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

36 Anthony R. Walker
TEXT EIGHT -FORMAL TRANSLATION
1. Oh, this year, keeper of the year, keeper of the month, throughout
the year once again protect from the cuts of the knives and axes the
big and the small, every household, every person within the four
corners of the headman's village, within the four corners of the
to-bo-pa's village; yes, until next year once again protect every
household and every person from the cuts of knives and axes, from
all sicknesses of the year, from the seventy-seven kinds of
sickness. c.
2. Ob, throughout the year please create for us and bestow upon us
divine wealth; grant to every household many animals underneath
the house, many people inside the house.
3. Oh, throughout the year, Father keeper of the year, keeper of the
month, carefully watch over us and carefully shield every household
from all sickness.
4. Grant to every household, every person, that they not be cut by
knives nor axes, that united by the same pure intentions everybody
within the four corners of the village may together prepare the
fields; grant that througltout the year nobody may suffer from
sickness.
5. Oh, keeper of the year, keeper of the month, once again order, once
again reach out for [this blessing] and cover every household, every
person within the four corners of the headman's village with great
wealth such that people will talk of our fine style; until next year
let us suffer no troubled thoughts.
(a) The to-bo-pa is the senior priest in a Lahu Nyi village (cf. Walker 1970b: 190).
(b) That is, "all sickness which we might suffer during the coming year''.
(c) The number seventy-seven is used here to indicate "all kinds".
my informants its use has no deeper symbolic connotation,
According to
(d) The Shan numeral shehn "one hundred thousand" is used here to suggest "a
multitude". Lahu Nyi houses being raised on piles, the space underneath
them is used for sheltering livestock.