Previous instalments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Here the shaman falls into her trance.
yuwan wai uthai ahalji be emu morin yalubume emu morin be kutuleme hahilame nara fiyanggo age be ganabuha, goidahakv isinjifi morin ci ebufi baldu bayan okdome boode dosime jidere
yuwan wai [landlord]
uthai [then]
ahalji be [Ahalji]
emu morin [one horse]
yalubume [ordered to mount]
emu morin be [one horse]
kutuleme [leading]
hahilame [hurrying]
nara fiyanggo age be [master Nara Fiyanggo]
ganabuha [ordered to go to get]
Then the landlord ordered Ahalji to mount one horse, and hurry to lead another horse to go and get master Nara Fiyanggo.
goidahakv [soon]
isinjifi [having arrived]*
morin ci [from horse]
ebufi [having dismounted]
baldu bayan [Baldu Bayan]
okdome [greeting]
boo-de [to the house]
dosime [went]
jidere-de [came]
Soon, they arrived, and dismounted from their horses. They greeted Baldu Bayan, and came into the house.
*On the page that starts here, there are many words that appear to be insertions with carets indicating their placement, but 1) they are almost completely illegible in the clearest scan available to us, and 2) strangely, they are not mentioned in any of the previous translations; they have just been ignored by previous scholars. We mark them here in braces {} containing what we have been able to discern, such as a possible reading, and the approximate number of words. They appear to be in the same hand as the main text, but that is difficult to determine without looking at a high resolution color scan, or the original document. You can see the scanned page here.
nixan saman sabufi injeme hendume weceku de hvsun bure wesihun agu jiheo
nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
sabufi [saw] {One long word (…gen?)}
injeme [laughing]
hendume [said]
weceku de [to spirit]
hvsun [power, might]
bure [giving]
wesihun agu [noble friend]
jiheo [came?]
The Nishan Shaman saw him, and laughing she said, “My noble friend who gives power to the spirits came?
endu de aisilara erdemu age nari fiyanggo deo, jari sini beye donji,
endu de [god] dict. form: enduri
aisilara [helping / who helps]
erdemu age [powerful master]
{jiheo [came?]}
nari fiyanggo [Nari Fiyanggo]
deo [younger brother]
jari [assistant, helper]
sini beye [you]
donji [listen]
You, the powerful master who help the gods, came? My younger brother, Nari Fiyanggo, my assistant, listen!
gehe minde saikan i mudan acabume aisila
gehe [elder sister]
minde [to me]**
saikan i [beautifully]
{One word here (mini?)}
mudan [voice]
{Two words (in be?)}
acabume [joining]
aisila [help]
Join your elder sister and help me with your beautiful voice.
**This is another instance of noun + pronoun apposition, like we found in Möllendorff with deo bi (search that page for “deo bi”). These two instances are notable because in English, and all the other languages that we are aware of, apposition with a pronoun is highly restrictive; you couldn’t say things like “little brother, I”, or “to your big sister, me”.
fe ilbaha be dahame yemcen tungken be deo jari de fita akdahabi
fe ilbaha be [old customs] dict. form: ilimbaha (MaChMo)
dahame [following]
yemcen tungken be [shaman drums: yemcen, tungken]***
deo [younger brother]
jari de [assistant]
fita [solid, sturdy] (MaChMo)
akdahabi [depended]
{Three or four words (hergen … …leki?), but perhaps this is a mistake, as there is no caret, and these same words (or similar) are inserted on the next line with a caret}
“Following the old customs, as for the drums, my younger brother, my assistant, I have solidly depended on you.“
***Here be is used as a topic marker.
muterakv oci solho ucihin burihe, sokv gisen ci wesihun i suksaha be tantambi,
muterakv oci [if cannot]
solho [weasel] dict. form: solohi
ucihin [wet] dict. form: usihin (MaChMo)
burihe [stretched (of a skin on a frame of a drum)]
sokv [skin, leather] dict. form: sukv
gisen ci [with drumstick] dict. form: gisun
{Three or four words (hergen … …leki?)}
wesihun i [your (honorific)]
suksaha be [thigh]
tantambi [beat]
“If you cannot, weasel, I’ll beat the wet stretched skin of your thighs with a drumstick.”
