Nkauj Mim See

Nothing beats the old storytellers.  They put so much enthusiasm and passion into storytelling that one needs not motion picture, but the imagination, to see the content of a Hmong folktale unfold into life before the very eyes.  I just wanted to share an old audio clip of yet, another Hmong folktale by Ntxhoo Xub Vaaj.  I must note that it is in the Hmong Ntsuab/Hmong Lees dialect so it may be a bit difficult to understand for those who are not familiar with the dialect (even I have a hard time too).  Also, the audio quality isn't the best (it's old) so bear with it.  Perhaps in the near future, I will provide the text so that it be easier for some of you to follow along and to understand the storyline.

(Interesting Fact: What is called "dab neeg" in Hmoob Dawb is known as "lug nruag" in Hmong Ntsuab/Hmoob Lees.)



 

 

Actually, I found a written version by Kou Yang, and so provided it below.  The details may be a bit different, but it is the same storyline.  All credits go to Lus Nruag at http://lugnruag.webs.com/.  I'm only reposting the writing for the purpose of providing another option for those who preferred to read rather than listen.

 

 

Thaum ub muaj ob nam txiv muaj ib tug ntxhais hu ua Nkauj Mim See. Ces nyob nyob lua nam noj qai qauj nam tuag nrauj txiv noj qai nreg txiv tuag tseg. Tseg tau Nkauj Mim See nrug puj laug yawm laug nyob xwb lua.Ob tug twb tsis hlub nwg le ces ob tug txhaj le xaa Nkauj Mim See moog nrug nam ntxawm txiv ntxawm nyob los ob tug twb tsis hlub Nkauj Mim See hab. Nam ntxawm txiv ntxawm txhaj coj Nkauj Mim See moog nyob tom tsev teb moog zuv tej qab tej npua. Ces nyob nyob muaj ib xoos lua txawm muaj ib tug yawm suav laug tuaj ua luam txug ntawm Nkauj Mim See lub chaw su. Nwg ha moog thov su ntawm Nkauj Mim See ib mos. Sawv ntxuv tseem es nwg saib zoj caag Nkauj Mim See nim khaub khaub hlab qhaub dluag nim dluag dluag tej nqaj mas tawm lab pis vog. Yawm suv laug hlub hlub ces yawm suv laug txhaj le muab nyaaj ro nam ntxawm txiv ntxawm es nwg yuav coj Nkauj Mim See moog nrug nwg nyob. Nim tu tu Nkauj Mim See sab es Nkauj Mim See nim muab hlo ib qho qhauv coj moog puab tej qab tej npua. Nim quaj plw quaj plw tej qab tej npua. Tej kua muag nim txuas quas ntxo ntub tej qab tej npua taag. Ces Nkauj Mim See txhaj le ua ib sab nrug nam yawm suav laug moog lua. Nam yawm suav laug hlub hlub Nkauj Mim See es nim xaa nwg moog kawm ntawv es nwg nim txawj txawj ntaub txawj ntawv. Nkauj Mim See txhaj le rov qab lug nrug yawm suav laug nyob es nim lug tsim tau ib lub khw luj luj nra ab quas paug. Nkauj Mim See lub moo nrov moog ti qaum ntuj lua. Ces yawm huab tais 9 tshooj ntuj tug tub hu ua Ceeb Leej Pov thov yuav Nkauj Mim See lua. Nim tuaj thov tau 9 nub es tib tau 9 hub kub tuaj thov tau 9 mo es tib tau 9 hub nyaj choj. Yawm suav laug xaav xaav txha le ua ib sab muab Nkauj Mim See tso Ceeb Leej Pov lawm. Ob nam txiv mas nim zoo nkauj zoo nraug ib tug phim ib tug. Ceeb Leej Pov hlub hlub Nkauj Mim See es nim tsis pub Nkauj Mim See moog qhwv le. Nim tso Nkauj Mim See nyob huv tsev xwb. Nyob nyob muaj ib xoos lua. Yawm nyoog laug tub ntxawg tug quas puj tuag lua. Ces yawm nyoog laug tub ntxawg quaj nrig ntuj nrig tev seb puas muaj ib tug zoo le nwg tug quas puj. Nwg txhaj le moog pum Nkauj Mim See zoo zoo nkauj taag zug txawm zoo tshaaj nwg tug quas puj lawm hab lua. Ces nwg txawm taj quas leg moog tim qaab ntug tim nwg lub vaaj loog moog tso dlej