An Example of Manchu Autochthonous Literature in Prose: Donjina's "Records of Experiences"
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The recent discovery of the existence of a Manchu autochthonous literature, both in prose and verses, contributed to the so-called "revival" of Manchu studies all over the world, which are mainly characterized - thanks to the enormous archive material now more easily accessible – by historical and religious (shamanic) studies.
As it happens in every new field of research, the outlines of Manchu autochtonous literature (Belles Lettres) are still nebulous and open to discussion. In addition to this situation, the problem of the "classification" of Sibe literature should be taken into consideration in future researches. It is well-known, in fact, that Sibe prose and poetry - especially the works collected in the last century - are characterized by a pure, "classical" Manchu language.
The actual tendency in this field is to consider the language itself as an essential point, and not the ethnic nationality of the writer(s). We have, therefore, literary works "in Manchu" written by Manchus, by Sibe, by Daghurs, by Mongols, etc. In a certain way, this situation reflects also the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty itself, as a multinational state organization.
One example of this "multinational authorship" within Manchu literature is given by a hitherto unknown Daghur writer, Donjina,[1] and his work "Donjina-i sabuha donjiha ejebun" - freely translatable as "Records of Donjina's experiences" (literally "Records of what Donjina saw and heard").[2]
From the editor's introduction we know that ... Donjina-i hala G'ang, gebu Dehai, ini tukiyehe bithei gebu Donjina. I dade Hei-lung-giyang goloi Cicigar hoton-i niyalma, Dahūr uksura, ajigan ci deribume manju gūsai coohai meyen de yabuha bihebi. Cing gurun-i Badarangga Doroi jakūci aniya (1882 ci aniya) Gin-šun jiyanggiyūn-i yarhūdaha Hei-lung-giyang, Girin goloi silin dacun coohai meyen be dahame, Agube-i facuhūn be necihiyeme, Ili babe Oros gurun deri bederembume gaire jalin, Ili de jihebi. Amala nimeku de langgabufi, da gašan de bedereme mutehekū, uthai Ili de tutafi, Sibe-i bade banjime....: "Donjina's clan was the G'ang-clan, his name was Dehai, his pen name - Donjina. Originally he came from Qiqihar city in Heilongjiang Province, belonging to the Daghur people. From childhood he served in the troops of the Manchu Eight Banners. In the eighth year of Badarangga Doro of the Qing Dynasty (the year 1882), following the Light Division of Heilongjiang and Jilin under the command of general Gin un [Jinshun] sent to pacify the rebellion of Agube [Yakoob Beg], he came to Ili because Ili had to be taken back from Russia. Later he had to stay there because of a sickness and could not return to his native village. Therefore, he remained in Ili and lived in the Sibe territory...".[3] About the manuscript itself we are informed that ... da bithe ninggun debtelin, moo fi-i šayan hoošan de sarkiyame arahabi, aniya goidaha turgunde, gemu maname efujefi, ememu uju uncehen akū eden ekiyehun ohobi, amba muru uhe sucungga-i emu minggan uyun tanggū orin udu aniya ci deribume gūsici aniyai šurdeme erin de arame šanggahabi. da mutun dade Cabcal hiyan-i Yang Jenyuwan gucu-i gala de bihebi, ne Sinjiyang ni komso ton uksurai julgei bithe cagan be isabume teksilere ban gung ši de bargiyame asarahabi: "The original book contained six chapters and was written with a brush on white paper. Because of its age, it is heavily damaged, the beginning and the end are missing. In general [we may say that] it was completed approximately between the 1920s and 30s of our era.[4] The original was first in the hands of Mr. Yang Jenyuwan [Yang Zhenyuan] in Cabcal district; now it is kept in the «Archives[5] of ancient books and documents of the National Minorities of Xinjiang ".[6] The whole manuscript was "put in order" (teksilehe) and prepared for publication by the famous scholar Yong Zhijian (in Sibe: Yungj'ijiyan), who divided the work into two "parts" (yohi) and eliminated the original subdivision in six chapters (debtelin).