This sentence is problematic, and has been translated many creative ways in the available translations. The main problem is the word solho, which means “Korean”, but here that would be completely illogical unless Nari Fiyanggo was Korean. We are going along with Kawachi’s idea that it is a misspelling of the word for “weasel” (although we disagree with Kawachi’s interpretation of the sentence as a whole). We are taking it as a vocative, fitting in with Teteke’s playful relationship with Nari Fiyanggo.
geyen yayan de acanarakv oci, uli moo i gisen ci ura be tantambi, sehe
geyen [chant]
yayan de [mumbling]
acanarakv oci [if do not fit]
{Three or four words (hergen … …leki?)}
uli moo i [of cherry wood]
usihin [wet] (MaChMo)
gisen ci [drumstick]
ura be [buttocks]
tantambi [beat]
sehe [said]
“If you do not fit in with the incantation, I’ll beat your buttocks with a wet cherry-wood drumstick!”
manggi nari fiyanggo injeme hendume etenggi saman, demungge nixan deo bi saha labdu taciburebe baiburakv sefi
manggi [then]
nari fiyanggo [Nari Fiyanggo]
{Two words}
injeme [laughing]
hendume [said]
etenggi saman [powerful shaman]
demungge nixan [strange Nishan]
deo [younger brother]
bi [I]
saha [know]
labdu [much]
tacibure-de [teaching]
baiburakv [don’t need]
{About 7-12 words. Quite illegible.}
sefi [having said]
Then Nari Fiyanggo said, laughing, “Powerful, strange Nishan Shaman! I, your younger brother, know, and do not need much teaching.”
nahan de tefi cai buda dagilame wajifi uthai tungken dume acabumbi
nahan de [on kang]
tefi [having sat]
cai [tea]
buda [meal]
dagilame [preparing]
wajifi [having finished]
uthai [then]
tungken [drum]
dume [striking] can be spelled tvme
acabumbi [joined]
He sat on the kang, prepared tea and a meal, and having finished he then joined in with striking his drum.
See this article for more on shamanizing to the underworld.
tereci nixan saman beyede ibagan i etuku, sixa hosihan be etume hvwaitafi, uyun cecike yekse be ujude hukxefi
tereci [after that]
nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
beyede [herself]
ibagan i etuku [monster’s, or evil ghost’s cloth] can be spelled ibahan
sixa [shaman’s belt with bells]
hosihan be [skirt] dict. form: hvsihan
etume [putting on]
hvwaitafi [having tied up]
uyun cecike yekse be [crown decorated with nine (small) birds]
uju-de [on head]
hukxefi [having put on the head] dict. form: hukxufi
After that, the Nishan Shaman put on the monster’s cloth, the belt with bells, and the skirt, and having tied them up, put the crown with nine birds on her head.
xunggayan beye sunggeljere fodoho i gese, uyaljame yan cun i mudan be alhvdame, amba jilgan i acingiyame, den jilgan i dekennime, haihvngga mudan hayaljame narhvn jilgan nadame yayame baire gisun,
xunggayan beye [slender body]
sunggeljere fodoho i gese [like a trembling willow]
uyaljame [slithering]
yang cun i [Yang Chun‘s]
mudan be [melody]
alhvdame [imitating]
amba jilgan i [in great voice]
acingiyame [shaking] misspelling of acinggiyame
den jilgan i [in high voice]
dekennime [rising] from deken [rather high]
haihvngga mudan [soft voice]
hayaljame [winding]
narhvn jilgan [delicate melody]
nadame [demanding]
yayame [mumbling, incantating]
baire gisun [invocation, imploration]
Her slender body slithered like a trembling willow. Following the Yang Chun melody, she shook in a great voice. Rising in a high voice, winding in a soft melody, demanding in a delicate voice, she intoned the invocation.
Notice the alliteration in the above passage: amba jilgan i acingiyame, den jilgan i dekennime, haihvngga mudan hayaljame narhvn jilgan nadame. Alliteration is a very common stylistic device used in Manchu (and generally Tungusic) poetry. You can read more about the poems in Nixan saman-i bithe here (in Japanese).
hoge yage wehei ukdun
hoge yage ukcame jidereo
hoge yage hahilame ebunjireo
hoge yage
serede saman holhinafi
hoge yage
wehei ukdun [stone cave]
ukcame [to elude]
jidereo [come]
hahilame [hurrying]
ebunjireo [descend]
serede [said]
saman [shaman]
holhinafi [having been in a daze] dict. form: hvlhidafi
“Hoge yage, your stone cave,
hoge yage, elude and come out!
Hoge yage, hurry and descend!
