An Elementary Palaung Grammar; The White Water-snail

1 46 THE WHEEE WATEK-SN AIL

H§-i kau

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I Kun lig-K|,m gar nang Ma-ha-de-vi gar ka yfi
(1) king they {two) lady queen they (two) not had

dS kwQn de va; ? gar lgh s6k-te de Ku son (
their little one their (2) they {two) went to fast selves in garderi

o-yen. Gar da rln-da bl§. 8 Pur sa-ngi gar loh
garden, they (two) wore clothes white, seven days they (two) went

s5k-te, 4 gar hman de kw§n de va.

to fast they (two) asked their child their (2).

5 BSn tgr sa-ngi. B§t ra-hm8 gar It. 6 Nang rln-po
got six days, arrived night they (two) slept. lady dreamed

Eun pi leh, dsh an hgm pie brl shin, leh .--

spirit came down gave her eat fruit jungle ripe came down

or
mangoes (round)
dsh an hgm mak-mon kam.
gave her eat (long) mangoes gold.

7 Nang ra-s8h, nang yfi gral ta Ktin JiQ-Eam, nang
~lady awoke ■■'< lady rose up said to (1) king lady

dah, 8 '0 ka t8m rln-po hlai u 16h, Ea-nya '8,,

said not ever " dreamed even one time ruler

9 ai lgh s§k-te ha 8. Fa-din n§ la pur sa-ngi,

we (two) came to fast place this, to-day is full good, seven days

16 9 rln-po Eim pi leh deh 9 119m mak-mon

I dreamed (1) spirit came down gave me eat mangoes (long)

kam ngam hnyo linyo.'
gold sweet very.

II H9-Kam gral ta nang, ' Kya hnyo hnyo, pan

king said to lady excellent very that which

rln-po mi nang 8, 12 ai di yS ai kw§n ai va,
dreamed thou lady we (two) shall have our child our (2)

(1) Kun is used as a prefix before bg-tfam king, and pi spirit It
maybe translated as Lord or Great.

(2) va little brother or little sister kwon . . . va child or children.

PB WHITE WATER-SNAIL 147

The White Water-Snail

1 The great king and his queen had not any children, so
2 they went to keep aWigious fast in their garden (l). They
wore white clothes and 8 they fasted for seven days, and 4 prayed
for a child.

8 After seven days, at night when they were asleep, 6 the
queen dreamed that the great spirit (2) came down and gave
her ripe round mangoes and long mangoes of gold to eat.

7 The queen awoke and said to the king, 8 ' O ruler ! I have
never had such a dream [since] 9 we two came to fast in this
place seven days ago. 10 I dreamed that the great spirit came
down and gave me long mangoes of gold to eat. They were
very sweet.

11 The king said to the queen, ' How excellent is that which
thou hast dreamed, queen! 12 We shall have a little child.

(1) It is understood that there was a pagoda, with a ' rest-house ',
attached, in the garden.
^2) Sakya.

k3

t48

THE WHITE WATER-SNAIL

18 moh an tu-Qt, an ma-ri-&t leh tek , de

be he precious he wonderful , comes down to be conceived self

ta mi nang 6.'
to thee lady 0.

14 N§ pur sa-ngl gar veng ta h§. Gar veng *

were full seven days they (two) returned to palace. they(hvo) returned

gwai ta hg. Nang tek pa-dik-san-te.
at palace lady conceived conceived.

stay

15 Btin k5r kyar h§-Kam dsh

got ten months king

bl to var Krir u

gave people tie rope gold one
or
chain

aygng, var rfin u nygng 16 or ha h§ ra-gwai

(1) rope silver one (1). . /n>m pZace palace dwelling

nang
lady

or

chain

m§ ha

ft7J jpZace

h§ ra-gwai Kun hg-Kam. 17 Kun

palace dwelling (2) fcm#. (2)

liQ-Kam dab de tarn a-pyo-dp nang hp-Kara, 18 ' Va

king said he ordered maids of honour lady king

child

or

queen

s kan m6h l-me ps clgh var Krir, 19 kan m6h
°m j ' if "f» 'ltta'Ze yo?4 stfnfce rope gfo7t^ i/ is

l-pan d§h var rtin. v

female strike rope silver.
or
chain

or
chain

20 R§t sa-ngl pwg, nang yu m6h hp-i. 21 Bi ka

arrived day birth lady (3) was water-snail, people not

n&p de dph var. 22 Bi lgh grai ta h§-Kam. 23 ' Bi

/mow they strike rope
or
cta'w

people ivent tell

to

king.

people

dah Ea-nya

say ruler

nang hwp-i pwp, var Krir ye ka

lady finished birth

rope

or

chain

not

(1) See N. 196. (2) See note on page 146.

