LAO PHUNH LU

(Song of Seed-Sowing )

Lao Phunh Lu is a song of seed-sowing sung while paddy seeds are sown by the folk. The Kabuis (Rongmeis) believe that the goddess of paddy is happy and gives a bounty harvest if the cultivators work in happy mood without idleness. Therefore, they used to sing or shout 'HOI' as they work in the field. A part from the belief, the main objective of singing while working is also to give a sense of oneness and concentration to the works, to forget the pain and trouble, and to eliminate idleness among the workers. It also attempts to train and bring the younger ones to the traditional system of working and singing.

The song is sung in responsive manner by two groups composed of male and female. In some cases, lead-and-follow manner of singing is practiced where most of the workers are juniors and are not well-versed with the songs. The song shall be started by a leader of the lead-group very slowly and the second party responds to it with the next sentence of the song in ~he responsive system. In the lead-and-follow system, the lead-group will begin tho song and the second group will follow them t ill the song is concluded. The song is sung very slowly at the beginning and it shall rhythmically be faster and faster. The same song shall be repeated three or four times. To conclude the song all the cultivators shall stand up and the singing shall gain momentum and shall be concluded with a shout 'Hoi, Hoi.'

No musical instrument is used as accompaniment to the song However, an imaginary rhythm is always followed uniformly.

As a rule, there are series of songs such as song of the first morning, of the forenoon, of the after-noon and of the evening. The series of songs is strictly followed in order. However, selection of songs from each series is done at liberty by the working team and their leader.

         The Poem

A-mang chaeng tho intunahpui
Ai nguihmeita jipman lana,
Jipkei thuimak a-mik in-ganne aimu.
Jipkei thuimak jipchung thu,
Mei-kailong kbou gong bam khonne.
"Gong ngo, intunah le,
Mei-kai gong kannimei le!
Nam thu milou mi 'ji 'lumdei bo?"
Tunah mu gong kachun su
Mei-kailong-nung tei gong how lana.
Katunah din'ki ginroi rulakanne.
Tunah ram howlou niki.
Mongh roi pakliam lakanne.
Tunah nang chun kaneimei.
Nang samlang song nang chun geihmei
Gongdat-no.
"Ng-gaanh le Taroi chaeng-nung roi
Gong' ria dat kho" 'kantu deiki
Tunah anei lat sapui lat su.
Jipmanne anei lat sapui lat su, 
Heipui lat tei saloiriu de,
Ginpu now su kannimei le.
A-mang mu ramh man mang,
Mei-kailong khou googbam khonne.

             Free Rendering

I dreamt tonight of a girl I loved most,
And I could not sleep almost the whole night.
When I fell asleep I saw my beloved
"Gone in marriage to a distant village.
"O Come! My beloved!
Who had been married to a distant village.
Do you believe that it's good for you?"
When she reached the village,
She mourned and regret~ed.
She was known for her beauty.
But had been won over by the stranger.
I wish to see that village of my beloved,
But the cloud has hidden it.
"O maiden! You have two hearts,
And choices more than the hairs of your head.
Come! O come back again!"
I dreamt of the words my beloved once said to me -
"Darling we shall meet in Heaven."
Cease not the word and keep on saying,
O stranger-engaged girl ?
I dreamt of nothing but only I saw my beloved
At the village of the stranger.

Part of Folk Songs of Kabui (Rongmei)

LAO PHUNH LU

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