Urmi, Jewish: Relations with the Christians

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Transcribed by	Source	Speakers	Place
Geoffrey Khan	Khan, Geoffrey. The Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Urmi. Gorgias Neo-Aramaic Studies vol. 2. Gorgias Press, 2008	Nisan Aviv	Tel Aviv, IL

	Transcription	Translation
0:00	Geoffrey abúle ayèlˈ gal-⁺arelèˈ gu-Urmí má-jur xayə̀xwa.ˈ ána mə́ri báew ki-gáat Urmìˈ gal-⁺arelé áxni bìš-jwānˈ xaà-welanˈ m-má-t gal-goymè.ˈ dùz-ileˈ unè-š axčá gallán jwā́n lá-welu,ˈ bắle gal-⁺arelé bìš-⁺wərxa izalá-welan.ˈ ətwalán šwáwe ⁺arelè.ˈ ətwalán sănatkăré ⁺arelé ki-gallú šùla godə́xwa.ˈ másalan sotì,ˈ ⁺Balqəz,ˈ kullxún kyetúnwala əlhá manəxlà,ˈ kyétun kí g-belàˈ kəmmá otaġé ə̀twala.ˈ b-kré kwáwalu báat msafré ki-gdéwa m-malwawè.ˈ ⁺rába muštaryàw-əšˈ ⁺arelè-welu.ˈ muštaryàwˈ ⁺rabayú ⁺arelè-welu,ˈ armanyè-welu.ˈ ⁺rába-š gbèwala.ˈ anàˈ gállət … m-Awstrália xa-năfár galléw ⁺dòst xdírənwa.ˈ baéw zamuryé dìsk šdə́rwali baèw.ˈ bára ki-gal-telefón gallí mqèle,ˈ mə̀reˈ ā́t mằnilet?ˈ mə́ri m-Urmìlen.ˈ mə́re anà-š m-Urmí ədyén láxxa.ˈ bắle ā́t mằnilet?ˈ yə́lli čún ⁺arèl-ileˈ hatmán sotí b-ayə̀llaˈ mə́ri nwā́g ⁺Balqəz-ìlen.ˈ ⁺m-trosa mə́re gal-d-ay-xabrá ki-šəm-⁺Balqə́z mdeloxèˈ mə́re ⁺məndə̀ġ xdə́rriˈ də́mmət enì ədyelú.ˈ axčí əl-d-o-baxtá aná gbènwala.ˈ kəmmə́t adə̀xwaˈ m-malàˈ awwál awwál belán gezə́xwa geb-d-ó ⁺otā́ġ b-kré doqə̀xwala.ˈ mə́re bái ya-náša kí əl-⁺Balqə́z kyèlwalaˈ kí m-malwawé ⁺arelé adéwa gezéwa gebàw.ˈ gal-⁺arelé axní biš-jwā̀n xayə́xwa.ˈ ə̀twaˈ xá-danka əlhá manə́xle Azíz ⁺Parà,ˈ kí ⁺arelé kyìwale,ˈ ⁺rába gdéwa gebèw.ˈ ⁺rába mə́nne maslahàt godíwa.ˈ géna ábulen amrén kìˈ gdé imára kí gal-⁺arelé axní xančí biš-⁺wərxá gezə̀xwa.ˈ ə́twalan ⁺dostèˈ wa-xā́š ya-xabrá m-báli la-ezél kìˈ kyétun kí gal⁺arelé axnìˈ lišanú-š bíš maqə̀xwale.ˈ lišanán-inan áy ⁺arelèˈ ⁺rába əl-⁺də́ġde mašbè.ˈ axní kəmréx ba-lišanànˈ márex aramìtˈ bắle uné kəmrí suràye,ˈ ašurì,ˈ lišánət ašuryè.ˈ ki-⁺rába ⁺rába uné kəmríwaˈ … axni xəzmèlex.ˈ axní m-xá dada-⁺dàa iléxa.ˈ bắle … ya-xábra kəmríwale ba-⁺xátrət əllán ⁺mapsoxè.ˈ bằle,ˈ gdé imára kìˈ m-xéla paxilulá-š godíwa mənnán ⁺rabà.ˈ kəmríwa atxún hammešàˈ šulxún biš-⁺qàbāġ-ile.ˈ wa-əlhá əllxún biš-zóda àbule.ˈ xánči gallán paxulà-š godíwa.ˈ magón ki-axní ədyélan láxxa g-Ereṣ Yisraèl,ˈ ⁺rabayùˈ m-óka zə̀llu,ˈ m-Urmí zə̀lluˈ yá Awstràlia,ˈ armanyé zə́llu Yărăwā̀n.ˈ wa-g-Urmí áxča ⁺aréle la-pə̀šle.ˈ Geoffrey abúle ayèlˈ gal-⁺arelèˈ gu-Urmí má-jur xayə̀xwa.ˈ ána mə́ri báew ki-gáat Urmìˈ gal-⁺arelé áxni bìš-jwānˈ xaà-welanˈ m-má-t gal-goymè.ˈ dùz-ileˈ unè-š axčá gallán jwā́n lá-welu,ˈ bắle gal-⁺arelé bìš-⁺wərxa izalá-welan.ˈ ətwalán šwáwe ⁺arelè.ˈ ətwalán sănatkăré ⁺arelé ki-gallú šùla godə́xwa.ˈ másalan sotì,ˈ ⁺Balqəz,ˈ kullxún kyetúnwala əlhá manəxlà,ˈ kyétun kí g-belàˈ kəmmá otaġé ə̀twala.ˈ b-kré kwáwalu báat msafré ki-gdéwa m-malwawè.ˈ ⁺rába muštaryàw-əšˈ ⁺arelè-welu.ˈ muštaryàwˈ ⁺rabayú ⁺arelè-welu,ˈ armanyè-welu.ˈ ⁺rába-š gbèwala.ˈ anàˈ gállət … m-Awstrália xa-năfár galléw ⁺dòst xdírənwa.ˈ baéw zamuryé dìsk šdə́rwali baèw.ˈ bára ki-gal-telefón gallí mqèle,ˈ mə̀reˈ ā́t mằnilet?ˈ mə́ri m-Urmìlen.ˈ mə́re anà-š m-Urmí ədyén láxxa.ˈ bắle ā́t mằnilet?ˈ yə́lli čún ⁺arèl-ileˈ hatmán sotí b-ayə̀llaˈ mə́ri nwā́g ⁺Balqəz-ìlen.ˈ ⁺m-trosa mə́re gal-d-ay-xabrá ki-šəm-⁺Balqə́z mdeloxèˈ mə́re ⁺məndə̀ġ xdə́rriˈ də́mmət enì ədyelú.ˈ axčí əl-d-o-baxtá aná gbènwala.ˈ kəmmə́t adə̀xwaˈ m-malàˈ awwál awwál belán gezə́xwa geb-d-ó ⁺otā́ġ b-kré doqə̀xwala.