APA, ṬAWNGṬAI DAN MIN ZIRTIR RAWH

Office lamah hna kan ngah deuh a, tlai banah ka fapa ka infiampui leh bawk si avangin ka taksa pum mai chu a sil ṭhem ṭhum a. Zan danga ka mut hun pangngai aia hmaah ka mu a, muhil thei mai si lo chu ka let ka let a. Ka fapa lehkha zir zo chu mut chhuak tih hriat taka ham bai bai chung hian a rawn phei a, khum bul a rawn thlen chuan a ṭhingṭhi hnawk a, a mit a nuai deuh chat chat bawk. "Bawihte, i mut a chhuak tawh anih kha. Hawh, ka bulah hian lo mu rawh..." tiin kaihthawh ka han tum a. A mutchhuak mitmeng sen ram mai chuan fiah taka min en chungin a nui sen sen a, ka beisei loh lutuk mai thil a rawn sawichhuak ta tlat mai. "Apa, ṭawngṭai dan min zirtir rawh"

Chhan mai ngaihna ka hriat loh avangin ka fapa chu ngawi rengin ka en a. Ani chuan phur tak hian, "Pa, vawiin a lehkhachaih min rawn hawnsak kha, i tih dan ang chiah khan ka ṭhian te bulah ka chaih a, thiam min ti lutuk asin. Ka ṭhian te pa ho chuan nang ang hian inkhelh an thiam ve miah lo. Nang anga ball pet sang thei pawh an awm ve lo. Nangmah min pek avang hian Pathian hnenah lawmthu sawi ka duh a. Mahse, apa...sawi dan tur ka hre si lo a, ṭawngṭai dan min zirtir rawh"

Daddy, my daddy

You've taught me lots today

You brought me home a brand new kite and showed me how to fly

And there ain't no wonder kid who's dad can knock a ball so high

I'd like to thank a God for you

But i don't know what to say

So daddy, my daddy, teach me how to pray.

Ka ngaihtuahnaah chuan thil tam tak a lo lut a, ka fapa ang rual lek mipa naupang ka nih laia ka pa-in ka lu chunga kut nghata min ṭawngṭaisak lai te chu ka mitthlaah a rawn lang iar iar a. Kei ve hian ka fapa lu chunga kut nghata ṭawngṭai chu sawi loh, ṭawngṭai dan takngial pawh ka lo la zirtir ngai lo chu a ni si a. A tan hian "pa" nih ka va'n tling lo tak em!

Ṭawngṭaina nena min au zui lawm lawm tu ka nu leh pa te thu zawm duh lovin keima duhthlannain nun ka hmang a. Ruihtheihthil leh nulat tlangval nawmchennaa ka tlan fe hnuah keima thawhrimna vang pawh a ni ber tawh lo, ka nu leh pate ṭawngṭaina vang liau liauin hna ṭha tak thawkin, nupui hmelṭha tak leh fapa duhawm tak ka la nei leh zel bawk. Ka fapa, ka hmangaih em em chu duat theihtawpa duatin, a duh leh mamawh nia ka hriat apiang sumin a lei theih chin tihsakin, school ṭha leh changkang berah rual a pawl nan tiin dah mah ila, a chhungril nunin a mamawh ber Pathian thu ka lo fah ngai reng reng si lo.

Kei chuan nu leh pa, Pathian bel tlattu ka neih avangin nun kawngsual ka zawh lai pawhin ka tana an ṭawngṭaina chuan min venghim a. Mangang leh thlaphanga ka awm lai pawhin ka pa ṭawngṭai ri khan min thlamuan ṭhin. Chhungril lama pa thlamuannain a la uap lum ngai reng reng loh ka fapa hmel chu kan ennawn leh a, keima hrin ngei mah ni se a zahawm ka va'n ti em! Chu mipa naupang rilru thianghlim tak lakah chuan te rawih rawih hian ka inhria a. Sawi tur reng reng hre lovin ngawi rengin ka chhuahsan ta a.

Kawngka ka khar rual chiaha ka fapa ṭap ri chu ka ngaithla a. Engtik lai maha ka tihṭah phal ngai loh ka fapa a duh ka tihhlawhtlinsak theih loh avanga a ṭap ri ngaihthlak chu, a va han hrehawm ber mai em. Mahse, ka fapa rilru thianghlim tak chuan he thil hi a hriat ka duh si lo, "A pa chuan ṭawngṭai dan a theihnghilh tawh a ni tih hi!"

I'd had to turn and leave his room he began to cry

I didn't want my boy to know but so did I

His best pal forsaken him but what was there to say

For daddy yes daddy had forgotten how to pray

Ka nupui bel nawt chu "I fapa saw va thlem rawh" tiin ka va ko a. Kan nuin mak ti leh ka hau chunga min en lai chuan zawhna dang min zawh belh ka hlauh avangin ka tlanchhuahsan nghal a. Pawn thli thaw chu inchhem harh tir tumin kawng dawm meuhin ka ding vang vang a. Vana arsi pe un chu thlirin ka ngaihtuahna erawh kum tam tak kal ta, nunhlui chhuiin a vak kir thung. Hun rei tak ka ngaihtuah ngai tawh loh nunhluiin ka suangtuahna khawvel a fan kual mek lai chuan ka bengah fiah em em maiin he thu hi a lo ri nawn leh a...

"Apa, ṭawngṭai dan min zirtir rawh!"

( Hank Williams hla Daddy, Teach Me How to Pray hla beh chhana ziah a ni - 2017)