SHANTHRA KHO KHAO
Pafa O! su; bay ma petpu naalu-e
Hahnyem wangkha taan-tatt kah cha vait-ei nang
Chamchong chamjoi yavei Hoya meek-su ma
Lili nah tei lah lee vait toh ong fei ma

Yu-wit nao tu Shan-e pai tao kaat-ei lu
Aling vaam pai vu leak thraet kaat ah toh lee
Hahvan khao ma nyem pu Pae-thren nung tu rao
Pae-thren lay pao lah-e Khee-pong shok tu lip
Khee-pong yoan pao lah-e Laa-wan lip kai nyam
Laa-wan Meila thra vaem faat pao ah toh lee
Yuh-pe Fak-fai loan pu neuyong nyaak ham saa
Fak-fai pee pao lah-e foyong Loak zang lang
O manpa thra! foyong Loakzu bang saap nang
Kansaap feerong Ya vei O-thru Yuh-thra yo
O’ei Apo! O’ei Apo! saap baa ma
Von-pong ‘kah-bin’ Anyu Ko-thru! saap rei sei
Foyong Loakzu bangho la ma kah fen nyih
Shahzu wang chingchong ma yavei leih-la shom
Kay keih maa chu lah-e haet khaa kah vu louh
Azing zing tu; O’chin-lu yang sing nang lee
Long fang khaa tu laon lee haet khaa Shanzu vei
Pang kuh hae laap Heulu-Saaklu laa tu thraet
Long tu loak-o O-thru Yu-thra leih laa-e
Shan-thra khou khao, khao mae khao O! khao mae khao
________________________________________________
AS FLAT AS A CRAB
(Translation)
Hear O! Hear with the ears set on your cheeks
A proverb that was narrated since beginning of time
For all generations that hence follows
A reminder of what once did happen
A Crab once asked a baby squirrel to drop a Pai
The nut was then dropped from far up the tree
Onto an unsuspecting Earthworm and startled it
The Earthworm waggled itself on the legs of a nearby Deer
A startled Deer galloped upon a nursing Boar
The raging wild Boars took their fury on banana trees
That was home to a colony of sleeping blind Bats
They took shelter in an Elephant’s trunk and choked it to death
At the funeral of the mighty unfortunate Elephant
Was mourned by every being of the animal kingdom
O! Grandpa, O! Grandpa; echoed endlessly
A grey-bearded Goat thought it was older than the hairless elephant
Judgment on the Elephant’s death was imminent
At the Tiger’s court, where all were gathered
A detailed investigation is to be carried out
To get to the very bottom of the truth
The culprit Crab hit itself under a mighty rock
Even Gibbon got its limb bitten by the Crab
Every animal leaped up the rock and crushed the culprit
And hence the phrase “as flat as a Crab”

*Pai: Chinese Lard Fruit
(Scientific Name: Hodgsonia Macrocarpa Seed)