PART IV

Yang-Deb

Meaning:

OM SWASTI HUM, the man-eating demons with horrifying appearances are being cut asunder by the BYANG CHUB SEMS PA (Bodhisatvas) that are about.

AN1 (top center of page):*

sgra sgra nyis bsdeg lan med ḥphar chen/

Meaning:

sgra sgra (read: tra tra; onomatopoetic drum sounds) are not repeated (returned) when (the melody) moves up in a big rise.

AN2 (line 2, below TSHAR):

bteg ḥbol

Meaning:

move up gently.

AN3 (line 3, below PHA/ya ha hi/):

cung bteg

Meaning:

keep (the melody) up for a little while.

AN4 (line 3, above the last tshig STE):

ḥbol

Meaning:

softly (gently).

Remarks:

AN1 is linked with the first chanted textual syllable (HḤUM) by a dotted line. In the only (S) reading that I have of this manuscript no “big rise” in the melody can be observed. The two drum beats (sgra sgra) are introductory and appear after the spoken syllables OM SWA STI and before the first chanted HḤUM. The annotation thus refers to the fact that the two introductory beats are not to be repeated during the chanting.

AN2 mentions a gently moving up; this can be observed (in line 2) between the syllables yha TSHAR. After TSHAR the line returns to the basic note G.

AN3

The “keeping up” of the melody at, and after PḤA (of line 3), may refer to the fact that the manuscript presents the syllables PḤA/ya ḥa ḥi/ya ya ḥi/STE/, while the chanted version contains only PḤA/ya ya/STE/. Therefore the “keeping up” is probably nothing but an extending of PḤA. I have indicated the missing tshiglhad by placing three dots after PHA in the transcription.

AN4

The last note with the main tshig STE is to be chanted gently. I found this ḥbol also in the yang-yig, where it often indicates a gentle downward gliding at the end of the note.

As already stated, the textbook contains a number of notational curves sketched less elaborately than those shown in the yang-yig. These curves have more or less the same shape except that attention has to be paid to the beginning of each curve. A small ringlike feature or a small thickening of one of its ends indicates the beginning. Thus it is comparatively simple to determine to which syllable a curve belongs. If the ringlike feature is nearest to the syllable, the curve bdongs to that syllable. If the ringlike feature appears at the farthest end from the syllable, the next (upper or lower) textual line with the appropriate syllable closest to the ringlike feature is the starting point of the curve. Curves that stand above the textual syllables generally have the ringlike feature; curves that appear below the syllables often show only a thickening nearest to the syllable.

On page 1 B two notational curves can be observed. The ringlike features in both curves indicate that they stand above the syllables. The first of these curves appears in line 1 above the syllable GZUGS, and the second in line 3 above (BYANG) nga CHUB. When examining the transcription, one can see that the first curve is interpreted three syllables after GZUGS, with the syllable yhi. The curve of the third line is interpreted one syllable too early, with BYANG, while with nga CHUB the melody returns from its ascent to the recitation tone.

The notational curves here do not indicate details of the melodic line as could be observed in the yang-yig, but refer only to simple up and down movements of the melody without any ornamentation or other complexities.

Page2A

This page was not chanted at all, but merely recited, despite the fact that it contains several annotations and notational curves.

Line 1:ya ḥi/yḥa ya/GRONG/KHYER/la wa/GSUM mo/BRTSEGS ḥa ya ḥa ya ḥa/

Line 2:wa ya/ḤJIGS/yaḥ/ḥi ye/BYED/ya ḥa ḥi/yḥa yḥa/PḤA/ ya ḥi/yḥa ya/GTUM mo/PO ḥo yḥo/

Line 3:lḥa wa/KHYOD dod/LA ḥa yḥa/wḥa yḥa ḥa/BDAG/gḥa/ ḥa gḥa/BSTOD/ya ḥi/yḥa yḥa/DO ḥang/mdog/

Meaning:

To the strong one who fiercely builds the thrice piled-up (GSUM. . . BRTSEGS. . . ) city I offer my praise. (The last syllable, mdog, “color,” is part of the next page).

AN1 (line 2, center, indicated by the dotted line; below [BYED] ya ḥa): cung bteg

Meaning:

slightly up (rising)

AN2 (line 2, immediately to the right of AN1, also indicated by a dotted line; below yḥa yḥa):

ḥbol

Meaning:

softly

AN3 (line 3, center, indicated by a dotted line; below yḥa ḥa BDAG): mnan la rgyang ḥgug bteg

Meaning:

Push (the melody) up toward its (distant) ending.

