Barwar: The Crafty Hireling

0:00

Transcribed by	Source	Speakers
Geoffrey Khan	Khan, Geoffrey. The Neo-Aramaic Dialect of Barwar. 3 vols. Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2008, vol. 3	Mišayel Barčəm

	Transcription	Translation
0:00	ʾíṯwa lìṯwaˈ biš-m-álaha góṛa čú-mdi lìṯwa.ˈ ʾíṯwa xà-naša,ˈ ʾíṯwale trè-bnone.ˈ rába píšle taqṣīr-ḥā̀l.ˈ láš-iyewa mṣáya xằyewa.ˈ mə́re ta-bnóne dìyeˈ bàbiˈ de-sóga ṭólɛxu xa-šúla ta-t-xắyitu bìye.ˈ ʾɛ́ni mənnɛ́xu ṱ-àzəl?ˈ mə́ra ṱ-ázəl ʾo-gòṛa.ˈ bíš-yăḏe mtagbə̀rra.ˈ ʾáti ʾo-zóra lá ʾazèti,ˈ tá d-o-zòra.ˈ zílle bróne díye ṭắya šúla gu-ḏa-màṯa.ˈ mə́re ʾɛ́ni bắye palàxa?ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulàma?ˈ mə́re hé ʾàna bắyən xuláma.ˈ ṯèleˈ kə́sle dìyeˈ qəm-maplə̀xle.ˈ mə́re ṱ-amrə́nnux xà-məndi.ˈ bắyət pàlxət?ˈ mə́re hè!ˈ mə́re pálxət kə́sli hal-d-o-yómə qárya ṱòk̭e.ˈ har-qréla ṱòk̭eˈ párəq šùlux.ˈ mə́re lìtla-xam.ˈ mə́re mòdi šúla?ˈ mə́re m-lɛ̀leˈ mpalṭə́tta tàwreˈ nablə́tta ta-ʾawáʾha ṭùra.ˈ w-áyya tullə̀kṯa,ˈ tullə́kṯa zórta mə̀nnux,ˈ kálba zóra mə́nnux ṱ-àwe.ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṣàṭqaˈ tàma zăréti.ˈ ʾu-mattə́nnux jarréta lə́xma zeḏàye.ˈ ʾu-mattə́nnux màsta.ˈ zeḏàyeˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna t-là-qṣaya.ˈ ʾu-màstaˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna qrúšta díya t-la-xàrwa,ˈ qrúštət páṯa dìya.ˈ w-aṣə́rta mɛṯə̀tliˈ xá-qapla qɛ̀seˈ t-lá-hawa b-qàlpe,ˈ ṱ-áwa xwáre t-la-qàlpe.ˈ mə́re rába spày.ˈ m-lɛ́le qìmɛle,ˈ ʾo-xuláme dìyeˈ táwre mpúlṭəlla-w nùbləllaˈ ʾu-tullə́kṯa mənne-dìye,ˈ ʾu-bzára mənne-dìye,ˈ ʾu-màsta-wˈ zeḏàye,ˈ zílɛle ta-t-zắre.ˈ mə́ṭyɛle ṭla-ṭùra,ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-xà-ʾisarɛwa,ˈ tíwta tàma.ˈ kàzeˈ háyyo ṣla-làxxa!ˈ ʾána ʾàxxa bắyən zăréna.ˈ mùt síqta táma?ˈ là ṣléla.ˈ hìrre b-gáne díye.