| Description |
Translation (Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
The title of this story is "The Grandmother and Grandchild Who Went to Dig Yams." Once, there was a famine in our mountainous region. Since food like rice ran out, an old woman took her grandson to the forest to dig for yams. The yams in the forest had to be dug very deep. When they arrived at the forest, the old woman started digging for yams and had her grandson start a fire to roast the yams. After a while, the grandson got hungry. The old woman gave him a few yams she had dug up, and he roasted and ate them. The old woman continued digging without resting. After a while, the grandson said again, "Grandma, I'm very hungry." The old woman gave him a few more yams she had dug up, and he roasted and ate them again. When a considerable amount of time had passed, the old woman became tired from digging and hungry, so she said to her grandson, "Grandson, are the yams roasted?" The grandson replied, "Grandma, I ate all the roasted yams." The old woman thought it was okay if her grandson had eaten them. No matter how tired she was, she started digging yams again to take home. After a while, she became so exhausted that she fell into the yam hole and died. The grandson did not know his grandmother had died, and continued roasting and eating yams. After some time, he said, "Grandma, I'm still hungry!" "Give me more yams!" But the old woman had died, so she did not reply anymore. Then, the last yam he was roasting finished cooking. He said, "Grandma, the yam is roasted." "Hurry and get up." "Eat it!" He said so in tiers. But the old woman had died, no matter how much he wanted to feed her, she could no longer eat. Therefore, we children and grandchildren must express our gratitude and feed our parents and grandparents while they are still alive.
Transcription (La Ring)
Ya hkai na maumwi gaw "Nai Htu Sa Ai Kashu Hte Kawoi Dwi" nga ai maumwi re. Moi anhte Wunpawng myu sha ni a bumga de, hku wa kaba wa ai rai nna, lu na sha na lu sha shat n-gu ni n nga wa ai majaw, kawoi dwi langai mi gaw shi a kashu hpe woi nna nam de nai htu sa ai da. Nam na nai ni gaw grai sung hkra htu ra ai da. Nam kaw du ai shaloi, kawoi dwi gaw nai htu rai nna kashu hpe gaw nai ju sha na matu wan wut da shangun ai da. Jahkring mi nga ai hte, kashu gaw kaw si wa ai nga majaw, nai kachyi mi lu ai kaw na daw la nna kashu hpe jaw, kashu gaw dai ju sha rai nna kawoi dwi gaw matut htu ai da. Dai hku rai nna, loi mi bai na re ai shaloi gaw, kashu gaw kalang bai "Ah Dwi e, grai kaw si wa sai law," ngu yang, kadwi mung nai lu htu ai kaw na loi bai daw jaw, kashu mung bai ju sha rai nna nga taw ai da. Dai zawn rai nna, tsawm ra na wa ai shaloi gaw, kadwi mung nai htu ai grai ba wa ai hte kaw si wa ai majaw, kashu hpe "Shu e, nai hkut sai i?" ngu san yang, kashu gaw "Ah Dwi, hkut ai nai ni yawng ngai sha kau sai," ngu tsun ai da. Dai shaloi, kawoi dwi mung kashu lu sha yang rai sai ngu nna, kade ba ai rai tim, nta de la wa na matu ngu nna nai bai matu htu ai wa jahkring mi nga yang grai ba mat nna dai nai nhkun kaw na kadawng si mat ai da. Kashu gaw kawoi dwi si mat ai mung n chye ai sha, nai sha ju sha nna nga taw let loi mi na yang she, "Ah Dwi e, ngai ya mung grai naw kaw si wa ai law." "Nai naw jaw rit," ngu tsun dat ai da. Rai tim, kawoi dwi gaw si mat sai majaw, n htan sai da. Dai shaloi nan sha, kashu ju da ai hpang jahtum na nai mung bai hkut wa ai hte kashu mung "Ah Dwi e, nai mung hkut sai law." "Rawt wa rit." "Sha sanu," ngu nna hkrap let tsun ai da. Rai tim, kawoi dwi gaw si mat sai majaw kashu kade jaw sha mayu tim, n lu sha mat wa sai da. Dai majaw, anhte kashu kasha ni, tinang a kanu kawa, kaji kawoi ni hpe n si shi yang, chyeju htang ai myit hte jaw lu jaw sha ra ai da. |
