These lyrical verses are from the repertoires of folk tales of both the Meiteis and the Kabuis. This tale is of Chingthtrao, and it occurs in a compilation of Manipuri Folk Songs by Lourembam Bedabati titled, Khunnung Eshei Nachom. Its narrative tells of the existential pain and agony of a Kabui girl who grew up loved and unwanted. Kabui is one of the native tribes of Manipur. The mundane worldly life torments and tortures a beautiful soul. Living true to nature, the maiden finally seeks refuge in the Divine. Kind Lord Thangjing, ancestral deity who is the guardian of Moirang obliges and grants her wish and prayers and Nature embraces her and she blooms in the wild, attaining liberation she sought. Her yearning for human love and friendship is also fulfilled when the beautiful maiden, Kunjalembi of Moirang befriends her and takes her as her most dear friend in her anxious wait for her lover, Pungnao Taba. The intense emotion of love and grateful concern Kunjalembi has for her floral friend saves her from oblivion. She immortalises her when she endows the name, Ching-thrao to her beloved friend. ‘Ching’ is the Manipuri word translated as ‘Hills’, ‘Tharo’ is ‘Lily’ and ‘Paitha’ is translated as ‘Flying Downward’.
Original Manipuri text (English translation below)
Kabui Chadi Nurabi
Poktabina Langonbi
Amuk thongba tarana
Numidang chara oijabi
Numidang thongba tarana
Ayukki chindamchayom oijabi
Enung nongna ngandringei
Namu mikup londringei
Singja Langubu pausibirey
Kabui chadi nurabi
Ayuk yenda mangdagi
Korou singja langubi
Humangi leirik kangdringei
Loimom fousu takpirey
Ho takpirey (3)
Loimom fousubi
Awa meisa loidrinei poktabi mamana
Pamlou yallubu takprey | |
Tara chajik charaga
Khalei yotpu paiduna
Kabui chadi nurabi
Pothabadi yaodana
Pamlou tannabu lakcharey | | 2
Kabui chadi nurabi
Awa meisa langbada
Khangamdrabi leirangdo
Khutagi yotlei thadokle
Kourou nongdol thaja yeng | |
Palem mamabu kouduna
Hikna hikna kapchakhido
Laibak thibi nujado
Kegey maikei yengduna
Chingu thagonnarak-ee |
Hikna kikna kaptuna |
Korou meisa langbada
Ching-uu ebungo
Ha moirangi thangjing
Nahakti chanbi heiba mapuni
Pamel madi khangammi
Ningthem ulen nangbada
Pamen urai tadedo
Pamen madi enga kumdamlakpada
Engen khumkharrakpada pamel madi
Wai maktabu haidedo awa meisa khangamdana
Pamel laktabu tinjage chinguba nangna
Kubiyu asi wadi haiduna tentha chingoinaramlaga
Maramna lamlen lamnungsi
Kegey Moirangsu lamkonnung
Thambal Nongsa loukonnung
Yengtra nonghun lou
Fibun ngairongching
Sareng chingibu chingmeine
Thangjing lamlon awangba
Loibi thaktabu karakle ||
Awabani Laibik thibi nujado
Kabui chadi nurabi
Loibi thakta leptuna
Khoiyum Thangjing thagonna
Awa meisa khangamba
Nungairakta chonthorakleda
Nura mana paithei haibagiPaitha lamjao thonneiyei |
Lemna mangba yadedo
Singen oina saiyonle
Sajibu laiyen taibada
Koina leihun tambada
Singen leisat tamlakle
Hada leirang leinungsi |
Awang Koubru Lokchinkol
Hembanabu lalum khun
Huirei Ngangbi Chingnungkok
Thoudu nandaba khundana panbabu leirangni
Maronniba londreba
Makhunidabu khundreiba
Haoba Khongjaibningthouba
Tolongkhomba koubana
Khutta singjang paidunaUrai hanna, hangdrei chanduna
Pamel singja langbada
Leirang mabu yaoba lei |
Leirang mawu tabana
Pamel ujao manba lei
Leirangi leina tabana
Kaoren khongu manbi lei
Leirang mana pomlingei
Nuragi khutsa manbi lei
Leirang fugaina satlaga
Lupai nachom manbi lei
Leirangna satpa ubada
Moirangi yaifaba
Thiyam Chaobagi mammomloi
Kumjalembi ebemma
Loibi chingda kaduna
Singen wana hekcharey
Nungsidako etaroi
Singen nangbu heklaga
Nungsi mapau ngaibada
Leirang maiyyok oijagey |
Sanjenthongi thongyaida
Nura kumjarembina
Leirang khutta paiduna
Mathanglen Pumnao tabasu
Ngaingam leiniko leinungsi |
Hada leirang itaroi
Panthousingna sonnaba
Loibi chanura amana
Saiyonbini haineiko
Singen kolloi thonduna
Loibi chingi lokmangda
Malang Cheiroinaduna
Yendou nangbu manglagadra
