This is something I have always struggled to achieve. As someone who is more fluent in English than Hmong, I often feel limited in my ability to produce the same kind of poetic expression in Hmong.
This story was originally published on this site in 2012. For this 2026 edition, I have revisited and rewritten the piece in both English and Hmong, while making every effort to preserve the spirit, imagery, and distinctive beauty of the original. The story has also been given new artwork to accompany this updated version.
Below, I have reproduced the portion of Liaj Xyum Vaj’s two-part video that I particularly enjoyed, along with his audio for those who cannot read Hmong.
English Version
Whenever she stepped beyond the doorway, she would wear her beautiful, flowing sash around her waist, swaying so gracefully that there seemed to be no one else in the world quite like her. Her beauty turned the heart of every Hmong young man upside down, making their hearts fall helplessly for her.
“Young maiden, with those adorable dimples, so beautiful and graceful—has there ever been a Hmong man who has not fallen in love with you?”
The young maiden answered:
“Young Hmong man, even with my little dimples and all my beauty, whenever I step beyond the doorway and face the world wearing the clothes my mother and father gave me, I still have not found a Hmong man who truly belongs to me.”
From that day forward, the young Hmong man began slowly following the paths beneath the mountains and through the valleys.
Across the mountains was where he climbed; through the valleys was where he traveled. Slowly he journeyed—one day becoming a month, one month becoming a year.
In this way, the young Hmong man gathered up the maiden’s love and carried it with him, holding it close as he slept.
Yet his heart was always filled with fear. He was afraid that the maiden’s love would become the very thing that caused his spirit to wander beyond this life and seek another existence.
For the young man had chosen a life of hardship in this world. Whenever he stepped outside his home, he feared that others would mock him. Whenever he returned home, he feared what people would say.
He lived a life that did not fit with the expectations of his neighbors and his village. Sometimes he wished that he could simply die and leave it all behind, yet even then, his heart still longed for love.
So the young man said to the maiden:
“Young maiden, why has this life brought you to meet a man who lives like a bat and runs like a fish? Would you share my sorrow with me?”
The maiden answered:
“Young Hmong man, do not be sad. If one day fate gives you no other choice and you become a fish, then I will become the water for you. If you become a bat, then I will become a leaf where you can hide from the rain.”
From that time onward, the young maiden and the young man continued to seek one another, day after day and night after night, throughout the seasons, through the years, with every passing day and every passing month.
Then, one night, something changed.
The night passed without a dream. No familiar presence came to him. When morning finally arrived, he awoke to the sound of people calling others to eat meat and drink wine.
The young Hmong man slowly lifted his eyes.
And there she was.
The young Hmong man then slowly lifted his eyes and looked, and, behold, the young maiden was standing at a wedding procession, with here ceremonial clothes put on completely, every piece of her wedding attire had been carefully put in place.
The young Hmong man could hardly bear what he saw. His heart broke, and he fell to his knees, crying out to Heaven and Earth.
The young Hmong man could no longer contain his anger and sorrow.
He seized the sword at his waist and secretly went to wait for her near the rocky ridge.
He raised his eyes and looked.
There stood the young maiden, her long hair flowing and swaying softly, her eyelashes falling gracefully across her eyes. She was following behind another young man.
The young Hmong man waved his hands and feet, desperately trying to catch her attention.
But the maiden acted as though she neither saw nor heard him.
In a single fleeting moment, everything passed him by.
He left that place and returned home, his spirit as shattered as though the entire world had burned to ashes.
Oh, young maiden...
Muaj ib tag kis thaum sawv ntxov, lub hnub tawm liab pliv puag tim npoo ntuj. Txawm hnov ib lub suab me nyuam mos liab quaj peb zag nrog leej niam leej txiv lub suab nqee.
Peb tag kis tom qab ntawv txawm muaj npe thiab loj hlob tuaj yuav ua paj paws, luag ntxhawv ntxhi ncav tes nuag tuav tag leej niam leej txiv lub nqaws tsho, tawb tag txhua leej txhua tus lub siab ntshaw. Tsis muaj puas tsawg xyoo rov tuaj rau tom qab, yuav txawj ris dej txiav taws. Tawm rooj plaws yuav ua me hlab ntxhoo ntxhee yees zoo tam zoj li tsis tau muaj dua nyob rau hauv lub ntiaj teb no, ua rau me leej nus Hmoob lub siab lub ntsws ntxeev tag zoo tam zoj li toj rooj hauv pes nphau.
