Tha Tha Thabungton

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"Tha Tha Thabungton
(Meitei: /thā thā thā-būng-tōn/)"
An illustration of the Meitei language cradle song "Tha Tha Thabungton" in Meitei script
lullaby
LanguageMeitei language (officially called Manipuri language)
English title"Moon Moon Young Moon" or "Moon Moon Full Moon"

Tha Tha Thabungton (Meitei: Thaa Thaa Thaabungton; Old Manipuri: Thaa Thaa Thaapungton[a]) is an old Meitei-language bedtime song.[1][2][3] It is one of the Meitei folk songs sung by parents, usually mothers. It is about taking care of children. It is more than the biological mother child relationship. It is about the pleasing music of caring the child. It also influences on the child's life and health.[4]

In Meitei culture, mothers usually carry their children on their backs or shoulders. They sing the "Tha Tha Thabungton" cradle song. In the song, mothers talk about the "Thaa" (Meitei for moon[5]) and the "Heibong" (Meitei for ficus/fig fruit[6]).[7][8]

Word origin[change | change source]

The word "thabungton" (Meitei: ꯊꯥꯕꯨꯡꯇꯣꯟ) is a short word for "tha mapung maton" (Meitei: ꯊꯥ ꯃꯄꯨꯡ ꯃꯇꯣꯟ) (morphologically, "moon-full-top", which is "full moon").[9]

Text[change | change source]

Lyrics in Meitei script Lyrics in Eastern Nagari script[b] Lyrics in Romanization Lyrics in English translations (Translation by Mohendra Irengbam) Lyrics in English translations (Translation by Oriental Institute of Cultural and Social Research)
ꯊꯥ ꯊꯥ ꯊꯥꯕꯨꯡꯇꯣꯟ
ꯅꯆꯥ ꯃꯣꯔꯥꯝꯕꯤ ꯄꯣꯕꯤꯒꯦ
ꯄꯣꯕꯤ ꯁꯅꯝ ꯅꯝꯕꯤꯒꯦ
ꯍꯩꯕꯣꯡ ꯆꯔꯣꯡ ꯑꯃꯇꯪ
ꯊꯥꯗꯕꯤꯔꯛꯎ ꯊꯥꯕꯨꯡꯇꯣꯟ ꯫
থা-থা থাবুংতোন,
নচা মোরাম্বী পোবীগে
পোবী শনম নম্বীগে
হৈবোং চরোং অমত্তা
থাদবিরকউ থাবুংতোন ।
Tha tha thabungton,
nacha morambi pobige,
pobi sanam nambige,
heibong charong amatang
thadabiraku thabungton.
Moon, moon, young moon,
let me carry piggyback your morambi child.
Please throw down a bunch of figs, youngmoon.
[10]
Oh Moon!
Let me carry your darling child on my back. ...
[11]

The Meitei language word "Morambi" (Meitei: ꯃꯣꯔꯥꯝꯕꯤ, romanized: /mo.rām.bi/) is translated as "darling child" in the publication of the "Oriental Institute of Cultural and Social Research".[12] But the same word "Morambi" (Meitei: ꯃꯣꯔꯥꯝꯕꯤ, romanized: /mo.rām.bi/) is defined as "a figure of baby, usu made of cloth" in a publication of the University of Chicago.[13]

In popular culture[change | change source]

  • The lullaby "Tha, Tha Thabungton" (Meitei: ꯊꯥ ꯊꯥ ꯊꯥꯕꯨꯡꯇꯣꯟ) was shown in the 1972 Meitei language feature film Matamgi Manipur (Meitei: ꯃꯇꯝꯒꯤ ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔ).[9]
  • The lullaby "Tha Tha Thabungton..." (Meitei: ꯊꯥ ꯊꯥ ꯊꯥꯕꯨꯡꯇꯣꯟ) was shown in a stage play "Heyang Athouba". It was shown as a part of the "Rhythm of Manipur's 3rd Opera Production". It was organised at the JN Manipur Dance Akademi, Imphal on the 28th of July 2013.[9]

Similar lullabies[change | change source]

  • "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" - a German language lullaby[9]
  • "Northeastern Cradle Song" - a Chinese language lullaby[9]

Related articles[change | change source]

Notes[change | change source]

  1. In this particular case, the only difference between the Modern Meitei (Modern Manipuri) and the Ancient Meitei (Old Manipuri) is the changing of "b" with "p".
  2. Meitei language (officially called Manipuri language) is also written in Eastern Nagari script (Bengali-Assamese script), besides the Meitei script.

