Previous instalments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
[This installment marks an important milestone in our work: the halfway point. Here the Nisan Shaman comes to her first barrier. — PM and RA]
nixan saman coko indahvn be kutulefi misun hooxan be meiherefi geren weceku xurdeme dahalafi
nixan saman [the Nisan Shaman]
coko indahvn be [rooster and dog]
kutulefi [having led]
misun hooxan be [bean paste and paper]
meiherefi [put on shoulders]
geren weceku [all spirits]
xurdeme [surrounding]
dahalafi [having followed]
The Nisan Shaman led the rooster and the dog, and put the bean paste and paper on her shoulders. All the spirits surrounded her and followed her.
bucehe gurun i baru ilmun han be baime genere de gurgu wecen feksime, gasha wecen deyeme, meihe jabjan muyaljime edun su i gese yabume emu birai cikin dalin de isinjifi
bucehe gurun i baru [toward the Land of the Dead]
ilmun han be [Ilmun Han]
baime [to beg]
genere de [while going]
gurgu wecen [beast spirit] wecen means the same as weceku here
feksime [galloping]
gasha wecen [bird spirit]
deyeme [flying]
meihe [snake, serpent]
jabjan [python, large snake]
muyaljime [slithering] dict. form: midaljame
edun su i gese [like whirlwind] edun [wind] su [whirlwind, cyclone] from Chinese 旋風 xuán fēng
yabume [going]
emu bira-i [a river’s]
cikin dalin de [to banks]
isinjifi [having come]
They moved toward the Land of the Dead to beg Ilmun Han. While they were going, beast spirits galloped, bird spirits flew, and snake spirits slithered. Quick as a whirlwind, they came to the banks of a river.
xurdeme tuwaci umai doore bakv bime dokvn weihu geli saburakv
xurdeme [around]
tuwaci [when looked]
umai [not at all]
doore bakv [not a place to cross] doombi [to ferry across, to cross over (a river)] from Chin. 渡 dù, bakv – contraction of ba akv
bime [being]
dokvn [ford, ferry] dict. form: dogon
weihu [boat]
geli [more]
saburakv [could not be seen]
Looking around, there was no place to cross the river. She could see neither a ford nor a boat.
jing ni facihiyaxame tuwara namxan cargi bakcin dalin de emu niyalma weihu be xurume yabumbi,
jing ni [at that moment]
facihiyaxame [growing anxious]
tuwara namxan [just when watching] can be spelled namaxan
cargi bakcin dalin de [on the other side]
emu niyalma [a man]
weihu be [boat]
xurume [punting]
yabumbi [come]
When she started growing anxious, watching the other side, she saw a man coming across the river, poling a boat.
nixan saman sabufi hvlame hendume,
hobage yebage dogvn dobure
hobage yebage doholo age
hobage yebage donjime gaisu
hobage yebage nekeliyen xan be
hobage yebage neifi donji
hobage yebage giramin xan be
hobage yebage gidafi donjireo
nixan saman [the Nisan Shaman]
sabufi [having seen]
hvlame [shouting]
hendume [said]
hobage yebage
dogvn dobure [ferry steering] dict. form doobure from Chin. 渡 dù
doholo age [lame master]
donjime [listening]
gaisu [take]
nekeliyen xan be [thin ear]
neifi [having opened]
donji [listen]
giramin xan be [thick ear]
gidafi [having pressed]
donjireo [listen]
When she saw him, she shouted,
“Hobage yebage, ferry-steering,
hobage yebage, lame master,
hobage yebage, take a listen!
Hobage yebage, your thin ear,
hobage yebage, open it and listen!
Hobage yebage, your thick ear,
hobage yebage, press it and listen!”
hobage yebage arsun laihi
hobage yebage ejeme donjireo
hobage yebage wecen sain de
hobage yebage wesihun oho
hobage yebage jukten sain de
hobage yebage julesi oho
hobage yebage ejin ilifi
hobage yebage erdemungge oho
arsun laihi [ugly rogue] dict. form: ersun laihvn; can be spelled laihvtu
ejeme [take note]
donjireo [listen]
wecen [rite]
sain [done]*
de [at]
wesihun [great]
oho [became]
jukten [sacrifice, offering]
sain [done]*
de [at]
julesi [forward, in front]**
oho [became]
ejin ilifi [having become master] dict. form: ejen ilifi
erdemungge [powerful, virtuous]
oho [became]
“Hobage yebage, ugly rogue,
hobage yebage, listen and remember!
