The Book of the Nishan Shaman 12

Previous instalments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

The shaman passes different obstacles that appear on her way to rescue the soul of Sergudai Fiyanggo.


yabume goidahakv geli fulgiyan birai dalin de isinafi xurdeme tuwaci dokvn doobure jahvdai akv bime emu niyalma helmen be inu saburakv ofi arga akv weceku de baime yayame deribuhe

yabume [going]
goidahakv [didn’t last long]

geli [moreover]
fulgiyan bira-i dalin de [to banks of the Red River]
isinafi [having come]

xurdeme [around]
tuwaci [when looked]
dokvn [ford]
doobure jahvdai [ferry-boat]
akv [was not]
bime [being]

emu niyalme [one man]
helmen be [shadow]
inu [really]
saburakv ofi [could not be seen]

weceku de [to the spirit]
baime [beseeching]
yayame [incantating]
deribuhe [begun]

The going didn’t last long, and she came to banks of the Red River.  Looking around, there was neither ford nor ferry-boat.  Not even the a shadow of a person could be seen.  She began her incantation to beseech the spirit.

eikuli yekuli abka be xurdere
eikuli yekuli amba daimin
eikuli yekuli mederi be xurdere
eikuli yekuli menggun inggalii
eikuli yekuli bira cikin be xurdere
eikuli yekuli cecereku meihe
eikuli yekuli jan bira be xurdere
eikuli yekuli jakvn da jabjan
eikuli yekuli

abka be [sky, heaven]
xurdere [circling]
amba daimin [great eagle] dict. form: damin

mederi be [sea]
xurdere [circling]
menggun inggalii [silver wagtail] misspelling of inggali

bira cikin be [river bank]
xurdere [circling]
cecereku meihe [vexing snake] dict. form: cecerxuke, it may be derived from cecerxembi [to exert a great amount of effort, to quiver from exertion]

jan bira be [Jan River]
xurdere [circling]
jakvn da jabjan* [eight fathom long large snake/python]

“Eikuli yekuli, circling the sky,
eikuli yekuli, the great eagle!
Eikuli yekuli, circling the sea,
eikuli yekuli, the silver wagtail!
Eikuli yekuli, circling the river bank,
eikuli yekuli, the vexing snake!
eikuli yekuli, circling the Jan River,
eikuli yekuli, the eight fathom long python!”

*According to MaCMo, one da equals one 庹 tuǒ – the length of two outstretched arms (and it seems to be a loanword), which is, as the Japanese translation says, one fathom, or five Chinese feet.  Other translators (Durrant, Volkova) interpret jakvn da jabjan as “eight pythons”, because the word da can also be a classifier for long objects (like Chinese zhī), but I found no evidence that it could be applied to animals too.  I decided to translate it as “eight fathom long python” since all the other animals Teteke calls are singular. —PM

eikuli yekuli ajige ejin mini beye
eikuli yekuli ere bira be
eikuli yekuli doombi sembi
eikuli yekuli geren wecense
eikuli yekuli wehiyeme dooburo
eikuli yekuli hvdun hasa
eikuli yekuli erdemu be tacibureo
eikuli yekuli
sefi

ajige ejin [little master] dict. form: ejen
mini beye [I]
ere bira be [this river]
doombi sembi [want to cross] the grammatically correct form should be dooki sembi

geren wecen-se [all deities]
wehiyeme [helping]
dooburo [ferry] misspelling of doobureo

hvdun [quick]
hasa [hurry up]

erdemu be [power]
tacibureo [reveal]

“Eikuli yekuli, I, the little master!
Eikuli yekuli, this river,
eikuli yekuli, want to cross!
Eikuli yekuli, all deities!
eikuli yekuli, help ferry me!
Eikuli yekuli, quickly, hurry up!
Eikuli yekuli, reveal your power!
Eikuli yekuli!”

yemcen be bira muke de maktafi saman i beye ninggude ilifi uthai edun su i gese dartai andande bira be doofi, bira ejin de ilan dalhan misun, ilan sefere hooxan basan werifi uthai jurame yaburengge hahi ofi uju furdan de isinjifi

yemcen be [drum]
bira muke de [onto the river water]
maktafi [having thrown]

saman i beye [shaman herself]
ninggu-de [on top]
ilifi [having stood]

uthai [immediately]
edun su i gese [like a whirlwind]
dartai andande [in a moment]
bira be [river]
doofi [having crossed]

bira ejin de [to the lord of the river]
ilan dalhan misun [three lumps of (fermented) bean paste]
ilan sefere hooxan [three strips of paper]
basan [fee] dict. form: basa
werifi [having left]

uthai [immediately]
jurame [setting out]
yaburengge [journey]
hahi ofi [having become fast]

uju furdan de [to the main gateway]
isinjifi [having reached]