AN4: this is the same as AN2; it is shown by the two dotted lines; one points to the textual line 2, the other to line 3.

AN5 (line 3, immediately after and below [BSTOD] ya):

mnan bteg

Meaning:

push (hold) up (the melody)

AN6 (immediately to the right of AN 5, below ḥi):

sprad

Meaning:

give

AN7 (line 3, indicated by the dotted line; above DO ḥang):

ro len gong bshin

Meaning:

Grasp (catch) the note above

AN8 (line 3, below DO hang):

phra cang

Meaning:

(sing it) thinly

AN9 (line 3, immediately to the right of AN 8, below mdog):

Meaning:

Threadlike

Page 2 B

The first two and one-half lines of this page are recited in strict meter in the following manner:

Line 1:nag gzugs thung gzi br-jid che/gdug pa tshar gcod gri gug gyas/gyon na gdug paḥi khrag bkang snod/

Line 2:thod phreng can la bdag bstod do// (end of strophe) khros paḥi shabs brdabs sa gshi gyo/ḥjigs paḥi gad mos ri rab bskyel/

Line 3:
(first
half)dam tshig nyams paḥi snying hbyin pa/dam tshig can la bdag bstod do// (end of strophe)

Meaning:

(He appears) in black (color-see mdog of page 2A).

Short in body and in great spendor.

In his right his sword wipes out all evil,

A vessel filled with the blood of evil is to his left,

I salute him who wears the skeleton skull (rosary).

When stamping angrily with (his) feet

the earth is shaking,

He who can move mountains with his fierce smile,

He who condemns all who break the sacred vows,

I salute the one who keeps his vows.

(The rest of the page, beginning with the second half of line 3 is chanted).

Line 3:(second half): HḤUM ngo/DPAL la LDAN/nḥe ne/MGON/PḤO/ wa ya/

Line 4: MḤA/HḤA/wa ya/KHA/ḥa ḥa/ḥa wa/LḤA/yḥa/wḥa ya/YI/ya hi/ yha ya/LHA/CHEN/nḥe ne/DPAL/ḤBAR /wḥa ya/ (NAG. . . this word belongs to page 3 A)

Meaning:

This is Lord Mgon Po Mahākāla, Yi!

The great god shining brilliantly. . .

AN1 (line 4, below HḤA):

rnga chen

Meaning:

big drum (beat)

AN1 (line 4, the dotted lines show that the annotation is applicable to the two syllables: LḤA and wḥa below which AN2 is placed):

Meaning:

big drum (beat)

Page 3A

The first two and one-half (textual) lines of this page are chanted and represent the continuation of the song begun in the third line of page 2 B. The rest of page 3 A is recited.

Line 1:PO/tso/MTHU/yḥa/ḥu lo/BO/yḥa ya/CHE/ya ḥi/yḥa ya/MA/HḤA/wa ya/DE/WA/ye ye/

Line 2:SRAS/PO/gtso/DRAG/gḥa/ḥa gḥa/ÇUL/ya/wa yha/CHE/yḥa ḥi/ya yḥa/TSHOGS ga/BDAG ga/wha ya / CHEN/PḤO

Line 3:wa ya/MḤA/HḤA/wḥa ya/KḤA/ḥa/ḥa wa/LḤA/wa/ wḥa ya/YE/(from here on the text is recited) ḥjigs byed che po ma ha ka la ye/legs ldan/

Line 4:nag po grong khyer sum brtegs dgra/bstan pa yongs kyi bsrung ma nag po che/chos ḥkhor yongs kyi srog çing/

Line 5:nag po che/dam tshig can gyi dgra lha nag po che/dam nyams dgra boḥi srog gcod nag po che/ḥdir gcegs. . .

Meaning:

(ctd. from page 2 B: The great god shining brilliantly)

The black (nag po) powerful great son of Mahādeva.

Oh Mahākāla, great tshogs bdag (Ganesha), Ye!

(from here on the text is recited)

Awe-inspiring great Mahäkala,

The Black One, with his thrice piled-up city, the great protector against all enemies of religion. The great black one, the god of all those who keep their sacred vows. The great black one is the enemy of those who break their vows; he cuts asunder their lives; come here. . . (ctd., page 3B).

AN1 line 1, below PO:

rnga che

Meaning:

big drum (beat)

AN2 line 1, above BO yḥa yḥa:

identical with AN1

AN3 line, 2, below PO;

identical with AN1 and AN2

AN4, line 2, above ÇUL ya wa (as indicated by the two dotted lines):

identical with the former annotations

AN5, line 2, below last syllable PHO:

identical with the former annotations.

