Literechar hi iem a na?

By Pu L Keivom*, Inpui Columnist

For here we are not afraid to follow the truth

wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate error

so long as reason is free to combat it.

-Thomas Jefferson

Davida dungthulin, “Literechar hi ieng am a na, ei hriet fuk lop lop el ni? A ziektuhai khom iem an na, ei hlutsak èm êm el ni? Mi naran chungah siein, ropuina le chawimawina tonlairang ei intontir hi?” tia insamin ei thu chai ding hi hang phir hong inla.

Saptronga ‘Literature’ an ti hi a tlukpui thu mal eini trongah a um naw a, a umzie le a huop chin khom tawitea hril fie el thei a ni nawh. A tlângpuia ei hmang hlak chu ‘thu le hla’ ti a nih. Sienkhom, thu le hla nazong chu literechar tlinga tiem a ni ngai si nawh. Literechara tiem phak chin chu ‘thu le hla thra, mawi le hlû, indik le tlo’ a ni hlak. Chu inkhina dinga tefung ei hmang chu ieng am ning a ta? Chu inkhina fung chu hmun tinah an inang vong am a ni? An inang vong naw chun ieng lei am ning a ta? Hieng zawnahai hi fîp taka don ding chun a hrana lekhabu tam tak ziek ngai a tih. Hieng laia zawna threnkhat hi hril fie tumin French mi thiem, dawnril le thu ziek thiem hmingthang Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80) meu khomin What is Literature? ti lekhabu a ziek hiel a ni khah.

Hmun hrang hrang le hun hrang hranga thu le hla thra ei ti le ei hlut a danglam thei. Sakhuo tienga mi an inhnik laia an thu le hla hlut tak chu an sakhuo biek le inzom thil ning a ta, sienkhom an inhnikna a chuoi ruolin chuong ang tieng thu le hla hlutna chu anniah a tla hnuoi ve el a nih. Khawvel varna tieng le sumdawngna tienga mi an inhnik lai chun chuong tieng le inzom thu le hla chu an inhnikna tak ning a tih. Chun, mi tinin ei inhnikna tieng le inzom thu le hla ei hlut seng a, miin an hlutsak lei ringotin ei va hlutsak el chuong nawh. Lusuntu hla dit chu lusun hla a ni a, hlima lâm nuomtu hla dit chu hlimna hla a ni thung. Ngaizawng zûna inuoi ngawi ngawi ta dingin, “Pên khat bêkin, pên khat bêkin” ti hla chu ieng tina khom a ni nawh.

Hi taka inthoka thil chieng êm êma inlang chu, mi tin le hnam tinin thu le hla ei ngainat le hluthai chu ei nun le inzomna nei, ei nina le ngirhmun phor lang thei, ei lawmna le lungngaina puong suok thei, hmathlir mi’n neitirtu, beiseina mi petu, ei hriet thiem zawng tronga ei kalchar buzawla inthoka hung insieng le ei zepui puta ei hnufuol le hmasawn dan ang peia inthranglien chu a ni hlak. Ei hnufuol chun ei thu le hla hlut zawng khom a hnufuol a, ei changkang leh a chang ve pei el a nih. Chun, hnam tinin thu le hla ei hlut le lawm chu eini awm sunga inthoka ei zie anga hung inlar suok, thutak le inzawl, ei hringnun le inkungkei, umzie inril tak nei, trongkam mawi le inthûka thuom, a thu le a hril suokna trong hmangruo inchawi tawk a ni ngei ngei hlak. Thu le hla hi hnam nunphung le ngaituona fe hmang inlar suokna poimaw pakhat chu a nih.

Chuleiin, thu le hla hi voi tam phuokin ziek inla khom tak rama mihriem nun le inzomna nei le tuihàng pai a ni naw chun a hring naw a, tràm le dangchâr a hnèm naw a, tu khomin an fak pei nawh. Literechar tling thu le hla chu thu hring a ni ngei ngei hlak. Chun, mani awm suok thu tharlâm ni lo, mi thu le hla thring lawra khawsa ei ni chun ei thu le hla rim miin an hang inhnam charin an hnàr a kîr nghal el a nih. Mi ngaithlak nuom tak chu, mihaiin chuong ang khang ang chun an tih ti kuol nêkin nangma tukvera inthoka i hmu dan, i trongbau ngei hmanga i hril suok kha a nih. Isu khomin a zirtirhai laka hriet a beisei kha chu tho chu a nih. Thu le hla hi a puong suoktu hlimthla tarlangna (personality projection) darthlalang a nih.