ˈ mə́re bái ya-náša kí əl-⁺Balqə́z kyèlwalaˈ kí m-malwawé ⁺arelé adéwa gezéwa gebàw.ˈ gal-⁺arelé axní biš-jwā̀n xayə́xwa.ˈ ə̀twaˈ xá-danka əlhá manə́xle Azíz ⁺Parà,ˈ kí ⁺arelé kyìwale,ˈ ⁺rába gdéwa gebèw.ˈ ⁺rába mə́nne maslahàt godíwa.ˈ géna ábulen amrén kìˈ gdé imára kí gal-⁺arelé axní xančí biš-⁺wərxá gezə̀xwa.ˈ ə́twalan ⁺dostèˈ wa-xā́š ya-xabrá m-báli la-ezél kìˈ kyétun kí gal⁺arelé axnìˈ lišanú-š bíš maqə̀xwale.ˈ lišanán-inan áy ⁺arelèˈ ⁺rába əl-⁺də́ġde mašbè.ˈ axní kəmréx ba-lišanànˈ márex aramìtˈ bắle uné kəmrí suràye,ˈ ašurì,ˈ lišánət ašuryè.ˈ ki-⁺rába ⁺rába uné kəmríwaˈ … axni xəzmèlex.ˈ axní m-xá dada-⁺dàa iléxa.ˈ bắle … ya-xábra kəmríwale ba-⁺xátrət əllán ⁺mapsoxè.ˈ bằle,ˈ gdé imára kìˈ m-xéla paxilulá-š godíwa mənnán ⁺rabà.ˈ kəmríwa atxún hammešàˈ šulxún biš-⁺qàbāġ-ile.ˈ wa-əlhá əllxún biš-zóda àbule.ˈ xánči gallán paxulà-š godíwa.ˈ magón ki-axní ədyélan láxxa g-Ereṣ Yisraèl,ˈ ⁺rabayùˈ m-óka zə̀llu,ˈ m-Urmí zə̀lluˈ yá Awstràlia,ˈ armanyé zə́llu Yărăwā̀n.ˈ wa-g-Urmí áxča ⁺aréle la-pə̀šle.ˈ	Geoffrey wants to know how we got on with the Christians in Urmi. I said to him that in Urmi we got on better with the Christians than with the Muslims. It is true that also they (the Christians) were not so good to us, but (on the whole) we got on better with the Christians. We had Christian neighbours. We had Christian craftsmen with whom we worked. For example, my grandmother Balqəz, you all used to know her, may she rest in peace, you know how many rooms she had in the house. She would rent them out to travellers who came from the villages. Many of her clients were Christians. The majority of her clients were Christians and Armenians. They loved her very much. I had become friendly with somebody from Australia. I had sent him songs on a disc. Afterwards, when he spoke with me on the telephone he said ‘Who are you?’ I said ‘I am from Urmi’. He said ‘I also came here from Urmi. But who are you?’ I knew that he was a Christian and would definitely know my grandmother. I said ‘I am the grandson of Balqəz’. ‘Indeed’ he said ‘When you mentioned the name of Balqəz, something happened to me, my tears flowed. I loved that woman so much. Whenever we came from the village, our family would immediately go to her and rent a room’. That man said to me that he knew Balqəz, because when Christians came from the villages, they would go to her. We got on with the Christians better (than with others). There was a certain Aziz Para, may he rest in peace, whom the Christians used to know and they often went to him. Many took advice from him. Again I want to say that—it may be said that we got on a little better with the Christians. We had friends and again I do not forgot this—you know that we often spoke with the Christians in their language. Our language and that of the Christians are very similar to one another. We call our language ‘Aramaic’, but they call (themselves) _suraye_, Assyrians, the language of the Assyrians. They often said that we are relatives. We are (descended) from the same father and mother. Indeed, they said this to please us. But it should be said that secretly they were very jealous of us. They would say ‘Your business is always more successful and God loves you more’. They were rather jealous of us. Just as we came to the Land of Israel, the majority of them left there, left Urmi and went to either Australia—the Armenians went to Yerevan, and there did not remain very many Christians in Urmi.

