HIRAETH¹

In the solemn hour of early morning the shrill chorus
of a namaz wrenched me from my affable dreams.
I twisted and turned and finally surrendered.

No more do I hear the morning sounds of home:
birds warbling, cicadas whining, crows cawing,
chickens yapping about the yard and my uncle
readying for the cement factory. Twisting and turning
I understood the hiraeth of Soso², who wished
no more than to be a boy once more. I miss that too,
and our old rooster, how his triumphant  cry would stir
my slumber making me draw closer to mother.

Out of that restlessness the past rises from dimly
remembered songs and I watch my ghostly ancestors
hasten from their dark pallets at the rooster’s
first reveille; warming up for their fields,
boiling rice, packing their midday meal in leaves.
I saw them arm themselves with hook-like whetted
knives at the second. And slinging bamboo cones
on bamboo straps, I watch them emerge from their huts
at the third; bamboo torches twinkling in their hands,
ancient songs and playful limericks flowing
from their lips.

Now, in the cycle of a year
my sleep is often startled
by raucous azaans, jangling bells,
wild ululations, weird conch-shells
midnight carousals, spirituous carols,
clamorous crackers, nocturnal heavy metals.

Strange sounds are crowding this town.
Like the rooster, I too, seem
to have become obsolete.

HIRAETH¹

HIRAETH¹

Ha ka kynta baphyrngab jong ka step, ka jingpah basyiang
jong ka namaz² ka pajut ia nga na ki phohsniew basngewbang.
Nga khih shane nga khih shatai bad khatduh nga liem da lyndang.

Ngam ju iohsngew shuh ia ki sur step ka ïing jong i mei:
ki sim ba ki rwai, ki ñiangkynjah ba ki pah, ki tyngab
ba ki kynkaw, ki khun syiar ba ki kynklob ha phyllaw
bad i madeng ba i pynkhreh ban leit trei sha Simen.
Katba nga khyrwait bad nga ksaid, nga sngewthuh ia ka hiraeth
u Soso uba kwah tang kumno sa shisien ban long u khynnah.
Nga ruh nga kynmaw,nga blaw ia kata, bad ruh ia u syiar kpa,
kumno ka jingkynih jong u ka pynkhih ia ka syngkhor jong nga
bad nga tur khamjan sha i mei ba in ioh kynoi bha.

Na kata ka jinglynga ka hyndai ka per na ki jingrwai
ba ngut nget bad nga iohi ia ki ñi ki kong,
ki meikulong pakulong wut wut ba ki khie
na ki tyrsok ka jingdum mar ia riew u iar banyngkong;
ba ki khrum khrum khram khram ban leit sha lyngkha
ba ki shet ja ban song ia ki ha ki sla. Nga iohi ba ki kieng
la ki wait bnoh ba har har mar syn riew u baar.
Bad nga iohi ba ki mih na la trep, la ki khoh la ki star,
haba riew u balai; ki dongmusa ha la kti ki phyrnai,
ki jingrwai batlem, ki phawar bangja
ki tuid na ki rmiang ha lum ki sawa.

Mynta, ha ka jylli ba shisnem kynthih
bunsien ka jingthiah jong nga ka shah pynkyndit
ha ki azaan³ win thlim, ki bajie shongshit,
ki jingpah huleng, ki jingriew kynsha jong ki reng,
ki lehkmen synñia, ki pataka bahylla,
ki karol buaid, ki jingtem bakyang kum ban pait.

Ia kane ka sor la pynkhapngiah da ki sur bakhyllah.
Kum u syiar kpa, nga ruh, imat
ngam lerkam shuh mynta.