A chunga thu hi hang pot sei met inla. Lekhabu insuo treuh hi literechar huonga hming ser theina tiket a ni ringot nawh. Thîr narana siem kutsebi sangkhat nekin rangkachak le lunghlua siem kutsebi pakhat chauh khom a hlu lem dai angin, hlutna nei thu le hla pakhat chauh khom phu suoktu chun literechar khawvelah hming hlun a ser thei. Hmangai Johan khan thil dang ziek sa loin, “A tirin thu a um…” ti châng ringot hi ziek sien, literechar khawvelah hming hlun ser hrim hrim a tih. Irish mi Joseph Sriven-in What a friend we have in Jesus (Isu ruol thra tak ei nei chu) ti a phuok lei ringotin khawvelah hming a ser a nih. Tu hriet hlaw lo, Austrian mi Joseph Mohr chun German tronga kristmas hla Stille Nacht! Hidige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night) a phuok leiin kristmas huna chu khawvel a la hluo sip zing a nih. Thomas Gray chu a hla phuok Elegy written in a Country Church-yard-in tu chen hin literechar van sangah a la sie zing a nih. Setan kuta inpe, sala sumdawng hlak John Newton chun a piengthar hnungin Amazing Grace (Hmangaina Mak) ti hla a phuok leiin hming hlun a ser pha tah a ni. Nearer My God to Thee (Lalpa ka hung hnai ie) ti phuoktunu Sarah Flower Adams (1805-1848) chu kum 160 liem taa thi ni sien khom a hla leiin kristien umna taphotah a la dam zing a, Titanic film-a chen khom hmun poimaw tak a la hluo a nih. Sam hi kum 1500 sunga hla hrang hrang an phuok laia thra inhlîr bika ngai 150 chauh thlang suok a ni leiin, kum sanghni chuong daia upa tah ni sien khom a hlutna a la chuoi chuong nawh.

Thu ziek tieng hang thlir inla. Zawlnei Isai hun laia um, Grik mi var, mitdel Homer-in B.C 700 laia Iliad (Troy khawpui an rûn thu) le Odyssey (an khawpui Ithaca tienga an hung kir nawka an thil tuok chanchin) a ziek chu tu chena tiem hlaw le mi ngaihlut a la ni zing. Chuong ang bokin Isai lekha ziek khom. Anni hnung, B.C parukna laia China mi var le dawnril Lao-Tzu ziek Tao-Te-Ching (The Way of Power) dam hi Taoism hringtu a ni ang hrimin ngaihlut a hlaw deu deu amanih ti dingin a um. Florence mi Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) ziek Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) chu a hun laia a hmingthang ang bokin tu chen hin literechar khawvelah hmun poimaw a la hluo a, tu laia an trong hmang Italian hring suoktu a nih. Mitdel John Milton (1608-74) ziek Paradise Lost (1665) le Paradise Regained (1671) chu tu chena mi inchuk lat lat a la ni zing. John Bunyan (1628-88) ziek The Pilgrim’s Progress chu hmun tam takah Baibul dottu ni hiela an hril ang hrimin, hun tuifawnin suk le tungin nuoi sien khom, tu chen hin a hlutna a la chuoi chuong nawh.

Hieng tlawmte chauh ei hang hmerhai hi sumrisang anga ze hrang hrang put, sienkhom literechar thra bùkna hrang hranga bùka hlutna rik tak pai vong an nih. Chuong anga thu ziek hlu, bèl chieng dawl le hlutna nei chu Zoram khawvela hin hmu ding a la tlawm a, Hmar bing khawvela lem chu a la vâng zuol. Hla tieng ruok chu sakhuo hla (religious hymns) ni sien, tlang hla (secular songs) ni sien, ei phak tawka ding chun ei intodel thawkhat niin a’n lang. Chuong chu a ni lai zingin, bi chieng ngai a um. Pastor Thangngur le a ruolpuihaiin hla thra, sîr tina inthoka inkhia bèl chieng dawl tak tak an phuok laiin, tu laia a thlûkin a zir leia hla, sak lâr hlaw tam tak lai hin a thu fe hmang le inrilna le trongkam hmangruo an hmanghai ei bi ruok chun bèl chieng dawl lo a tam. Sai hla (love song) le hnam hla tieng khom chuong ang tho chu a nih. Hieng hlahai hi literechar bùkna lung hmanga ei bùk chun âr hmul angin an zàng a, a thlûk le lungphûrnaa innghat an ni leiin a hmangtuhai lung phûrna a rè ruolin, mutpuom inthla thêp angin an inthèp nawk duk nuom.