ˈ táwre masóqəlla b-o-kəndàla,ˈ sáqa zắre b-o-kəndàla,ˈ táwre lɛ́la-mṣaya ṣálɛ qlába ṣlàyaˈ ʾu-qarqárte dìyela.ˈ m-lɛ́le hal-ʾaṣə́rta məskéna blíga tàmaˈ lɛ́le mṣáya zằre.ˈ ksìrre,ˈ kčíxle ràba.ˈ tullə́kṯa lɛ́la ṣlàya,ˈ síqta b-o-ʾisàrɛla.ˈ ʾàtxɛle,ˈ kèpa.ˈ hadíya bắye ṱ-áxəl mə́ndi kpìnɛle.ˈ b-xyára b-zeḏàye,ˈ t-la-qṣàyaˈ dàx ṱ-axə́lla?ˈ ma-zāl qaṣe-llèy.ˈ màstaˈ lázəm qrúšta díya là xárwa.ˈ píša kpìna.ˈ la-xála xìlleˈ ʾu-zeḏáye šwíqile b-šawpèy.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta bắye qɛ̀se.ˈ ṭắye ʾátxa qɛ̀se,ˈ qɛ́se t-la-qálpe lìṯena.ˈ ʾə́ṯya bɛ̀ṯɛle.ˈ ʾə́ṯya bɛ̀ṯɛle:ˈ ʾa-mu-wìdlux?ˈ lá-mṣeli zrìli.ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-xà-ʾisara,ˈ lá-mṣeli zrìli.ˈ ʾu-lə́xma t-la-qṣáya là-mṣən ṱ-axlə́nwale.ˈ másta hot-màraˈ t-la-xráwa qrúšta dìya,ˈ fa-míṯa m-kə̀pna.ˈ mə́re ʾàtiˈ la-dóqət wájju mə̀nni.ˈ qəm-maxèleˈ ʾəṣrà-jaldeˈ ʾəṣrá-qɛse gu-xáṣe dìye,ˈ ʾu-ṭarə̀dle.ˈ sí ʾat-là-năfətli.ˈ zílle məskènaˈ bxàya.ˈ há bàbi!ˈ mòdi wídlux?ˈ ḥāl u-ḥăwāl ʾu-qə́ṣṣət hàtxa-wawa.ˈ lá-mṣeli plíxli kəsle-dìyeˈ hátxa wídle b-rèši.ˈ xóne ʾo-šeḏána mə́re ʾàna ṱ-azéna.ˈ k̭óra la-ʾàzət.ˈ qaṭə̀llux.ˈ ʾáwwa kapòrɛle.ˈ ʾána ʾəṣrà-jalde məxyə́lli.ˈ ʾáwwa qaṭə̀llux!ˈ là,ˈ ʾána ṱ-azèna.ˈ zílle xóne ʾo-šeḏàna.ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulamwàṯa?ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulamwàṯa?ˈ qúrbət bɛ̀ṯele xḏára,ˈ ṣràxaˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xolamwàṯa?ˈ mə́re hayyo-làxxaˈ ʾána bắyən xulamwàṯa.ˈ há bắyət pàlxeti?ˈ mə́re hè.ˈ hàyyo,ˈ ṱ-amrə́nnux xà-məndi.ˈ bắyət pàlxət?ˈ mə́re hè.ˈ mə́re pálxət kə́sli ʾàxxaˈ hál-o-yomət qáre ṱòk̭e.ˈ qréle ṱòk̭eˈ párəq šùlux.ˈ mòdi šúlux?ˈ mə́re ʾánna táwre mpalṭə́tta m-lɛ̀le,ˈ nablə́tla ṭùra.ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṣáṭqa ʾáyya tullə̀kṯa,ˈ ʾáyya kálba ʾɛ́ka ṣàṭəq,ˈ tàma zăréti.