Jaan Kemprai - Dimasa

Jaan Kemprai

KHAISA SLAIMA SLING

Habsaonising,

Khrib dukhu-hadi buthukhe gritharidu thikhala,

Nalaibo ning khaja-mini dongnangna?

Gibijangning thidu thikhade,

Ning dongnang niya.

Nalaibo ning elisining thiba hamjaoba,

Aani kha bisingha bili banghi dukhu dong,

Mulukni haosinihabo eli gri thihi.

Ning kharnaisaha donghi

Bede tharmaima, dikhongmaha bili nah banghi dong,

R Ning.......

Yasgur khaisa gurkhabo,

Khophalkhese thisingba hamjaoba,

Odehe kha bailanglaba.

Khna...

Khaisa slaima sling.

Ning minimane sling, nini dukhu hadini gejerha donghi,

Gajilaima sling nini dukhu-hadijang,

Nai, saingsi dukhu-hadi nini rogongnising degaolangma yao suguhi,

Obaha nini mukhangha minimah phaima,

Muthaiha mudi phaima khajamani,

Odehe bo minimah, khajamah,

Ningkhe nalaibo khaja mini dongmane silingrima.

 

 

English Translation by Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

PLEASE LEARN TO CHANGE

If all pain and suffering is washed away from this earth

Will you be happy?

No, isn’t it?

Because you don’t know

From where true happiness emanates.

 

You always like complaining about the same thing

About how the suffering you have gone through has not been experienced by any other.

Living in a small pond

How will you understand how many fish live in the sea?

And you…

Even if your finger nails break

You shout and scream about your bad luck

And you have a ‘break down’.

 

Listen

Try to change a little.

Try to smile in the midst of your suffering.

Try to face your troubles and sufferings.

Wait and see, one day all your sufferings will go away.

Far away from you, after losing the battle with you.

And that day your face will be lit up with the smile of happiness

And that smile will teach you

To live with happiness always.

 

 

HEY MADAI

Hey madai.......

Je subungbuthu jarni raobakhe

Nangba khusiha yawaiyadu,

Je subungbuthu jarni raobakhe

Yawaigajai khlaibaidu,

Bonsikhe eli nabani raoridu???

Bonsi nadi tharmaiba mlaini dukhu-hadikhe,

Raobi banining

Khrib habahabo baiphlungbaidu, dophabaidu,

Odehe gronladu danghi-jihi hamsi donglayarao.

Bonphangjuha bithib khada dongyaba breyunglaise,

Daoling phaidada bithib saphaiphlungbaidu thikhade,

Lugu luguning grondu lama lamglaiyarao,

Naga-malarao,

Goyadu saosibo, Ansa basanising khrao sosi,

Grondu Noha donglayaba bishik bahamjiksosibo.

 

Hey Madai.....

Nabani raoridueli bo subungbuthukhe,

Je subungbuthu baslai sumani bumujang

Dothaiphlungbaidu, sajamkhlaihadu hamba subungbuthukhe.

Raobakhe khmaohabyayaraokhe

Nangba khusiha raophumane bol ri, baomah ri,

Niyakhade bonsikhe daraori,

Bonsini jathai gajaijang subung hamba buthu

Dukhu-Waimu Nangmaiyagothai.

  

 

English translation by Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

OH GOD

Oh God…

Powerful people who use their power wrongly,

Powerful people who don’t do good with their power.

Why do you give such people power?

They don’t care about the suffering of others.

They just use their power without any cause,

And the peace loving, innocent people are the victims.

 

It’s just like

When there is a honey comb on a tree

And a bird suddenly breaks it with its beak.

The bee sting victims are the innocent people on the road.

All, from children to the elderly are victims.

Nobody escapes the stings.

Even mothers, daughters, sisters and daughters-in-laws staying indoors are the victims.

 

Oh God…

Why do you give so much of power to such people?

People who in the name of revenge

Kill and plunder humanity.

 

Those who do not understand the meaning of power,

Give them the strength of using their power rightly, teach them oh Lord.

Or else make them powerless

So that their misuse of power

Do not victimize innocent people.

Profile: Jaan Kemprai was born in Hojai, Assam and stays in Haflong, Assam. He has published four books of poetry in Dimasa Language. He has also composed more than 40 songs in Dimasa and Assamese languages.

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Indigenous Voices of India :: Setu, November 2022