Hoge yage!”
the shaman said in a daze.
fisaci fita singgeme weceku dosifi gaitai weihe saime yayame alame
fisaci [from the back] Schmidt has fisa as a loanword from Chinese 背子 (bèizi).
fita [firmly]
singeme [soaking into] misspelling of singgeme
weceku [deity]
dosifi [having entered]
gaitai [suddenly]
weihe [tooth]
saime [bite]
yayame [incantating]
alame [said]
The deity entered her, soaking into her firmly from the back. Suddenly she bit her teeth and chanted,
hoge yage dalbade iliha
hoge yage dalaha jari
hoge yage adame iliha
hoge yage amba jari
hoge yage hanci iliha
hoge yage haihvngga jari
hoge yage xurdeme iliha
hoge yage sure jari
hoge yage nekeliyen xan be
hoge yage neifi donji
hoge yage giramin xan be
hoge yage gidafi donji
hoge yage
dalbade [aside]
iliha [standing]
dalaha jari [leading assistant]
adame [being next to]
iliha [standing]
amba jari [great assistant]
hanci [near]
iliha [standing]
haihvngga [soft, supple]
jari [assistant]
xurdeme [around]
iliha [standing]
sure jari [wise assistant]
nekeliyen xan be [thin ear]
neifi [having opened]
donji [listen]
giramin xan [thick ear] dict. form: jiramin
gidafi [having pressed]
donji [listen]
“Hoge yage, standing at my side,
hoge yage, my leading assistant!
Hoge yage, standing close by,
hoge yage, my great assistant!
Hoge yage, standing nearby,
hoge yage, my supple assistant!
Hoge yage, standing around,
hoge yage, my wise assistant!
Hoge yage, open your thin ear,
hoge yage, and listen to me!
Hoge yage, press your thick ear,
hoge yage, and listen to me!”
hoge yage amila coko be
hoge yage uju bade
hoge yage hvwaitafi belhe
hoge yage
amila coko be [rooster]
uju bade [by head]
hvwaitafi [having tied up]
belhe [prepare]
“Hoge yage, the rooster,
hoge yage, by the head,
hoge yage, tie it up, then prepare it!
hoge yage kuri indahvn be
hoge yage bethe jakade
hoge yage siderefi belhe
kuri indavhn be [spotted dog]
bethe [legs]
jaka-de [by]
siderefi [having tied]
belhe [prepare]
Hoge yage, the spotted dog,
hoge yage, by the legs,
hoge yage, tie it up and prepare it!
hoge yage tanggv dalhan
hoge yage fe misun be
hoge yage dalbade sinda
tanggv dalhan [hundred lumps] can be spelled dalgan
fe misun be [old bean paste]
dalbade [around]
sinda [put]
Hoge yage, a hundred lumps,
hoge yage, of old bean paste,
hoge yage, put them around!
hoge yage tanggv sefere
hoge yage suseri hooxan be
hoge yage hosifi belhe
tanggv sefere [hundred strips]
suseri hooxan be [coarse paper]
hosifi [having wrapped up]
belhe [prepare]
Hoge yage, a hundred strips
hoge yage, of coarse paper
hoge yage, wrap them up and put them around!
hoge yage farhvn bade
hoge yage fainggo be farganambi
farhvn ba-de [in a dark place]
fainggo be [(yang) soul] dict. form: fayangga
farganambi [go to pursue]
Hoge yage, in a dark place,
hoge yage, pursuing a soul.
hoge yage bucehe gurun de
hoge yage buhime genembi
bucehe gurun de [to Land of the Dead]
buhime [suspect] dict. form: buhiyeme
genembi [go]
Hoge yage, to the Land of the Dead,
hoge yage, I suspect I am going.
hoge yage ehe bade
hoge yage ergen be ganambi
ehe ba-de [to evil place]
ergen be [life]
ganambi [bring]
Hoge yage, to the evil place,
hoge yage, bringing life.
hoge yage tuheke fainggo be
hoge yage tungiyeme yombi
tuheke fainggo be [fallen soul]
tungiyeme [to pick up] dict. form tunggiyeme
yombi [set off]
Hoge yage, a fallen soul,
hoge yage, I’m setting off to fetch.
hoge yage akdaha jari
hoge yage yarume gamareo
akdaha jari [assistant (I) depend on]
yarume [guiding]
gamareo [take]
“Hoge yage, trustworthy assistant,
hoge yage, take and guide me!
hoge yage yargiyan fede
yargiyan [truly]
fede [work hard]
Hoge yage, truly, work hard!
hoge yage aitubume jidere de
hoge yage oforo xurdeme
hoge yage orin damjin
hoge yage muke makta
aitubume [be revived]
jidere de [when come]
oforo [nose]
xurdeme [around]
orin damjin [twenty carrying poles, or yokes] dict. form: damjan****
muke [water]
makta [toss]
Hoge yage, when I am revived,
hoge yage, around my nose,
hoge yage, twenty yokes,
hoge yage, of water, toss!