AN6, line 3, above MḤA, is the same as AN3 (as shown by the dotted lines)

AN7, line 3 below HḤA:

identical with the former annotations.

AN8, line 3, below YE (last chanted syllable):

ro len sbra sbra (“tra tra”) da brdeg len med

Meaning: catch (imitate) the “tra tra” (of the drum) immediately (but) do not strike (the drum in any other manner).

Page3B

The text on this page is not chanted at all despite the fact that in the third line the words dponslobbsrungshing are written with red ink. The entire text is recited.

Line 1: rgyan gyi gtor ma ḥdi bshes cig/ca khrag dmar gyi gtor ma ḥdi bshes cig/ḥdzam bu ti bhi shal zas hdi bshes cig/

Line 2: sman rak phud kyi mchod pa hdi bshes cig/sngar bcol legs phi gtang rag gnyen po hbul/ da bcol

Line 3: phi gsol hdebs gnyen po bshes DPON SLOB BSRUNG SHING rkhyen rnams bzlog pa dang/sdang phi dgra dang

Line 4: gnod phi bgegs la sogs/bdud dang bar du gcod pa rnams mang po/ thams cad rdul phran bshin du brlag par

Line 5: mdzod/bstan pa bsrung bḥi las hdi myur du bsgrubs/ bla mas bcol phi ḥphrin las grub par mdzod/

Meaning:

(come here)

Line 1: to accept the ornamented cake offering. Accept this offering of red bloody meat; accept this food of ḥdzambu Deva (Ti bhi)

Line 2: Accept this first taste of the offered drink, a friendly gift (offered) in gratitude for all that was best and was bestowed on (us).

Line 3: From now on please accept my request; reverse the (evil producing) causes of everything; protect the masters and disciples, (reverse) the hate of (our) enemies and

Line 4: harmful demons and others. (And) the devils and all the many ones that may cut us asunder into atoms and destroy (us).

Line 5: To achieve this quickly with the help of the protectors of religion it will be accomplished well by entrusting it to the Lamas.

Page4A

The first three lines of this page are chanted, the fourth line is recited.

Line 1:BHYO: ngo/ GANG nga/ GḤI yi/ yḥa/ ḥa ḥi/ya ḥi/yḥa yḥa/ SKU/ dbaḥ yḥa/ GSUNG / ngaḥ/ ngah ngaḥ/

Line 2:THUGS/ ḥu gu/KYI yi/ MTHUS/yḥa/ ya ḥi/ gyaḥ ya ḥa/ ha yḥa ḥa/ gyaḥa ya ḥa/yḥa ya e / yḥa/ ḥa ḥi/ya ya/

Line 3:ḤDOD ḥod/ PḤA ḤI ya ḥa/ ya yi/ KHAMS/ dmaḥ yḥa ḥa/ hḥa mḥa/ KUN/ nun nuḥi/ ZIL/ li li/MNAN ne/ NA SHA/

Line 4:ḥdod paḥi khams la dbang bsgyur ma/ ḥdod khams dbang phyug ma la ḥdud/ DPAL LDAN LHA MO KHYOD KYI SKU/ ri rab

Meaning:

Lines 1 and 2 (up to MTHUS): By the power of mind, voice and body of that (Bhyo)

the rest of line 2 contains only tshiglhad and untranslatable syllables.

Line 3:By the brilliance (of Bhyo) all worlds of sensual pleasure are suppressed

Line 4(recited): We salute the mighty one whose power conquered the world of desire. (That) body of yours dpal ldan lha mo, the mountain (deity) ri rab. . .

AN1 line 1, below BHYO ngo:

ngang skye

Meaning:

growing in that moment

AN2 line 1 (beyond the last syllables of the text):

mnan rgyang cung bteg

Meaning:

push (haul) (melody) a little (distance) up

AN3 line 2, below KYI yi:

cung rgyud

Meaning:

pass (this) a little (lightly)

AN4 line 2, below ya hi:

mnan bteg

Meaning:

push (melody) up

AN5 line 2, above gyaha ya ha:

ḥjug phra cang bshag

Meaning:

put (make) the end narrow (thin in sound)

AN6 line 2, below yha ya e:

gyen ldog

Meaning:

up, back (go higher, hold back)

AN7 line 2, close to the right of AN6:

bteg

Meaning:

keep up (hold up)

AN8 line 3, below nun nuhi:

mnan rgyang (rgyud?)