Ngasi Kunjalembi eihakna
Loibi chanurana saiyonba eta nangbu
Chingdagi mingthang khara lou
Loibi Chanuragi mingthang khara lou
Leirang nangi namingdu
Loibi Chingthrao thollamgeyko etaroi
English translation
The lass of Kabui Tribe
Guardianed by the woman who bore her not
The morning-cooked rice, cold and old
Would be for her the night meal
The old food of the day gone
It’d be packed and bound for her day-meal
Well before the day breaks
When the village folks are fast asleep
Out in the forest was she sent to gather fire-woods
The lass of Kabui Tribe
Who before day-break
Brought home fire-woods
Well ere the sweat-beads on her fair face did dry
Was she told to do the pounding of all the rice
Ho … she was told (3)
Well ere the weariness and the anguish ends the mother who bore her not
Tasked the lass to slash at the Jhum field
Eating the life-giving food
Iron spade in her hands
The lass of Kabui Tribe
Knowing no rest
Out set she for the Zhum field
The lass of Kabui Tribe
Burning herself through the sufferings
The flower like maiden who could no longer bear
The iron spade slipped away from her hands
Skyward she raised her gaze at the moon
Calling aloud to her mother
She wailed in utter distress
The ill-fated lass
Then turning herself towards Kege
Prayed to the Lord
Crying her heart out.
Agonized by the days unbearable
To the Lord
Haa … Thangjing of Moirang
The kind-hearted master that you are!
The tall trees could bear
The frost of the winter
Could bother it not
Whilst the Early Monsoon makes up the fate of the floral lives that season
And the Later Monsoons hands out the fate of the floral lives that season
Said the mighty trees not a word of weariness
Resilient and bearing
Make me one among them Lord
Kindly do oblige, saying these words
Wailing aloud she said
Beloved native land of hers
The fields of Kege-Moirang
The fields of Thambal-Nongsha slopes
The Nonghu meadows beheld
The Fibun Ngaroi Hills
The place where Sareng Hill ends.
The Thangjing Highlands
Upward on the mountain she climbed
Woefully the ill-fated maiden
With prayers to Lord Thangjing in her heart
The agony she had been bearing.
Downward she jumped unto the rocks
That the maiden flew down, the place
Was hence named Paitha meadows
In vain could she not perish
Hence reincarnated the lass as a Flower on the trees
And when winter cold ends
The buds do spring
The one blossom on the trees too appeared
Oh! Ye beloved Flower
At North Koubru where the
The village of Hemban Lalum Khun
The Peak Hurei Nganbi
There seated aloft the boulders unsmooth these blossoms
Of different tongue spoken
Of different village lived
The Chief of Khongjai Tribe
Tollongkhomba was his name
Axe in hand Cut and bound trees
Gathering Firewood
In the bundle … the flowers … the wood was bounded too
Looking at the Trunk
She seems a tree mighty and told
Looking at the petals
She resembles the cattle’s footprints
Looking at the bud
She looks like maiden’s finger
And when she fully blooms
She becomes the intricate silver flower bunch worn at beauty’s ears
Seeing the flowers in full bloom
The prosperous of Moirang
Thiyam Chaoba whose daughter
The fair maiden Kunjalembi
Atop the mountain she went
Ventured the tiresome climb and dearly did pluck
Beloved companion
Holding you in my hands
When I wait for words from my suitor
You be for me the one to stand with
Amid the wooden bridge stood she
Fair maiden Kunjalembi
Flower in hand
In wait of her suitor Pungnao Taba
Beloved flower did accompany her
Haada flower beloved friend of mine
The village fathers did say
Of a highland lass
Become you are.
Lovely flower unnamed
Afront the mountain waterfalls
Blown ajar by the wind
Fear that you might lose your way
This day, I Kunjalembi
Oh beloved friend – reincarnated by a lass of the hills
Deriving a little from ‘Ching’
I give to you my dear
Your name ‘Loibi Chingthrao’.
Aheibam Anita is a Freelance Media Communicator and translator