ˈ ʾánna zeḏàyeˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna t-là-qṣaya.ˈ ʾáyya màstaˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna qrúšta díya t-la-xàrwa.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta mɛṯə́tli xa-qápla qɛ̀seˈ t-là-hawe b-qálpe,ˈ xwàre.ˈ mə́re rába spày.ˈ qímɛle m-lɛ̀le,ˈ zíla núbla táwre dìye,ˈ bzáre xáṣe dìye,ˈ tullə́kṯa mə́nne-mənne dìye,ˈ jarréta mə́nna zeḏáye-u màsta-wˈ zìlɛle.ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-isàrɛla.ˈ káze ṣla-làxxa!ˈ ʾana-ʾáxxa bắyən zărèna.ˈ ṣla-làxxa!ˈ la-ṣlèla.ˈ síqɛle šqílle xa-kèpaˈ múttəlla ʾàxxaˈ kalə̀bṯa,ˈ qṭìləlla,ˈ də̀ryəlla,ˈ mqulə̀bzəlla-ži.ˈ grìšəlla,ˈ mə́re ʾàxxa ṱ-óyət.ˈ zrìyɛle táma.ˈ zrìyɛle,ˈ ʾáyya qṭilàle.ˈ ṯèleˈ ṱ-áxəl mə̀ndi.ˈ zeḏàyeˈ t-la-qṣàyaˈ de-màṭo hóya?ˈ hóla skínta mə̀nne.ˈ xarə́ṭla zeḏàyeˈ be-pálga dìya.ˈ tráṯna zeḏáye xarəṭlɛ̀y.ˈ màsta,ˈ băzèla,ˈ băzéla jullə́kṯa m-xòṯa.ˈ băzèla,ˈ másta plíṭla m-xóṯa dìya,ˈ š-zeḏàye,ˈ ʾu-xálɛle lə̀xma,ˈ ʾu-zeḏáye ʾu-másta xìlle.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta mùt ṱ-áwəḏ?ˈ bắye qɛ̀se,ˈ qɛ́se xwáre t-la-qàlpa.ˈ xìrɛle,ˈ mə́re b-xšáwən har-ʾánna bzàreˈ qɛ́mən torə̀nnɛy,ˈ nablə̀nna ʾə́lle-diye.ˈ ʾánna t-la-qàlpɛla.ˈ qímɛle bzáre twìrɛlela-wˈ níre-diye twìrɛlele,ˈ kúlla wíḏəlla qəṭṭàṭe,ˈ qmíṭəlla xáṣe ʾu-zìlɛle.ˈ ʾáw mírɛwa táwre morə́tla b-kàwe.ˈ ʾána lé-y-awən bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾána tắra xalqə́nne ṱ-ázən xa-dùkṯa.ˈ ʾáti dɛrə́tla b-káwe kùlla,ˈ lá morə́tla b-tằra.ˈ zílɛle qam-tắrət gòma.ˈ kàwe,ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṱ-áwər táwra b-kàwe?ˈ ya-ʾálaha mo-ʾóḏən b-gàni?ˈ ʾíṯwa xá-năra tàma.ˈ kut-táwra mə́xyəlle xá gu-réše dìye,ˈ gu-be-ʾɛ́ne dìye.ˈ də́ryəlle l-ắra tàwra.ˈ mqudə́qdəlla kùlla.ˈ b-o nằraˈ ʾan-táwre dìyeˈ mqudə̀qdɛlelɛy.ˈ kúlla də́ryəlla b-kàwe,ˈ də́ryəlla gu-gòma.ˈ mār-bɛ́ṯa ʾə́ṯyɛle sìqɛle.