Ban ïada na ka jingshit ka sngi, na u slap bad ka lyer, ki khasi mynhyndai bym pat don shatri, ki la don la ka sap ban da ïalade na kine ki bor ka mariang da kaba khud thri ïa u siej ban shna ïa ka knup, ka trab ne ka tupia.
Haba u pyrkhat shaphang ka kit ka bah, ka rah ka rong, la ïa ka mar kaba rit ne kaba heh, u wad ïa ka lad ban kham pynsuk ïa u; kumta u thaiñ da u siej ïa ka khoh u star ban kit ha met, ka kriah u shang ban rah da ka kti.
Ban ym pyut ne sniew u kba u krai, u thep ïa ki ha ki sup bad ki thiar ba la shna kyrpang da u siej. Ïa ka um ruh ki buh ha ka ktang siej, ïa u stait na u kba, u khaw ne kino kino kiba dei ban weng ban jied kip eh da ka pdung ne u prah, ne kyrsih da ka shalani ba ni, ba la thaiñ da u siej.
Ha ki katto katne ki bynta jong ka ri lum Khasi Jaiñtia, ki briew ki kamai jakpoh da kaba thaiñ ïa ki shylliah, ki polo, ka trop, ka khoh lyndang, ki ruh syiar, ruh sniang, ki paron bad die ïa ki ha ki iew. Ki shang, ki pdung, ki knup rit bun rukom ki khoh rit ban pyndonkam ha ki lat ki tamasa ne ban buhkai ha ïing, la shna hi na u siej.
Ym lah ban len, ba u siej u don ka bynta kaba khraw ha ka beh mrad u Khasi, haba ki pyndonkam ïa u kum u thri ban suh doh kyndang ïa ka mrad ba ki la ioh siat, ban iasam para ma ki. Ha kine ki por mynta lei lei, u siej u long uba larkam bha namar ki briew ki la nang iohbuit thymmai, nang shemphang bad ki la nang ruh ïa ki lad wad kamai lyngba ka jingpyndonkam ïa u. Kumta ki la sdang ban shna pynwandur ïa u ha ki laiphew jait ki dur ba lah ban pyndonkam ne ban shu buhkai, kum ki tyndong sieh syntiew, ki jingbat ba la pyndait ha u sohprew ban pyndonkam haba sum, ki jingdeng kpieng bad sohshkor, ki pla, ki jingsiang miej barit, ki siang bun rukom, ki lamp shade, ki khiew syntiew, ki jingwah dur (photo frame) bad kiwei kiwei de.
Kine ki jinglap buit thymmai ki la pynkylla dur shisha ïa ka rukom pyndonkam ïa u siej haba ïanujor bad ki por mynshuwa. Kane hi ka pynshisha, ba ha ka jingpynneh ïa la ka lariti, kum ki Khasi ngin ym lah ban iaid lait na u Siej. U Siej u dei u jingai ba kyrpang jong U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw ïa ngi na ka bynta ban kyrshan ïa ka mei ramew, un kyrshan ha ka kamai kajih bad un kyrshan kum u khnong baskhem ïa u khun khasi ba un lah pynneh la ka lariti hapdeng ki jingkylla ka por.
Lucetta Jeane Syiem is an author and an expert in Khasi culture. Before retiring, she worked as an assistant teacher at St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School in Shillong. She also read Khasi news on Akashvani Shillong, anchored news for Peitngor Cable News (PCN), hosted various events, and moderated interviews, panel discussions, and talk shows.