The first part opens with the author's own preface (yarusun), which contains a few elements on Donjina's life: so, for instance, he tells us that he left his homeland when he was 18 years old, because at that time troops were sent to fight against the "bad rebellious insurgents" (ehelinggū fudaraka hūlha).[7] We can therefore suppose that Donjina was born around 1860. His preface is without date - but since he mentions the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the consequent Republic (irgen gurun), we can confirm the editor's supposition that he died between 1920-1930.
The preface ends with a poem[8] composed by Donjina according to the classical verse-scheme of Manchu poetry, i. e. stanzas with four lines characterized by initial alliteration and fixed rhyme-schemes:[9]
| Cicigar hoton-i Donjina, | I, Donjina, from the city of Cicigar, |
| Cing gurun fon-i niyalma, | am a man of the times of Qing dynasty. |
| cihalan buyen-i beyebe sehe, | Fired with desire and nostalgia, |
| cihanggai coohai meyen de jihe. | I willingly came [here] with the army units. |
| Ubu hesebun be saha, | Different destinies are known, |
| umainaci ojorakūngge abka; | unavoidably [given by] Heaven; |
| abkai buhe ubu, | The different [destinies] established by Heaven |
| absi ocibe tuttu. | are fixed, be they as they are. |
| Amga banjin be seci, | When speaking about future life |
| amcame gūnirengge aibi; | we are following only thoughts; |
| da susu be seci, | When speaking about the original birthplace |
| dahūme gūnirengge baibi. | we are repeating only thoughts. |
| Julergi baita be sehe, | Things before us - |
| julun bithe de buhe; | they are given in novel-books; |
| duhen-i baita be oci, | Things behind us - |
| musei gašan de fonji. | you have to ask [for them] in our village |
| Ili bira dergici jihe, | I came from the Ili river's north, |
| ilaci nirui gašan bihe; | there was the village of the third company. |
| Hojigir Bulak de seci, | In Hojigir Bulak, |
| hošo mudan de gemu šeri. | in remote corners - springs everywhere. |
| Hūnahai holoi muke, | The water of the Hunahai valle |
| Honduk usin de singge; | irrigated the fields of Honduk |
| holtome banjire beye, | To live an illusory life |
| holoi dorgi de jihe. | I went into this valley. |
| Se funcehengge giyan akū udu, | The years left, so short, |
| sebjeleme banjirengge esi fulu; | were filled with happy life; |
| seibeni erin be sehe, | once, time |
| serehe akū dulembuhe. | passed away imperceptibly. |
| Nei arbun be tuwaha, | I looked at the circumstances of present time |
| ne de amga be saha; | I knew, in that moment, the future time; |
| gūnihakū goro bade jihe, | unexpectedly I came to a far place, |
| gūnin baita acahakū bihe. | but mind and facts were not in harmony. |
| Goro seolere be naka, | I had to stop the thoughts going far, |
| gūnin-i muterengge waka; | nothing could be realized with thoughts only; |
| goro ebsi gūnifi ainambi, | what to do with thoughts, so far? |
| gūnin-i baita be ejembi. | to write down the mind's impressions. |
| Ere ba-i arbun, | The forms of this place, |
| eiten ici ferguwen; | the whole country is wonderful; |
| erdemungge gucusa isame jihe, | virtuous friends came together, |
| eberi erdemu be cendeki sehe. | and wished to verify [my] inferior virtues. |
The first "part" of the work, entitled Ili ba-i udu hacin ejebun ("Some Records Concerning the Ili Territory"), contains twelve tales or stories mainly devoted to the author's environment or inspired by his own military life, and are precious for their historical value and social testimonies:
1) Suiding hoton de Sibe niyalma be ucaraha.
"Meeting the Sibe people in Suiding city".
2) Nurei puseli-i ucarabun.
"Encounter in a wine-shop".
3) Ili facuhūn-i ejebun.