nag tshuaj lug ntub Nkauj Mim See lua. Nyaav ntub 3 nros ntawm Nkauj Mim See lub txiv nrwg xwb es caag nwg txawm siv mob mob lawm. Ceeb Leej Pov hab nwg txiv nim moog nrhav neeb nrhav yaig thoob qaav ntuj tuaj khu los tsis zoo le es caag ib ntsais muag xwb Nkauj Mim See txawm tuag lawm aw. Nim ua tso Ceeb Leej Pov quaj quaj tsis muaj sab noj mov le es nwg nim yuag yuag lawm aw. Ua tso nwg txiv txhawj nwg heev es nwg txiv txhaj le coj Ceeb Leej Pov moog tham hluas nkauj tso txhua txhua qhov chaw. Ob txiv tub nim sib law sib law moog nrhav seb puas ib tug zoo le Nkauj Mim See los twb tsis muaj le. Ces huab tais 9 tshooj ntuj txhaj le ua ib sab moog cuab nag cuab noog lug tso Ceeb Leej Pov noj seb puas zoo nwg sab. Moog cuab cuab txug dlua yawm xeev txwj xeev laug lub caij noj cab noj txhu cas yawm xeev txwj xeev laug tub ntxawg tuaj noj cab noj txhu es txhaj le tuaj mag huab tais 9 tshooj ntuj rooj ntxab. Huab tais 9 tshooj ntuj yuav tua yawm xeev txwj xeev laug tug tub cas nwg txha le thov thov has tas kom txhob tua nwg es ca nwg mam le pab Ceeb Leej Pov moog nrhav Nkauj Mim See vim tso qhov nwg tsis tau tuag. Twg yog yawm nyoog laug tub ntxawg tuaj coj moog ua quas puj lawm xwb. Cas huab tais 9 tshooj ntuj txha le muab ib txuj xaw khi xeev txwj xeev laug tug tub hab Ceeb Leej Pov ob tug. Ces yawm xeev txwj xeev lauj tub ntxawg tshaws qaab zeb los Ceeb Leej Pov tshaws qaab zeb nwg tshaws qaab caa los Ceeb Leej Pov tshaws qaab caa. Ces ob tug moog moog txug dlua ntawm yawm nyoog laug lub rooj ntug lua. Yawm xeev txwj xeev laug tub ntxawg txha le has tso Ceeb Leej Pov has tas thaum twg nwg nrib Nkauj Mim See ces kom nwg muab Nkauj Mim See hu ua muam ntxawm xwb es puab txhaj le tsis tua nwg noj. Ces Ceeb Leej Pov dlaws hlo txuj xaw ces xeev txwj xeev laug tug tub ya plho moog lawm lua. Ces Ceeb Leej Pov taab tom yuav moog huv yawm nyoog lub vaaj loog na has ua caag puab yuag ob tub dlev luj caj luj tuag cuag nkaus ob tug dlais yuav tum Ceeb Leej Pov noj le. Ces Nkauj Mim See tawm plawg tuaj saib seb yog leej twg na has caav yog Ceeb Leej Pov lua. Ceeb Leej Pov saib zoj caav yog nwg tug quas puj Nkauj Mim See lawm quas tag es nim ua tso mob nwg lub sab ib teg ib teg vau nrov toog rua huv aav. Nkauj Mim See ob tug nim hu hlo yawm nyoog laug tug tub has tas kom tawm tuaj coj dlaab ntxawg moog huv tsev es moog ua mov tso dlaab ntxawg noj. Ces puab 3 leeg txawm moog huv tsev lawm. Tsaus ntuj hlo caag Nkauj Mim See nim tu cev pleev plu dlawb paug tha ti ncauj lab ploog es ua tso nwg zoo nkauj caj zoo nkauj tuag le los nwg ncaaj qhaa moog nrug yawm nyoog laug tug tub pw lawm xw. Sawv ntxuv reeg Nkauj Mim See lug ua tshais los Ceeb Leej Pov nim quaj quaj qhov muag lab ploog xwb es nim ua tso yawm nyoog laug tub ntxawg hlub hlub Ceeb Leej Pov. Ces nwg muab tau ib tug neeg huab cua tso Ceeb Leej Pov kom Ceeb Leej Pov coj moog pauv kom tau ib zoo le nwg tug muam ntxawm Nkauj Mim See. Ceeb Leej Pov txha le coj tug neeg hov rov qaab moog es nim coj moog pauv tau nkaus ib tug ntxhais zoo zoo nkauj heev. Tug ntxhais hov sawv tseeg xwb mas lub cev nim yag txag cuag O dlej hos dluav nqa cuag dluav mos sas nrij puab luaj kav tsawb lab lua. Ces Ceeb Leej Pov txha le lug ua lub neeg zoo zoo hos nkauj Mim See ces qhuam sab qhuav nrug yawm nyoog laug tug tub nyob pug tim qaab ntug es thaum twg mej sab yog qaab ntug lab lab nrais nrais ces yog Nkauj Mim See ncu ncu txug Ceeb Leej Pov os.....

 

Written by: Kou Yang