Previous instalments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
yuwan wai sabufi xar seme gosime tuwafi, ini beyede etuhe suje sijihiyan be sufi tere sakdade buhe manggi tere sakda etuku be alime gaifi beyede nerefi hobo ujui bade tob seme ilifi, emu jergi boobe xurdeme tuwafi ambarame emgeri sejilefi emu jergi jabcafi hendume bayan agu si yasa tuwahai sini jui sergudai fiyanggo be turibufi unggimbio yaka bade mangga saman bici baime gajifi belin age be aitubureo, serede
yuwan wai [landlord]
sabufi [having seen]
xar seme [sympathetic]
gosime [with pity]
tuwafi [having looked]
ini beyede etuhe [worn by him] lit. worn on his body
suje sijihiyan be [silk gown] probably from sijimbi [to sew with very fine stitches]
sufi [having put off]
tere sakdade [to the old man]
buhe [gave]
manggi [after]
tere sakda [that old man]
etuku be [clothing]
alime [accepting]
gaifi [having taken]
beyede [on himself]
nerefi [having worn]
The landlord looked at him with pity, and took off the silk gown he was wearing, and when he gave it to the old man, the old man accepted the clothing and put it on himself.
hobo [coffin]
uju-i bade [at the head]
tob seme [exactly]
ilifi [having stood]
emu jergi [once]
boo-be [house]
xurdeme [turning around]
tuwafi [having looked]
ambarame [deeply] lit. [to do sth on a large scale] from amba [big, great]
emgeri sejilefi [having sighed]
Standing right at the head of the coffin, he turned around, glanced at the house, and sighed deeply.
emu jergi [once]
jabcafi [having reproached]
hendume [said]
bayan agu [wealthy friend]
si [you]
yasa tuwahai [in an instant]
sini jui [your son]
sergudai fiyanggo be [Sergudai Fiyanggo]
turibufi [having emited]
unggimbio [send?]
Reproaching, he said “Wealthy friend, you are so quickly sending off your son Sergudai Fiyanggo?
yaka [someone]
ba-de [somewhere]
mangga saman [mighty shaman]
bici [if there is]
baime [to look for]
gajifi [having brought]
belin age be [young master]
aitubureo [revive]
serede [said]
If there is a mighty shaman somewhere, why don’t you bring him to revive the young master?”
yuwan wai hendume aibide sain saman bi
yuwan wai [landlord]
hendume [said]
aibide [where]
sain saman [good shaman]
bi [there is]
The landlord said, “But where is there a good shaman?
meni ere toksode emu ilan duin saman bi,
meni tokso-de [in our village]
emu [one]
ilan [three]
duin [four]
saman [shamans]
bi [are]
In our village are three or four shamans.
gemu buda holtome jetere saman sa, damu majige arki, emu coko, heni efen jergi dobonggo dobome ira buda belheme wecere saman sa kai,
gemu [in every case]
buda [meal] lit. porridge
holtome [deceiving/fooling]
jetere [eat]
saman sa [shamans]
damu [but]
majige [little]
arki [liquor]
emu coko [a chicken]
heni [not much, a pinch]
efen [bread]
jergi [etc]
dobonggo [offering]
dobome [offer]
ira buda [millet porridge]
belheme [preparing]
wecere [worshipping]
saman sa [shamans]
kai particle showing emphasis
They’re all shamans who fool the people out of their food. They only make offerings from a splash of a liquor, a chicken, and a bit of bread. They are shamans who prepare millet porridge for rituals!
niyalma be weijubure sere anggala ini beye hono ya inenggi ai erinde bucere be gemu sarkv, bairengge sakda mafa aika bade sara mangga saman bici majige jorime bureo sehede mafa hendume bayan agu si adarame sarkv nio, ere baci goro akv nisihai birai dalin de tehe, teteke gebungge hehe saman bi, ere saman erdemu amba bucehe niyalma be aitubume mutembi,
niyalma be [man]
weijubure[bringing back to life]
sere anggala [not only]
ini beye [him]
hono [even]
ya inenggi [what day]
ai erinde [when]
bucere [death]
be [acc. marker]
gemu [all]
sarkv [don’t know]
Not only do they not know how to bring a man back to life, but they don’t even know what day he dies.
bairengge [request]
sakda mafa [old man]
aika bade [if]
sara [know]
mangga saman [mighty shaman]
bici [if is]
majige [a little]
jorime [pointing]
bureo [give]
sehede [when he said]
I beg you, old man, if you know about a mighty shaman, please, let me know!”
mafa [old man]
hendume [said]
bayan agu [wealthy friend]
si [you]
adarame [how]
sarkv [do not know]
nio emphatic interrogative particle
ere ba-ci [from this place]
goro akv [not far]
nisihai bira-i [Nisihai river’s]
dalin de [on bank]
tehe [living]
teteke [Teteke]
gebungge [famous] from gebu [name]
hehe saman [woman-shaman / shamaness]
bi [is]
ere saman [this shaman]
erdemu [power]
amba [great]
bucehe niyalma be [dead person]
aitubume mutembi [can revive]
The old man said, “My wealthy friend! How do you not know? Not far from this place, living on the bank of the Nisihai River, is Teteke, a famous lady shaman. This shaman, her power is great. She can revive a dead person.
