image: traditional Tujia brocade


Play All)Procedural texts: Tujia New Year Customs

7.2: Tujia New Year Customs

Lu Bangzhen, Tasha Rural Township, Longshan County
recorded on 27 January 2003

01 la2ye1 nie1 hi2 suo1 nie1 ci1 bi2 ka1-hu3, cu1 mian3hua3 za2-ta1tiu1, la2tu1 zi4 bo3 lie2-ji2-lie3-duo3.
腊月二十三日快要过小年了,家里不能纺棉花了,南瓜都要给猪。
'Little New Year' starts on the twenty-third of the last [lunar] month; we can't spin any more cotton at home, and all the gourds must be fed to the pigs.
02 ci1 bi2 ka1 nie4, ci1 bi2 ka1-liao3, ka1 nie4 me2su3-lie1, lang3qi1-cai3 xian1 wu2-duo3, xian1 wu2-da2-nie2 zi1ge1 le qing2 ha3-duo3 tang3 tang3 tang3 tang3.
过小年的日子,过了小年,(也就是指)从小年那天天亮开始,晚上要烧香。还没烧香之前呢,要打锣,(锣声)。
On the day of the 'Little New Year', on that day, from daybreak on that day, every evening incense must be burnt. Before burning incense, we have to strike the gongs. (sound of gong being struck)
03 ai1lie1 jiu1 xian1 wu2-duo3, wu2 mo3 kei3 ye4-duo3 le? kai1nian3-lie1 zeng1ye1 la2 hi2 ong1 nie1, la2 hi2 ong1 bu2 ao1 ye4-duo3.
然后就要烧香,烧香要烧到哪个时候呢?要到开年正月十五日那天。
Then we have to burn incense; how long do we need to burn it for? Until the fifteenth, the fifteenth of the first [lunar] month.
04 ci1 bi2 ka1-liao3 le, luo4ci1ba1, luo4bi3-die1, guo1guo1-ma1, a2da1-ma1, yi2si1 sa3 cai2 li3-duo3, die2ka1la1 li3-ta1ti1.
过了小年呢,大人、男孩们、男人们、妇女们,全部要说好话,不能说不吉利的话。
After celebrating 'Little New Year', grown-ups, children, young men, young women, everyone must speak wholesome words, they mustn't say anything bad.
05 la2ye1, la2ye1, nie1 bu2 la2ye1, nie1 bu2 ge1 bu2 si3jie3, ci1 tie2ba1 ka1-hu3, ci1 tie2ba1 ka1-nie3 si3jie3, ci1 tie2ba1 ka1-nie3 ai1 si3, ci1 tie2ba1 ka1-hu3, deng1long3 gua2-ji2-duo3,
腊月,腊月,腊月二十九日的时候,快过大年,过大年的时候,过大年的那时,快过大年了,灯笼要挂完,
The last month, the last month, on the twenty-ninth of the last month, New Year is celebrated, when New Year is celebrated, when New Year is celebrated, when New Year is about to be celebrated, we must finish hanging up lanterns,
06 yan3deng3, pa2qie1-ta3 be2 deng1long3 gua2-duo3, ka1tao1 si3tie2 zi1ge1, si3tie2 ka1tao1 zi4ji3pa3 bai4-bo3-duo3, ba1ba1-ni3ga3 bai4-bo3-duo3, cang3xian3 tie2ba1 jie2mi1ti3 he2ba3 xie2 wu2-duo3,
圆灯走廊那里也要挂,桌子前上方;猪脚要摆在桌子上面。要摆着一个大糍粑,要烧像手指那么大的长香。
round lanterns, we must hang lanterns by the walkways, and in front of the table. We must put pig's trotters on the table, and a large 'baba' glutinous rice cake, as well as burning a large incense stick as thick as a finger.
07 sa1mi1 nie1 ci3 seng3kang3 ga3 gong2-bo3-duo3, hong2-bo3-duo3, la2zu1 nie1 zi2 ti2-bo3-duo3, la2zu1 nie1 zong1gang1 zi1ge1-cai3, seng3deng3 ti2-bo3-duo3.
神龛上面要供两块糖馓,要靠着神龛。要点两根蜡烛,两根蜡烛中间前面一点要点着神灯。
We must put two 'tangsa' crisped rice cakes on the shrine, lean them against the shrine, and light two candles, and a lamp at the front between the two candles.
08 ai1 la2 pe1 le, cu1 jiu1 ci4 luo2 tuo4-duo3, luo2 la2 da2, he3 la2 bu2, lao4reng3ga3-die1 sa3 hao4ri3-ma1 jiu1 dong1 dang3 dang3 dong1,
那一夜呢,家里就要敲大锣,一个锣,一个鼓。老人家们懂事的就会这样敲,(鼓声),
That night, we must strike a large gong in the house, a gong and a drum. Old folk who know how to must strike them, (sound of drums)
09 huo2 ha3-duo3. tie4tie3 ti2-lie3 le, tie4tie3 ni2 guo2 jiu1 mie2, ni2 guo2 jiu1 mie2-ta1ti1, guo2duo3 mo3 xi2-duo3. bo1li3-die1 le, luo4ci1ba1-die1 le, yi2si1 cu1 ong3, ci1 ka4-bo3-duo3.
要这样打。点了灯呢,灯你就吹,你就不能吹,它自己要熄。儿童们呢,大人们呢,全部要坐在家里守着年。