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Transcription:

Geoffrey abúle ayèlˈ gal-⁺arelèˈ gu-Urmí má-jur xayə̀xwa.ˈ ána mə́ri báew ki-gáat Urmìˈ gal-⁺arelé áxni bìš-jwānˈ xaà-welanˈ m-má-t gal-goymè.ˈ dùz-ileˈ unè-š axčá gallán jwā́n lá-welu,ˈ bắle gal-⁺arelé bìš-⁺wərxa izalá-welan.ˈ ətwalán šwáwe ⁺arelè.ˈ ətwalán sănatkăré ⁺arelé ki-gallú šùla godə́xwa.ˈ másalan sotì,ˈ ⁺Balqəz,ˈ kullxún kyetúnwala əlhá manəxlà,ˈ kyétun kí g-belàˈ kəmmá otaġé ə̀twala.ˈ b-kré kwáwalu báat msafré ki-gdéwa m-malwawè.ˈ ⁺rába muštaryàw-əšˈ ⁺arelè-welu.ˈ muštaryàwˈ ⁺rabayú ⁺arelè-welu,ˈ armanyè-welu.ˈ ⁺rába-š gbèwala.ˈ anàˈ gállət … m-Awstrália xa-năfár galléw ⁺dòst xdírənwa.ˈ baéw zamuryé dìsk šdə́rwali baèw.ˈ bára ki-gal-telefón gallí mqèle,ˈ mə̀reˈ ā́t mằnilet?ˈ mə́ri m-Urmìlen.ˈ mə́re anà-š m-Urmí ədyén láxxa.ˈ bắle ā́t mằnilet?ˈ