(3) SeeN. 216.

THE. WHITE WATER-SNAIL 149

13 He will be precious and wonderful, when lie comes down to be
conceived in thee.

14 When seven days were past they returned to the palace.
They returned and remained at the palace, and the queen
conceived.

15 When ten months (l) were past, the king ordered people
to tie a gold chain and a silver chain I6 from the part of the
palace where dwelt the queen, to the part where he lived.
17 He gave orders to the maids-of-honour of the queen, 18 'If
our little one is a boy, strike the golden chain, 19 if a girl strike
the chain of silver.'

* w There came a day when the queen gave birth to a water-
snail. 2l The people did not know which chain to strike.
2? They went and said to the king, 23 'They say, ruler ! that

(1) Lunar months.

150

THE WHITE WATER-SNAIL

nap ye d§h, 24 var rliii ye ka nap ye dph, 2B kwpn
Amoio w<j sin'Are rope silver we not know we strike child

or

cliain

nfuig

lady

in5h hg-i a-myo.

is water-snail kind.

26 Bi yfi de

peo2)le have their

or
person has her

kwgii llQ-i

children icater-snail
or
child

kun

father

an m5k la-ga,
its is dragon
or

an

ka kun In

not Jather people

mthig-kon, an
teorZdl of men he

kun

father

naga

la-ga, 2 ' ka-she

dragon ashamed
or

lc-i

all

bi t'ang an/

2;eopfc on account of it.

naga

2S Kun liQ-kam dah de grai ta ge, ' Hwg-i la I ka

(1) fcm</ said he spoke to them finished good not

nap Kfi-i nya ; 29 g di deli bi rSr pQng, 9 dl

know as to do I shall give people make raft I shall

dsh bi l§ng pet an jgm om. 5

give

\e Jloat finish it follow water.

w Hwg-i
finished

hg-kam
king

nya

done

grai

told

ror

made

kti-i din,
as that.

ta Li, ' Lgng
to people Jloat

0111/ 31 Ka-gwai hwg-i
looter. divelling finished

ta nang, hg-Kam dah,

to lady king

bi l$ng pet

people float finish

an, bi dah, 'Hun an

■it people say father its

ar

tioo

ky&r
months

u-ai kyar

three months

Kau

white

J9™

follow

grai

told

said

an jgm

it follow

B6n

got

pet kg-i

^'m's/A ivater-snail

la la. Hg-ltaui
32 ' Nang 6 kwgn al 6 deh

Zarfc/ c/«7d oar this give

Om, ka-she bi t'ang

iwtter are ashamed people on account of

la-ga, ka-she bi.'
dragon are ashamed people.

or
naga

u*ew£

6

this

33 Nang
lady

dah
said

ta

hg-Kain,
king

'ka

nap
/mow

Kfi-i

nya,

to rfo

bo-e

though

{1) See note, page 146.

THE WHITE WATER-SNAIL 151

the queen has given birth, 24 but we do not know whether
to strike the golden chain or the silver. i5 The baby of the
queen is a kind of water-snail. 26 One who has a water-snail
for a child, its father is a Naga. 27 All the people are ashamed
on account of it.'

28 The king said to them, ' It is good, but I do not know
what to do! - y I shall order men to make a raft and shall
tell them to float it [the water-snail and the raft], down
stream.'

ao It was done in this manner. After two or three months
the king said to the people, 'Float the white water-snail down
stream.' 8I Its dwelling-place was well prepared. The king
went and said to the queen, 32 ' O queen ! Give this our child
so that the people may float it down stream. The people are
ashamed because of it, they say, "Its father is a Naga". They
are ashamed.'

The queen said to the king, * I do not know what to do I

Milne, Leslie. 1921. An Elementary Palaung Grammar.
Oxford: Clarendon Press.