Counting riddle solved and so much more!
I presented the counting riddle that Sunita Junu had published on Tiktok with her daughter to Dipak Tudladhar. I asked if he recognized it.
Dipak told me that it reminded him of a song that he had learned when he was young! I asked him to write it down for me and translate it. I also tried to gloss it.
Note: “ka” can be a particle that appears in enumerations. From Kölver’s dictionary:
Where I think we have this use of it, I’m glossing it as “enum”.
Here’s how it goes.
Newar Counting Rhyme (as recalled by Dipak Tuladhar)
1 (cha)
पाँय्म्व: निम्व: छतका
pāṁymva: nimva: chatakā
coins two one-rupee
2 coins of rupee one
2 (ni)
लोहंमाय् अचार् नित का
lohaṃmāy acār nita kā
in.grinder pickles grinded enum
Grinded pickles in traditional stone grinder
3 (sva)
व मिसां जित: स्वत का
va misāṃ jita: svata kā
that lady at-me looked enum
That lady looked at me
4 (pya)
जा नयेगु प्यतका
jā nayegu pyata kā
rice eating four-th enum
Eating rice on fourth (dining) floor
5 (nya)
लखय् वैपिं न्यात का
lakhay vaipiṃ nyāta kā
in-water come fish-pl enum
Fishes come in water
6 (khu)
चान्हय् वैपिं खुँत का
cānhay vaipiṃ khuṁta kā
at-night come thief-pl enum
Thieves come at night
7 (nhay)
स्वाहाने त्वाथः न्हय्त का
svāhāne tvāthaḥ nhayta kā
step ladder seven-pl enum
Ladder has 7 steps
8 (cya)
भुतुलिइ मि च्यातका
bhutulii mi cyāta kā
kitchen fire burning enum
Fire at kitchen stove
9 (gu)
भ्वाथ:गु लं गुतका
bhvātha:gu laṃ guta kā
clothes old torn enum
Old clothes torn
10 (jhi)
व मिसा छम्हं झीतका
va misā chamhaṃ jhīta kā
that girl take for-us enum
Take that girl for us
The last word of each line has a double meaning. In addition to the meaning given in the translation, it can mean ‘N rupees’, where N is the number of the line. For example, jhi also means ’10’, so jhitaka means ’10 rupees’.
I am hoping that Dipak will teach his version to the kids at his school, so I made a handout that he can use for this, with pictures for each line:
Counting song – ink no English
From another consultant named Raj Kaji Shakya, I got translations for all of the lines in Sunita Junu’s version.
Newar Counting Rhyme (as presented by Sunita Junu)
English translation in collaboration with Raj Kaji Shakya
1 (cha)
छम्वः छम्वः छतका
chamvaḥ chamvaḥ chataka
one-mohar one-mohar one-rupee
One mohar + one mohar = one rupee
2 (ni)
झी निम्ह नित का
jhī nimha nita kā
1pl two-cl.anim two-pl enum
We two make two
3
हुं मनुखं स्वत का
huṃ manukhaṃ svata kā
that person look enum
That person is looking [for us]
4
भ्वाथःगु छेँ पित का
bhvāthaḥgu cheM pita ka
entire house demolish enum
The house is being demolished
5
कुन्ति देगः न्यातें का
kunti degaḥ nyāteṃ kā
kunti temple five-? KA
The Kunti temple [in Patan] has five steps
6
मंगलय् कापः खुत का
maṃgalay kāpaḥ khuta kā
[place name] clothes tattered/torn KA
Mangalay clothes torn apart
7
स्वाहाने त्वाथः न्हय्तँ का
svāhāne tvāthaḥ nhayta kā
step ladder seven steps
[traditional Newar houses have seven steps]
8
बहनी मतः च्यात का
bahanī mataḥ cyāta kā
evening light born enum
The evening light was born
9
भ्वाथःगु लं गुत का
bhvāthaḥgu laṃ guta kā
old clothes torn enum
Old clothes torn apart
10
न्यातका न्यातका झितका
nyātakā nyātakā jhitakā
five-rupee five-rupee ten-rupee
Five rupees and five rupees make ten rupees
So interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two versions! Raj Kaji Shakya said that he thought that Sunita Junu’s version was from Patan, based on a number of Patan-specific things in the song.