yə́lli čún ⁺arèl-ileˈ hatmán sotí b-ayə̀llaˈ mə́ri nwā́g ⁺Balqəz-ìlen.ˈ ⁺m-trosa mə́re gal-d-ay-xabrá ki-šəm-⁺Balqə́z mdeloxèˈ mə́re ⁺məndə̀ġ xdə́rriˈ də́mmət enì ədyelú.ˈ axčí əl-d-o-baxtá aná gbènwala.ˈ kəmmə́t adə̀xwaˈ m-malàˈ awwál awwál belán gezə́xwa geb-d-ó ⁺otā́ġ b-kré doqə̀xwala.ˈ mə́re bái ya-náša kí əl-⁺Balqə́z kyèlwalaˈ kí m-malwawé ⁺arelé adéwa gezéwa gebàw.ˈ gal-⁺arelé axní biš-jwā̀n xayə́xwa.ˈ ə̀twaˈ xá-danka əlhá manə́xle Azíz ⁺Parà,ˈ kí ⁺arelé kyìwale,ˈ ⁺rába gdéwa gebèw.ˈ ⁺rába mə́nne maslahàt godíwa.ˈ géna ábulen amrén kìˈ gdé imára kí gal-⁺arelé axní xančí biš-⁺wərxá gezə̀xwa.ˈ ə́twalan ⁺dostèˈ wa-xā́š ya-xabrá m-báli la-ezél kìˈ kyétun kí gal⁺arelé axnìˈ lišanú-š bíš maqə̀xwale.ˈ lišanán-inan áy ⁺arelèˈ ⁺rába əl-⁺də́ġde mašbè.ˈ axní kəmréx ba-lišanànˈ márex aramìtˈ bắle uné kəmrí suràye,ˈ ašurì,ˈ lišánət ašuryè.ˈ ki-⁺rába ⁺rába uné kəmríwaˈ … axni xəzmèlex.ˈ axní m-xá dada-⁺dàa iléxa.ˈ bắle … ya-xábra kəmríwale ba-⁺xátrət əllán ⁺mapsoxè.ˈ bằle,ˈ gdé imára kìˈ m-xéla paxilulá-š godíwa mənnán ⁺rabà.ˈ kəmríwa atxún hammešàˈ šulxún biš-⁺qàbāġ-ile.ˈ wa-əlhá əllxún biš-zóda àbule.ˈ xánči gallán paxulà-š godíwa.ˈ magón ki-axní ədyélan láxxa g-Ereṣ Yisraèl,ˈ ⁺rabayùˈ m-óka zə̀llu,ˈ m-Urmí zə̀lluˈ yá Awstràlia,ˈ armanyé zə́llu Yărăwā̀n.ˈ wa-g-Urmí áxča ⁺aréle la-pə̀šle.ˈ

Translation:

Geoffrey wants to know how we got on with the Christians in Urmi. I said to him that in Urmi we got on better with the Christians than with the Muslims. It is true that also they (the Christians) were not so good to us, but (on the whole) we got on better with the Christians. We had Christian neighbours. We had Christian craftsmen with whom we worked. For example, my grandmother Balqəz, you all used to know her, may she rest in peace, you know how many rooms she had in the house. She would rent them out to travellers who came from the villages. Many of her clients were Christians. The majority of her clients were Christians and Armenians. They loved her very much. I had become friendly with somebody from Australia. I had sent him songs on a disc. Afterwards, when he spoke with me on the telephone he said ‘Who are you?’ I said ‘I am from Urmi’. He said ‘I also came here from Urmi. But who are you?’

I knew that he was a Christian and would definitely know my grandmother. I said ‘I am the grandson of Balqəz’. ‘Indeed’ he said ‘When you mentioned the name of Balqəz, something happened to me, my tears flowed. I loved that woman so much. Whenever we came from the village, our family would immediately go to her and rent a room’. That man said to me that he knew Balqəz, because when Christians came from the villages, they would go to her. We got on with the Christians better (than with others). There was a certain Aziz Para, may he rest in peace, whom the Christians used to know and they often went to him. Many took advice from him. Again I want to say that—it may be said that we got on a little better with the Christians. We had friends and again I do not forgot this—you know that we often spoke with the Christians in their language. Our language and that of the Christians are very similar to one another. We call our language ‘Aramaic’, but they call (themselves) _suraye_, Assyrians, the language of the Assyrians. They often said that we are relatives. We are (descended) from the same father and mother. Indeed, they said this to please us. But it should be said that secretly they were very jealous of us. They would say ‘Your business is always more successful and God loves you more’. They were rather jealous of us. Just as we came to the Land of Israel, the majority of them left there, left Urmi and went to either Australia—the Armenians went to Yerevan, and there did not remain very many Christians in Urmi.