HYACINTH'S WAY BY ZAWGYI

Hyacinth's Way (7)

WITH ASSORTED MELODIES

Prattling charmingly,
Miss Caucal moans sweetly along,
The plaintive reed-piper plays a Mai Bwe song.

With a tree-shaped stand, various offerings are hanging,
Intended for offering monks of many years standing,
At the bow of the boat displayed proud,
The reed-piper plays a ceremonial Si Byaw tune aloud.

On the edge of the sandbank,
The first rising waters rushed by the wind,
Makes the waters mad, white and gushing,
The reed-piper plays a Bein Baung tuning.

The dead body of the animal,
Mingling with the rising water with the south wind in a spree,
The reed-piper plays a Ngo Gyin song that agrees.

Unaided by the oar,
With a bulging white sail the long-boat skims above water,
The reed-piper plays a Bwe Kyo theme over.

Peeping and appearing,
The Dhani islad jutting out is forming a sandbank,
The reed-piper plays a Thar Chawt song meant.

The songs are varied and unending,
And Ma Beda is ever with the water, going up and down,
With assorted melodious sounds.

Zawgyi
(University of Rangoon Annual Magazine, 1957-1959)

NOTE
Mai Bwe: A longing maiden's descriptive song
Si Byaw: A ceremonial big and long drum playing
Bein Baaun: A fighting contest's tune
Ngo Gyin: A mourning song
Bwe Kyo: A classical song celebrating a particular theme and usually played on the harp
Dhani: Nipa palm (Nipa fruticans)
Thar Chawt: Baby soothing song

HYACINTH'S WAY BY ZAWGYI

Hyacinth's Way (6)

HAD BRAVED

Along the line of the creek, the wind has started blasting about,
What a fierce storm with waves rolling over!
With one wave after another coming in and out;
Miss Beda, with all the water, billowing about her
In the raging storm, winds and water,
She's going to fear for sure.

Along the line of the creek, a torrent of rains has started,
Lighting flashed, and thunder crashed
As if the rain warrior king in a fit has darted;
Unseeing the creek, Miss Beda,
For the outburst of rains has it covered,
In the raging storm, winds and water,
She's going to fear for sure.

Never fearing, never recoiling, never trembling,
The rain, wind and water, not a bit do they bother
Has always been rising up, always downcreek ebbing,
The trips hither, countless in number,
Had always braved this creek, the bunch of Beda.

Zawgyi
(University of Rangoon Annual Magazine, 1957-1959)

HYACINTH'S WAY BY ZAWGYI

Hyacinth's Way (5)

TIME OF RISE AND TIME OF FALL

The two Byaing brothers, their wings white and clean,
Are leaving the shore to open fields, for feeding grounds;
For the lower parts of the creek, the mouth of the sea are seen,
To be in a state of the rising tide with waters abound.

With a red body wet all over with mud, the lady crab
Come out from her hole from the mudflat;
Is starting to climb the Khayar bush,
For in the southern part, in the sea the tide begins to push.

With a silver-foil wing, the dragonfly
Feeling insecure, jumps out clear
From a cluster of reeds, near the shore,
For the tide has started to grow.

At the time of the tide's rise,
Flows up the flower Beda,
The reed-piper applauds and claps the reeds together,
And longingly greets her.

The Byaing brothers, their wings white and pure,
With necks inclined broodingly, at the shore they waited,
The fishermen, again lurk, for food in the water,
For the tide's now abated.

With a red body wet all over with mud, the lady crab
With a hand upright nature, at the mouth of a hole makes a regal posture,
For the tide is now falling back.

With a silver-foil wing, the dragonfly again
Took shelter, in the reed cluster,
For the tide has fallen.

At the time of the tide's reflux,
Flows down the flower Beda,
The reed-piper waves the leaves of it's plant,
And longingly wishes her.

Zawgyi
(University of Rangoon Annual Magazine, 1957-1959)

NOTE
Byaing: The Little egret bird (Egretta garzetta)
Khayar: The prickly poppy plant (Argemone mexicana)