My Father

 

With a strong voice…................................................................................................................my father

When I did wrong, he who scolded me….................................................................................my father

Even though he loved his children, he couldn’t expose it….....................................................my father

Even though he had little chance to study, he uplifted Chin literature...................................my father

Serving the Lord as much as he could......................................................................................my father

Loving his people dearly...........................................................................................................my father

My hero....................................................................................................................................my father

 

Even though years passed by, your loving strong voice is still in my ear…..............................my father

Even though I couldn’t be beside you when you most needed me, you forgave me..............my father

I daily try to follow in your footsteps.......................................................................................my father

I work so hard to be a good servant to the Lord, whom you so faithfully served....................my father

I work so hard for the people you dearly loved…....................................................................my father

I work so hard to preserve the literature you treasured….......................................................my father

I work so hard to be somebody for the people you cherished…..............................................my father

I am inheriting your strong voice, as a token of your love, beloved….............................................Papa

 

This poem is a translation from the Chin version “Ka pa” which I wrote in loving memory of my dad who passed away in 1999 when I was in exile.

My Mother

 

My Mother…..

Loved everybody

Was very humble

Enjoyed helping people

Never lived like she knew everything

Did as she said

Listened carefully to others and spoke less

Had a heart of forgiveness

Sacrificed many things for the sake of her children

Was very diligent woman

Talked less and worked more

Had a prayer life

Was my strength and my refuge

Was the best teacher for me

Was the most beautiful mother in the entire world         

…And was the most expensive treasure I ever had!

 

My Mother….

Taught me to love one another

Taught me to forgive always

Taught me to apologize for my wrong doings

Taught me to understand others’ weakness

Taught me to learn from the mistakes I make

Taught me to forget the past and move forward

Taught me to differentiate friends and foes

Taught me not to have hatred or retaliation in my heart

Taught me to think twice before getting angry

Taught me to see things from a positive point of view

Taught me to do as I say

Taught me not to forget that God created all of us equal

Taught me to overcome evil with good

Taught me to stand firm for what is right

…And told me that even when things seem terrible, that I must never quit!

This poem is a translation from the Chin version I wrote in loving memory of my beloved mother, who passed away in 2005 when I was in exile.

