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Bélgica Dagua, "The Strangler Fig Loved a Girl."

From interviews with Tod D. Swanson

Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "The Strangler Fig Loved a Girl.’” Youtube video. 6:29 August 15, 2016, 2016.
https://youtu.be/Q6bYzbGCOJQ

Description

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English Translation

The Strangler Fig Man Loved a Girl (Piluru Runa) Belgica Dagua In earlier times the strangler fig was a human. But the tree was a lazy guy when he was human. Since he was a flirtatious guy he wanted a woman. Her father caught on and said, “Don’t accept that guy. He is a lazy womanizer. To stop him the father took her and went somewhere else. But the strangler fig man arrived there as well. When her father saw him he escaped in the night taking his daughter to another place. Then, when they arrived there that strangler tree (when he was human) heard the news and arrived there too. When he arrived her father saw him and took (his daughter) to another place so that (the strangler fig man) could not take his daughter. So they travelled like that. They travelled all over. That man travelled stalking them and o to keep him away the father would take (his daughter) and go. As he would take her a flee his daughter said “Dad its useless to circling around everywhere. Now I am going to clear a large area, a whole forest. When I clear the undergrowth and cut the trees I will plant yuca (for chicha) and we will invite that man to drink. When we call him to drink he will drink chicha. When he drinks and gets drunk we will kill him while he is in that condition. (And so) when she was not able to take it anymore and did not want that man she planned how to kill him. After she had talked with her father she cleared the underbrush from a large area of forest. When she had cleared the forest she said to her father, “Dad now go cut the trees.” I am going to weed the garden and bring a bundle of manioc cuttings to plant. So when his daughter said that he quickly cut the trees. “Now you go clear the garden quickly,” he said to his daughter. So just when the father had cleared half the trees for the garden that strangler man arrived as he was cutting. And as he was swinging his axe to chop that strangle man wrapped himself around the father’ throat “Tak!” from behind and covered him. In this way the strangler killed the man as he chopped. While her father was being killed the daughter was preparing her garden. He probably knew where that garden was. So this guy went there to the place where her father had left her. He stalked her and by stalking he arrived at where the daughter was. And when she had arrived at the camp her father had made for her [to stay in while weeding her garden] she slept alone there. And when he arrived like that, that night when he arrived he asked her. “Why are you living here abandoned by your father?” he asked. So (she answered) “My father went out by himself to cut trees down. If you truly love me why don’t you go help my father cut down the trees.” “Your father gets mad at me. That is why I can’t help him.” So she talked with him thinking to herself that when night comes I will make him fall asleep then fool him and leave.” She still thought her father was alive. That is what the daughter thought. So they lay down to sleep like this. So lying there he fell asleep like this. Then from there with his hand. From here his hand “Tsii'' From here his hand “Tsii.” From here “Tsiii.” Then when this happened roots began to grow from his hand. The strangler man killed the woman by covering her. It is for that reason that this tree covers and kills the tree that it loves. That is what they used to tell about this strangler tree. The late old Salomón from Sarayaku used to tell this.

