Category: Poetry

Mano ba Synshar ïa ka Sem? – I

Nga sngew ki ong

ba 'iar kynthei mynta te

ki synshar ïa ka sem;

tad ynda,

ryngkhat nga ïohi

katai dyngngur ka kraid,

marwei la jem khnap,

ka jyrhiah, kyrjiaw khmat;

na ka daw jong uta

uba syngkhor poh thynriew

wat ha sahit ka sngi;

ki wieh bla kynshew-pynlang

u la knieh lut kynthet,

ban tynsat ha tyrsim

b'un khawai hi marwei

ne shalai pat shawei

da ki adong thaw-tuh

bad ki kanun thaw siar

ki jong u hi.

Nga sngew ruh ki ong

ban nujor mynta

ïa ki thei bad ki rang

te ade

kham dap bor hi ki thei;

hynrei,

don ruh samoi

ba ki rang pat ade

kham don buit pat ma ki;

bad thei ki shah sloit

la hok ïoh kynti

la rukom hiar pateng.

Nga sngew pat mynta:

ynda syrtap ka byrthit

hapoh sem,

khun syiar ba dang

jiap-jiap jem-sner,

shu kynjoh kynsan

sha ka rwai khroh

kha pylleng.

U ryngkuh bun 'iar kmie pat,

la thapñiang u kynthlep

la ka mastieh, ka sur khroh

u ïaluh tang 'iarlud

ba hap iehnoh jyndat,

ka kraid sohriew hadem

ban rwai pylleng kok kok.

Ka 'iar kmie bla long kiaw pat

bym banse ban shimti,

sang kynih pynsawa.

La thlim kylla lieng lut ka pyrthei

bad sem syiar ka khynñiuh,

'iar kynthei na thynriew

ka her sha kyrdan

ban kynih kum ryngkuh.

Mano ba Synshar ïa ka Sem? – II

Nga sngew

ki thei ba kynih

ki synshar ïa ka sem;

ki mastieh ha kyrdan

ki pynphuh la ki sner.

Nga sngew ruh ba ong

ba lyngkrang lut ki rang

shyrtong ruh ki jlop

bad thnat ruh ki kheiñ

ba tangon raibi aïu re

ba wanrah khlam kum kane,

ka khlam ka daw lum ne

ka khlam ka daw ïing?

Nga sngew ruh

ba 'iarkhun ha jyrsieh

ki la liat,

jiap-jiap ki ïa pah,

wad lamwir, jingsyaid

thapñiang ka kmie;

para khunrit ki ïa kdup,

bad ïa ri hi hangto

iwei ïa iwei.

Sa kawei ruh la sngew:

ynda kynih 'iar kynthei

ka pyrthei te la wai.

Ne kumno re kumto?

Ym banse ka kynih

ba ryngkuh knieh thynriew

u leh klep ka jutang

bad sngi ka la dum

bad kyrduh la ban?

– Esther Syiem

Ïa ka "Mano ba Synshar ia ka Sem?", ka myllung ka la pynshong ha ka jingong :"Wei ba la kynih ka syiar kynthei, ka pyrthei ka lah jan wai." Ki don bun jait ki rukom ong ia kane ka jingong.

"Who Rules the Roost?" is based on a Khasi saying which can be translated as: "When the hen starts to crow, then the end of the world is near".

Who Rules the Roost?

I've heard it said

that women in our society

rule the roost;

until I saw her

bent and shuffling

sniffling steadily

after the one

still roosting

in the afternoon;

her can of worms

snatched out of sight,

tucked somewhere safe

for secret access,

for himself alone

or passed off

on his own terms.

I've heard it said too

that our women are more equal than

our men; but there've been

occasions more than one when our

men are more equal,

and our women

lose claim

even upon themselves.

I've also heard it said

that when the roost is breached

and the coop is smirched

then chickens shall lay eggs

even when still clothed in soft

yellow down.

Cuckolding roosters will spike up

for the strutting and the crooning

and the sparring for the hens,

and the sparring with the hens,

who've left off the scratching and

the squawking

for the Portentous Crowing

of a hen-kind.

– Esther Syiem

"Mano ba Synshar ïa ka Sem?" or "Who Rules the Roost?" by Esther Syiem is a thought provoking poem based on a saying that many might say is paradoxical and contradictory in a matrilineal community. The poem gives us something to think about on Women's Day.

Esther Syiem says: "La thoh ïa ka poim halor ka jingshah ban beiñ jong ki kynthei. La mih ruh na ka jingïakynduh jong nga bad kawei ka longkmie kaba la shah knieh lut la ki jingdon jingem jong ka ha u tnga jong ka."

"The poem was written on the victimisation and oppression of women. It emerged out of my meeting with a woman whose wealth and valuables had been taken away by her husband."

Khublei Shibun @meiithei na ka bynta kane ka jingnoh synñiang jong phi sha ka page 😄🙏

Dr. Esther Syiem is a Professor in the Department of English, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong.