Speak Your Roots

Tag: kasohlyngngem

  • Review of “Shadows of light” by Laïamon N. Nengnong

    "Shadows of Light" directed and written by Damenshan Hynniewta is deftly and most intelligently created. The script, acting, music and arrangement of light and sound is unmatched. An interweaving of folklore into themes which emanate social and psychological realism, with every character standing out.

    Each theme is portrayed in nuanced and complex ways, staying true to the human condition that each legend and folktale is a mirror reflection of. The themes of love, motherhood, necromancy, in the stories of Ka Sohlyngngem, Ka Sngi bad U Bnai, U Sier Lapalang and others, showcase ingenuity of plot molding, so that the meaning is not one, but many.

    The theme of love is brought forth in the idea of forbidden love, the tenacity for beating all odds in spite of what is forbidden-the odds of family, rules of exogamous marriage in the Khasi society, and even to challenge death itself.

    Through the theme of parental love, the writer makes one re-examine the well accepted idea of unconditional love associated with it. At the same time, Hynniewta drives home the theme of purpose and fulfilment, the gendered biases and prejudice that society has on a "loose woman" from that of a man "who sows his seed everywhere" and is never made accountable for his misdeeds.

    All in all, "Shadows of Light" is a journey; one which makes the spectator reflect, contemplate, question, and even transform. It is the kind of musical that can capture the audience's attention and senses, in their entirety and I am excited for more works by Damenshan Hynniewta.

    Ka Peit Bniah ne ka Review jong ka sawangka "Shadows of Light" kaba la long ha ki tarik 13, 15 bad 17 u Kyllalyngkot 2022, ha ka Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture, SICPAC, Mawdiangdiang.

    Khublei Shibun @laia.naomi ba phi la phah ïa kane ka Peit Bniah kaba la pyrkhat sani bha! 😃🙏

    📸 @laia.naomi

  • Ka Sohlyngngem bad u Rynñiaw

    Ka Sohlyngngem and U Rynñiaw were deeply in love with each other and would meet in the shade of tress in the forest. Ka Sohlyngngem was a beautiful bird who belonged to a poor but hard working family. U Rynñiaw, on the other hand, was the son of a well-privileged family and the "King of the Kingdom of Shade'' (Tales of Darkness and Light by Janet Hujon). The parents of Ka Sohlyngngem did not wish that she marry U Rynñiaw because of the difference in wealth between the families. As the sorrowful end of the story goes when Ka Sohlyngngem tells him, U Rynñiaw is distraught but not wanting to cause pain to her parents, decides to say goodbye and leaves Ka Sohlyngngem. Till today the cries of Ka Sohlyngngem are heard singing of her lost love.

    "Ka Sohlyngngem" da Primrose Gatphoh

    1. Ka Sohlyngngem ka thei bhabriew.

    Ki ong naduh hyndai;

    U sim Rynñiaw ka ri dymmiew,-

    Iap mat-u 'rang kynsai.

    2. Jar-Jar ka trei ka khun ki briew,

    Ba duk ba bylla sngi;

    Ka nang ban thaiñ ban suh syntiew,

    Kam nang ki 'tien lorni.

    3. U sim Rynñiaw, u khun binong,

    Ïa ka bunsien u ruwai :
    Hajan jong u ka brai ban shong;
    Ka sngap, -ka ioh thiah thai.

    4. Ar ngut ki ïaid sha lum sha wah,

    Ki shong hapoh dymmiew;
    Harud ki um sangam dait thah,
    Sha bym ïohsngew ki briew.

    5. Ka 'lei-lapmat ka wiat samrkhie,

    Ki khun mariang bha dur :
    Ha pdeng duriaw jingieit ki kie,
    Ki Paro-blei shi jur.

    6. Ki 'tien-sai-iong, ki 'tien-sai-saw,
    Ar ngut ki teh jutang:

    Ym don u syiem, ym don i mraw,

    Ban sngap ban ap jutang.

    7. Ki kmie ki kpa ka Sohlyngngem,

    Kim mon pynhiar synjat:

    Jingieit jong ka- -ka dom, ka rhem,

    Ka iam, ka khuslai sat.

    8. "Ko Khun" ki ong "Yn lei phin kwah

    Ioh un lehbeiñ lehkhoh

    Namar ma u u khun riewspah,

    Ma phi ka khun ba poh!"

    9. "Hu-hu ka ud ka pait dohnud,

    Namar u Syiem Rynñiaw :

    Ka phet kylleng ka wad ka bud,

    "Hu-hu Hu-hu' ka piaw.

    10. "Ko Ieit,' ka ong, '"dohnud ka pang :

    Eiei, ngam nang pyrkhat:

    I mei i pa, iap-iap ki khang,

    Bad phi ban shong ryngkat.

    11. "Jingieit jong phi ia nga la biang,

    Bad phi nga hun nga suk:

    Im-im ia phi ki ring 'sai syiang:

    Ki mon para ba duk."

    12. "Oh kumta pleng | Nga ruh ngam kwah

    Ynnai, – pynsngewsih lei !

    Hynrei, ko Ieit, ia nga to shah,

    Ngan doh khadduh-Khublei!"

    13. Kumta u piam, u doh, u dait;
    Junom ka iai kynmaw :
    Te, slem u-bat, um lah pyllait;
    Ki ummat ksiar ki jaw.

    14. Te soit u siang la ki sner diar;
    Shapoh lawbah u ruwai :

    "La pait, la pait ka Khuri Ksiar,

    La wai, ko Tiew-Pathai !"

    15. Ka Sohlyngngem ka shoh bieit ngaiñ,

    Shano kan ïashem pat !
    Mano ban sop, mano ban spaiñ:
    Badno kan shong ryngkat !

    16 "Hu-hu!" ka iam, "Hu-hu!" ka ud,

    "Hu-hu!" ka win ka khlaw :

    "Hu-hu!" "Hu-hu!" ka khot pangnud,

    'Hu-hu,! ko Syiem Rynñiaw !'

    17. Ka ngiah ka ruwai, ka shad, ka kmen,
    Ka keiñ ka put ka tem :
    Ha 'Iaw sangam ka shong rieh tngen :
    Ka ud, -ka pang shadem!

    18. Ka Thei-Iap-Saw ka khuslai sat,
    Ha thwei sangam ka miet ;
    La khap ka khmat, ka dem pyrkhat,-
    Ka Khuri Ksiar Jingieit !

    "Ka Sohlyngngem bad u Rynñiaw" is a story marked by love, sorrow, loss and absence. 🖤🤍🖤🤍

    🟡 As stated in Tales of Darkness and Light (2018) by Janet Hujon, Ka Sohlyngngem is the Ashy Wood Pigeon and U Rynñiaw is the Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo.

    🟡 The Khasi poem "Ka Sohlyngngem" is written by Primrose Gatphoh in his book Sawdong Ka Lyngwiar Dpei (1977).

    🟡 Pictures 2 and 3: Google