The Book of the Nishan Shaman 15

Previous installments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

While the Nishan Shaman is leading Sergudai Fiyanggo back to the Land of the Living she encounters someone she had not expected to meet.

nixan saman banina bume hendume monggoldai nakcu si ere gese gvnin tucime fungneci coko indahvn be gemu buhe,

nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
banina bume [giving thanks]
hendume [said]

monggoldai nakcu [Monggoldai Nakcu]
si [you]
ere [this]
gese
[like]
gvnin [thought]
tucime [come out]
fungneci [if wish]

coko indahvn be [rooster and dog]
gemu [all]
buhe [gave]

The Nishan Shaman thanked him, saying, “Monggoldai Nakcu, if you speak out such wishes, then I will give you both the dog and the rooster.”

coko be axi seme hvla, indahvn be ceo seme hvla serede

coko be [rooster]
axi seme [axi]
hvla [call]

indahvn be [dog]
ceo seme [ceo]
hvla [call]

sere-de [when said]

Call the rooster saying “ah-shee”, and call the dog saying “chey-oh”.

monggoldai baniha bume ambula urgunjefi

monggoldai [Monggoldai]
baniha bume [giving thank]
ambula [very]
urgunjefi [having rejoiced]

Monggoldai was very glad and thanked her.

coko indahvn jergi be gaime yaburede gvnime cendeme hvlame tuwaki seme

coko indahvn jergi be [rooster, dog and other]
gaime [taking]
yabure-de [when going]

gvnime [thought]

cendeme [try]
hvlame [calling]
tuwaki [will see]

seme [said]

When he left, taking the rooster and the dog, he thought, “I will try to call them and see what happens”.

juwe be gemu sindafi, axi axi, ceo ceo seme hvlara jakade coko indahvn gemu amasi marifi aibi seme nixan saman be amcame genehe

juwe be [the two]
gemu [all]
sindafi [having released]

axi axi ceo ceo seme [saying axi axi ceo ceo]
hvlara jaka-de [when called]

coko indahvn [rooster and dog]
gemu [all]
amasi [backward]
marifi [having returned]

aibi seme [where(ever)]*
nixan saman be [the Nishan Shaman]
amcame [running after]
genehe [went]

He released them both, and when he called “ah-shee ah-shee, chey-oh chey-oh”, the rooster and the dog both turned around and ran after the Nishan Shaman.

*Kawachi translates this as “anywhere”; this would be very similar to saying “wherever” in English.  Another possible interpretation would be “saying ‘where?'”.

monggoldai golofi ergen biakv sujume baihanafi, he fa seme fodome baime hendume saman gehe ainu yobodombi, absi sini coko indahvn be mini hvlara sasa amasi forome genehebi, bairengge ume holtoro

monggoldai [Monggoldai]
golofi [having become startled]

ergen [life]
bi [I]
akv [not, lack]

sujume [rushing]
baihanafi [went to search]

he fa seme [gasping, panting] he fa – onomatopoeia showing gasping
fodome [gasping]
baime [begging]
hendume [said]

saman gehe [shaman lady]
ainu [why]
yobodombi [make fun] from yobo [joke, fun]

absi [where to/how]
sini coko indahvn be [your rooster and dog]
mini hvlara sasa [together with my calling]
amasi [backward]
forome [turning]
genehebi [went]

bairengge [please]
ume holtoro [do not deceive]

Startled, Monggoldai said “My life is over!”.  He rushed to look for her.  Gasping and panting he begged her, “Shaman lady, why do you make fun of me?  Why did your rooster and dog turn and go back to you?  Please, do not deceive me.”

ere juwe hacin jaka be gamarakv oci, yargiyan ojorakv, han mimbe wakalahade bi adarame alime mutembi seme

ere juwe hacin jaka be [these two things]
gamarakv oci [not taking]

yargiyan [truly, indeed]
ojorakv [it won’t do]

han [khan]
mimbe [me]
wakalaha-de [when accuse, blame]

bi [I]
adarame [how]
alime mutembi [can support]

seme [said]

“I cannot do without these two things.  When the khan blames me, how will I be able to endure it?”

dahin dahvn baire de nixan saman injeme hendume heni yobodome efihengge, ereci amasi saikan i eje, bi sinde alara, coko be gu gu seme hvla, indahvn be eri eri seme hvla sehe

dahin dahvn [time after time, repeatedly]
baire de [when begging]

nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
injeme [laughing]
hendume [said]

heni [a little]
yobodome [making fun]
efihengge [played]

ereci [from now]
amasi [henceforth]
saikan i [well]
eje [remember]

bi [I]
sinde [you]
alara [tell]

coko be [rooster]
gu gu seme [gu gu]
hvla [call]

indahvn be [dog]
eri eri seme [eri eri]
hvla [call]

sehe [said]

When he begged her again and again, the Nishan Shaman laughed and said, “I played a little joke on you.  From now on, remember well how to call them, I will tell you, call the rooster saying “gu gu”, and the dog saying “eri eri”.

