| Kelabit
|
English
|
| De Ale' kapeh neh pu’un kiteh paki'? |
Dear love. How do we get use to being separated?
|
| Kapeh neh pu'un kiteh na'em peburi'? |
How do we get use to not speaking to each other?
|
| Kuh labuh iyo biped ngih binan, |
Like a knife sheath tied to a scabbard,
|
| kuh senguluh nabet ngih lalid ra'ing, |
Like a head piece tied to the ears of a 'pade' basket,
|
| Kuh langan teripunen lem selungan, |
Like a dart kept in a dart quiver,
|
| Kuh bugo peh ngerio lem tuning, |
Like a ladle used for stirring in an earthen pot,
|
| Kuh kayuh ipak ngih luun raran, |
Like the firewood in it's tray,
|
| Kuh bera seripun lem etin ruti’, |
Like grains of rice kept in a biscuit tin,
|
| Kuh para' pulut nusi luun bebpan, |
Like the sticky latex applied on a bird stick trap,
|
| Kuh pakel dari ngelibut beti, |
Like the ornamental leg rings around the biceps,
|
| Kuh gelang buda' ngelibut lengen, |
Like the white arm bracelets encircling the upper arms,
|
| Kuh lem bekang linibut ngen liling. |
Like the inside of a rattan carrier lined by a mini mat,
|
| Kuh iung me aluh peruyung inan, |
Like a board and a pounder kept together,
|
| Kema' kiteh neh mulun pesiring, |
For as long as we lived together,
|
| Na'em putut-putut neh nuk ludan, |
We'd conversed ceaselessly,
|
| Midteh peh na'em pesala' karuh, |
Never a wrong word uttered,
|
| Midteh peh na'em pesala' linuh. |
Never once a misunderstanding.
|
| Adui kuweh, kapeh neh puun kiteh petad lawe? |
Dear oh dear. How do we go our separate ways?
|
| Kapeh neh la'ud kiteh na'em perine? |
We'll never go around together again.
|
| Tuda' lati merar neh lenidik? |
How many big farms had we cleared?
|
| Tuda' lubung na'em inan neh mirid? |
How many makeshift long houses had we not moved to?
|
| Inan semulud lem dedtem lengit, |
Uttering words of endearment in the pitch dark night,
|
| Pekepel uret lem epin barit, |
Making love under a patterned reed mat,
|
| Irat tuda' lun denganak madi', |
From where the children are born,
|
| Senu'uh medting lem liwet dari. |
Raised to the apex of their education.
|
| Tuda' ngebu'an pade rinumik? |
How many baskets of padi had we threshed?
|
| Tuda' tetar pade pengeh renawih? |
How many mat spread of padi had we pounded?
|
| Tuda' nuba' singa lem da'un isip? |
How many rice wraps in 'isip' leaves?
|
| Tuda' pepel giru' 'em pengeh reniki? |
How many fried palm-pressed tapioca starch cakes?
|
| Tuda' neh tenum lawid lepini? |
How many 'lepini' fish cooked in leafy wrappings?
|
| Tuda' angel udung ubih dari, |
How many bundles of fine tapioca leaves?
|
| Tuda' angel tengayen lem tuning? |
How many bundles of 'tengayen' cocked in an earthen pot?
|
| Peh nuyul nuba' lem beruh medting. |
To down our rice with when we arrived (from our farm),
|
| Penguman kiteh beruh malem laling. |
Our vegetable in the late evenings.
|
| Adui kuweh, Adui kudih. |
Dear oh dear.
|
| Kapeh tedan s'ier dulun ngen narih? |
How do people perceive me?
|
| Siren dulun narih dedtur sinula', |
They look at me a widow,
|
| Kapeh neh taru' da'et sekela'. |
What an unfortunate situation to be in,
|
| Kayuh aba, kayu ipak, |
The big and small fire wood,
|
| Na'em ketelinuh dulun marih menak. |
Nobody dare come to offer help,
|
| Doo' mula' teh kayuh laya', |
Never mind, there are softer wood,
|
| Tu'en neradu muli' me ruma'. |
To collect on my way home.
|
| Ngupan la'al uih peh nuyul nuba', |
I rear chicken to go with my rice,
|
| Kerid rinen tu'en ngelaya', |
Wild vegetables I'll cook,
|
| Ngen lemek sinudul lem irau rema'. |
In lards handed out at generous parties.
|
| Eme beto' narih maya' dulun baya', |
When I join the villagers to work,
|
| Naan riruh ninger lun doo' ria', |
I hold in my laughter when I hear them laugh,
|
| Migu' teh narih la' baya'-baya', |
I feel awkward laughing along,
|
| Na'em pekeneh dulun la' pesala', |
In case they think wrongly
|
| Mageh kelupan iko suk pura', |
I have forgotten too soon you who have gone,
|
| Na'em kelebpu edteh laak. |
Even before the year is up.
|
| Adui kuweh, Adui kudih. |
Dear oh dear.
|
| Inih neh peped sido kudih ngemuh. |
This is the end of my mourning period.
|
| Na'em tusah, na'em kerirah, |
Don't fret, don't feel awkward,
|
| Na'em teh uih kineh ken derah. |
I'm not suffering that much,
|
| Ale' ekan, ngeli'o teh narih maya' dalan, |
Journey on with care my dear,
|
| Me matun bawang nuk pelaba medtang. |
As you travel on to the Celestial city,
|
| Lio'-lio' taru' narih pepang, |
Swath the path clear for me,
|
| Tu'en kuh mupud renga' keduih nalan. |
To follow when it is my turn to go.
|