Theihkaunak 46

1. Khawpi hmuahhmuah lakih, 'Rolls Royces' mawtaw um tambik nak cu Hong Kong a si.

2. Zinghnam ‘rat’ cu an luak theilo.
3. Leitlun ih pumlam damnak sii ‘indigestion remedies’ tuahmi 40% cu USA mi in an lei.
4. Tuhnu nazi pakhat ah checks 22,000 tluk cu bank in an zuk ‘deduct’ sual ding.
5. Zinaan ‘gasoline’ nokhat cu a kang leh a puak nat dan, ah ‘dynamite’ panga tluk thawn a bangaw.
6. ‘Banjo’ cu America ih neihsun thlundar ‘musical instrument’ a si ih, 1790 ah a rak suak thawk.
7. President lakih, ‘Pulitzer’ timi laksawng ngah sun um cu John Kennedy a si ih, a ngahnak san cu ‘Profiles in Courage’ timi ruangah a si.
8. Houdini cu, Australia ih mi pakhat lawng vanzam mawng hmaisabik a si.
9. 70,000 tluk American pawl cu hnaset leh mitcaw veve mi an si.
10. Mirang ttong in number pawl ‘alphabetical order’ in ret a si le, ‘eight’ hi pakhat nak ah a siih, ‘zero’ cu neitabik a si.
11. Titeng ‘dragonflies’ pawl cu zamcakbik mi ‘insect’ an si ih, nazi pakhat ah peng 50-60 tluk cak in an zam thei.
12. ‘Diamond’ timi cafang cu Greek ih ‘adamas’ timi ihsin a ra ih, a san cu nehtheihlomi ‘unconquerable’ tinak a si.
13. 2002 ih North America ih mawttaw color lar le tambik cu ‘silver’ color a si.
14. American president Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman leh Nixon ih Secretaries of State pawl in Noble Peace Prize laksawng an ngah.
15. Bible sungih vancungmi hmin umsun cu, Gabriel, Michael leh Lucifer an si.
16. Minute pakhat ah vawi 25 tluk mit kan tthep (blink).
17. Million 8 sungah mi pakhat in, mai kumhnakih tthang ‘grow’ nak nat ‘progeria’ timi an nei.
18. Blue whales timi ngapi pawl cu minute pakhat ah vawi 9 lawng an lungphu a tur ‘hear beat’.
19. USA ih highway zingpi ah mawttaw 123,000,000 tluk feh rero a si.
20. Leitlun ih daibik (inn leng lam) rak tahmi um sun cu 127 below zero, Aug 24, 1960 Antarctica ah a rak si.
21. USA ih nunau 75% tluk in innsang ih bills le paisa lam an an ‘manage’.
22. A tlangpi in mi pakhat ih ummi thau ‘fat’ in ‘soap’ 7 tluk a suak thei.
23. Iceland ah rannung ‘pet’ neih sian a si lo.
24. New York khawpi ah kumtin minung 1,600 tluk cu minung lala ih keu an tuar.
25. American mi 27% tluk in thlapi parah an kaimi an zum theilo.
26. 1907 ih India ram ih colonel Jim Corbett ih kahthahmi pawpi in minung 436 a dehthat man.
27. 90% tluk New York khawpi ih Taxi mawng pawl cu mivai pawl an si.
28. Sakhi ‘deer’ cu nikhat ah minute 5 sung lawng a itthat.
29. USA ih muslim biakinn ‘mosque’ hmaisabik cu 1893 ah an rak sak.
30. USA ih zalennak cazualpi ‘The Declaration of Independence’ cu ‘hemp’ timi (marijuana) hnah parih ngan a rak si.
31. USA ih sii doctor 38% cu India mi an si.
32. Mirang cafang ‘silent’ leh ‘listen’ timi cafang umzat leh cafang pawl an bangaw ttheh.
33. ‘Santa’ leh ‘satan’ khal cafang bangaw mi hlir an si.
34. Sava/vate pawl cu thil thaknak an thei theilo.
35. Kumkhat sungah a tlangpi in American mi pawl in ‘pickles’ thil-um-mi billion 20 tluk an ei.
36. USA ih highway saubik cu ‘Route 20’ timi a si ih, peng 3,365 hnakin a sau.
37. ‘Ramses II’ Egypt ih Pharaoh cu B.C 1225 ah a thi ih, fapa 96 leh fanu 60 a nei man.
38. Cafang 15 ummi a bangawmi cafang tel lo ih, ngan thei um sun cu ‘uncopyrightable’ timi a si.
39. England ram ih rampai ‘swans’ hmuahmuah cu an siangpahrangnu ta a si.
40. ‘Astronauts’ pawl cu ‘space’ van-boruak ah an saang deuh cuang.
41. ‘Shark’ timi nga ih tii ‘egg’ cu leitlun ih tumbik tii a si.
42. ‘Iguanas’ timi laiking cu tisung ah minute 30 tluk a um thei.
43. Zawhte in ‘vocal sounds’ 100 hnakih tam an nei ih, uico in 10 tluk an nei.
44. Dominica, Mexico, Zambia, Kiribati, Fiji leh Egypt ram pawl ih thantar ah vate zuk a cuang.
45. ‘Kilt’ timi mipa pawl ih hruk ttheumi cu Scotland ihsin suak thok lo in, France ih rak suak thok mi a si.
46. ‘Sharks’ pawl cu zianghman ei lo in, zarh 6 sung an nung thei.
47. Kalauk hngawngsau pawl cu hngawngtawi pawl hnakin tiilo in an um rei thei sawn.
48. ‘Tatto machine’ tuah hmaisabik tu cu, Samuel O’Reilly a si.
49. Gallon khat tluk tipi thuanthum tii ah pound ¼ hnakih tam cii a um.
50. ‘Hamburger’ cu 1900 ah Loius Lassen in a rak tuah thok.
51. Internet ih 80% tluk zuk pawl cu nunau lawngfangkheh zuk an si.
52. 1912 kum Stockholm ih Finn Alfred Asikainen leh Russian Martin timi te pahnih buanaw nak cu Nazi 11 a rei.
53. Canganthiam Virginia Woolf in a cabu hmuahhmuah ding phah in a ngan.
54. Ngapi 'Whale oil' siti cu mawttaw ih 'transmissions' hrangah 1973 tiang an hmang.
55. Nga 'gold fish' cu cingkennak 'memory' second 3 tluk lawng an nei.
56. Coca-Cola's 'Super Pure' Dasani an timi ti 'bottle' ih an zuarmi cu inn ih rami tidai menmen a si.
57. Charles Osborne timi pa cu kum 69 sung irh 'hiccups' a nei.
58. 'Panama Canal; tuahnak ah hnattuantu 25,000 in nunnak an liam..
59. Brazil cu leitlun ih ramkaubik 5 nak a si.
60. USA ih South Carolina State khaw hrekkhat ah, zarhpi ni ah 'courthouse' ih 'step' ah nupi thawi sian a si.