tere be ainu baihanarakv tere saman jici, sergudai fiyanggo sere anggala uthai juwan sergudai sehe seme inu weijubume mutembi kai, suwe hvdun baihaname gene,
tere be [that (person)]
ainu [why]
baihanarakv [not go to search for]
tere saman [that shaman]
jici [if comes]
sergudai fiyanggo [Sergudai Fiyanggo]
sere anggala [not only, but also]
uthai [then]
juwan [ten]
sergudai sehe [Sergudai]
seme [say]
inu [too, also]
weijubume mutembi kai [can revive]
suwe [you] pl
hvdun [quickly]
baihaname [going to search]
gene [go]
Why not go and look for her? If that shaman comes, she can immediately revive not only one Sergudai Fiyanggo, but even ten Sergudais! Go quickly and look for her!”
seme gisurefi elhe nuhan i yabume amba duka be tucime genefi sunja boco tugi de tefi mukdehebe duka tuwakiyara niyalma sabufi hahilame boode dosifi yuwan wai de alaha manggi, baldu bayan urgunjeme hendume urunakv enduri jifi, minde jorime taciburengge seme
seme [said]
gisurefi [having spoken]
elhe nuhan i [at ease, not rushed]
yabume [going]
amba duka be [huge gate]
tucime [coming out]
genefi [have gone]
sunja boco tugi de* [on a five-coloured cloud]
tefi [having sat]
mukdehe-be [ascending]
duka tuwakiyara niyalma [gate guards]
sabufi [having seen]
hahilame [hurrying]
boo-de [to house]
dosifi [having come in]
yuwan wai de [to landlord]
alaha [said]
Having said that, the old man slowly went out of the huge gate. He sat on a five-coloured cloud and the guards saw him ascend. Hurriedly they went to the house and told the landlord.
manggi [after]
baldu bayan [Baldu Bayan]
urgunjeme [rejoiced, became happy]
hendume [said]
urunakv [undoubtedly]
enduri [god]
jifi [having come]
minde [me]
jorime [pointing, aiming]
taciburengge [teach]
seme [said]
After that, Baldu Bayan rejoiced and said, “It was definitely a god who came to guide me”.
* sunja boco tugi [five-coloured cloud] The colours are: blue, red, white, black and yellow. In Buddhist iconography the five-coloured cloud is an attribute of Jilan i bulekušere too-sengga (Chinese: 觀音 Guān Yīn), who rides it and holds it in one of her thousand hands. Also, Amitābha Buddha (Chinese: 阿彌陀佛, Ēmítuó Fó) descends from the Pure Land on a five-coloured cloud.
uthai untuhun baru hengilefi ekxeme bethe sefere sarala akta morin yalufi, booi aha be dahalabufi, feksime goidahakv nisihai birai dalin de isinafi tuwaci dergi dubede emu ajige hetu boo bi,
uthai [immediately]
untuhun baru [toward empty]
hengkilefi [having kowtowed]
ekxeme bethe [fast legged]
sefere [horse with white hooves] dict. form: seberi
sarala [grey] dict. form: sarla
akta morin [gelding]
yalufi [having sat on]
boo-i aha be [home servant]
dahalabufi [having ordered to follow]
feksime [galloping]
goidahakv [did not endure]
nisihai bira-i [Nisihai River’s]
dalin de [to banks]
isinafi [having come]
tuwaci [if see]
dergi dube-de [on the eastern bank]
emu ajige hetu boo** [a small cottage]
bi [was]
Immediately he kowtowed toward the empty place. He sat on a fast-legged grey horse with white hooves and ordered a home servant to follow him. The galloping didn’t last long, and they came to the banks of the Nisihai River. He could see there was a small cottage on the eastern bank of the river.
** hetu boo [wings lying to both sides of the main house, side rooms], Chinese 厢房
baldu bayan tuwaci tulergide emu se asihan gehe jurhun de oboho etuku be lakiyame walgiyambi
baldu bayan [Baldu Bayan]
tuwaci [looked]
tulergide [outside]
emu se asihan gehe [a young lady] can be spelled gege, lit. elder sister of young age, se from Chinese 歲 (岁) suì
jurhun de*** [on railing]
oboho [washed]
etuku be [clothes]
lakiyame [hanging]
walgiyambi [dry in sun]
Baldu Bayan looked, and outside a young lady was hanging washed clothes on a railing to dry them in the sun.
