CULTIVATION.

A taungya is worked for three or four years only allowed to lie fallowed to lie fallow for six years or longer and a new field is cut.

Lo ching hkat kum htum, kum li bek a hto hi, toa zawkchiang kum luk tuahibale kum luk val lo a tul hangina a kul hi le dang lo tak a vawt hi.

First the undergrowth in cut down, then the big trees are felled and the branches lopped off. When all this has been dried by the sun, it is burned. Anything left is collected into heaps and set fire to again.

Amaisa lo a vat hi, a vat zawk chiang ching a hpuk hi, tua zawkchiang a sem hi. Hishia teampo ni sa a hko zawkchiang a hal hi. A hkang ngawl te mang a sep zawkchiang a hal kik hi.

Millet, Indian corn and beans are now sown together.

Tang a poi hi taw vaimim taw be taw a tu hi.

Beside these the Chins grow pumpkins, sweet potatoes, yams, sulphur, black and other kinds of beans.

Hishia sang Zo mihingte hmai, kaihtum, bal, ngatam, bili taw be nam chin a ching hi.

If the rains are not propitious, the villagers may have to sow their crops two or three times.

Ngua tui a hpa bale, hkuapuite anti ni ve htum ve a ching kik tu hi.

When the crops are just above the ground the first weeding is done.

Anti a po zawkchiang a solsat hi.

When the crops are about a span high the second weeding takes place, and the third weeding when the ear is forming.

Anti kap tan a pakchiang a ham bot hi le tangui laitak nu tual hi.

While the crops are in the ear, a villager sits in a machan and pulls ropes attached to clappers to scare birds away.

Tangui chiangina hkuapuite lo a hung hi. Vachim a hunna ngit ta hkan a tung hi.

First the millet is reaped. the stalks are separated by treading on a sieve. The grain is then dried in the sun and stored in big baskets in the house.

Amaisabil tang a shik hi tuazawkchian ni a chil hi, a chil zawh chiang ni sa a hpo hi, a hpo zawkchiang in a bem sunga a koi hi.

Before being pounded it is again dried in the sun.

A shuk maina ni sa sunga a hpo kik hi.

The Indian corn is then reaped and hung up from the roof of the house to dry.

Tang a shik zawhchiang vaimim a la hi. In ching a, hko natu a hkai hi.

After the Indian corn is reaped the stems are cleared away.

Vaimim a la zawkchiang, lo ham a bot hi.

Sweet potatoes are dug up, black beans are cut and other beans reaped.

Kaihtum a to hi, bili a at hi le be anam dang a lo hi.

This year for the second sowing, the Siyins had to buy the seed grain as owing to scarcity they had used up their stock for food.

Tu kum Sizangte a ngil kiel a, anti a ne shet yo hangina, a ching kik natu anti nguel dang munpan a le hi.

copy :A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF THE CHIN LANGUAGE ( SIYIN DIALECT)