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Translation (Rita Seng Mai)
In our Kachin culture, when a house is burned, we first need to find out the cause. So that we can offer a sacrifice to the nat spirits. There are two types of fires: a fire caused by someone else's jealousy and a fire caused by one's own negligence. A fire caused by one's own negligence is an accidental fire. There are two types of fires. When we put out the fire, we need to prepare a banana plant and water bottles. If it was an accidental fire, we asked it, "We know that you usually stick to the Laja tree, which has large leaves. Why are you here today? How did you get here?" The accidental fire said, "Right. I am from the Laja tree." When we sent away a fire caused by someone's jealousy, we said to it, "You are the fire that sticks to the bitter vine. You burn because someone intentionally started a fire out of jealousy. Go back to where you came from!" When sending the fires back to their place, the nat priest had to say, "The original fire has been put out. The red fire that causes harm has also been extinguished. The Earth is peaceful now. How could you come here?" The fire said, "I am from the Laja tree root. (Lahkru is a tree with big leaves.)" The nat priest asked it, "Now, you don't have a place to stay. Look to your right. Mountains stretch as far as you can see. Look to your left. Forests fill the landscape. Look to the back. It is filled with water. Look at your front. It is also filled with water. A mass of people armed with long spears will come. Also, a mass of people carrying water will come. Hundreds of people will come!" In fact, the priest was trying to scare the fire. Then the fire said, "The nat priest, I have nowhere to stay now. I don't have any place to stay. Show me where I can go. I am scared of water." The nat priest said, "There is no place for you here. This is not a place for you to stay. Go over there. The accidental fire must stay over there. Go into the confluence and disappear! Float along and go into the ocean. Go away and disappear!" He chanted those words and sent the fire away. When we started performing the sacrifice by the nat priest, all the fireplaces in the burned house had to be extinguished by pouring water on them. After successfully performing the sacrifice, we needed to start the fire at that house again. We needed a split piece of bamboo or wood to do it. We needed to rub the two split pieces of bamboo together, with some bamboo scraps in between. When we started making the fire, only Ma Htu could rub the bamboos if it was a woman, and only Ma Tu if it was a man. Only those whose names rhyme could do it. No other people could do it. If they could not start the fire despite rubbing the bamboos hard, or if they did not know how to do it, or if there was no one with a rhyming name, then the people from the burned house could get flames from their neighbors to light the fire in their own fireplace. The best way is to light a fire using the fire saw. It is considered the best way because that type of fire brings good to the family. If they couldn't start the fire, they needed to get flames from their neighbors and light a fire in their house. Today, we use a match to start the fire. When a chief's house burned down, all the fires in every house in the village had to be put out during the sacrifice performed to send the fire away. Only when the fire was successfully started at the chief's house, the other houses in the village could light their fires again. Someone shouted, "The fire has been successfully made! We have the fire now!" Then all the villagers lit fires in their houses. We should never take fire lightly. We need to find out whether the fire was caused by arson or was accidental. After we know the cause of the fire, we can perform a sacrifice to send it back to its place. This is the story that the Jinghpaw people have passed down from generation to generation.
Transcription (Htu Bu)