Meaning:

push a little distance (lightly)

AN9 line 3, below ZIL:

ḥbol

Meaning:

Softly

AN10 line 3, below MNAN ne:

rnga brda sprad la ring ba rgyang

Meaning:

give for a long distance (while) the drum sign

AN11 line 3, above NA SḤA:

ro len sbra sbra 3 brdeg len med phar chen

Meaning:

beat three times “tra” (sbra) (but) do not continue the great (beats)

AN12 line 3, below NA SḤA:

ḥgug pḥra cang te shag

Meaning:

Bring this to a narrow (thin) threadlike (conclusion).

Remarks:

The word rgyangcanbergyud in AN8, 10. Both translations have been given. AN10 appears to be a conductor’s note that reminds the conductor to give a signal to the drum player because soon the chanting comes to an end and the concluding drum beat is important.

In contrast to the shapes of the notational curves observed on page 1 B (the curves on page 2A cannot be considered because they were not chanted); those on page 4 A show a thickening close to the syllables standing above the curves.

1. line 1, below GHI yi: G - Ab

2. line 2, below (dbaḥ) yḥa: G - G - Ab

3. line 2, below (gyaḥ) ya (ḥa): G - A

4. line 2, below ah (ḥa): G - A

5. line 2, below gya ba: G - A

6. line 3, below PHA ḤI: G - A

7. line 3, below (dmaḥ) yḥa ḥa: G - A

From here on only those manuscript pages that are chanted are shown. Pages 4 B and 5 A are recited and are therefore omitted.

Page5B

Of this page the last two syllables of line 1, all of line 2, and line 3 with the exception of the last syllable (khyod) are chanted. Line 4 and 5 are recited.

Line 1:. . .BHYO; bo/

Line 2:DE ye/ LTAR/rḥa rar/ TSAR ra/ BCAD/ ye ye/ RJES/ yḥa/ yḥa yḥa/ ḥe yes/ BZUNG/ ngḥa/ ḥu ngu ḥa/ NAS / ya hai/

Line 3:ya yḥa/ THUB ḥu/ PḤA / yi yi/BSTAN ne/ PA / wḥa yḥa/ RGYAS/ yḥa/ ḥe ye / MDZAD/ ya ḥa ḥai/ yḥa yḥa/ MḤA / bḥa/. . .

Meaning:

Pay attention to the point when the foregoing (recited lines) is completed and when (it is shown that) she (Lha Mo) causes an increase of the religion.

AN1 (line 1, above BHYO)

gang ḥbol

Meaning:

as softly (gently) as possible

AN2 (line 2, below BCAD ye ye RJES)

rnga cad che ba cung rgyang

Meaning:

The drum is beaten with great strength as if executing leaps for a little while

(This annotation applies also to line 3, above BSTAN as indicated by the dotted lines. )

AN3 (line 2, below RJES yḥa)

rnga che

Meaning:

big drum

AN4 (line 2, below ḥe yes BZUNG)

cung rgyang

Meaning:

(for) a little distance (while)

AN5 (line 3, below RGYAS yḥa ḥe ye)

mnan rgyang

Meaning:

push (forward) for a little while

AN6 (line 3, below MDZAD)

ḥbol

Meaning:

softly (gently)

AN7 (line 3, below MDZAD ya ḥa ḥai)

rnga che mnan rgyang

Meaning:

the big drum pushes (ahead) for a while

AN8 (line 3, below yḥa yḥa MḤA)

bteg

Meaning:

keep up

AN9 (line 3, below MḤA)

sprad

Meaning:

bring together

AN10 (line 3, above MḤA bḥa)

len sbra sbra brdeg len de

Meaning:

when taking (performing) the “tra tra” of the drum do not (de-abbreviation of med) continue.

Remarks :

Annotations 9 and 10 refer to the end of the chanting. The bringing together (AN9) warns the performer that the last few chanted notes have to be performed but no chanting is permissible beyond the syllables MḤA bḥa. Thus it is important that the performing monks are made aware of this ending, and the final drum beat has to be performed when a signal is given to the drummer. AN10 makes this clear: no additional “tra tra” is required, and all performers have to be “brought together” to conclude this song or section.

Page6A is recited and is therefore omitted here. One sequence of tshig in line 2 is written in red: bdegcegsbstanpaskyongbadang. It refers to the protection given to religion by the Enlightened One. There is no change of voice or timbre when these syllables are spoken.

Of page6B the first three lines are recited with the exception of the last three syllables (HḤUM ngḥa ngḥang), which are chanted. The chanting continues to the end of page 6 B and extends to the first syllable of the second line of page 7 A.