ˈ mə́re ʾan-táwre mo-wìḏlux?ˈ dréli gu-gòma.ˈ ʾó qɛ́se … ʾánna nírə bzára mút twirìlux?ˈ ʾána m-ɛ́ka mɛṯə́nnux qɛ́se xwáre t-la-qàlpe?ˈ m-ɛ́ka ṭăyə̀nwalux ʾána?ˈ k̭óra mu-wìḏlux?!ˈ xrīw-diyára twirílux bzàre!ˈ twirílux mešáne kùlla!ˈ kúlla twirìlux!ˈ mə́re hàtxɛla.ˈ zeḏàye?ˈ lan-qə̀ṣyəlla.ˈ hóla zeḏàye.ˈ jullə́kṯa hóla hár qrúšta rèša.ˈ ʾáwwa lɛ́le ḏíya ṱ-íla táwre díye prìme.ˈ lɛ̀ḏe.ˈ dmìxɛle.ˈ m-lɛ̀leˈ šmíyɛle qálət qàṭe.ˈ qáṭe narnartɛ́y gu-gòma.ˈ ʾə́ṯye l-bə́sra kùlla.ˈ qàṭe,ˈ šárrət qáṭe gu-gòmɛla,ˈ parpàṭṭɛla.ˈ báxta mə́ra xzí gáwṛa módila wáḏa ʾánna qàṭe!ˈ m-ɛ̀ka píšla láxxa?!ˈ lìṯwalən qáṭe ʾáxni.ˈ kúlla qáṭə máṯa kpíše táma qàṭe.ˈ ʾáyya mòdila?ˈ narnártət qàṭela.ˈ pṯíxəlle tằra,ˈ kúlla táwre mqudə́qde də́rye l-ʾằra.ˈ ʾɛ́-ga kàrəbˈ mút ṱ-áwəḏ b-rèše?ˈ mə́re mùt wíḏa?ˈ táwre dəryə́nna b-kàwe!ˈ mə́rux darə́tla b-kàwe.ˈ qanáne lɛ́wa pšàṭa,ˈ ʾap-qanáne twìrəllɛy.ˈ zìlla.ˈ mò-ʾawəḏ b-gáne?ˈ mə́re béna zílla báxta mò-ʾoḏexi?ˈ ʾáwwa šeḏànɛle.ˈ ʾáwwa prīṭ-dína ʾàp-ʾaw.ˈ ʾu-ṱòk̭eˈ ʾìman qárya ṱók̭e?ˈ ṱók̭e lá-qarya díya b-dìya.ˈ qìmle,ˈ mə́re béna xázəx mò-ʾoḏəx.ˈ ʾítla bráta gwírta xa-dúkṯa rə̀ḥqa.ˈ bratɛ́y gwìrtɛla,ˈ xa-bɛ́ṯa xèna.ˈ mə́re de-nábəl sáma dìya.ˈ ʾɛ̀bɛle,ˈ ṱ-àmra,ˈ tré-tre táwre prímɛle bàbiˈ lá muṯéle sàmi.ˈ xa-šaqòlɛleˈ mkùlčɛleˈ ʾu-xa-xènaˈ ḏa-ʾàṭmaˈ hóla sàxi.ˈ mə́re ʾáyya ʾàṭmaˈ nablə́tla ʾəlla-dìya.ˈ mə́re lìtla xám.ˈ sìqɛle,ˈ ʾáṭma múttəlla qúrbət bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾu-múrɛle šaqòlaˈ kúlle klìča.ˈ mə́re ʾáwwa sámət tàwraˈ bábəx mšudə̀rre-lləx.ˈ mə́ra m-kúlle d-o-táwra ʾáwwa šaqòla mšudə́rre!ˈ la-băyànne.ˈ si-nàbəlle!ˈ maqlə̀ble.ˈ qlíba ṣə̀lyɛle.ˈ mə́re mò-wiḏle?ˈ lɛ̀la bắyəlle?ˈ mə́re là.ˈ mə́re másəq ʾɛ̀-bena.ˈ ʾən-lá bèlaˈ maxə́tla b-pálgət be-ʾɛ́na dìya.ˈ mə́re lìtla xám.ˈ síqɛle bénət-tə̀rte.ˈ ʾáṭma góṛta múttəlla ʾap-ʾáy qam-tằraˈ múwrɛle šaqólət tàwra.ˈ mə́ra har-ʾàwwɛle.