Theihkaunak 45



Falam

 1. 1952 ah Albert Einstein cu Israel president dingah an dilnan, a paihlo.


2. Kangaroo (taapaihkaung) suakpek cu ounce 0.03 tluk in a ritih, "teaspoon" ah a tlem.

3. Morocco ram cu 1789 ah USA ram, ram pakhat sinak a pom hmaisabik mi ram a si.

4. "Rhythms" timi cafang cu mirang cafangih "vowels" tel lomi cafang saubik a si.

5. Khabehmul saubik cu feet 17.5 tluk a si ih, Norway ah 1846 ah a suak. A hmin cu Hans N. Langseth a si.

6. USA ah kumtin necktie lei nak ah paisa billion $1 hnakih tam an hmang.

7. Minung pakhat ih mitmu cu a tlangpi in 28 grams tluk a rit.

8. Coffee ah Coke ih ummi caffeine hngakin a let 5 a um.

9. A tlangpi in arpi pakhat in kumkhat ah arti 300 tluk a tii.

10. "Grenades" timi kutih den-theih-mi bomb cu tuluk ramah kum 1,000 luangzo mi ah an rak tuah.

11. 1931 ah USA ih rampi hla "The Star Spangled Banner" cu Congress ih pompi nakin nemhnget a si.

12. USA ah Hollywood timi khawhmin 10 a um.

13. Damlonak (diseases) 90% tluk cu thinlung lam ngaihtuahnak/retheinak (stress) ruangah a cangmi an si.

14. Saphaw (leather) angki in rim ngaingai a neilo. A rim a nammi cu, "leather" color an hnawihmi rim a si.

15. "Polar bear" timi vur lakih um savom cu cawllo in peng 60 tluk ti a leuh thei.

16. American president John Tyler in fa 15 a rak nei.

17. Na suahni cu leitlun ih midang million 9 thawng an bangaw.

18. Leitlun ih, a suakmi milai hmuahhmuah ih 10% cu tufang ah an dam.

19. Minung taksa ah "muscle" 640 hnakih tam a um.

20. India ram ih Taj Mahal innpi cu kum 22 sung milai 20,000 tluk in an sak.

21. Stanford Univ engineers Bill Hewlett leh Dave Packard nih an company hmaisabik cu $1,538 in an thokih, an thil tuahmi hmaisabik “audio oscillator” cu Walt Disney studios nih “Fantasia’ zuknung hrangah a lei sak.