Jinghpaw masha ni hta e, nta langai ngai wan hkru sa i nga jang e, kaning rai hkru ai kun labau ndai hpe e shawng sagawn nna she, dumsa shabawn mai nga ai. Wan hkru ai ngu gaw hpan lahkawng nga ai. Shada da manawn masham rai nna share dat ai wan, Tinang n kyet nna hkru ai wan hpe gaw Dinghkrut hkru ai wan ngu nna hpan lahkawng nga nga ai. Ndai wan hpe gaw, ndai wan shabawn ai shaloi gaw, Langa hpun mung dan hpai ra ai. Hka tsit mung galaw lang ra ai da. Dai majaw ndai Dinghkrut wan rai jang gaw, "Nang gaw gara kaw na du sa ai? Nang gaw moi Nhprang wan hkru ai shaloi, Laja hpun, hpun chyen kaw kap nan ta ai wan rai ndai. Ya nang daini ndai kaw kaning ra du sa nni? ngu na san ra ai. San ai shaloi, "Ngai gaw Laja chyen kaw na tu, Lahkru Laja pawt kaw na, sa ai rai nngai." nga na wan gaw dai hku htan ai da. Bai na, masha manawn masham rai na hkru ai rai jang gaw, ndai wa hpe gaw, "Nang gaw, waw, Nhprang wan hkru ai shaloi, Ruhka pawt kaw hkru kap nan taw nga ai wan rai ndai. Na a madu ni hpang de bai wa su." ngu na, dai hku na shabawn ai da. Ya, Dumsa wa gaw ndai wan hpe shabawn ai shaloi gaw, gara, gara hku tsun ra ai i nga yang e, wan shayu yang gaw Dumsa wa gaw, "Ya, madung wan gaw simsa. Wan hkyeng wan gaw moi sat da sa. Majoi hpyin-ya e lim rai sa, Shinggyim hpyin-ya hta tsim rai sai. Ya nang kaning re ai wan mi du n'ta? ngu san yang, "Ngai gaw Laja pawt nna sa ai re. Lahkru pawt nna du ai re." ngu nna wan gaw tsun wu ai. "Ya nang gaw nga shara kanang sa. Shingbyi shara n nga sa. Ya hkra maga de yu u, Nga Shi, Nga Shi shagawng chyat rai sai. Pai maga de yu u, Nga Hkra maling hkrai chyat rai sai. Hpang de yu u, hka nawng hkrai pat rai sai. Shawng de mung nang yu u, hka nawng hkrai chyat rai sai. Dai ya Nga Shi, ya Nga Shi ningchyawn nang ai hpyen luksuk ni du ra. Hka tsit lang ai luksuk ni du ra. Lamum Latsa du ra. Latsa luksuk pru sa." ngu nna Dumsa wa tsun jahkrit jang wan kanu gaw "Ya, Dumsa hkringwa wa e, ngai nga shara n nga sai. Shingbyi shara mung kata sai." nga nna, "Shara naw madun rit. Sa na shara naw madun rit." nga ai. "Numjum hpe mung hkrit nngai. Hka Tsit hpe mung myit nngai." ngu bai htan wu ai. Dumsa wa gaw, "Wan nga shara nang de n nga sai. Wan sa shara nang de kata sai. Wan nga shara le de rai sai da. Wan hkyeng shagawng le de she nga sai da. Hka mazup de tawm rai u, hka nam de yawn rai mat wa nit. Le, Namukdara de hkyawm rai mat wa rit. Lum Yi de hkyawm rai rit. Lum La de tawm rai mat wa rit. Lum La de tsim, Lum Yi de tawm rai wa manu law.." ngu nna, dumsa shabawn kau ra ai da. Ndai dumsa ai aten hta e, dumsan nnan dumsa hpang wa ai shaloi, Dai wan hkru ai nta kaw na ni, wan dap shagu hta e hka jaw nna wan sat kau na ra ai da. Ya ndai Dumsa wa dumsa ngut ai shaloi gaw, wan gang gang ai ngu ai da galaw la ra ai. Wan gang gang ai gaw hpun chyen rai rai, kawa chyen rai rai, lahkawng yan hpe shada arut kanyet nna, dai kaw kawa masu kawut la nna ka-ang kaw bang na, garu, arut ganyet na. Ndai arut ganyet ai mung, a num rai yang gaw N'Htu. a la rai yang gaw N'Tu amying rum ai yan ndai yan sha mai galaw ai da. Kaga masha ni n mai galaw ai da. Ndai hku nna arut ganyet yu yang wan n chyi hkraw sa. Shing n rai yang, n chye ganyet kun. Shing n rai yang amying rum ai masha n nga kun rai jang gaw, htaw, htingbu nta kaw na wan maying kachyi mi sa shakap la nna, dai wan hkru ai nta kaw wan nnan bai wut la ra ai da. Grau kaja ai gaw, wan gang gang nna wut la ai wan dai gaw prat dingsa jinghku wan nan akyu rawng ai wan nan rai sai da. Gara hku mung wan gang n chye gang sa i nga jang htingbu nta na hta la na wut la na. Ya na prat hta bai rai sa i, nga jang gaw, wan hkret hte wut la na da. Ndai du magam ni, salang ni a nta lama hkru ai shaloi rai sa i nga jang gaw, ndai wan shabawn ai aten hta e, kahtawng ting kaw na, nta shagu na a wan yawng ru sat kau ra ai da. Ndai du magam ni a wan bai lu wut sa i nga jang she, dai mare kahtawng hkan e na ni wan bai wut la ma ai da. "Ya gaw mai wut sai law...wan lu sai law.." ngu na jahtau ja jang she e, mare masha ni kadai mung kade nta kaw bai wut la ma ai da. Dai majaw ndai wan hkru ai ngu ai hpe e, majoi mi ahpa shatang sha n mai rai ai. Share dat nna hkru ai wan rai kun, Dunghkrawt hkru ai wan rai kun, ndai ginhka yu n na she e, shabawn tim ndai kaw e, ndai hpe shawng chye nna she e shabawn ma ai da. Ndai mung moi kaw na Jinghpaw Wunpawng sha ni ya du hkra hkai tsun hkrat wa ai maumwi kaba langai mi rai nga ai law. |