Me leej nus Hmoob xav zoj los mob siab thiaj li tsa ncauj hu hais tias, “Me leej muam, tus me kab lia tom txij nko ua nkauj nyob tus me zoo zoo nkauj li koj puas tau muaj hmoob nco?”
Me leej muam thiaj li teb hais tias, “Leej nus Hmoob, kuv ua nkauj nyob tus me kab lia tom txij nkoov tawm rooj plaws fim tag leej niam leej txi txhais nrhoob los twb tsis tau muaj hmoob.”
Txij li hnub ntawv los me leej nus Hmoob thiaj li maj mam ntoj qab roob pus qab ha. Toj roob hauv pes yog qhov chaw nce toj, roob hauv hav yog qhov chaw mus, maj mam ntoj ib hnub thawm ib hlis, maj mam puv ib hlis thawm ib xyoos.
Me leej nus Hmoob thiaj li khaws tau me leej muam txoj kev hlub coj los puag pw. Tiam sis leej nus Hmoob lub siab lub ntsws ntshai rwg tsam me leej muam txoj kev hlub rais los ua ib txog kev rau leej nus Hmoob tus ntsuj plig mus thawj thiab.
Vim me leej nus xaiv tau lub neej txom nyem nyob rau tiam no, tawm rooj plaws los ntshai luag thuam, rov ntsuj los txog tsev los ntshai luag hais. Ua neej nyob tsis phim luag zej luag zos, xav kom tuag mus los tseem ntshaw txoj kev hlub.
Me leej nus thiaj li hais rau me leej muam hais tias, “Me leej muam, cas tiam no koj yuav los ntsib ib tug tib neeg nyob li tus puav khiav li tus ntses, es koj puas nrog kuv tu siab thiab os?”
Me leej muam thiaj li teb hais tias, “Me leej nus Hmoob, koj tsis txhob tu siab mog. Yog muaj ib hnub twg, txoj hmoov tsis muaj es koj mus ua tus ntses ces kuv yuav mus ua tus dej, yog koj mus ua tus puav ces kuv yuav mus ua daim nplooj rau koj tau nkaum nag os.”
Txij thaum ntawv los, me leej muam thiab me leej nus thiaj li tau sib ntoj siv thuv, lub niaj thawm lub xyoo, lub hnub thawm lub hli.
Ua cas muaj ib hmos, dab ntub los tsis tuaj, npau suav los tsis ua, kaj ntug rov tuaj tag kis txawm pom luag hu noj nqaij haus cawv.
Me leej nus Hmoob mam li tsa loo muag ntsia, uas cas me leej muam sawv kev yeev ntawm luag rooj tshoob, tsoos tsho los hnav txhij, khaub ncaws los hnav txhua.
Me leej nus Hmoob xav zoj los mob siab, txhos caug ntua thov lub ntuj thiab daim av, los nqaij luag noj tag, tshoob luag ua dua cev, nkauj xwb sua yeev rau luag npab, cev nkauj nyab nyob luag tes.
Me leej nus Hmoob xav zoj los chim siab, nkaus hlo ntaj rau ntawm duav, ua roj sib yiag mus tos ntua kuv niam leej ntxhais rau lub dawm zeb.
Me leej nus Hmoob tsa muag zaj saib, ua cas pom me leej muam ua me plaub hau ntxhee ntxhias, plaub muag dauv lawv, lawv tag luag leej tub leej roog qab.
Me leej nus yoj teg yim taw los me leej muam ua txoj ua tug tsis pom tsis ntsia.
Ib vuag dhau plaws ntawm thaj me chaw tos rov ntsuj los txog tsev, zoo yam nkaus li lub ntiaj teb no kub hnyiab tag nrho mus li lawm os me leej muam.
No comments:
Post a Comment