22. Cukcu ih eilo mi umsun cu fanghma/zil a si.

23. Leiltlun ih siangpahrang inn “palace’ tumbik cu Peking ih ummi ‘Imperial palace’ timi a si.

24. Leitlun ah butlak ‘frog’ ci 2,600 tluk a um.

25. Minung thluak ah ‘neurons’ billion 100 (100,000,000,000) tluk a um.

26. USA ih nunau sangbik cu Sandy Allen a si ih, feet 7 leh inches 7 a sang.

27. Leilung ih nisat nak ‘sunlight’ thleng ding ah seconds 492 tluk a rei.

28. USA ih ‘mayor’ khawlal ihsin president ttuanmi pali pawl cu Calvin Coolidge, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt leh Andrew Johnson pawl an si.

29. USA ih ralkap zungpi ‘Pentagon’ ah ekinn ‘restroom’ 284 a um.

30. Hnawifawp ramsa ‘mammals’ lakih khir ‘jump’ theilo mi ramsa um sun cu vui/sai pawl an si.

31. American mi 22% tluk cu tleirawl an si.

32. Fikfa cu a tlangpi in zarhhnih sung lawng an dam.

33. Minung khukruul cu meter 22.9 tiang a tthan thei.

34. Vom pitling cu rang tluk cak in a tlang ve thei.

35. St. Augustine, Florida ih ummi khua cu USA ih khaw um rei bik a si.

36. Saudi Arabian nu in a pasal in coffee a peklo a si le a tthen thei.

37. Tleunak tluk cak in “the speed of light” na feh a si le Mt. Everest tlang kai dingah seconds 0.0000294 lawng na rei ding.

38. Rubber tire tuahsuaktu cu Robert William Thomson, Scottish engineer a si ih, 1845 ah a rak tuah suak.

39. USA ih hmaisabik Soviet Union ram ih ei in a zuarmi cu Pepsi-Cola a si.

40. Leitlun ih thlihran nasa bik nak cu Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, USA a si. April 12, 1934 ah thli 231 mph cak in a rak hrang dah.

41. Kansas khua ah nga, kut lawngih kaih sian a si lo.

42. Vui/saipi in nikhat ah tii gallon 60 tluk a in ttheu.

43. Internet ih thil lei pawl 50% in zarh/kar khat ah nazi 5 sung tluk online an zoh.

44. Tororo timi Uganda ram ih khua ah, 1967-76 sung kum ah, khumkhat ih ni 365 sungah ni 251 cu khawri “thunder” a um ringring.

45. Ciini “sugar” tel mi ti ah arti a pil theilo.

46. Greenland cu Iceland hnakin, vur “ice” a tam sawn ih, Iceland cu Greenland hnakin hrampi ‘grass’ a tam sawn.

47. Kiosa hrekkhat cu nikhat ah vawi 50 tluk nupa sinak an hmang.

48. Antarctica ih suak hmaisabik cu Emilio Marco Palma a si ih,1978 ah a si.

49. Thuathu ih umsun mipum ttumsuk vivo nak cu 1347 ah “Balck Death” timi natsia ruangah Europe ram ah a rak cang dah.

50. Napoleon in Italy a lak lai ah kum 26 lawng a rak si.

51. Hlanlai ih Romans pawlin, zin/zun (urine) cu haatthuahsii (toothpaste) ah an rak hmang.

52. USA ih nupa neihaw mi 2 lakah 1 cu an tthenaw.

53. Sweden ram cu 'ketchup' timi saangih rawimi thil phunkhat ei le lei tambik ram an si ih, A pahnih nak cu Australia ram a si.