References[change | change source]

  1. Singh, Moirangthem Kirti (1993). Folk Culture of Manipur. Manas Publications. p. 242. ISBN 978-81-7049-063-0.
  2. Bhogeśwara, Oināma (1985). "থা থাথাবুংতোন !". Manipurī loka sāhitya: Maitai khunnāirola phuṅgā wārī (in Manipuri). Vol. 1. University of Michigan. India: Maṇipura Shṭeṭa Kalā Ekādemī. p. 245.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  3. Sharma, Sanamacha (2021-10-21). The Romantic Lie. Notion Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-68563-008-9.
  4. Devi, Nunglekpam Premi (2018-05-25). Short Essays on Women and Society: Manipuri Women through the Century (in English and Manipuri). p. 21.
  5. Sharma, H. Surmangol (2006). "Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary (definition of "thā")". dsal.uchicago.edu (in Manipuri and English). University of Chicago. p. 86. Retrieved 2023-02-18. thā ꯊꯥ /tʰa/ n. 1) moon.
  6. Sharma, H. Surmangol (2006). "Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary (definition of "heibong")". dsal.uchicago.edu (in Manipuri and English). University of Chicago. p. 210. Retrieved 2023-02-18. heibong ꯍꯩꯕꯣꯡ /həi.boŋ/ n. a tree of a genus (Ficus) of the moraceae family, with edible fruits. Morph: hei‑bong [fruit‑id.].
  7. "হীদাক কান্নরবা পাম্বীশিং ঃ হৈবো - ডা. হুইদ্রোম বীরকুমার -" (PDF). hueiyenlanpao.com (in Manipuri). "থা-থা থাবুংতোন, নচা মোরাম্বী পোবীগে পোবী শনম নম্বীগে হৈবোং চরোং অমত্তা থাদবিরকউ" ৱাহৈ পরেং অসি মমা ওইবীশিংনা পীক্লিবা মচাশিংদু থাবল থোকপা নুমিদাংগী মতমদা কপ্লিবা নত্রগা তূম্মু য়াদবা মচাশিংদু মনমগন্দা পোরগা শকপা নাওশুম ঈশৈ অমনি। নুমিদাংগী মতমদা তরং-তরং থোক্লিবা থা অদুদা হেক য়েংবদা ময়ায়দা মুরং তৌবা মসা ফনবা মানবা মওং অদু মমাশিংনা হৈবোং পাম্বী অমনি হায়না লৌরগা মহাক্কী কপ্লিবা নত্রগা তূম্মু য়াদ্রিবা মচা অদুগীদমক্তা মদুদা পাল্লি হায়না লৌরিবা হৈবোং চরোং অমতং থাদবিরকউ হায়না শৈথাবনি।
  8. "My memories of Imphal from 1941 Part 2 By Mohendra Irengbam". e-pao.net (in English and Manipuri). Retrieved 2023-02-19. Tha tha thabungton, nacha morambi pobige, pobi sanam nambige, heibong charong amatang thadabiraku thabungton. Moon, moon, young moon, let me carry piggyback your morambi child. Please throw down a bunch of figs, youngmoon.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "Tha Tha Thabungton Reviewing a Lullaby By James Oinam". e-pao.net. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  10. "My memories of Imphal from 1941 Part 2 By Mohendra Irengbam". e-pao.net (in English and Manipuri). Retrieved 2023-02-18. Tha tha thabungton, nacha morambi pobige, pobi sanam nambige, heibong charong amatang thadabiraku thabungton. Moon, moon, young moon, let me carry piggyback your morambi child. Please throw down a bunch of figs, youngmoon.
  11. The Oriental Anthropologist: A Bi-annual International Journal of the Science of Man (in English and Manipuri). Oriental Institute of Cultural and Social Research. 2005. p. 6. Tha Tha Thabungton ( Oh Moon ) Nacha morambi pobige Pobi sanam nambige ( Let me carry your darling child on ...
  12. The Oriental Anthropologist: A Bi-annual International Journal of the Science of Man (in English and Manipuri). Oriental Institute of Cultural and Social Research. 2005. p. 6. Tha Tha Thabungton ( Oh Moon ) Nacha morambi pobige Pobi sanam nambige ( Let me carry your darling child on ...
  13. Sharma, H. Surmangol (2006). "Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary (definition of "morāmbi")". dsal.uchicago.edu (in Manipuri and English). University of Chicago. p. 154. Retrieved 2023-02-18. morāmbi ꯃꯣꯔꯥꯝꯕꯤ /mo.ram.bi/ n. a figure of baby, usu made of cloth.

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