The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

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LAHU NYI (RED LAHU) NEW YEAR TEXTS-III
TEXT FIVE-FORMAL TRANSLATION
Now, at this point where the new year meets the old, once again open
up and bestow upon everybody within the four corners of the village,
within the confines of this meritorious village, wealth and happiness.
You in the heavens who are all-true, all-precious, [these people]
united by the same pure intention have crossed over these hills and
streams,
they have come dressed up in white clothes and yellow
clothes, so once again bestow upon every person only wealth and
happy thoughts.
3. May the four eternal birds of the year up there once again take
care of my side, and you up there, the all-true, all-precious, if
people try to harm us let them not succeed and if spirits try to attack
us let them not succeed.
4. You in the heavens, the all-true, all-precious, may the eternal four
(a)
birds of the year up there nine times in one night again open up and
bestow upon all of us eternal thoughts,
open up and bestow upon us these eternal thoughts.
nine times in one night
Reference to H!~'aw,., Sheh_ hpa" (lit, "year master"), the guardian supernatural
of the year, the "keeper of the new year".
(b) The priest of my study village recited this prayer while making offerings at
the New Year Tree on behalf of visitors who had just arrived from the neighbouring
Lahu Nyi village of Mae Saluam.
(c) A poetic manner of saying "new and beautiful clothes".
(d) The guardian of the year is said to possess four celestial birds: two pairs. The
male birds are siblings. The elder male, na_ pu_ co ngeh": "eternal life bird"
(co: life), and his mate sing or cry out in prayer for the long life of the villagers.
The younger brother is called na_ heh ha nga": "eternal soul bird"
(awv ha: soul). He and his mate sing for the wa~dering souls of the villagers
which, on hearing this song, return to their owners. Lahu believe that sickness,
and eventually death, results when a soul leaves the body of its rightful owner
and fails to return.
(e) That is, "the people of my village".
(f) Probably this should have been "eternal happy/easy thoughts", i.e. na_jm_
daw" sha rather than na- pu_ daw" ma as the priest recited it.
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