*** jurhun means [Chinese inch], but is interpreted as a variant of jerguwen [railing, fence] by Kawachi, Volkova interprets it as jorho, which means [a pointed arrowhead with holes on each side] by itself, but together with fodoho is [Salix gracilistyla, type of willow from which arrow shafts were made]; Kawachi’s explanation is more convincing for me.
baldu bayan hanci genefi baime fonjime gehe nixan saman i boo ya bade tehebi, minde alame bureo serede
baldu bayan [Baldu Bayan]
hanci [near]
genefi [having come]
baime [begging]
fonjime [asked]
gehe [young lady]
nixan saman i [of the Nishan Shaman]
boo [house]
ya ba-de [where] lit. in what place
tehebi [is] lit. sits
minde [me]
alame [telling]
bureo [give]
serede [said]
Baldu Bayan approached and asked, “Young lady, please, tell me where the house of the Nishan Shaman is“.
tere hehe injerxeme jorime wargi dubede tehebi sere gisun de yuwan wai morin yalume feksime isinafi tuwaci hvwa i dolo emu niyalma dambagu omime ilihabi
tere hehe [that woman]
injerxeme [smiling cheerfully] dict. form: ijarxame
jorime [pointing]
wargi dube-de [western bank]
tehebi [is]
sere gisun de [on said words]
yuwan wai [landlord]
morin [horse]
yalume [sat on]
feksime [gallopping]
isinafi [having come]
tuwaci [looked around]
hvwa i dolo [in yard]
emu niyalma [a man]
dambagu**** [tobacco]
omime [smoking]
ilihabi [was standing]
Smiling cheerfully, the woman pointed and said “it is on the western bank”. On hearing these words, the landlord mounted his horse and went. He looked around and saw a man standing in the yard, smoking.
**** dambagu/dambaku is loaned form Chinese 淡巴菰 dànbāgū , which in turn probably comes from Spanish tabaco. Tobacco came to China in late Ming times (the earliest record is from 1611), so, since we don’t know exactly when in the Ming dynasty the story took place, we cannot be sure if dambagu refers to tobacco or another kind of herb that can be smoked. It is likely not tobacco.
ebuho sabuho morin ci ebufi hanci genefi baime sain agu wako, nixan saman i boo yala ya emke inu, bairengge tondo i alame bureo serede tere niyalma hendume si ainu gelehe gologo durun i ekxembi,
ebuho sabuho [in a rush] dict. form: ebuhu sabuhv
morin ci [from horse]
ebufi [having dismounted]
hanci [near]
genefi [having come]
baime [asked]
sain agu [good friend]
wako [isn’t it?] dict. form: wakao
nixan saman i [of the Nishan Shaman]
boo [house]
yala [indeed]
ya [what]
emke [this one]
inu [right]
bairengge [request]
tondo i [rightly]
alame [saying]
bureo [give]
serede [said]
Hurriedly, he dismounted from his horse, came near, and asked, “My friend, this is the house of the Nishan Shaman, is it not? Please, tell me truly.”
tere niyalma [that man]
hendume [said]
si [you]
ainu [why]
gelehe [fearing]
gologo [being scared] can be spelled goloho
durun i [manner]
ekxembi [hurry]
The man answered, “Why are you so scared and in such a hurry?”
yuwan wai hendume minde oyonggo ekxere baita bifi, age de fonjime dacilambi, gosici minde alame bureo,
yuwan wai [landlord]
hendume [said]
minde [to me]
oyonggo [important]
ekxere [hurrying]
baita [matter]
bifi [is]
age de [master]
fonjime [asking]
dacilambi [seek information]
gosici [have mercy]
minde [me]
alame [telling]
bureo [give]
The landlord said, “There is an urgent matter that is important to me. I am asking you for this information. Have mercy and tell me, master.”
tere niyalma uthai hendume si teni dergide fonjiha etuku silgiyafi walgiyara tere hehe uthai saman inu, agu taxarabume holtobuha kai, tere saman be baire de saikan i gingguleme baisu, gvwa saman de duibuleci ojorakv ere saman umesi dahabume kundulere de amuran sefi
tere niyalma [that man]
uthai [then]
hendume [said]
si [you]
teni [just]
dergide [eastern]
fonjiha [asked]
etuku [clothes]
silgiyafi [having washed]
walgiyara [drying in sun]
tere hehe [that woman]
uthai [then]
saman [shaman]
inu particle showing emphasis
Then the man said, “On the east side, you just asked the woman who was hanging her wash out to dry — she is the shaman!
agu [friend]
taxarabume [being made mistaken]
holtobuha [was deceived]
kai particle showing emphasis
tere saman be [that shaman]
baire de [when asking]
saikan i [beautifully]
gingguleme [acting respectfully]
baisu [ask]
gvwa saman de [to other shaman]
duibuleci ojorakv [cannot compare]
ere saman [this shaman]
umesi [very]
dahabume [obeying]
kundulere de [respecting, honouring]
amuran [(is) fond of]
sefi [said]
Friend, you were deceived! When you ask that shaman, do it beautifully and respectfully. She cannot be compared with any other shaman. She is very fond of respect.”
*** jurhun means [Chinese inch], but is interpreted as a variant of jerguwen [railing, fence] by Kawachi, Volkova interprets it as jorho, which means [a pointed arrowhead with holes on each side] by itself, but together with fodoho is [Salix gracilistyla, type of willow from which arrow shafts were made]
I’m loving this series. Thanks for doing this.