54. Cumi leinak ah Swedish mi pakhat in $4 tluk a hmangih, Australian mi pakhat in $2.50 an hmang ve.

55. Zawhte pawl cu an kephah in an thlan a suak ih, thil thlumnak an thei theilo.

56. Denmark ah minung hnakin vok an tam deuh.

57. Tuluk ca ah cafang 'characters' 40,000 hnakih tam a um.

58. Uico pawl in minungih theih theilo mi aw 'sound' theih theinak an nei.

59. Belgium ramah, 'strawberries' thingrah hrang liolio ih tuahmi 'museum' a um.

60. Mi pakhat in, nikhat ah 'toilet paper' hnah 57 tluk a hmang.

Theihkaunak 44

1. Falkland Isles" timi ram fate ah mipum 2000 lai an um ih, tuu (beram) 700000 hngakih tam an nei. Mi pakhat in 350 tluk an nei tinak a si.


2. US ih "Bureau of the Census" ih sim dan vek a si le, 1890 ih US ih hnattuan tambik cu lo-tuah pawl (farmer) a si ih, tu san ah cun, salesman (thil zuar pawl) an si.

3. Feb 10, 1964 ah miluu (self-adhesive stamps) amah ten erh aw theimi tuah suak a si.

4. Mexico ram cu, USA ram siarlo ah USA mi tambik um nak ram a si.

5. Kuak fawp luar tuk nak ihsin mit a caw (blind) thei.

6. Chicago ah leitlun ih cookie (sang-fate) tuahnak cetzung tumbik a um.

7. Cutawk cetzung ihsin 4.6 billion Oreo cookies cu 1997 ah an tuah suak.

8. Midum deuh pawl cu mingo deuh pawl hnakin, an vun a sawng har deuh.

9. President Grover Cleveland cu 1886 ah, White House ih nupi neih nak puai tuahtu president um sun a si.

10. The New York Times thuthangca, zarhpi sun hrang lawngih tuah nak dingah thingkung 63,000 tluk hman a ttul.

11. Leitlun ih nupa nauhakbik cu kum 8 le kum 9 an si ih, China ram ah, 1910 kum ah an rak um.

12. Rul ih tur (venom) cu 90% protein a si.

13. Mi pali ah pakhat cu “psychological” khawruah nak lam buainak an nei.

14. Hmaisabik lung thar bun sal nak (heart transplant) cu Dec 3, 1967 ah an tuah suak nan, ni 18 lawng a dam.

15. Cukcu (cockroach) in “directions’ second pakhat ah vei 25 a thleng thei.

16. Bacteria 1% lawngin minung damlo nak a pe thei.

17. “Lighter” cu “match” tuah hlanah an rak tuah hmaisa zo.

18. Nu pumsung ih naute (fetus) zarh 18 a si mi in, “fingerprints” a nei zo.

19. Acre khat behrum (soybeans) in cafung-nem pawl (crayons) 80,000 hngakih tam a tuah thei.

20. Elvis Presley a thih hlan te ih, a ei mi cu, “ice cream” hai 4 leh sang “chocolate chip cookies” 6 an si.

21. USA ih um upa mi 3 ah 2 in “hemorrhoids” timi ‘dula’ natnak an nei.

22. Leilung parih nithum sunglai tii umlo in nung thei nga an um. Phunkhat cu “snakehead fish” timi nga a si.

23. Thlapi vang nak (moonlight) cu leilung ih a thleng (kap eng dingah) second 1.25 tluk a rei.

24. USA President Frankline Pierce cu ‘inauguration’ ih an tuah ttheumi, thukam siarnak ah, “I swear” tin tilo in “I promise” tin a titu um sun a si. Biaknak lam ruangah cafang a thleng nak san a si.

