you mean the book or recording? i have the book but i am not the author so i can't sell copies to you. i can refer you to the author.

but

i have all of his voice recording txiv xaiv from a funeral (begining to end) which i attended and recorded. these ARE mine and i can share them with you. i've begun to write a few down, in no order but it's a long process.

where do you live? i'm from wis.

wow slude...thanks for translating. I tried really hard this past weekend to listen to the txiv xaim at my gma's funeral b/c she loved listening hmo lawv hais xim and would always tell us to go and listen.  I sorta understood the one tus txiv xaiv hais rau cov ntxhais and was able to pick up a few phrases here and there. I wish I was able to understand it completely.

well hais hais ib hmo los there's only a couple ones that are important..jus t repeats over a lot with a couple changed words.

slude,

Can you share your perspective about the Xa Plig/Qhuab Ke? I've read a Hmong Funeral Rite handbook and my view is that this is simply an opening prose to the event. It is very common in cultures that practice oral transmission to use an orator whose main job is to move the event along with spoken prose. Much in the same way as Shakespeare used a narrator (muse, orator, etc.) to commence the play by having the person give an overview of what has happened, what is to be expected, and the overall situation. To sum it up, orient the audience.

I find the Xa Plig chant completely beautiful and poetic. There are many Hmong Christian groups who want to eliminate this but I feel that parts of it can be tailored to fit a Christian funeral. I don't feel that it violates Christian beliefs at all because the chant isn't summoning spirits or performing any spiritual ritual. The overall chant is actually talking about creation, why and how death became part of the human experience, and how the human spirit will return to its maker. The Xa Plig is an oral chant accompanying the deceased but really performed to entertain and orient the living about the event.   

I want to get a hold of every recording and written manual you have...I'm willing to pay for the recording writing and shipping...I already PM you.

Thanks for sharing.. My dad is a "txiv xaiv" and its very moving to listen to him.

Would you consider your father's talent as an orator the poetic expression of Hmong funeral songs? Some people are alleging that the txiv xaiv carries power or has the ability to open gateways to the spirit world like a txiv neeb, and that songs like the xa plig is literally sending the spirit to the spirit world. What is your knowledge of this?

sprite,

txiv coj xai has no special power other than an acting orator. unlike a shaman, a txiv xaiv is a learnt thing and not a spiritual cause. xa plig/qhuab ke i've heard hmong church catholic believers sang the songs and many others txiv xaiv songs, which none has to do/against the christian God. i agree that it can be tailored to fit the christian god. as a matter of fact there is a christian txiv xaiv book. try google it.

the line drawn between hmong religion and christian belief is the 'death song'.

Hey bro, looks like your links are broken. Could you please re-upload them? Thanks a bunch man.

I've started learning txiv xaiv for almost a year now. At the end of the whole ceremony there is the hiding of the sword and bow which makes me think the sword and bow is the key. Thus, my understand and impression from the songs are that tus tub coj xaiv does have the "ability" to follow the dead or spirit. It seems like anyone with the "right" can follow so long as they take the sword and bow. I also hear similar from the hiding the sword and bow from the funeral qheeb and nkauj tuag. As mentioned by someone else the tub coj xaiv doesn't have any "extra" spirits, hence spiritual powers like the shaman. It seems however like they use their own self spirits when they are following or calling the spirits or dead (yearly new year ceremony). So my conclusion is that anyone can learn the songs and can follow the deceased at a funeral. BTW, I'm no expert just my opinions. So if I'm wrong, oh well I'm still learning. 

BTW slude, good translation bro. I'm learning from a student of Lis Riam and using his orange book. 

Ok, the links don't work anymore.

We just had a funeral for my grandmother this past weekend - it was a very traditional funeral, 4 days/3 nights, 24 hour thing.

I really want to learn more about the txiv xaiv. I'll try youtube and see if I can find some videos. 

Slude,

Please add more translation.  I'm very interested.

Thanks!

sorry guys, i've been too busy with work lately and no time to update the links. i will try to fix it when i get home.

Thank you for posting up translations for Xa Qauv Sawv Kev.  It is very poetic and brought me to tears.