Literechar tienga ei ngirhmun, Sura favang lo en anga ka thlirna chu ka artikul Ei Hnam Hmelhmang-ah a thrang sa a, chu chu KAWLRAWN, HSA, Shillong Jt.Hqrs Golden Jubilee Souvenir, 2007-ah an hung insuo a. Hi taka hin literechar umzie ei hriet naw leia Father of Hmar Literature nina Dr. Thanglung an lo inhlan chu Pastor Thangngur chan ding a ni lemzie thu, ka ngaidan ka ziek sa bok a. Hi thu le inzom hin ka tupa Ramthienghlim Varte, thiemna tienga MA First Class, thim le var thlier thei tah ding khopa sorkara khom kum sawt tak lo thok ve tah chun Dr. Thanglungin ‘Father of Hmar Literature’ ni a phùzie thu artikul a ziek a, chu chu Delhi Thurawn (Feb 17, 2008) ah a hung suok a. A thranghmun khawna dingin Dr. Thanglungin lekha a lo insuo tah nia a hriet 42 le hla a phuok 4 a hung tar lang a. Hienghai lai hin ama awm thu suok lekhabu pakhat khom a um naw a, naupang inchuk ding zirtirbu iemani zat le kohran hmang dinga Saptrong le Lusei tronga mi dang lekhabu buotsai, Hmar tronga a lo inlet sawng le Lusei tronga inthoka Hmar tronga Baibul a lo inlethai chu an nih. A hla phuok nia a hril palihai laia thrang ‘En tu’m mihrang pasalthrahai’ ti hi Hmar hla lenglawng laia hril sawng hlaw pawl tak a ni ka ring a, sienkhom a phuoktu nina inchutu mi dang an um.

Ka tupain a ngaidan a hung ziek hi lawmum ka ti khop el. Hieng thil hi tlang taka titia inhrilfie a hun tah hrim a nih. Chu chu ei thaw hmain, trânghma kei taka ka lekha ziek a thren, a nuomna lai lai peia Hmar trong indik lo taka a hung insuo kha Saphaiin, ‘intellectual corruption’ an ti, sumpai hlepruk nêk daia suol lem le pangzatum lema an ngai a ni leiin, insuo dinga ka ziek le thon ang charin tu hin ka hung thur suok a nih. Hieng ang hin:

“Ei literechara inthokin ei hnam hmelhmang hang thlir inla. Naupang inthrang thei lo, a lu inlok bûr el, a thluok bawm tak ruok chu inthrang si lo, bu thring le hme thring ringa khawsa, kuma puitling hun ni ta sia nuhai kuoma, “Nunu, mammam pe law” ti ngirhmuna la um ei hoi takin ka hriet. Kum 1920-40 inkâr bawr vel khan Thangngur hmalakna hnuoiah Hmar hla, ruopui vanawn ang elin a hung sùr a. Khang ang kha sakhaw tieng chu ei tong nawk ta naw niin an lang. Tuchen hin hla tieng chu Thangngur ngirhmun hluo thei ei la um bok nawh. Chuleiin, ama kha Father of Hmar Literature pek tlak um sun chu a nih.

“Kum 1940 tung vel khan Dr. Thanglung inrawina hnuoiah Lusei Baibul sirsanin Hmar trongin Baibul an hung inlet bakah sikula inchuk ding zirtirbu threnkhat an hung siem a, chuonghai chu Hmar tronga lekhabu a hung suok ve tran dan a nih. Chun, Dr. Thanglungin English-Hmar Dictionary a siem bok a. Hieng ang lei hin threnkhatin ‘Father of Hmar Literature’ nina an lo pek hiel a. Amiruokchu, bul trantu poimaw ni sienkhom ama awm suok thu le hla a maksan hmu ding mumal a um si naw leiin, thil chinchang le literechar umzie hre chieng lova Thangngur lallukhum khum ding an lo inkhumtir mei mei angah kei chun ka ngai lem. Dr. Thanglung kha thiem inchukna tienga hnam bulthrut remtu a ni leiin inpâk le chawimawi hlaw zing tlak a ni hrim a nih. Chawimawina a hlaw ding tak ruok chu, Hmar tronga lekha inchuk theina bubul iemani zat siemtu a nina le Lusei Baibula inthoka Hmar tronga Baibul inlettu a ni leiin “Father of Hmar education and translation” ti ni lem dingin ka ring. A neka hming mawi khom um a tih; amiruokchu, ‘Father of Literature’ chu a ni thei naw hrim hrim. Hi thil hi sawt tak hril sep um ta si, ziek ngeia mi hril suok ngam lo, sienkhom hril fel ngai si, ka hung phor lang a nih. Hi thu dik hi a theidatu dam an lo um pal chun chuong mihai ta ding taka ziek chu a nih.”