ˈ mə́re sáma díyəx ʾàwwɛle.ˈ là băyánne.ˈ maqlə̀ble.ˈ lá băyàtte?ˈ patə́lle šaqólət tàwraˈ b-palgə̀t be-ʾɛ́na dìya,ˈ mk̭andə́rra l-ằra.ˈ ʾawə́dla tarə̀kka šáwpa díya.ˈ qlíba ṣəlyɛle.ˈ mə́re har-là-wela rázi.ˈ ʾáwwa là-yăḏe módi bə́rya,ˈ ʾáwwa hole-qṭìlla ʾáy.ˈ mə́re yá-ʾalaha šùqla.ˈ hadíya hírra b-ganɛ̀yˈ mó-ʾoḏi b-o-nàša.ˈ rába híre b-gànɛla.ˈ ṱók̭e là-qarya di-b-dìya.ˈ hadìya,ˈ bráte díye ʾíṯwala bráta zòrta,ˈ mə́re ʾásqət m-lɛ́le jàldeˈ š-d-áwwa túṯa qàryatiˈ ʾu-ʾóḏət túke tùk,ˈ túke tùk,ˈ ʾáwwa qa-t-marpə̀xleˈ ṱ-àzəl.ˈ bráte díye síqtɛla š-tùṯaˈ héš xúya xùyɛle,ˈ wíḏtɛla túke tùk.ˈ ʾáwwa mə́re ʾáyya ṱók̭e b-áwwa héwən, m-ɛ̀ka ṱók̭e díya?!ˈ díya dánət ṱòk̭e díya?!ˈ mə́re ʾarbà-yarxe,ˈ xamšà-yarxe pyášɛla.ˈ m-ɛ̀ka ṱók̭e?!ˈ mə́re bába díya mparṭə́nne mo-ṱòk̭ela ʾáyya?ˈ šqílɛle xa-šəndòxaˈ ṭrípəlle l-gota-dìya.ˈ m-táma npíltɛla mìṯta šópa díya.ˈ pšìqtɛlaˈ mìṯtɛla.ˈ qìmɛleˈ ʾína ʾay-bráte díye mìṯta.ˈ mə́re mò-wiḏlux?ˈ mə́re ṱòk̭e,ˈ ʾána dréli b-ṱòk̭e.ˈ qráyɛwa ṱók̭e gu-d-áwwa tùṯa.ˈ ʾap-bràte qṭilále.ˈ ya-ʾálaha ʾo-náša mód ṱ-óḏi bìye?ˈ b-lɛ̀leˈ mə́re ʾáwwa yalúnka brónən zóra mpalṭə́tte majirə́tle b-lɛ̀le.ˈ mə́re lìtla-xam.ˈ mpalə̀ṭwale,ˈ čayə́kwa xmáṭa b-šə́rme dìye,ˈ y-amə́rwa bàssi,ˈ bàssi.ˈ hádəx ʾárba xámša gàye.ˈ mə́re lɛ́le jyàra,ˈ šăyə́tle b-gùda.ˈ bénət ṭə́ḷḷəṯ mpùlṭəlle,ˈ číkəlle b-xmáṭa b-šə́rme dìye,ˈ bàssi!ˈ bàssi!ˈ mə́re bássux bàssux?ˈ bábux mparṭə̀nne.ˈ šyéle l-gùda.ˈ tarə́kka hírra b-gànaˈ bɛ́ṯa muxrùle.ˈ bắyi ṱ-àrqi.ˈ mə́ra maqḏə̀xle bɛ́ṯaˈ bəd-ʾáwwa náša tàlxəx.ˈ har-máxəx b-dùnye,ˈ ʾáwwa b-tayə̀mlɛni.ˈ mə́ra bṱ-àrqexi.ˈ de-ʾə̀dyo,ˈ qu-pɛ́gən kàde.ˈ də-mjămə́xlən jarrèta.ˈ ʾázəx xá-mḏita xèta.ˈ marpə́xxe bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾu-šóqəx ṱ-árəq ṱ-àzəl.ˈ ʾu-bár ṱ-àzəl,ˈ dɛ́ṛəx l-bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ hadíya b-lɛ̀le,ˈ ʾáw hole-šmàʾa módila mára.