Here’s a short reading from a Dongba scripture: Heaven and earth, and which appears in the book Tongsu Dongbawen 通俗东巴文 ‘Popular Dongba Script’, by He Limin. Written from left to right.
Now listen to the Naxi, as read by Li Jingsheng, native of Lijiang, and distinguished Naxi researcher. The first three characters (the title: Heaven and earth) are not read.
The translation should go something like this:
Heaven and earth
In the high heavens, the stars appear;
the stars shine bright today.
On the broad earth, the grass grows;
the grass is green today.
Line by line:
Word-for-word: sky / and (phonetic loan, from ‘amaranth’) / earth
Translation: Heaven and earth
Naxi mɯ33 ʂua21 kɯ21 tʂ’ɪ33 dzɪ33
Word-for-word: sky / high / star / these (phonetic loan, from ‘to hang’) / appear (phonetic loan, from ‘perimeter wall’)
Translation: In the high heavens, the stars appear.
Naxi: kɯ21 dzɪ33 tʂ’ɪ33 ŋi33 ɤɯ33
Word-for-word: star / appear / today / bright (phonetic loan, from ‘camellia”)
Translation: the stars shine bright today.
Naxi: dy21 dɯ21 ʐə21 tʂ’ɪ33 y21
Word-for-word: earth / large / grass / this / grow (phonetic loan, from ‘monkey’)
Translation: On the broad earth, the grass grows;
Naxi: ʐə21 y21 tʂ’ɪ33 ŋi33 hər21
Word-for-word: grass /grow / today / green
Translation: the grass is green today.