Hobage yebage, at the completion of the rite,
hobage yebage, I became great!
Hobage yebage, at the completion of the sacrifice,
hobage yebage, I faced forward!
Hobage yebage, I became the master,
hobage yebage, and became powerful!”
*sain here seems to be a complement of result, meaning “finished satisfactorily”. 好 in Chinese can function this way, but it is somewhat rare.
**julesi oho is also a strange construction. Normally julesi is used with verbs of motion.
hobage yebage amai dacin de
hobage yebage acame genembi
hobage yebage eniyei dancin de
hobage yebage ergeneme yumbi
hobage yebage goro mafa boode
hobage yebage goirame genembi
hobage yebage goro mama bade
hobage yebage maksime yombi
ama-i dacin de [in father’s parents’ family] dict. form: dancan
acame [to meet]
genembi [go]
eniye-i dancin de [mother’s parents’ house]
ergeneme [to rest] dict. form: ergendume
yumbi [go] misspelling of yombi
goro mafa [maternal grandfather]
boo-de [in house]
goirame [to entice]
genembi [go]
goro mama [maternal grandmother]
ba-de [at place]
maksime [to dance]
yombi [go]
“Hobage yebage, I am going to meet,
hobage yebage, the father’s family!
Hobage yebage, I am going to rest,
hobage yebage, with the mother’s family!
Hobage yebage, I am going to entice,
hobage yebage, in the grandfather’s house!
Hobage yebage, I am going to dance,
hobage yebage, at the grandmother’s place!”
hobage yebage deheme boode
hobage yebage dekdexeme genembi
hobage yebage ecike i boode
hobage yebage ergen be ganambi
hobage yebage mimbe doobuci
hobage yebage misun bumbi
hobage yebage hvdun doobuci
hobage yebage hooxan bumbi
deheme [aunt (mother’s younger sister)]
boo-de [in house]
dekdexeme [to go crazy] dict. form: dekderxeme
genembi [go]
ecike i [uncle’s (father’s younger brother)]
boo-de [in house]
ergen be [life]
ganambi [go to get]
mimbe [me]
doobuci [if ferry across]
misun [bean paste]
bumbi [give]
hvdun [swiftly]
doobuci [if ferry across]
hooxan [paper]
bumbi [give]
“Hobage yebage, I am going to go crazy,
hobage yebage, in the aunt’s house!
Hobage yebage, I am going to catch a life,
hobage yebage, in the uncle’s house!
Hobage yebage, if you ferry me across the river,
hobage yebage, I will give you bean paste!
Hobage yebage, if you ferry me swiftly,
hobage yebage, I will give you paper!”
hobage yebage bai dooburakv
hobage yebage basan bumbi
hobage yebage unenggi doobuci
hobage yebage ulin bumbi
hobage yebage hahilame doobuci
hobage yebage hatan arki
hobage yebage alibume bumbi
hobage yebage ehe bade
hobage yebage ergen be jolinambi
hobage yebage farhvn bade
hobage yebage fainggo be farganambi
hobage yebage
serede
bai [in vain]
dooburakv [will not ferry]
basan [fee] can be spelled basa
bumbi [give]
unenggi [honestly]
doobuci [if ferry]
ulin [treasures]
bumbi [give]
hahilame [hurrying]
doobuci [if ferry]
hatan arki [fiery liquor]
alibume [offering]
bumbi [give]
ehe ba-de [to evil place]
ergen be [life]
jolinambi [go to redeem]
farhvn ba-de [to dark place]
fainggo be [soul]
farganambi [go to pursue]
sere-de [when said]
Hobage yebage, you will not ferry me in vain,
hobage yebage, I will give you a fee!
Hobage yebage, if you ferry me honestly,
hobage yebage, I will give you treasures!
Hobage yebage, if you ferry me quickly,
hobage yebage, fiery liquors,
hobage yebage, I will offer to you!
Hobage yebage, to the evil place,
hobage yebage, I go to redeem a life!
Hobage yebage, to a dark place,
hobage yebage, I go to pursue a soul!