Page6B

Line 3:. . .HḤUM/ ngḥa/ ngḥang/

Line 4:DPAL la/ LDAN/ nan nḥe/ SRID dḥi/ GSUM/ mu mu/ DBANG/ ngḥa/ ḥahi dbang ḥa hi/ BSGYUR ḥu/

Line 5:yu ḥu yu/ gyaḥ yaḥ/ wha ya/ SHING/ ngḥa/ ngḥa ḥi/aḥa ya ḥang/ ḥa ḥi/ ya yḥa/ MCHE re / BḤA / wḥa ya/ GTSIGS gi/

Meaning: (the sequence of the recited red syllables):

. . . Sovereign Goddess, not defeated, you are the pride of the three worlds.

The black syllables that follow are: ḥdirgcegs. . . sogs. They mean “come here. . . sogs.” The last word, sogs, means “and so forth” and refers to a textual sequence that is so well known that there was no necessity for the scribe to write it down. The following syllables written in a slightly smaller size read spyimthun and mean “the same as usual.” This again refers to recited texts that are performed frequently and need not be written down.

As already mentioned the chanting begins with HḤUM. The subsequent main tshig (in red) mean: The Sovereign goddess (Lha Mo) who rules the three worlds in glory and power.

The words MCHEreBḤAGTSIGS refer to the fierce tusks, the sharp and pointed long teeth of the goddess. On page 7 A, line 1, the sentence is continued with the main tshigSHINGMCHUḤPHYANGCUGSCHE, meaning that the fangs are pointed (sharp) and the lips are hanging down, strong and great.

The chanted text of page 7 A is:

Line 1:SHING/ ngḥi ngḥi/ MCHU mḥo/ḤPHYANG/ ngḥangḥ/ CUGS/ wa ḥu/ ḥu gu/ CHE he/ gyaḥ ya ḥang/ wḥa ya/

Line 2:BAḤ. . .

Annotations of pages 6B and 7 A:

AN1 (line 3, below HḤUM)

gang ḥbol

Meaning:

very softly

AN2 (line 4, below dbang ḥa ḥi BSGYUR)

gyen ldog ḥjog

Meaning:

Prepare (set up) change (reverse)

AN3 (line 4, below dbang ḥa ḥi BSGYUR)

bteg

Meaning:

keep up

AN4 (line 5, below gyaḥ yaḥ)

phra cang te ḥjog

Meaning:

make everything thin

AN5 (line 5, below SHING ngḥa ngḥa ḥi)

mnan bteg

Meaning:

push up (rise)

AN6 (line 5, below aḥa ya ḥang)

phra cang te bshag

Meaning:

make everything thin (sounding)

(Page 7 A):

AN1 (line 1, below MCHU)

mnan

Meaning:

push

AN2 (line 1, below CHE)

bteg

Meaning:

keep up

AN3 (line 1, below gyaḥ ya)

phra cang shag

Meaning:

everything (to sound) thin (like a) thread

AN4 (line 1, below wḥa ya; end of line)

sprad

Meaning:

give (signal to end the chanting)

AN5 (line 2, above BAḤ, the last chanted syllable)

ro len 2 med par (rolen-abbreviation of rolmolen)

Meaning:

Do not perform (a concluding) beat with the two cymbals. (This indicates that although the chanting comes to an end here, it is not a full termination but only a brief, temporary stop; the recited text continues the chanted with little interruption).

Notationalcurvesonpages6Band7A:

Page6B

1. Line 4, below BSGYUR ḥu

2. Line 5, below gyaḥ ḥa

3. Line 5, below aḥa ya ḥang

4. Line 5, above GTSIGS gi.

Page7A:

1. Line 1, above MCHU

2. Line 1, below gyaḥ ya ḥang.

With the exception of the third curve on page 6 B, all other curve interpretations show a change of pitch. The first curve of page 7 A, placed vertically above MCHU, does not show any different interpretation from those of curves written in an oblique manner. As already stated these curves serve merely as reminders to the Master of the Chant that changes of pitch have to be made.

I have already mentioned that the “textbook” and the chanted items derived from it are of S origin. The tone material of the several items shown above is stylistically much closer to the K material of the yang-yig than to the S I and S II materials.

Three-tone, two-tone and even one-tone materials are noticed. In every instance the i and F are identical in pitch. Again this is a simple form of liturgical recitative that shows little musical elaboration. The amodal nature of the majority of the K songs has its counterpart in the materials of Part IV, pages 3 A and 4 A, while the rest appears to derive the material from the characteristic pentatonic S scale.

________________

* The annotations in this part can be identified by referring either to the yang deb or to the indicated syllables in the transcriptions.