Kichwa Translation

Kay pili ruyaga pay ñaupa timpuybi ashka runa. Chi musu runa aj ashka. Pero chasna ashallata kay ruyaga killa aj ashka, pay runa ashkay. Chi killa runa ajpi, kay pay musu ashaga, payga warmita shu soltera warmita apisha nisha munaushka. Chi munauta yaya musiashka. Yaya musiashaga ushushita rimashka, "Mana chi runata apinguichu chi runaga killa runa man," nisha. Mitzasha yayaga apasha rij ashka shuk puraybi. Ña shuk llaktay apasha rij ashka. Chibis kay pili runaga paktaj ashka. Musuga maskasha, maybi man nipi chaybi paktaj ashka. Chimanda chibi paktajpi yayaga rikusha tuta mitikuchisha apaj ashka ushushita shuk partibi. Chaybi shuk partibi paktachijpi chibi tiauta uyasha chayvi paktaj ashka kay pili runaga pay runa ashkay. Paktajpi chibi yaya rikusha chimanda tuta apasha shuk parti rij ashka mana pay ushushita apichun nisha mitzasha. Chasna ña purishka ña tukuy partita purishka. Kay runaga katinakusha purij ashka, chi payba ushushita mitzasha yayaga chasna apasha purij ashka. Apasha puriu pay ushushi ninga raun, "Yaya," nishka, "Yanga kasna yapakta maytas muyurianchi," nisha. "Kunan ñuka waktangarauni," nishka ya "ashkata shu sachay intiruta." Waktasha, chita ruyata kuchusha, lumuta tarpusha chi runataga kayashun nishka upichingawa. Chi upichinga kayajpi payga asuasha upichi... upisha machasha chasna aushkay wanchingawa nishkay. Ña mana ushashka payga ña chi runataga mana munashka ña, chiga wanchingawa nisha. Yayawa kuintanakusha waktashka atunda kay sachata. Waktashaga yayataga nishka. Yaya.Kunanga kuchungui ruyata Ñukaga chagrata allmasha lumu kaspita wangungawami ringaruani nishka chi ushushi. Chasna nijpi ushushi ñuka ña win kuchuy pasashka shina acertashaga. Kanga ña win chagrataga allmangui nishka paywa ushushita rimashka. Chiga chasna nijpiga yayaga ña chi chaupi, chaupi chagra tukunatashi kuchuushka. Chasnayshi chi kay pili runa, runa aka, paktashka pay kuchuushkay. Chi pay paktayrisha pay kungaylla kuchuushka. Achata apisha kuchuujtaga washamanda tag kipirigrishka kungaybi. Chasna rashaga ña chi ruyata kuchuuj runataga chay wanchishka ña kay pili runa. Chiga wanchishka washa ushushi chagrata allmaujta, payga yachara chari maybi chagrata sakimushka ajta. Kayga chayta rishka pay yayata sakisha kayga nisha. Katinakushka. Katinakuj paktashka ushushi. Payga chi ichusha sakishka wasibi paktasha pay pay sapalla puñusha chagrata allmaushka. Chasnay paktagrisha, tutaga nishka, paktaygrishaga payta tapushka. "Imangajta kan kamba yayata ichusha sakimurangui?" nisha tapuushka. Chiga ñuka yayaga payllami ruyata kuchuura. Cirto ñukata munasha imangajta Ñuka yayata mana yura kuchunta mana yanaparangui nisha nishka. Chi chasna nijpis, "kamba yaya yapa piñawaj ara chiraigumi mana ñuka yanaparani," nisha nishka. Chasna nisha rimasha paywan ña kwintanakusha, chiga payga tuta kaytaga umasha sakisha ringarauni, puñuchisha nisha. Payga yayaga kausaunmi niura chari, chi ushushiga. Chi chasna nij pay. Puñungawashi siririshka kasna, chiga siririsha, chiga payga kasna puñuj tukusha pin siriushka. Chiga kasna, payga kasna makiwa chimanda, payba maki kaymanda tsi, kaymanda tsi, kaymanda tsi. Chi pay kasna, chasna rasha sirishkay chi kaymanda tsi, kaymanda tsi, kaymanda tsi. Chiga chasna tukushaga kasnashi payba kay anguga, kay kwinta shina shi kay makimanda wiñasha utsun Y chi warmitaga day kipirishaga wanchinj aj ashka, kay pili runa. Chiraigushi pay chi ruyataga pay munashka ruyataga ña, payga kipirin, payga wanchin. Chasna nisha kay piliri yuramandaga kwintaj aj anaura. Kayta kwintaj ag ara wañushka apayaya Salmon, kay mashtimanda, sarayakumanda. Ruka apayaya chi kwintay tukuj ag aranchi ñukanchita. Chita yachani.

Spanish Translation

Este árbol antes era un humano, era un joven guapo. Pero este árbol cuando era humano era un joven ocioso. Este joven estaba intentando enamorarse de una chica. El padre de la chica se enteró y dijo a su hija "No te vas a juntar con ese joven porque es un vago" El padre llevo a la chica a otro pueblo mezquinando. Pero el joven llegaba buscando a la chica, a donde ella estaba. Y el padre enterándose llevaba a su hija por la noche a escondidas. Llevaba a otro lugar a su hija y allá llegaba el joven. Llegaba el joven al lugar donde estaban, el padre llevaba a su hija por la noche. De esta manera fueron a todos lugares. El joven perseguía a donde el padre lleva a su hija. La hija dijo, " Papá de gana andas llevándome por estos lugares" Ahora voy a trabajar una buena parte de la selva. Trabajaré, tumbaré los árboles y sembraré yuca para dar de tomar a él. Le llamaré a tomar chicha y cuando este borracho le mato, dijo la chica. Matemos ya que no le soporto. Conversaba con su padre, trabajemos una buena parte de la selva. Papá ahora tumbe los arboles mientras trabajaban. Me voy a seguir trabajando en la chacra de la yuca, dijo la hija. Hija yo voy a tumbar los árboles lo más rápido posible. Y tú trabajarás rápido la yuca, dijo su papá. De esta manera el papá estaba tumbando los árboles en medio de la chacra. Cuando él tumbaba los arboles llegó el joven. El joven llegó cuando él estaba tumbando descuidadamente. Cuando estaba tumbando le agarro el cuello por la espalda. De esta manera el joven mato al señor que estaba tumbando los árboles. Luego de matarle, sabía dónde estaba trabajando la hija, ella sabía dónde estaba su padre. La hija fue dejando a su padre y el joven la siguió. Llego a la casa y durmió sola, de ahí iba a trabajar la chacra. Llego de noche a su casa y [el joven] preguntó porque vienes dejando a tu papá. Porque vienes dejando a tu papá, mi papa está tumbando los árboles. Si me quieres de verdad porque no ayudas a mi papá a tumbar los árboles. "Tu papá me va hablar por eso no le ayudo" dijo el joven. En la noche a lo que duerma voy a ir mintiendo. Mi padre aún está vivo, decía la hija. Ella se acostó para dormir, pero en realidad estaba fingiendo. Y cuando la mano salía de todas partes. Cuando ella estaba acostada de aquí, de aquí salía la mano. Ahí la mano creció como esta raíz. El joven la envolvió con sus manos hasta matarla. Es por eso que este árbol se envuelve con los árboles que a él le gusta y los mata. Así me contaba mi abuelo Salomón, el cual era de Sarawak. El abuelo nos contaba, eso sé.

Analysis

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