Contemporary Nuns’ Oral Traditions in Kinnaur

Basic Buddhism in Songs: Contemporary Nuns’ Oral Traditions in Kinnaur. Linda La Macchia

1. At nine in the morning [a quiet time], as we sing a song about friends,

2. …, hail falls and a snowy wind blows.

3. If the hail wasn’t falling and the wind wasn’t blowing, the branches wouldn’t be moving.

4 … On the branches are flowers of ice.

5. …When they see the sun they melt.

6. … If rain falls, they absorb it.

7. Nectar! Nectar!

35. Today will come only once. We say a prayer.

36. What type of prayer? All of us friends,

37. …, If we have a long life,

38. …, we pray that we gather once again.

39. If we dies, we’ll have no chance to meet again.

40. When we die we will reach a very dark place.

41. The god of death will come with his weapon. We will be forced to go with him.

42. … We will go naked.

43. When we die only our cup of tea will remain.

44. If you remember death, you won’t speak a harsh word.

45. Friend and friend, we see our friends only in this life.

46. … There in no real [permanent] friend.

51. Today will come only once. So we say a prayer,

52, … , not only for this life,

53. …, but also for the next life.