25. USA ih kumkhat sung cakuat suakmi cu 166,875,000,000 tluk hrawng a si.

26. Bill Gates cu a kum 14 ah pursum nak lam “Traf-O-Data” timi company hmin pe in, a rualpi pawl thawn a rak thawkzo.

27. India ram cu khuitawk ram khal a va do/lak (invade) dahlo mi ram a si.

28. Mipakhat in rawl veikhat a ei tikah, vei 295 tluk a dolh (swallow).

29. USA ih “pencil” cafung zuarmi lakah 70% cu aire/a eng color (yellow) a si.

30. USA ah kumtin “styofoam cups’ timi khuakhai paa-te pawl trillion 25 tluk an hlawng.

31. U.S president William Taft in, White House ih rang-inn cu mawtaw pali tlem mi “garage” ah 1909 ah a thleng/tuah.

32. A tlangpi in, mi pakhat in kum 13 tinten hnattuan an thleng.

33. Mah le mah thataw pawl cu tlangkai nikhat “Monday” ah an that aw tambik.

34. Egypt ram ih “the Great Pyramid”ih hrampi “the base” cu bualrawn 10 tiatluk a si.

35. Tubai ih, Harvard zirnak ih hmuh suak mi cu chocolate in nun a sau tir thei ti a si.

36. England ih siangpahrangnu cu kum 18 a si laiah, British Military ah “mechanic” a rak si.

37. “Blue Whale” timi nga cu a tumtuk ih, a lung hi mawttaw fate tiat a si ih, a thahri sungah minung a tlem.

38. Nunau pawl in ekinn (toilet) an hmang tikah mipa hnakin a let thum in caan an la ttheu.

39. Argentina timi ram hmin cu “silver” tinak a si ih, hmin a rak petu in, silver tampi umnak ah a rak ruat sualih, hmin a pesualmi a si.

40. US mi pakhat nih atlangpi in a dam sungah vok 28 tluk a ei.

41. Van boruak lakih in hmaisabikmi “soft drink’ cu “Coca-Cola” a si.

42. November 1999 kumah nunau pahnih cu ţek in a tlak ih a thi. A san cu an “bras” ih ummi thir fate kilhnak ruangah a si.

43. Na thluak kha na pharh (unfolded) a si ah cun, hnipuan hnawtnak (ironing board) a khuh ţheh thei.

44. Congress library ih cabu retnak saulam cu peng 327 hrawng a si.

45. Mars ih ummi ‘Olympus Mons’ tiih theihmi ‘volcano’ cu peng 370 tluk a kau ih feet 79,000 tluk ih sang a si. Mt. Everest lang hnakin a letthum lai a sang sawn.

46. USA ih midum Muslim sakhua naklam ih hotu pakhat a si mi, Malcolm X ih a hmin ngaingai cu Malcolm Little a si.

47. Dolphin pawl cu ti an leuh phah in an itthat thei.

48. A satlam 105 degree Fahrenheit a thleng le, thluak a siatsuah thei.

49. Inn zuatmi zawhte in tanphaya (lemons) rim an ngaihlo.

50. Salvation Army ih an founder cu General William Booth a si.

51. Na thahri hrang le na lung hrangih a ttha ngaingaimi "chocolates" a um.

52. "Peanut" a suak tambik nak State cu Georgia a si.

53. A tlangpi in North America ih tuahmi mawttaw pawl ah pounds 300 tluk plastics a um.

54. 111,111,111X111,111,111=12,345.678,987,654,324

55. 1991-1996 kum karlak ah India in kumkhat ah zuknung 851 tluk a suahih, US ih a suahmi cu 569 tluk a si.

56. Ounce khat a simi, "platinum" cu feet 10,000 tluk in a dawk aw thei.

57. "Wizard of Oz" timi zuknung ih hmanmi kiosa ih phaw cu kiosa taktak ta hmanmi a si.

58. Minung pa 10 ah 9 in Thomas Edison in "light bulb" a tuah tin an zum. Asinan, a tuah hmaisabik tu cu, Joseph Swna si.

59. A tlangpi in USA ih mopuai zawhtu mipi cu 189 hrawng an si ttheu.

60. Nikhat ah vei 25,000 tluk tluk na mit na tthep "Blink".