The shaman threw her drum onto the river water and stood on top of it.  Like a whirlwind she crossed the river in a moment.  She left three lumps of the bean paste and three strips of paper as a fee for the lord of the river. Then she immediately set out and quickly reached the main gate.

duleki serede furdan tuwakiyaha seletu senggitu juwa hutu esukiyeme hendume ainaha niyalma gelhun akv ere furdan be dosiki sembi, be ilmun han i hese be alifi ere furdan be tuwakiyambi hvdun turgun be ula serede

duleki serede [when wanted to pass]
furdan [gate]
tuwakiyaha [guarding]
seletu [Iron]
senggitu [Blood]
juwa hutu [two ghosts]
esukiyeme [shrieking]
hendume [said]

ainaha niyalma [what kind of person]
gelhun akv [fearlessly]
furdan be [gate]
dosiki sembi [want to pass]

be [we]
ilmun han i [Ilmun Han’s]
hese be [will]
alifi [having fullfilled]

ere furdan be [this gate]
tuwakiyambi [guard]

hvdun [quickly]
turgun be [reason]
ula [convey]

sere-de [when said]

When she wanted to pass, two ghosts guarding the gate, Iron and Blood, shrieking at her, said, “What kind of person fearlessly wants to pass the gate?  We guard this gate, fulfilling Ilmun Han’s will.  Quickly, tell us your reason!”

nixan saman hendume mini beye weihun gurun i nixan saman inu, bucehe gurun de monggoldai nakcu be baihanambi sehede

nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
hendume [said]

mini beye [I]
weihun gurun i [from the Country of the Living]
nixan saman inu [am the Nishan Shaman]

bucehe gurun de [to the Country of the Dead]
monggoldai nakcu be [Monggoldai Nakcu]
baihanambi [came to look for]

sehe-de [when said]

The Nishan Shaman said, “I am the Nishan Shaman from the Country of the Living!  I came to the Country of the Dead to look for Monggoldai Nakcu.”

juwe hutu esukiyeme tuttu oci furdan dosire kooli gebu, basan be werifi dosimbumbi sehede

juwe hutu [two ghosts]
esukiyeme [shrieked]

tuttu oci [if so, in this case]
furdan [gate]
dosire kooli [admission custom]
gebu [name]
basan be [fee]
werifi [leave]

dosimbumbi [allow to enter]

sehede [said]

The two ghosts shrieked, “If so, you have to leave your name and a fee according to the admission custom, then you may enter.”

nixan saman gebu afahari ilan dalhan misun, ilan sefere hooxan be bufi teni duleme genehebi, yabume jai furdan de isinafi inu onggolo songkoi gebu, basan jergi werifi duleme yabuhai ilaci furdan i monggoldai nakcu duka bade isinafi

nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
gebu afahari [a strip of paper with name written on it]
ilan dalhan misun [three lumps of the bean paste]
ilan sefere hooxan be [three strips of paper]
bufi [gave]

teni [then]
duleme [passing]
genehebi [went]

The Nishan Shaman gave them a strip of paper with her name written on it, three lumps of the bean paste, and three strips of paper.  Then she passed through the gate.

yabume [going]

jai furdan de [two gateways]
isinafi [came]

inu [already]
onggolo songkoi [like before]
gebu [name]
basan [fee]
jergi [other things]
werifi [left]

duleme [passing]
yabuhai [going] descriptive converb

ilaci furdan i [third gate]
monggoldai nakcu [Monggoldai Nakcu]
duka ba-de [at the gate/door]
isinafi [came]

Going on, she came to a second gateway.  As before, she left her name, a fee, and the other things.   Passing through that, she came to the third gateway, the door of Monggoldai Nakcu.

sixa lisihiyame, honggo hoyome hocohon jilgan i hoge yage hvlame

monggoldai nakcu
hoge yage hvdun hahi
hoge yage tucime jidereo
hoge yage ai jalin de
hoge yage sain i banjire
hoge yage jalgan akvngge
hoge yage jafafi gajiha
hoge yage erin unde
hoge yage ergeleme gajiha

sixa [belt with bells]
lisihiyame [shaking] dict. form: lasihime

honggo [small bells] dict. form: honggon
hoyome [jingling] dict. form: hvyame, lit. crying (of birds)

hocohon jilgan i [in beautiful voice] dict. form: hocikon
hoge yage
hvlame [chanted]

monggoldai nakcu [Monggoldai Nakcu]
hvdun hahi [quickly]
tucime [coming forth]
jidereo [come]

ai jalin de [for what reason]
sain i [well]
banjire [living (one)]
jalgan [life span, destiny]
akvngge [not complete] lit. not being
jafafi [having caught]
gajiha [brought]

erin unde [too early] lit. time not yet
ergeleme [to torment]
gajiha [brought]

Shaking the bells on her belt and jingling the smaller bells, she chanted “hoge yage” in a beautiful voice.

