KK1-1012 - Sara Labwi Hting Nang nat shaga ai lam (A story of Labwi Hting Nan who called spirits) with English translation

Translation (Rita Seng Mai) I think Sara Labwi Htingnan didn't come back here when there was a big celebration in our place. This happened sometime in the 1980s. He lived in Nambyu village where there were many Christians. He gave the pastoral care to the villagers. There were many migrants from Shan state in the village. One day, the dragon from Nambyu River snatched and dragged a child into the water. The child was bathing at the river's water edge. When the child suddenly went missing, the villagers thought that it would be nat spirit that snatched the child. The villagers told the Pastor Labwi Htingnan about the child. Then Sara Labwi Htingnan asked them, "Do you have a white buffalo?" They said, "There might be." He said, "It should be a male buffalo." They said, "Yes, it is a male white buffalo." He said, "Then let's buy it. It's for all good. To kill the evil dragon, we need to give offering to the thunder god. The offering must be a white buffalo. We should kill the dragon not to have this kind of tragic accident in the future. To do so, we need to offer the buffalo to the thunder god." Soon, he tied the white buffalo up to a long stump. And he said while looking up at the sky, "GOD, the dragon ate one of the children from our village, so we are now asking for your permission to kill it. We can't win against the dragon. We will give the white buffalo as an offering to the thunder god to kill the evil dragon. Give us the permission to give offerings to the thunder deity." He called on the deity and requested to kill the dragon through the animism ritual. He killed the buffalo and offered the meat to the deity. However, the specific invocation phrases he used will not be the same as the phrases from the past. After he had offered and called on the thunder god, the dragon that killed a teenage boy and a child was dispatched. Literally, the dragon is just a big snake. The villagers pulled the dragon out of the water and put half of its body on the land. They could find the child's dead body too. So, we can get the help of the deity if GOD blesses us. I have heard this story from Sara Lamai Tang who passed away last year. He witnessed how Sara Labwi Htingnan gave offerings to the thunder god to kill the dragon. I am telling you about this event again, so everyone can learn about it. Transcription (Lu Awng) Moi 1985 dai ram aten hta re na sai, 70, 80 1987 dai hkan anhte ndai de jaw poi galaw re yang mung shara labwi htingnan ndai de nwa ai gaw i. Dai hto nambyu mare de nga, re na shi hpung masha ni hpe zimlum ai. Hto ra de na masha ni hpe sammung ga na htawt wa ai masha ni law law mung na ma ai. Dai aten hta she lani mi na nhtoi hta ma langai mi hpe ndai nambyu hka kaw na baren e dun sha la sha kau ai da. Hka kau kaw hkashin nga ai ma hpe garawt sha kau ai. Re jang gaw shanhte gaw gara hku nga tim ndai gaw galoi mung shiga ndai gaw nat nga ai, baren rawng ai dai re majaw baren re na sai ngu na sha tak lu ai. Dai majaw shara labwi htingnan hpe tsun dan ai shaloi gaw dai gaw hpungup shara labwi htingnan rai nga, re yang gaw sara hpungup sara gaw mare masha ni hpe ya nanhte mare masha ni wuloi ah hpraw lu ai i. Nga nni nga wuloi ah hpraw lu ai nga ai, wu la rai ra ai, nga ai nga dai mari ga ngu da. Yawng a matu rai ra na re, dai majaw gaw ya ndai baren hpe gaw sat kau na matu gaw mu hpe hkungga jaw ra ai. Nga u-hpaw jaw ra ai. Shi na hpang de kadai a kasha mung kade kasha mung baren e n la sha u ga matu gaw ndai mu hpe baren sat lu na matu mu hpe nga wuloi u hpraw sat ya ga ngu na mare masha ni yawng hpe myit jahkrum la na sara labwi htingnan gaw nga wuloi u hpraw dun tawn. Karai kasang kaw akyu hpyi, ah hkang hpyi ai gaw karai kasang e ndai anhte na mare na ma hpe baren e sha kau ya sai, dai majaw gaw karai kasang a ahkaw ahkang jaw yang gaw ndai nat hpe mung anhte shabrai jaw na wuloi uhpraw ndai shabrai jaw na shangun na, baren hpe sat kau shangun na, anhte ndang di lu ai, dai re majaw nat hpe shangun na ngu karai kasang kaw ahkang hpyi ai da. Dai di na moi shawng de nat jaw ai ten na anat hpe kaning ngu shaga ai, gara hku jaw ai, htung hte hkrak di na nat hpe e hkringdat shaga na tsun na dai nga hpe mung sat, moi na htung hte maren nga sat na shan kaning di shadu ai, kaning di mara jaw ai, gara hku dumsa, moi na dumsa ga gaw raw gaw nre le i, retim mung mi na raw di nna sat ai, mi na mu hpe gaw gara gara kaning ngu tsun shaga yang matsaw ningtsa nat hpe kaning ngu shaga yang du wa ai ngu gaw sara labwi gaw mi na dumsa ga ni kaw na matsing ai re majaw dai hku matsing na tsun matan dat jang dai shana gaw dai ma shabrang ma langai mi hpe e ma kaji langai mi hpe rim sha kau ya ai baren hpe mu ah chye kau na baren gaw lapu sha re da. Lapu kaba sha re na shinggan kaw hka shi hkarang hte daw mi garawt shapraw tawn da ai, ma ma kaga kaw taw nga re lam hpe e mu lu ai da. Dai majaw gaw anhte mu nga timmung karai kasang e shangun da ai mu re nna anhte karai kasang kaw hpyi nna shangun yang gaw shabyi shabrai jaw nna shangun yang gaw dai mu mung anhte shinggyin masha ni hpe garum lu ai aten mung nga ai ngu lam hpe mu lu ai. Mu lu ai, na lu ai, dai hpe gaw dai hpe mung ya na sara lamai tang gaw mu ah chye ai lapu ni dai sara labwi htingnan mu hpe e nga wuloi sat ya ai ten hta e kaning na tsun ai ni mu lu na lu sai wa re, maning nnga mat wa sai sara lamai tang ngai hpe bai hkai dan ai majaw ngai mung masha yawng bai chye lu na matu hkai dan nga nngai. . Language as given: Jinghpaw

