Acho Lala
"There is a category of songs sung for children, which I call it a lo'i glu or a lo'i srung. They are normally sung by adults to children for teaching language, for putting them to sleep or for entertainment. I remember adults singing this child-lore, Acho Lala (The Brother Moon) to children in the evening or at night, usually in the moonlight. In this child-lore, adult assumes the role of Acho Lala. There could many similar child songs, which are slowly dying." -Dorji Penjore
The text is Romanized Khengkha.
Acho Lala
The Brother Moon
Cumulative Song
Cumulative Song
(Khengkha)
(English)
A cho la la
ma ma shag pa wai le
lang na bleg pa
lang a ni
gami nyum pa
gami a ni
khe na cho sa
khe a ni
jasa bari thong pa
jasa bari a ni
brag ning ga'i pa
brag ning ga'i pai deb a ni
rod pai khor pa
rod pai deb ani
dung mai nyng khrong pa
dung mai nyung a ni
bari chu sa
bari a ni
leng tsho ro khor pa
leng tsho sa'i deb a ni
a shom khrong pa
a shom a ni
to cham pa
To a ni
lang na bleg pa
lang a ni
ga mi nyum pa
Brother Moon!
Give me the left-over food.
It was kept on a shelf.
Where is the shelf?
It was burnt by a fire.
Where is the fire?
It was put out by water.
Where is water?
It was drunk by an ox.
Where is the ox?
It fell down and died.
Where is the place the ox fell down?
A flood washed it.
Where is the place of the flood?
Artemisia* plants have grown over it
Where are Artemisia plants?
An ox had eaten it.
Where is the ox?
It was taken for ploughing.
Where is the ploughed land?
Maize has been grown.
Where are the maize crops?
It has been cooked.
Where is the food?
It was kept on a shelf.
Where is the shelf?
It was burnt by a fire.
Notes
*Mugwort
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Dorji Penjore for sharing this song with the translation from his paper Dangphu Dingphu: The Origin of the Bhutanese Folktales (PDF).