“Monggoldai Nakcu!
Hoge yage, quickly,
hoge yage, come out!
Hoge yage, for what reason,

hoge yage, a decent life,
hoge yage, a destiny incomplete,
hoge yage, did you catch and bring,
hoge yage, before his time,
hoge yage, did you bring to torment?

hoge yage amasi buci
hoge yage ambula baniha
hoge yage bai buci
hoge yage baniha bumbi
hoge yage banjire aldasi
hoge yage balai gajiha
hoge yage eitereme gajiha
hoge yage aiseme jabumbio
hoge yage bai gamarakv
hoge yage basan bumbi

amasi buci [if give back]

ambula baniha [very thankful]

bai [only]
buci [if give]

baniha bumbi [(will) thank]

banjire [life]
aldasi [prematurely dead, cut off midway]
balai [blindly, vainly]
gajiha [brought]

eitereme [deceiving]
gajiha [brought]

aiseme [for what] lit. saying ‘what?’
jabumbio [answer]

bai [only]
gamarakv [not hide]

basan [fee]
bumbi [(will) give]

“Hoge yage, if you give him back,
hoge yage, I will be very thankful,
hoge yage, if only you give him,
hoge yage, I would thank you!
Hoge yage, his life was cut short;
hoge yage, brought here in vain!
Hoge yage, you deceived him and brought him;
hoge yage, answer, what for?
Hoge yage, if only you don’t hide him,
hoge yage, I will give you a fee!”

hoge yage holtome gamarakv
hoge yage hvda werimbi
hoge yage minde buci
hoge yage misun bumbi
hoge yage tucibufi buci
hoge yage turgin bumbi
hoge yage doigonde buci
hoge yage dorolombi

holtome [deceiving]
gamarakv [don’t hide]

hvda [goods]
werimbi [(will) leave]

minde [to me]
buci [if give]

misun [(fermented) bean paste]
bumbi [(willl) give]

tucibufi [having brought out]
buci [if give]

turgin [repayment] dict. form: turigen
bumbi [(will) give]

doigon-de [beforehand]
buci [if give]

dorolombi [(will) pay (my) respects] dorolombi [to salute, to greet with the hands joined in front of the face, to pay one’s respects]

“Hoge yage, if you don’t deceive me hiding him,
hoge yage, I will leave you goods,
hoge yage, if you give him to me,
hoge yage, I will give you bean paste!
Hoge yage, if you bring him out and give him back,
hoge yage, I will give you repayment for this!
Hoge yage, if you give him back quickly,
hoge yage, I will pay my respects to you!”

hoge yage geli burakvci
hoge yage sain ba akv
hoge yage weceku hvsunde
hoge yage deyeme genembi
hoge yage boo de dosime
hoge yage ganame genembi
hoge yage seme

geli [moreover]
burakvci [if don’t give]

sain ba akv [it will not be good] lit. the matter won’t be good

weceku [spirits]
hvsun-de [in power]
deyeme [flying]
genembi [(will) come]

boo de [house]
dosime [entering]

ganame [coming to get]
genembi [(will) come]

seme [said]

“Hoge yage, but if you don’t give him back,
hoge yage, it will not be good for you!
Hoge yage, spirits, powerfully,
hoge yage, will come flying,
hoge yage, they will enter your home,
hoge yage, to take him back!
Hoge yage!”

seme nixan saman sixa lasihiyame yekse isihime honggo hoyodome halang sere jilgan be guwebure

nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
sixa [belt with bells]
lasihiyame [shaking]

yekse [shaman’s cap]
isihime [shaking]

honggo [small bells]
hoyodome [jingling]

halang sere [so called ‘halang’] onom. the sound of metal or stone objects banging together, dict. form: kalang
jligan be [voice]
guwebure [made clang] dict. form: guwembure

Having said that, the Nishan Shaman shook her belt with bells, shook her cap, and jingled the small bells.  She made her voice clang, like metal on metal.

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