manggi monggoldai hendume gehe heni tani yobodoho, mini beye nei taran tucikebi, sefi

manggi [after]
monggoldai [Monggoldai]
hendume [said]

gehe [lady]
heni tani [a bit, a little]
yobodoho [made fun]

mini beye [I/my body]
nei taran [heavy sweat]
tucikebi [came out]

sefi [having said]

Then Monggoldai said, “Lady, you made fun of me a little , but I broke out in sweat.”

saman i alaha gisun songkoi hvlara jakade coko indahvn gemu monggoldai beye be xurdeme uju ucihin lasihime dahalame genehe

saman i alaha gisun songkoi [according to words said by the shaman]
hvlara jakade [when calling]

coko indahvn [rooster and dog]
gemu [all]
monggoldai [Monggoldai]
beye be xurdeme [around him]
uju [head]
ucihin [tail] dict. form: uncehen
lasihime [waving]
dahalame [following]
genehe [went]

When he called the rooster and the dog with the words the shaman told him, they both followed him shaking their heads and tails.

tereci nixan saman sergudai gala be jafafi kutuleme jidere de jugvn dalbade ini eihen be ucirafi tuwaci nimenggi mucen be xuxu orho i tuwa sindame fuyebumbi,

tereci [after that]
nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
sergudai [Sergudai]
gala be [hand]
jafafi [took]

kutuleme [leading]
jidere de [when going]
jugvn [road]
dalbade [by]
ini eihen be [her husband] can be spelled eigen
ucirafi [met] dict. form: ucarafi

tuwaci [if looked]
nimenggi mucen be [oil cauldron]
xuxu orho i [sorghum]
tuwa [fire]
sindame [placing]
fuyebumbi [made boil]

Then the Nishan Shaman took Sergudai by hand.  As she led him, they met her husband by the path.  He placed a cauldron full of oil over a sorghum fire to bring it to boil.

arbun be tuwaci jili banjihabi,

arbun be tuwaci [situation, form, shape]
tuwaci [when looked]

jili banjihabi [lost temper]

When she saw this, she lost her temper.

sargan be sabure jakade weihe be emgeri katur seme seyeme hendume dekdeni nixan si gvwa niyalma be gemu weijubume mutere anggala ajigen ci gaiha haji halhvn eigen mimbe aitubume gamaci eheo

sargan be [wife]
sabure jakade [when saw]

weihe be [teeth]
emgeri [already]
katur seme [brittlely, crunching] katur – onomatopoeia expressing the sound of eating hard brittle things (e.g. ice)
seyeme [hating]
hendume [said]

dekdeni nixan [rising/floating Nishan]**
si [you]
gvwa niyalma be [other people]
gemu [all]
weijubume mutere anggala [people whom you can revive]

ajigen ci [from/than young]
gaiha [taken]
haji halvhn eigen [most beloved husband] lit. beloved hot husband
mimbe [me]
aitubume [reviving]
gamaci [if took]
eheo [(is) bad?]

When he saw his wife, he gnashed his teeth brittlely, and with hate, he said, “Rising Nishan!  You can bring all other people back to life.  Wouldn’t you rather take and revive your most beloved husband than this boy?”

**It’s not clear why he calls her this.  It seems that it is some kind of sarcasm.  It could also be translated “floating Nishan”.

bi cohome ubade nimenggi mucen be fuyebufi simbe aliyambi,

bi [I]
cohome [especially, on purpose]
ubade [here]
nimenggi mucen be [cauldron full of oil]
fuyebufi [having made boil]

simbe [for you]
aliyambi [wait]

“I am here waiting for you, boiling this cauldron full of oil purposely!”

si eici aitubure eici aituburakv babe hvdun gisure yargiyan aituburakv oci simbe unggirakv ningge mujanggo, ere mucen uthai sini bakcin oho sehede

si [you]
eici [either]
aitubure [revive]
eici [or]
aituburakv [not revive]
ba-be [matter, situation]
hvdun [quickly]
gisure [speak]

yargiyan [truly]
aituburakv oci [if do not revive]

simbe [you]
unggirakv ningge [who does not send]
mujanggo [truly, indeed] dict. form: mujangga

ere mucen [this cauldron]
uthai [then]
sini bakcin oho [is against you]

sehe-de [when said]

“Will you revive me or not?  Tell me the truth, quickly!  If you do not revive me, then I will not let you go!  This cauldron is prepared for you!”

nixan saman baime hendume
eigen haji, hailambi xulembi
ekxeme donji hailambi xulembi
haha haji
hailambi xulembi
hahilame donji
hailambi xulembi
nekeliyen xan be
hailambi xulembi
neifi donji
hailambi xulembi

nixan saman [the Nishan Shaman]
baime [begging]
hendume [spoke]

eigen [husband]
haji [beloved]

hailambi*** [to reject an offering/lament]
xulembi*** [embroider/ levy/twitter]
ekxeme [carefully] lit. being busy, engaged
donji [listen]

haha [man]
haji [beloved]
hahilame [hastening]
donji [listen]

nekeliyen xan be [thin ear]
neifi [having opened]

donji [listen]

The Nishan Shaman chanted,
“Beloved husband, hailambi xulembi!
Listen carefully, hailambi xulembi!
Beloved man, hailambi xulembi!
Hurry up and listen, hailambi xulembi!
Open your thin ear, hailambi xulembi,
and listen to me, hailambi xulembi!

