May the Spirit of the Belly of the
paddies
make the rice grow,
May the pigs get fat and have many
piglets,
Let us do as the ancestors did in
bygone days,
as the Mother of Yesterday did in
bygone days,
Let us eat chicken until we are full, Let us drink rice beer until we belch, Soul of this food and drink do not
fear us,
so we may again eat food and drink
numpai.
With those words the women and other villagers began to eat, but Draam Chung’s bellowing voice halted them:
May the magic of the elephant plant
strengthen all
May the snake slither away before
you step on him.
We are about to anoint my brother’s
feet with chicken blood and
rice alcohol.
May the tiger stay in the
forest,
May the crocodile stay on
the
shore
May our bodies be cool,
sleep deep
snore loud.
C