Hobage yebage!”
doholo laihi donjifi hontoho cuwan be hontoho selbi i selbime bakcin ergi dalin de isinjifi
doholo laihi [lame rogue]
donjifi [having listened]
hontoho cuwan be [half a boat] cuwan from Chin. 船 chuán
hontoho selbi i [with half an oar]
selbime [rowing]
bakcin ergi dalin de [to this bank]
isinjifi [having come]
The lame rogue listened to her and, rowing half a boat with a half an oar, he came to the bank.
nixan saman tuwaci yasa gakta oforo waikv, xan kemteku, uju kalji, bethe doholo gala gaba
nixan saman [the Nisan Shaman]
tuwaci [when looked]
yasa [eye]
gakta [one (was) blind] dict. form: gakda
oforo [nose]
waiku [(was) crooked] dict. form: waiku
xan [ear]
kemteku [(was) torn] probably from kengcembi [to break, to collapse (of soft things)]
uju [head]
kalji [(was) bald] dict. form: kalja
bethe [legs]
doholo [(were) lame]
gala [hand]
gaba [twisted, gnarled] dict. form: gafa
The Nisan Shaman saw that one of his eyes was blind, his nose was crooked, his ears torn, his head bald, his legs lame, and his hands twisted.
hanci jifi hendume saman hehe nio aika gvwa niyalma oho biheci ainaha seme dooburakv bihe,
hanci [near]
jifi [having come]
hendume [said]
saman hehe [shaman woman]
nio interrogative emphatic particle
aika [if]
gvwa niyalma [another person]
oho biheci [if were]
ainaha seme [surely]
dooburakv bihe [would not ferry]
When he came near, he said, “Is that you, shamaness? If it were another person, I surely would not ferry them.”
gebu algin be donjime takame ofi giyan i ere mudan mergen gebu tucire hesebun giyan ofi, arga akv simbe doobumbi sefi
gebu algin be [fame] lit. name fame
donjime [heard]
takame ofi [having become known]
giyan i [by rights]
ere mudan [this time]
mergen gebu [wise name]
tucire [came, originated]
hesebun [destiny]
giyan [principle]
ofi [having been]
arga akv [can do nothing about it]
simbe [you]
doobumbi [ferry]
sefi [having said]
By rights, this time — it is the will of Heaven from which your wise name comes forth — there is nothing I can do about it. I will ferry you.”
nixan saman weihu de tafafi doholo laihi xurku i xurume, selbi selbime cargi bakcin de doobuha manggi nixan saman baniha bume ere majige untuhun gvnin ilan dalhan misun, ilan sefere hooxan be gemu bargiyame werireo sefi
nixan saman [the Nisan Shaman]
weihu de [boat]
tafafi [having got on]
doholo laihi [lame ruffian]
xurku i [with punting pole] dict. form xurukv
xurume [punting]
selbi [with oar]
selbime [rowing]
cargi bakcin de [to other bank]
doobuha [ferried]
manggi [after]
nixan saman [the Nisan Shaman]
baniha bume [to thank]
ere majige untuhun gvnin [this little empty thought, token]
ilan dalhan misun [three lumps of bean paste]
ilan sefere hooxan be [three strips of paper]
gemu [all]
bargiyame [receiving]
werireo [retain]
sefi [having said]
The Nisan Shaman got in the boat. The lame ruffian punted with his pole, rowed with his oar, and ferried her to the other bank. Then the Nisan Shaman thanked him, saying, “Please accept these three lumps of bean paste and three strips of paper as a little token.”
geli fonjime ere dogvn be yaka niyalma dome genehe akv seme fonjihade
geli [also]
fonjime [asked]
ere dogvn be [this ferry]
yaka niyalma [someone, some people]
dome [ferrying] dict. form: doome
genehe akv [did not go]
seme [saying]
fonjiha-de [when asked]
She also asked him, “Haven’t any other people gone by this ferry?”
doholo laihi alame umai gvwa niyalma doho akv damu han i niyaman monggoldai nakcu baldu bayan i haha jui sergudai fiyanggo fainggo be ganame duleke
doholo laihi [lame ruffian]
alame [said]
umai [(not) at all]
gvwa niyalma [other people]
doho akv [did not ferry] dict. form: dooha
damu [but]
han i [lord’s]
niyaman [relative]
monggoldai nakcu [Monggoldai Nakcu] Monggoldai [senior of the mother’s clan]
baldu bayan i [Baldu Bayan’s]
haha jui [son]
sergudai fiyanggo [Sergudai Fiyanggo]
fainggo be [soul]
ganame [bringing]
duleke [passed by]
The lame ruffian said, “No, no other people have gone. But a relative of the lord, Monggoldai Nakcu, was passing by carrying the soul of Baldu Bayan’s son, Sergudai Fiyanggo.”
nixan saman baniha bume, uthai juraha,
nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
baniha bume [to thank]
uthai [then]
juraha [set out] dict. form: juraka
The Nisan Shaman thanked him and set out.