"Records on the Ili rebellion".
4) Oros gurun Ili ba be ejelehe deribun duhen.
"Beginning and end of Russia's rule over Ili".
5) Gin jiyanggiyūn-i tušan de bihe fon.
"The service period of general Gin".
6) Si jiyanggiyūn hūlha be geterebuhengge.
"The suppression of the rebels by general Si".
7) Sibe niyalma hūdai ursei emgi becunehe baita.
"A dispute between a Sibe and merchants".
8) Se amban be ejehe udu hacin baita.
"Some notes on dignitary Se".
9) Se jiyanggiyūn tiyeze menggun šuwaselame baitalahangge.
"The use of metal money coined by general Se".
10) Fi jiyanggiyūn fe durun be dahūbuhangge.
"The reintroduction of ancient rules by general Fi".
11) Se I Tang Fu jiyanggiyūn be habšahangge.
"Accusations against generals Se, I, Tang and Fu".
12) Ma jiyanggiyūn tušan de bihe fon.
"The service period of general Ma".
The second part is entitled Ferguwecuke donjin ulabun ("Tradition of Strange Rumours") and contains 28 tales. This is, most probably, the real "literary" part of the whole work which places it on the same level with analogous fantastic stories well-known to us from Chinese literature.
1) He halangga niyalma-i ferguwecuke jabšabuhangge.
"The strange fortune of a man of the He family".
2) Wei halangga hehe-i gasacuka ucarabun.
"A sad encounter made by a woman of the Wei family".
3) Weitu agu tolgin ci bayakangge
"How Mr. Weitu became rich through a dream".
4) Fe boo deri ulin bahangge.
"How richness came into an old house".
5) Nimhai hacin-i ferguwecuke donjin.
"A strange rumour on a fish".
6) He šeo u
"Knot-grass"
7) Jang halangga hehe bucefi dahūme aituha.
"A woman of the Jang family who came back to life after death".
8) Lifagan fusa be tusume buhengge.
"The auspicious gift of a clay Buddha".
9) Ciyan Ze-liyan-i hutu ibagan ci gelerkū jube.
"The story of Ciyan Ze-lian, who was not afraid of spirits and demons".
10) Wang Hiyoo-ze Guwan enduri be acinggiyabuhangge
"How Wang Hiyoo-ze touched god Guwan".
11) Jurgangga sufan
"The dutiful elephant".
12) Emu uhun sirge-i murishūn.
"Injustice due to a silk-ball".
13) Miyoo de tomoho jabja
"A snake living in a temple".
14) šen wang miyoo.
"The šen-wang temple".
15) Bucehe fayangga hūlha be jafahangge.
"How the soul of a dead captured a thief".
16) Julgei eifu ci boobai iletuleme tucike, k'ang hi ejen ye ming ju nicuhe baha.
"A gem appeared from an old grave, and the Kangxi emperor got a [mythological] Yemingzhu-pearl".
17) Nadan usiha-i jube
"The tale of the seven stars".
18) Eifu-i dorgide banjiha jui.
"The child who lived in a grave".
19) Fe juktehen de ibagan be tunggalaha.
"An encounter with a demon in an old temple".
20) Hefeli dorgi bi hū be arga-i dasaha.
"Healed from stomach worms by a cunning".
21) Ninggun simhun niyalma-i murishūn baita.
"The injury of a Six-finger-man".
22) Sain haha hutu be afahangge.
"The battle of a good man against a demon".
23) Hutui hoton.
"The city of demons".
24) Weilengge urse hiyan-i hafan be jafafi gidana de horiha.
"Working people captured a.district officer and put him into prison".
25) Helmehen meihe be etehengge.
"The victory over a spider-snake".
26) Gosin akū hafan irgen be bucebuhengge.
"A loveless officer put people to death".
27) Na-i fejile gidabuha minggan aniyai nimha-i aituhangge.
"A thousand years old fish imprisioned under the earth returned to life".
28) Coohai niyalma šajilan.