just like that. Once the lamps are lit, you blow them, you musn't blow them out, but must let them burn themselves out. Children and adults must all sit together at home to see the New Year in.
10 bo1li3-die1 nie2-hu3 le, ngo4-ti1ke1 di3-i-duo3, gao1 mo3, bang2ye1 ye4-liao3 le, luo4ci1ba1-die1 yi2si1 da4 ngo4-ti1ke1 di3-i-hu3.
孩子们快睡了呢,要去挖银子。搞到半夜了呢,大人们全部一起开始挖银子。
When the children have gone to bed, we must go and dig for silver, far into the night, all the adults start digging for silver together.
11 suo1 bu2 la2 hi2 ai1me1 ye2geng1 seng2zong2-nie1, ai1lie1 tie4tie3 le, sang2 bang2ye1 le, jiu1 seng3kang3 dui2-bo3, xia2 bang2ye1 le, jiu1 wo4ta3-bo3 dui2-bo3-duo3.
大年三十日,那么更加隆重一些。然后灯呢,上半夜呢,就对着神龛,下半夜呢,就对着外面。
On the thirtieth, things are even more splendid. The lamps, for the first half of the night they are set facing the ancestral shrine; for the latter half they must face outwards.
12 ai1 la2 pe1 le jiu1, la1cuo1la1lai1, lao4reng3ga3-die1 ye1 hao4, bo1li3-die1 ye1 hao4, biu2 a2da1-ma1-die1 ye1 hao4, guo1guo1-ma1-die1 ye1 ca2,
那一夜呢,就全家,老人家也好,小孩们也好,女儿、妇女们也好,男人们也好,
That night, the whole household, whether they are old people, children, young girls, young women, or young men,
13 yi2si1 da4 ra3 rong2-xi2 ru3-bo3-duo3, ra3 ga3gi1 die3, bong2long1-ta1ti1-nie3 lao4reng3ga3-die1 jiu1...
全部一起听着鸡啼,(公鸡啼声),不能动的老人家就(坐在那里)。
they must all wait together to hear the cock crow, to hear the cock crow, old people who can no longer move will also sit there ...
14 ai1 tang3long3 le jiu1 pao2zu1 ra3ra3... po1-liao3, seng3deng3 le, ai1lie1 jiu1 wo4ta3-bo3 ba4-liao3, ai1lie1 jiu1 song2ga1 bu2-i-duo3 kuan3tang3...
那堂屋呢,就放鞭炮了(鞭炮声)。神灯呢,然后就往外面看了。然后就要舂碓,(舂碓声)。
In the main hall, firecrackers are let off, (sound of firecrackers) and the shrine lamp is turned to face outwards. Then the pounder is put to work. (sound of pounding)
15 hao4! song2ga1 bu2-ji2-liao3 le jiu1 bo1zuo1 bo4-duo3, gang3lang3lang3... gao1-ji2-liao3, ai1di1 yi2si1 da4ha3 jiu1 sa1mi1 za1-bo3 ga2, sa1mi1 za1-bo3 ga2.
好!碓舂完了,就要推磨,(推磨声)。搞完了,那全部一起就泡糖馓吃,泡着糖馓吃。
OK! When the pounding is done, we have to turn the grindstone. (sound of grinding) When that's done, everyone soaks 'tangsa' crisped rice cakes in hot water, soaks 'tangsa' and eats them.
16 me2su3-lie1 le, ai1lie1 you2 pu3sa3 jing2-duo3, pu3sa3 jing2-lie3 le, ai1lie1 you2 da4 ci1ki1ta1 ba1-duo3,
天亮了呢,就要敬菩萨。敬了菩萨呢,然后又一起贴纸。
At daybreak, we must worship the gods. After worshipping the gods, we paste pieces of paper together
17 da2meng1 ga3ha2 ao2mian1 ong1 hhi1, si2 la1meng3 jie3-xi2 ba1-ji2-duo3, li2kuo1tong1, pa2, da1dong1, yi2si1 ba1 mo3, ba1-ji2-liao3 zi1hou2 jiu1 suan2liao1.
大门上面一边五张,四个门都要贴完。犁头、耙、打谷盒全部贴完了之后就算了。
above the main door, five pieces on each side; paper must be pasted on all four doors. Also on the ploughshare, harrow, threshing trough, paper must be pasted on all of them. When that's done, it's finished.
18 ai1lie1 nie1 ba4-bo3 wu2 ka3 zuo1-duo3, yi2zi1 gao1 mo3 si3 wu1 ye4-duo3, eng, gao1 mo3 si3 wu1 ye4-liao3 le jiu1 ai1 qian3zi3 ci1ca4-ji2-liao3, guo2duo3 guo2duo3 le la4 ni1-duo3.
然后就看日子,要把轭挂在牛上,一直要搞到十五。搞到十五了呢,就把那个墙纸撕掉,自己要找自己的路。
On an auspicious day, we have to put the yoke on the ox, and these activities continue until the fifteenth. And when the fifteenth comes, then we tear down all the paper on the walls, and everyone gets on with his normal work.

 

 

 

 

 


Copyright (C) 2004 Philip & Cecilia Brassett