****It appears that this word is being used as a measure word for the water that one would carry in two buckets on such a pole over one’s shoulder. Twenty yokes equals forty buckets (see below).
hoge yage dere xurdeme
hoge yage dehi hunio
hoge yage muke hungkure
hoge yage
seme alafi uthai fahabume gvwaliyame tuheke
dere [face]
xurdeme [around]
dehi hunio [forty buckets]
muke [water]
hungkure [pour] dict. form: hungkere
seme [saying]
alafi [having told]
uthai [then]
fahabume [was thrown] (in MaChMo)
gvwaliyame [become dizzy] (in MaChMo)
tuheke [fell down]
Hoge yage, around my face,
hoge yage, forty buckets,
hoge yage, of water pour!
Hoge yage!”
she told him, then she was thrown, became dazed, and fell down.
manggi jari nari fiyanggo okdome dedubufi sixa hosihan jergi be dasatafi coko indahvn be hvwaitafi, misun hooxan jergi be faidame sindafi
manggi [then]
nari fiyanggo [Nari Fiyanggo]
okdome [picking]
dedubufi [having put to rest]
sixa [belt with bells]
hosihan [skirt]
jergi be [other things]
dasatafi [having put straight]
coko [rooster]
indahvn be [dog]
hvwaitafi [having tied]
misun [bean paste]
hooxan [paper]
jergi be [other things]
faidame [arranging]
sindafi [having placed]
Then Nari Fiyanggo put her to rest, put her belt and skirt straight, tied the rooster and the dog, and arranged the bean paste, the paper and other things.
ini beye saman i adame tefi weceku fideme yarume gamara gisun i nari fiyanggo yemcen be jafafi yayame deribuhe terei geyen
ini beye [himself]
saman i adame [next to shaman]
tefi [having sat]
weceku [spirit]
fideme [moved]
yarume [guided]
gamara gisun i [with ]
nari fiyanggo [Nari Fiyanggo]
yemcen be [drum]
jafafi [having grasped]
yayame [incantating]
deribuhe [begun]
tere-i geyen [this chanting]
He sat himself next to the shaman, and moved and guided the spirit. With guiding words, Nari Fiyanggo grasped the drum and began intoning this chant,
cingelji ingelji dengjan ayan be
cingelji ingelji farhvn obufi
cingelji ingelji ineku jamji de
cingelji ingelji bayara halai
cingelji ingelji sergudai fiyanggo
cingelji ingelji fainggo jalin
cingelji ingelji hungken de hujufi
cingelji ingelji farhvn bade
cingelji ingelji fainggo be fargambi
cingelji ingelji
dengjan ayan be [candles, lights]
farhvn obufi [having quenched] farhvn [dark] obumbi [to cause to become]
ineku yamji de [this evening]
bayara hala-i [of rich family, clan]
sergudai fiyanggo [Sergudai Fiyanggo]
fainggo jalin [for the sake of soul]
hungken de [in a kowtow] dict. form: hengkin
hujufi [having bowed deeply]
farhvn ba-de [in dark place]
fainggo be [soul]
fargambi [pursue]
“Cingelji ingelji, candles and lights,
cingelji ingelji, when they are all quenched,
cingelji ingelji, this evening,
cingelji ingelji, a rich family’s one,
cingelji ingelji, Sergudai Fiyanggo,
cingelji ingelji, for the sake of his soul,
Cingelji ingelji, after giving a deep kowtow,
cingelji ingelji, in a nebulous place,
cingelji ingelji, she will pursue his soul,”
cingelji ingelji ehe bade
cingelji ingelji ergen be ganambi
cingelji ingelji tuheke fainggo be
cingelji ingelji tunkiyeme gajimbi
ehe ba-de [in evil place]
ergen be [life]
ganambi [bring]
tuheke fainggo be [fallen soul]
tunkiyeme [carrying] dict. form: tukiyeme
gajimbi [bring]
“cingelji ingelji, in the evil place,
cingelji ingelji, she will fetch his life,
cingelji ingelji, his fallen soul,
cingelji ingelji, she will bring.
cingelji ingelji hutu de hosungge
cingelji ingelji ibagan de icingga
cingelji ingelji abkai fejergide
cingelji ingelji algin bihe
cingelji ingelji geren gurunde
cingelji ingelji gebu bihe
cingelji ingelji
sefi
hutu de [to ghost]
hosungge [power] dict. form: hvsungge
ibagan de [to the monster, evil ghost]
icingga [skilled, experienced]
abka-i fejergi-de [all under heaven]
algin [fame]
bihe [was]
geren gurun-de [in every country]
gebu [name]
bihe [was]
sefi [having said]
Cingelji ingelji, power with the ghosts,
cingelji ingelji, experience with monsters.
Cingelji ingelji, with all under heaven,
cingelji ingelji, she had fame,
cingelji ingelji, in every country,
cingelji ingelji, was her name.
Cingelji ingelji!”, he said.