"Soldier šajilan".
As an example of Donjina's writing style and the vivid language he used, the transcription and free translation of the story "An Encounter with a Demon in an Old Temple" (from pp. 331-334) is given:
Fe juktehen de ibagan be tunggalaha
Mini emu takara nikan-i hafan-i alaha baita: ini beye coohai kūwaran de bifi, fahūn silhi bi seme orin juwe se de uthai šoo guwan hafan obufi, ele moringga takūran-i hahi oyonggo baita be ohode, uthai imbe takūrambi. tuttu emu hahi baitai turgunde, tere šoo guwan hafan be udu cooha be gaifi takūran de tucibuhe manggi, coohai urse be gaifi yaburede, gaitai jugūn fambuha bime, abka inu yamjifi tuwaci, emu ba-i dubede emu juktehen sabumbi. yabume hanci oho bici, bujan-i gese sabumbi, ekšeme genefi tuwaci, duka uce be ciralame akdulame yaksihabi. arga baime duka be neime dosifi tuwaci, deyen asari colgorome den, tuttu seme suku hamgiya jugūn junta be gubulehebi, aimaka yabure jugūn akū-i adali. wargi ergi nanggin-i boode emu hobo bi, dergi ergi ashan-i boo heni gincihiyan bicibe, umai tere besergen jergi akū, damu emu pi pa be fajiran de lakiyahabi. umai hercun akū-i gese gūnifi, uthai singli jaka be na de ebubume sektefi amgaha. coohai urse de afabume deyen-i amargi de morin be ulebu sehe. amgame dobori dulin oho bici, aimaka acinggiyara gese, golohonjome geteci, biyai elden hetu fa de fošokongge, elden inenggi šun-i gese. tuwaci tere pi pa untuhun-i bade šurdeme forgošome bing biyang sere jilgan bi. Ede sesuleme gūnime, momorome tefi kimcime tuwaci, tere pi pa fuhali ere šoo guwan hafan-i ishun baime aburame jifi šenggin be foriha bici, šoo guwan hafan gardame ilifi, loho be gocifi saciha bici, gaitai juwe meyen ome lakcaha. tereci ishunde gemu sujaf afandure de, tere pi pa-i jiderengge lakcan nakū, šoo guwan hafan siran-i saciha bici, dalbai ici jailame dulembufi goihakū, uttu goidahai uthai saburkū oho. šoo guwan hafan inu amgarkū tehei hercun akū šadafi jing cirku de nikeki seme bihei, donjici hūwa-i dolo ger gar sere jilgan bisire gese, fa-i sidenderi jendui hiracame tuwaci, tere hobo juru ban deng de latufi fekume tucifi, šurdeme forgošome gurinjeme ini deduhe ashan-i boo-i baru jimbi. tere ambula gūwacihiyalame ilifi tuwaci, hobo emgeri booi dalbade isinjifi cunggūšarangge umesi gelecuke, aimaka fu fajiran gemu durgeme aššara gese, uthai fa be efuleme tucifi tuwaci, hobo inu emgeri hanci isinjiha manggi, šoo guwan hafan ekšeme deyen-i booi baru dosifi enduri-i erguweku-i dolo dosiki seme bisire teisu, tuwaci erguweku-i dolo emu fulgiyan etuku etuhe sarganjui ilifi, šoo guwan hafan-i ishun forofi sukdun fulgiyerengge aimaka šahūrun sukdun giranggi de hafunjire gese ilici muterkū murhu farhūn-i lasihiyabume na de tuheke. tederi umai be sarkū ohobi, abka gereme, coohai urse baime bahafi teni aitubuha. tederi geren urse sasari ilifi tuwaci, tere pi pa, hobo gemu da an-i fe bade bi. ereci šoo guwan hafan ambula fancame ilidafi nerginde juktehen-i boo be tuwa sindafi genehebi sembi. amala ere juktehen be ai niyalma weileheni, ai turgun de enteke niyalma be koro isibure de isinaha ni seme fonjiha de, getuken sara urse akū bime, ya aniya-i weileme araha be sarangge inu komso.
