re " awa gaw nang hpe e ndai kawng kumhpa lu ai magrau grang dik ai ndai jaugawng wa hpe e nang hpe e ya sha na ngu nna awa myit dawdan kau sai le ma nang gara hku myit na kun" nga "E wa e nang mai na re nga jang gaw ngai mung mai na re ngai mung wa nang na ga she madat na re ngu nna" kasha mung kawa hpe aga jaw re nna she ndai kasha sahti wa a kasha hpe mung ndai jaugawng wa hpe jaw sha ndai sahti wa shi na ja gumhpraw sutgan ni mung garan ya di nna e ndai jaugawng wa gaw grai pyaw ai dinghku hpe e sahti wa a shayi sha ma kaw hte e grai pyaw dinghku hpe e lu de sai da. Ndai shani kaw nna e anhte jinghpaw wunpawng sha ni gaw numwawn numla re yang e magwi kawng hpe e hpu dat chye wa ai gaw ndai shani kaw na re da. |
