Short sentences (Kayan Uma Beluvuh)

Kayan-English

​

Conversation about Kayan migration as told to me by Jau Anyi (Taman Harun):

​

Asen tam Kayan nih kurin daha', men Kalimantan ha' Indonesia hitih tam nih ney. Ney bulak kurin daha'. Te' kah tavit na' kurin daha' bi itam ney bulak avan tam ilo urip kah aleng lan na' nih pa.

​

According to oral accounts, our origins trace back to Kalimantan in Indonesia. It is said that we migrated from there for various reasons, though it appears the main reason was to build a new life in this land.

​

Usi itam bulak atih itam pasan daleh, alem daleh Borneo anih loh kah itam te' kereh. Pelitah tam aleng dep areh pa, daleh tam nih daleh Kayan.

​

It's not that we migrated (to a different country), we are still in Borneo. It's our government(s) that are different, we are in our Kayan country.

​

Aring tam ney ha' bahji hinih, ha' Tubo hitih tam te'. Daha' sepun tam menuna'' hitih daha' na uma. Bi ney nah daha' bulak ha' beh Telangusan hinih, daha' ney ilo tana avan daha'' na luma'.

​

At the beginning of their migration to this part of Borneo, our ancestors first settled in Tubo, an area near Bintulu. Later, they moved to the Telangusan area in the Baram district in search of fertile land for farming.

​

Te' kuri-kuri duman itam uh ney bulak ha' Sarawak nih. Te' loh kah daleh tam ha' Kalimantan tih, bi usi nah te' kelunan tam hinih. Awi tam tey ilo daha' ju te' kah kepa, bi usi nah itam nuno' jam la'an avin itam uh dara em tey hitih.

​

We have limited knowledge about the history of our migration because no written records exist. It most likely took place four or five generations ago. Even our elders, those we turn to for knowledge of the past, know very little, as they were born here, along with their parents and grandparents. While a few may recall fragments of old stories, these are often vague and lacking detail. As mentioned earlier, the migration was most likely motivated by the search for fertile land to farm.

​

Usi kah itam nuno' jam lung nuno' tam ney bulak nih avin usi te' kelunan aleng ngalung na' men itam. Uh kahum lepet nah itam aleng bulak anih pa, 4-5 lepet nunan kurik. Daha' aleng dekaya' men itam Kayan ha' Sarawak nih, usi pah daha' lim nuno jam avin nganak hinih lim daha', ure' kah hinan taman, sepun daha' lahuh. Te' kah uk lung-lung kitan daha' bi usi nah daha' nuno hituk. Aleng kurin daha' men'a dih, avin itam ilo tana avan tam na' luma'.

​

We do not know much about the history of our migration, as there are no written records. It likely happened many generations ago, perhaps four or five. Even our elders, who are considered the most knowledgeable among us, know little because they were born here, as were their parents and grandparents. Some may recall vague stories, but nothing detailed. As I mentioned earlier, the migration was most likely driven by the need for fertile land to farm.

​

​

​

​

Edit this paragraph to highligh

My conversation with Jau Anyi (Taman Harun) from Lung Paney (Long Panai) about Kayan migration to Sarawak. Lung marung tam bulak ne' ha Sarawak.

Roselind: Ha' hino ka' nganak? Where were you born?

​

Taman Harun: Ha' uma dipah, At uma dipah ("uma dipah" means the house on the other side of the river) this is a term for the old longhouse that was built at the opposite side of the river from where the current longhouse is situated).

​

Roselind: Duman kuri? What year?

Taman Harun: Je'eh. Duman jaka' perang Jepun. I don't really know but it would be around the time of the Japanese occupation.

​

Roselind: Kuri nah umun ka' re? How old do you think you are?

Taman Harun: Saya' pulu nunan lo. Maybe 80's

​

Roselind: Nun lung aleng kitam marung itam Kayan bulak hinih? Do you know any stories about how we migrated here?

Taman Harun: Kurin daha' tih avin kelunan lap jaka' daha' pekayo. They said the people left because of the *civil unrest, tribal fighting.

