Untitled - Life and Culture on the Tibetan Plateau

is) the (all-) accomplishing day, Bkra shis <strong>and</strong> Sgrol ma
mtsho are holding a hair changing ceremony for their girl
(Dpal mo mtsho). 2 All villagers, relatives, elderly people,
friends, <strong>and</strong> most importantly, the A zhang, have gathered
together in a row of seats in this home for this celebration.
3 Generally, this kind of Tibetan party is a place where
women display their turquoise <strong>and</strong> coral (jewelry), men
wield daggers, 75 <strong>and</strong> singers gather. 4 If the two (parents)
are rich, (you all) deserve (to be served with) piles of
various foods <strong>and</strong> draped in silk. 5 Though they want to offer
you such things, they cannot afford them. 76 6 To begin
drinking, here is some liquor you may wish to drink, 7 <strong>and</strong>
some beer you may wish to drink. 8 All the family <strong>and</strong>
relatives hope that (you) all will stay overnight singing <strong>and</strong>
dancing, according to your desire.
A Helper Sang an Opening Song
Rta mgrin dbang rgyal sang a Tibetan traditional song,
holding a kha btags <strong>and</strong> a small bowl of liquor:
1 ་མགོ་མ་ལེན་ན་མགོ་མ་ལེན།།
2 ་མགོ་མ་ནམ་མཁའི་་ལ་ལེན།།
3 ་་མོ་འཁོར་དང་དགའ་ནི་ལེན།།
Song Four
1 (Let me) sing the first song! (Let me) sing the first (song)!
2 Sing the first song for the heavenly gods.
3 Sing (the first song) that pleases all gods <strong>and</strong> goddesses.
1
house, starting a business, or becoming a monk. In order to
determine such dates, locals consult astrologers who locate
suitable dates in zodiac almanacs.
75
It is Tibetan custom for young men to carry knives (often
daggers).
76
Literally, though they wish to extend their arms, their
sleeves are too short.
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