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.