翻译（丽塔·森·迈（Rita Seng Mai））：
我依稀记得，在我们故乡举办盛大节庆的那段时日，萨拉·拉布维·廷南（Sara Labwi Htingnan）并未返回村中。此事发生于20世纪80年代的某个节点。彼时他定居于南比村（Nambyu village），村内聚居着众多基督教信徒，他亦为村民提供牧养服务。村中还有不少来自掸邦（Shan state）的移民。
某日，南比河（Nambyu River）中的蛟龙将一名在河畔沐浴的孩童拖入水中。孩童骤然失踪后，村民们皆认为是纳特精灵（nat spirit）掳走了孩子。众人遂将此事告知拉布维·廷南，他当即问道：“你们是否存有白水牛？”村民们答道：“或许有。”他又补充道：“当是一头公白水牛。”村民们点头确认：“没错，正是一头公白水牛。”他随即说道：“那我们便将它买下。此举皆是为了众生福祉。欲诛杀此恶龙，需向雷神（thunder god）献祭，祭品必须是白水牛。我们斩杀恶龙，只为杜绝日后再发生此类惨剧。欲达成此愿，需将水牛献祭给雷神。”
未过多久，他将白水牛拴于一根长木桩之上，抬头向天祈请：“至高无上的神明，恶龙吞食了我村一名孩童，今我等恳请您允准我们诛杀此獠。我等自身无力对抗恶龙，将以白水牛作为祭品献给雷神，以此斩杀邪龙。请准许我等向雷神献祭。”他通过万物有灵论仪式（animism ritual）祈请神灵，请求诛杀恶龙。随后他宰杀水牛，将肉献祭给神灵。不过他当时所用的具体祷词，与过往的祷词并不相同。
在他完成献祭并祈请雷神后，那名曾杀害一名少年与一名孩童的恶龙终被制服。确切而言，这所谓的恶龙不过是一条巨蛇。村民们将恶龙从水中拖出，将其半身置于岸上，同时也找到了孩童的遗体。由此可见，若蒙神佑，我们便能获得神灵的庇佑。
这段故事是我从去年辞世的萨拉·拉迈·唐（Sara Lamai Tang）口中听闻的，他曾亲眼目睹萨拉·拉布维·廷南向雷神献祭以诛杀恶龙的全过程。如今我再次讲述此事，愿所有人都能铭记这段过往。

转录（卢·翁（Lu Awng））：
那是1985年前后的一段往事，或是70年代末、1987年等80年代的某个时段，彼时萨拉·拉布维·廷南并不在村中。当时他定居于南比村，村内信众以基督教徒居多，他负责为村民提供牧养关怀，村中另有不少来自掸邦的移民。
在一次盛大的节庆期间，一名在南比河岸边戏水的孩童被河中的蛟龙拖入水中。孩童骤然失踪后，村民们皆推测是纳特精灵掳走了孩子，遂将此事告知萨拉·拉布维·廷南。他当即询问：“村中是否存有白水牛？”村民答道：“或许有。”他进一步确认：“当为一头公白水牛。”村民点头称是：“没错，正是公白水牛。”他随即说道：“那便将它买下，此举皆是为了众生福祉。欲诛杀此恶龙，需向雷神献祭，祭品必须是白水牛。我们斩杀恶龙，只为杜绝日后再发生此类悲剧，故需将水牛献祭给雷神。”
未过多久，他将白水牛拴于长木桩之上，抬头向天祈请：“至高神明，恶龙吞食我村孩童，今我等恳请您允准诛杀此獠。我等无力对抗恶龙，将以白水牛献祭雷神以斩邪龙，恳请您准许我等向雷神献祭。”他通过万物有灵论仪式祈请神灵，请求诛杀恶龙，随后宰杀水牛，将肉献祭给神灵。不过他当时所用的具体祷词，与过往祷词并不相同。
在完成献祭并祈请雷神后，那条曾杀害一名少年与一名孩童的恶龙终被制服——确切而言，所谓恶龙不过是一条巨蛇。村民们将恶龙从水中拖出，将其半身置于岸上，同时寻获了孩童的遗体。由此可见，若蒙神佑，我们便能获得神灵的庇佑。
这段故事是我从去年辞世的萨拉·拉迈·唐口中听闻的，他曾亲眼目睹萨拉·拉布维·廷南向雷神献祭以诛杀恶龙的全过程。如今我再次讲述此事，愿所有人都能知晓这段过往。