Hi a chunga ka ziek ang hin, khawvel hmun danga an thaw danin, literechar inkhìna le bùkna lung hmangin a thil hung thur suok le hmathea a hmang lekha 42-hai hi ahmatiema inkhiin hang bûk inla, ama awm thusuok hang hril ding a um naw bakah kohran hmang dinga mi lekhabu buotsai sa, Hmar tronga a lo inlet sawng el niin a’n lang. Chuong laia a thaw ropui tak chu Lusei tronga inthoka Hmar tronga Baibul a lo inlet hi a nih. A taimakna hi ngaisang a umin inpak le chawimawi a phû takzet. Bul trantu ropui tak a ni a, Hmar tronga lekha ei inchuk theina ding le Baibul ei tiem ve theina dinga sum le pai le thä tam tak sênga lampui sattu a nih. Chu a nina taka chun a tlâmpuiin chawimawina pêng ei tiu. A kutsuok le inzomna nei lo, chawimawina no indomtir ruok chu thil varthlak ni kher naw nih.

Dr. Thanglung hla phuok ni dinga ngai hlak, ‘En tu’m mihrang pasalthrahai’ ti hi a kutsuok a lo ni pal chun, hi chauh hi literechar thla ki hol phâk, a sulhnung hmu ding um sun chu niin ka ngai. Amiruokchu, 1970 bawr vel lai khan Rev. H.L.Sela chun ama phuok a ni lem thu a hung hril tlat leiin hla inchu a hung ni ta a. HSA thruoituhaiin thu chieng lema hriet fie tumin nasa takin, a tu tieng tieng khom pawlin, an dap a. Chuong laia an thu lak khawmhai chu ka file-ah ka la kol thra vong a. Chîk taka bia thil um dan ka sui chet chet hnungin Rev. Sela phuok ngei ni thei lem dinga ka ring leiin Hmar Hla Suina (1980) ah khom chuong ang chun ka sie tah lem a nih. Thu ziek le hla phuok ei tihai hi personality projection a ni leiin, mani sitail le thlek dan naw anga thaw ei tum chun ei chi-ai vong el a nih. Dr. Thanglung hla phuok danghai le hi hla hi enkhiin, ama kutsuok ni thei dingin ka ring nawh.

Chu zai chu zuiin hang hril sei met inla. Pastor Thangngur hla phuokhai hrim hrim hi a thu fe hmang le a trong hmangruo hmang enin, ama phuok a nih ti mi hril naw hai sien khom, a hnung lo suituhai chun chang khat an tiem suok hma khomin ama phuok a nih ti ring thei nghal an tih. Chun, a mak chungchuongna chu, hla 80 chuong a phuokhai lai hin sak inlâr bîk um sien khom, a thra nawh tia hang hnawl ding a um naw hi a nih. A hla phuokhai hin sir tina thlirin bèl chieng an dawl a, literechar ro an tling a, trong hmangruoah a hausa a, pipu hla thluk besana hmangin hla thluk thar, ‘Hmar hla thluk’ tia ei hril hlak, ‘Hmar Zai’ ti ding ni lem awm hi a hung ching suok leiin a hlaa hai hin hnam hmelthla, pipu zierâng le an trong mawi tak hai chu pâr chuoiin an inlàr suok a, chu chu thiem takin van ropuina leh a suizom a nih. Ama ang tluka Father of Modern Hmar Literature tia ko phû hi tu khom an um nawh. Chu zâr chun ‘Hmar Bungpui’ nina khom a phû bok a nih.