​

Roselind: Daha' hi pekayo? Who were fighting?

Taman Harun: Daha' kelunan hitih. Te' lung kurin daha' marung nuno' tuk itam lap. The people there, then. They had a story about how we left.

​

Roselind: Nuno' lung atih? What is the story?

Taman Harun: Marung pekayo anan kah. Bi sala leti daho' aleng daha' kelenghi atih.About the fighting (at the time). But they misheard the word.

​

Roselind: Daho' nun? What word?

Taman Harun: payo payo (deer). (They were in fact saying) deer, deer. 

​

Roselind: Payo? 

Taman Harun: Ee. Daha' uli ngaso' pah. Payo payo ken daha'. Daha' bara kelan dalo' ngaso' atih. Yes. People were coming back from hunting. They said, payo payo. They were telling people they caught payo (deer).

​

Roselind: Payo kelan daha' ngaso' nan pa. Oh I see. They caught payo (deer) from the hunt.

​

Taman Harun: Avin piyah daho' atih. Daha' menuna' pekayo kurin daha'. Because the sound (of the two words) are similar. In the past, they fought each (ngayo).

​

Roselind: Payo dahin ngayo anan pa. Payo and ngayo do sound the same.

Taman Harun: Ee. Jadi saru' nah daha'. Daha' kuma' kelunan ne' ngayo daha'. Yes, so they were mistaken. They thought the enemy came to hunt/ fight them.

​

Roselind: Bi daha' kuma daha' ala payo kum. But actually they were telling people they caught deer.

Taman Harun: Iha' kah. Yes, indeed.

​

Roselind: Bo nuno nah sekah? So what happened?

Taman Harun: Bei ha' kah daha' tempurung tua lap. Yes, indeed. Everyone scuttered (run) away.

​

Roselind: Hino' daha' tempurung lap? Where did they run?

Taman Harun: Te' ji jabatan avan daha' tey lawat hungey. There was one bridge that they use to cross the river.

​

Roselind: Ungey nun? What river?

Taman Harun: Je'eh. Ji ungey titih kah atih pa. Hungey Kayan anan kah kurik. I don't know. There was a river there. It might be the Kayan river.

​

Roselind: Ee. Hungey Kayan kah anan kurik. Yes. It could be the Kayan river.

Taman Harun: Hungey Batang Kayan kurin daha'. They say the Batang Kayan river.

​

Roselind: Nuno nah daha' uh tempurung lawat jabatan anan? What happened when they crossed the bridge?

Taman Harun: Pehile' daha' tih pa. Daha' takut, avin daha' kuma kelunan ney ngayo daha'. They were fighting to cross the river as they thought the enemy were coming to kill them.

​

Roselind: Nun jadi te' daha'? What happened to them?

Taman Harun: Kahum daha' tih pa jadi tasa' nah jabatan anan. Legak nah bale' kelunan. Because they were many of them so the bridge couldn't hold them. Some of the people fell in the river.

​

Roselind: Pasi lan. It's so sad.

Taman Harun: Te' nah baley aleng lebo dipah hungey anan, daha' nah aleng ney ha' Sarawak hinih. Some of them who managed to cross to the other side of the river, they were those we came to Sarawak.

​

Roselind: Daha' anan nah aleng ha' Sarawak kerey nih kum. So these are the people that now settled in Sarawak.

Taman Harun: Ee. Iha' nah itam anih. Daha' sepun tam aleng lawat anan deh. Yes, they were those that came, our ancestors who crossed the river.

​

Roselind: Te' nah daha' baley melak ha' Kalimantan hitih yah? So some were left in Kalimantan?

Taman Harun: Daha' anan nah aleng Kayan ha' Kalimantan. They are the Kayan of Kalimantan.

​

Roselind: Ju te' kah panak tam ha' hitih yah? Do we still have relatives there?

Taman Harun: Ju te' kah pa bi ita' nah em jam avin dara lan nah itam em tey hitih. There might be so, but we won't know them because that was a long time ago.​​​​​​​​​​​