"My acquaintance, a Chinese officer, told [me] this story: When he was in the army, he was made lieutenant at the age of 22 because of his courage. Every time, when an urgent order had to be carried out by horse, it was he who was charged. Once it happened that because of an urgent matter, he was sent out with some soldiers. While on the way with the soldiers, he lost the way. At nightfall he perceived a temple far down the road. When he came nearer, he saw that it looked like a grove of trees. Quickening his pace he saw that the door and the windows were securely locked. In some way he opened the door and went into [the temple's courtyard]: the main building was very high, but weeds were covering the main road and it was impossible to discern it. In the building on the west-side there was the god of a river. The building on the east-side was more or less in good shape, but there were no tables, beds or other things inside. Only a guitar (pi pa) was hanging on the wall. Without any special thoughts in mind, the soldiers put their baggage on the ground, prepared the night's lodging and went to sleep. The soldiers in charge of the horses had orders to feed them behind the main building. At midnight, when everybody was sleeping, there was a light trembling. [The lieutenant] woke up with a start - the moonlight was shining through the side-windows, bright like sunshine in daytime. The place where the guitar had hung was empty, and all around a flute-like sound was heard. Frightened and sitting motionless, he looked around: the guitar moved in the face of the lieutenant having the behaviour of one asking for something. When it touched his forehead, he jumped up, took the sword, hewed on it and cut it into two pieces. After that, when they started fighting with each other, the guitar appeared unhurt. Whenever the lieutenant hewed in, the guitar withdrew to one side and was not hit. He did not know how long they continued. The lieutenant could not sleep, and while sitting he became obviously tired: he always wished to lay down on the pillow. Suddenly, he heard a quarreling voice coming from the courtyard: he looked out cautiously from a fissure of the window and saw that the river god had added a bench, had jumped on it and had come out. Walking around, he came toward the building where [the lieutenant] was staying overnight. Greatly startled, he stood up and saw the river god reaching the building and walking so violently that all the walls trembled. [The lieutenant] broke through the window, went out and saw the river god already very close [to him]. The lieutenant quickly went into the main hall and wished to enter the river god's temple. Inside the river god's temple he found a woman dressed in red, who turned toward the lieutenant and blew her breath against him. The cold breath went inside his bones and he was unable to stand upright. He vacillated and fell to the ground. Then he fell unconscious. At daybreak the soldiers went looking for him, found him and helped him to recover consciousness. When all the people looked around, they saw the guitar and the river god abiding as usual in their old places. Then the lieutenant became very angry and said he would immediately set on fire the buildings of the temple. Later, when somebody asked who had built the temple and what reason could a man have to destroy it, nobody could give a clear answer. Moreover, there were only a few people who knew in which year it had been built".
The only reference in a Western publication is found on pp. 211-212 in Tatjana A. Pang, An
Introduction to the Literature of the Sibe People, in "Central Asiatic Journal", 38/2 (1994), pp. 188-213.
Donjina, "Donjina-i sabuha donjiha ejebun". Edited by Yungj'ijiyan [Yong Zhijian], Urumqi 1989,
Xinjiang People's Publishing House. 401 pages, 400 copies, ISBN 7-228-00918-5/1.311
Donjina...", p. 2.
Noteworthy, from a linguistic point of view, is here the Sibe translation uhe sucungga< Chin.
gongyuan, 'era', generally simply transcribed gungyuwan.
"Archives" is my free translation of isabume teksilere ban gung ši (<Chin. bangongshi): "Office where
[...] are collected and put in order".
Donjina..., p. 1.
Ibid., p. 15.
Ibid., pp. 19-21. The translation given here is not a literal one, but rather a free interpretation.
See G. Stary, Fundamental Principles of Manchu Poetry. In: "Proceedings of the International Conference on China Border Area Studies", Taipei 1985, 187-221.