A Boy and His Bird
Here is segment of a Classical Tibetan tale. If we count a
sentence as a sequence ending in a finite verb plus final
particle, the whole text consists of five sentences. Sentences
are numbered I-V, clauses numbered (1- ). (Free translation
follows).
I.
(1) khyim=bdag-gis bya=phrug de bu- la byin nas
householder-ERG birdling DEM boy DAT give ABL
The householder gave the baby bird to his son
(2) cher=skyes-pa dang
grow up NOM and
[they] grew up
(3) gcig la gcig chags te
one DAT one love NF
[they] loved one another
(4) khyim=bdag- gi bu phan=chun- du ltad=mo la 'gro na
householder GEN boy here and there to sights LOC go LOC
the householder's son went around to see the sights
(5) bya de- 'i rgyab-la 'dug nas
bird DEM GEN back LOC sit ABL
sitting on the bird's back
(6) bya- s khyer zhing
bird ERG carry CONT
the bird carrying [him]
(7a) nam=mkha'-la 'phur te
sky LOC fly NF
[they] fly in the sky
( b) 'gro 'o
go FIN
[they] went
II.
(1) nam skyo na
night tired LOC
at night, when tired
(2) phyir yang khyim-du 'ongs te
back CONTRASTIVE house DAT/LOC come NF
[they] came back to the house
(3) de bzhin-du nyin gcig bzhin-du 'phyan-du 'gro 'o
DEM like-LOC day one like-LOC around-LOC go FINAL
thus they went around every day
III.
(1) de nas ring zhig lon- pa dang
DEM ABL long a pass NOM and
Then a long time passed and
(2) dus gzhan zhig na rgyal=po gzhan zhig-gi yul du
time other a LOC king other a GEN country LOC
another time in another king's country
rol=mo byed do zhes thos nas
fair do FIN thus hear ABL
they were having a fair, he heard
(3) khye'u de bya de la zhon te
boy DEM bird DEM LOC mount NF
the boy mounted his bird
(4) yul pha=rol=po-r ltad=mo lta-r song nas
country other.side-LOC sights see-LOC went ABL
and to the other country to see the sights [they] went
(5) bya shing=ka-r bzhag ste
bird tree-LOC leave NF
leaving the bird in a tree
(6) khye'u ni ltad=mo lta-r zhugs so
boy TOP sights see-LOC went FIN
the boy went to see the sights
IV.
(1)
ltad=mo lta-ba- 'i lam du rgyal=po-'i bu=mo dang phrad nas
sights see NOM GEN way LOC king GEN daughter with meet ABL
on the way to see the sights [he] met the king's daughter
(2) rgyal=po-'i bu=mo la chags te
king GEN daughter LOC love NF
the king's daughter loved [him]
(3) bu=mo dang nyal nas
daughter with lie.down ABL
[he] slept with the girl
(4) phyi gsang shor te
after secret come out NF
later the secret got out
(5) rgyal=po-s zin nas
king-ERG seize ABL
the king seized him
(6) gsod-du bcug pa las
kill DAT/LOC command NOM ABL
and ordered him to be killed
(7) khyim=bdag gi bu-s 'di skad ces gsol to
householder GEN boy-ERG this word thus ask FINAL
the householder's son made this request
V.
(1) bdag la mchon gyis 'gum yang myi 'chal
self DAT sword INST die CONTRASTIVE NEG desire
"I don't want to die by the sword
(2) bdag nyid shing=ka-r 'jegs te
self SELF tree-LOC climb NF
I myself will climb a tree,
(3) shing=ka nas g.yang du 'gum-ba-r gsol-pa dang
tree ABL abyss LOC die-NOM-LOC ask NOM and
[hurling myself] from the tree into the abyss [I] ask to die
(4) rgyal=po-s kyang de bzhin du gnang nas
king-ERG CONTR DEM like LOC assent ABL
the king, in turn, assented to that
(5) khye'u shing=ka-r 'jegs te
boy tree-LOC climb NF
the boy climbed into the tree
(6a) bya la zhon nas
bird LOC mount ABL
mounted on his bird
( b) 'phur te
fly NF
flying
( c) song ba las
went NOM ABL
went
(7) bya de-s srog thar-pa-r byas so
bird DEM-ERG life save NOM-LOC did FINAL
the bird saved his life
I. The householder gave the baby bird to his son. They grew up
and loved one another. When the householder's son went around to
see the sights, he would sit on the bird's back. With the bird
carrying him he would go flying around in the sky.
II. When they got tired they would go back home. In this manner
they went around every day.
III. A while later, he heard that in another kingdom they were
having a fair. The boy mounted on his bird and went to the other
country to see the sights. Leaving the bird in the tree, he went
to see the sights.
IV. On the way to see the sights he met the King's daughter.
The King's daughter fell in love with him, and he slept with her.
Later the secret got out. The King caught him and ordered that
he be killed. The householder's son pleaded thus:
V. I don't want to die by the sword; I beg you to let me die by
climbing up a tree and throwing myself down. The King agreed,
and the boy climbed the tree, mounted on his bird, and flew away.
The bird saved his life.