Ngaba (7)

This post covers page 9, chapter 2 of Ngaba. The translation continues until the end of the last full paragraph in the second column.

Chapter 2
A Box of Firewood

"Here, Here.  I think that [this] great era will be destroyed," said his wife Mi Paw, [who] while quietly contemplating and puffing on a great forearm-long cheroot reached out to her husband.  And Mi Paw descended to the small water platform at the back of the hut [and] was squating in the doorway with [her] two knees exposed and spread out with the child placed in [her] lap.  [She] held the cheroot in [her] left hand.  And [with] her right hand [she] held the over one-year-old child close to her bosom.  And the young child suckled the silvery white liquid ambrosia of the gods as though a liquid of love.  As for the two breats [through] which the mother's love was manifest, when [one breast] got free, the child who suckled repeatedly smacked at the free breast playfully.

At that time, Ngaba turned his back to Mi Paw's son's mother and fished.  At that time the fish did not bite.  Whenever [he] fished his mind would relax.  [But] now, in his mind, his heart was greatly burdened with chaos.  Therefore, his mind could not relax.  If worst comes to worst, the price of rice will go up and so [he] will be nothing but pleased.  [But] as for now, it was not this way.  Only after hearing that the English have fled Yangon, will the people gather together in the rice field.  If the region falls apart, it will be just sufficient to form a group [and] conspire to rule [the country] without exerting effort.  With [his] five children, [Ngaba] had nowhere to run to.  He did not even think about fleeing.

In his heart, while contemplating, [it was] not any other.  [Ngaba] heard from the southern rice field that Phyo Dote had become a Thakin.  [It] was said that after going to town, [Phyo Dote] had paid a quarter [of a kyat] to an association [in order to join].  That bloke was a crook.

One time, Phyo Dote had come and asked for money, saying "Pay two and a half kyats without any additional charges [for] an application form to apply in accordance with the tenanacy law concerning U Tha Gaung's land rental fee, to reduce the land rental fee in collaboration with a Thakin Nationalist Party member."  Legal shmegal, he did not understand.  It was not as if he had only just now joined together with U Tha Gaung.  It had been since [his] grandfather had married [his] grandmother.  As for the issue concerning the land rental fee, if Ngaba was of the opinion that he was hurting, then saying "Please help [me] out this year Uncle [Tha Gaung]," the [fee] would be reduced without the expense of two and a half kyats.  Ngaba heard that [Phyo Dote] had been calling [himself] Thakin since that time.  As for being called Thakin, was it the case that with torches [they were] setting fires?  [Ngaba] had aquired the knowledge that people were saying that if one was called Thakin, the police could arrest [that person].