*** hailambi, according to Zakharov, means [the deities reject an offering, which can be recognized when after having poured liquor into ears of the offered swine or sheep the animal’s ears do not shudder], xulembi (xeolembi, siolembi) has two meanings – 1. to embroider, from Chinese 绣 xiù, 2. to levy, to collect taxes, from Chinese 收 shōu. Kawachi interprets it this way and he doesn’t translate these words, leaving them in their Manchu form. However, Tulisow (Folklor ludów tunguskich, p.101) suggests that hailambi can be identified with Mongolian qayila- [to lament, to wail], and xulembi with Manchu xulimbi [to twitter, to sing (of birds)], and thus translated as “I am wailing! I am singing!”.

giramin xan be hailambi xulembi
gidafi donjireo
hailambi xulembi
sini beye
hailambi xulembi
siren sube lakcaha
hailambi xulembi
aifini bucefi
hailambi xulembi
aikime
niyaha hailambi xulembi
giranggi yali
hailambi xulembi
gemu hungkenehe
hailambi xulembi

giramin xan be [thick ear] dict. form: jiramin
gidafi [having closed]
donjireo [listen]

sini beye [you]
siren [veins]
sube [tendons]
lakcaha [tore]

aifini [already, for a long time]
bucefi [having died]

aikime [driyng up] dict. form: akiyame
niyaha [rotten]

giranggi [bones]
yali [flesh]
gemu [all]
hungkenehe [crumbled] dict. form: honggonoho

Your thick ear, hailambi xulembi,
close and listen,
hailambi xulembi!
You,
hailambi xulembi,
veins and tendons torn,
hailambi xulembi!
Dead for a long time,
hailambi xulembi!
Dried up and rotten,
hailambi xulembi!
Bones and flesh, hailambi xulembi,
all crumbled,
hailambi xulembi!

absi weijubumbi hailambi xulembi
haji eihen
hailambi xulembi
gvsime gvnici
hailambi xulembi
dulembume unggireo
hailambi xulembi
sini eifu de
hailambi xulembi
hooxan jiha
hailambi xulembi
labdu dejire
hailambi xulembi
buda sogi be
hailambi xulembi
labdu doboro hailambi xulembi

absi
[why]
weijubumbi [revive]

haji eihen [beloved husband]
gvsime [pitying, loving] dict. form: gosime
gvnici [if think]

dulembume [letting go/sending]
unggireo [send]

sini eifu de [at your grave]
hooxan jiha [paper money]
labdu [many, a lot]
deijire [(will) burn]

buda sogi be [porridge and vegetables]
labdu [a lot]
doboro [(will) offer]

“Why should I revive you, hailambi xulembi,
beloved husband,
hailambi xulembi!
If you care about me,
hailambi xulembi,
please, let me go,
hailambi xulembi!
at your grave,
hailambi xulembi,
paper money,
hailambi xulembi,
a heap I’ll burn,
hailambi xulembi!
porridge and vegetables,
hailambi xulembi,
a heap I’ll offer,
hailambi xulembi!”

sini eniye be hailambi xulembi
erxeme kudulembi
hailambi xulembi
erebe gvnici
hailambi xulembi
ergen be guwebureo
hailambi xulembi
sakda eme
be hailambi xulembi
xar seme gvnifi hailambi xulembi
hor seme dulembureo
hailambi xulembi
seme

sini eniye be [your mother]
erxeme [serving, taking care of]
kudulembi [(will) respect] dict. form: kundulembi

erebe [this]
gvnici [if think]

ergen be [breath, life]
guwebureo [forgive]

sakda eme be [old mother]
xar seme [sympathetically]
gvnifi [having thought]

hor seme**** [whinnyingly]
dulembureo [let go]

seme [saying]

“Your mother, hailambi xulembi,
I serve and respect,
hailambi xulembi!
If you consider this,
hailambi xulembi,
you will forgive me
, hailambi xulembi!
For your old mother, hailambi xulembi,
have sympathy,
hailambi xulembi!
keep whimpering and let me go, hailambi xulembi!”

**** hor seme Norman: [neighing, whinnying], MaChMo: [眼尖鼻作響], Kawachi has a note explaining that in 満和辞典 it is defined as the nasal sound produced by a horse, and according to Zakharov it means “to snigger, to burst out laughing (of a man)” or “to neigh (of a horse)”, but since the shaman’s husband has no reason to laugh or snort, we interpret this to be whimpering or sobbing.

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