Chun, mak ka ti tawp lo chu, kum 1984 a Parbunga HSA General Assembly an nei truma nina ropui, HMAR SHAKESPEARE ti an mi lo inhlàn thu ka tupain a artikula a hril sa hi a nih. Kum 24 zet liem taa thil tlung a hril ni si, tu hi kei chun ka voi khat hrietna a nih. L.Keivom dang an lo um a, chu kuoma chun an lo pek am a ni ding maw? Ieng khom ni sien, ka hril nuom chu hi hi a nih. ‘Hmar Shakespeare’ nina hi ka hriet loa an mi lo inhlàn pal a ni khomin ka phû lo thil a ni leiin ka pom ngam teuh nawh. A san chu hi hi a nih. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) chun tienami hmingthang, lemchang (Plays/Drama) 37 le hla, poems sei tak tak 5 le SONNET 154 zet a ziek a, khawvel pumpui hrieta pa inlâr chungchuong a nih. Kei ‘plays’ pakhat khom la ziek lo, ziek khom la ziek sin ngam lo hin ‘Hmar Shakespeare’ nina chu an mi lo inhlàn khom ni hrim sien, ngaituona fîm hmang theia ka um sung chun ka ni phak teu teu lo thil chu ieng huoisenna lungril am putin ka pom ngam ding a na?

Hieng thil hi ei hril changa a buoithlakna chu ngaidan thliek saa thrang khaw ei tum hlak hi a nih. Literechar sukhausak poimawzie thu ei hril a, lekhabu ei insuo rawn chun ei literechar hausa duok dinga ngai pawl khom ei um. Hlutna nei lo lekhabu sang tam nei ringotin ei literechar a sukhausa thei nawh. Literechar umzie hre si loa trong invai mei mei ei tam a, mi thiem intihai lai ei tam zuol. Threnkhat lem chun Lusei tronga misawnarihai alfabet lo siem, ei kawpi sawng pei hi ei literechar sawnin, hmang dan thra lem rotna hrim hrim chu ei literechar sukchokchawrawi tumna angin an ngai a, kal an tum tlat a nih. Chu chu a nih ei tronga ‘mawlcho’ ei ti chuh. Huoisen taka mawlna rama intàl hlum thrak thlang lemna, lululna suolin a man, Israelhai laia damna dinga Mosie dar rul siem en nuom thrak lo pawlhai lungril put hmang ang put vena a nih. Hi lungril hi mi mal le hnam hmasawnna daltu, hmelma trium a nih.

Zo hnathlakhai literechar hi zieka siena ding hawrop ei nei hma daih, ei hung suoknaa ei hril, Sinlung laia inthoka hung pieng tran a ni tah. Hawrop ei nei hmaa ei pi le puhaiin thu le hla mawi tak tak an lo ser suok, an hrietzingna hmanga baua an lo inhlàn sawng peihai kha, Saptrong chun Oral Literature an tih. Ugandan mi thiem Pio Zirimu chun chu chu hrilna dingin trong thar ‘Orature’ ti, mawi angreng tak a ser suok a, sienkhom oral literature ti hi hmang tlanglawn a la ni lem zing. Sande Sikul ekzama thrang, ziek le tiem thiem lohai, ‘Baua don pawl’ ei ti ang deuh hi a nih. Chuong pipu tienami le hla mawi tak tak, baua an lo inhlàn sawng peihai chu ei hnam zie le nunah inphûmin, suotlang thara ei chuong lut hnung, ringnaa Jordan vadung tui ei dawn kieng kieng hnung khoma ei zepui mi’n puttir zingtu an nih.

Chuleiin, literechar chungchang thu ei hril ding chun literechar umzie ei hriet hmasak phot a trûl. Chu chu ei hriet fie pha chun, trong inchukna dinga hmangruo thra taka ei lo hril hlak, ei Baibul hmang hlak dam hi ei trong hmang dan le ziek dan sukchingpentu le thrangtharin Hmar trong ei ziek indik thei nawna san bul, a kaikuongpa a nizie hung hre suok ei ta, hma thar lak nachang hrieng ei ta, ei literechar khomin hma hung sawn tuol tuol a tih. Tuklul insuo a, na sukset a, lungril mit sukdel a, chepa anga awk ta laileng ei ti tlat a ni ruok chun, A AW B lam dan le hmang dan mei mei buoipuiin ei inhnawmna ngaiah inhnawm zing ei ta, mawlna suodura ei cho thlana ngei chun ei invui liem ding ma chu a ni el. Ieng anga sei le ropui khom ni sien, expiry-dated degrees intung tlar khup chu lu kawrok deng bum anga kawk bo a ni ang bokin, literechar tling lo thu le hla ieng zat khom fom khawmin lekhabu sut treuh inla khom, umzie nei tak tak naw nih. Hmasawnna lampui indik ei hraw ding a ni chun ei lungril put hmang thlak danglam a ngai. Mong son loa hma tieng pana pèn suok thei a ni nawh. James Russel Lowell a ni naw maw “The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion” titu kha?

(February 21, 2008, Delhi)