ˈ hóle l-ɛ-gōt-hòdəx,ˈ də́rya ḏa-kùlla,ˈ dmíxa tàma,ˈ muṭəlya-gáne dìye.ˈ ʾáni hóla wáḏa tàgbir.ˈ péla kàde.ˈ wídla jarrèta,ˈ muttála gu-ḏà-guniya.ˈ hàtxa káde,ˈ qa-t ṱ-ázi b-lɛ̀le,ˈ b-lɛ́le qɛ́mi jàwji.ˈ ʾáwwa b-lɛ́le mòdile wíḏa?ˈ hóle ʾə́ṯya wíra gu-juwálət kàde.ˈ káde də́ryəlla b-réše dìye,.ˈ hole-xə́pya gu-d-a-juwàlaˈ ʾánna b-lɛ̀le,ˈ mŭrə́šəlla báxte dìye.ˈ báxta qù!ˈ dánɛla jàwjexi.ˈ hóle ṭlìya.ˈ hédi hédi lá-wuḏ qàla.ˈ mə́ra là.ˈ ṭắyənla xáṣe dìyeˈ mə́re ràba yaqúrtɛla.ˈ mə́re hola-kàdeˈ ràba kádela,ˈ yaqùrela.ˈ zìlela,ˈ zìlela,ˈ zìleleˈ qúrbət ḏà-maṯa.ˈ ʾə́ṯyela kálwe ṭalbèy.ˈ ʾə́ṯyela kálwe ṭalbèy,ˈ mə́re xóni xóni qəm-nɛsíli kàlwe.ˈ he-kálba brət-kàlba,ˈ hon-mára yaqùrtɛla.ˈ béna ʾurxa-ʾùrxa,ˈ qəm-jayə̀rwala.ˈ ṣlèlaˈ jòre.ˈ mə́re məšxàne!ˈ káde məšxàne!ˈ ṣléla b-júlle dìye,ˈ šqáləlla mšàyəlla.ˈ mə́re ʾánna kàde,ˈ mù-t wíḏta b-ánna kàde?ˈ kúlla mə́šxa ṣə̀pyɛla.ˈ kúlla xáṣe píšle mə̀šxa.ˈ mə́ra mšìla,ˈ mšìla.ˈ hóla mxálla ʾíḏe l-jóre d-ò-naša,ˈ ʾáw xšíwa mə̀šxɛle ṣláya mən-káde.ˈ wa-l-ḥáṣəl mə́re hóle gu-juwála kálba brət-kàlba!ˈ lɛ́ka šárṭəx mə́nne dìye?ˈ mə́re ṱ-amrə́nnəx xà-məndi.ˈ ṱ-ázəx rəš-gə̀šra,ˈ dámxəx rəš-gə̀šra,ˈ rəš-ʾáwwa gə́šrət nèra.ˈ b-lɛ̀le,ˈ ʾáw xšíwa lɛ̀le šmáya.ˈ mə́re mqaləbzə́xxe gu-šàṭṭa.ˈ dɛrə́xle gu-šàṭṭa.ˈ ʾáw hole-šmàya.ˈ ʾáw xšíwa la-šằme.ˈ zìlela,ˈ bắyi šóri xa-šàṭṭa.ˈ mə́ra dámxəx š-gə̀šra,ˈ biš-sălàmət-ile.ˈ ʾáxxa xuwwáwe ma-xuwwáwe lɛ̀-y-aṯɛ l-d-áwwa gə́šra.ˈ ʾàxxa damxéxi.ˈ káze lá-damxəx ʾàxxa,ˈ mə́ra dámxəx ʾàxxa.ˈ mə́re ʾát dámxət b-gàway.ˈ qá-t … t-la-mqaləbzètiˈ ṣálət ʾàti.ˈ báxta dmíxta b-ày-gotaˈ ʾu-gáwṛa m-ày-gotaˈ ʾu-xuláma də́ryəlle gawàyeˈ qa-t-b-lɛ́le šaqlíle zadɛ̀le.ˈ hadìya,ˈ zílela rəš-d-ò-gəšra.ˈ mə́ra dámxəx rəš-d-ò-gəšra.ˈ dámxəx réše bìš-spay,ˈ t-lá-ʾaṯa xuwwáwe məndiyáne ʾáxxa biš-sălàmət-ila.ˈ máx gə́šrə Zàwa d-o-dìyən.ˈ mə́ra ʾáti dɛrə́xlux l-gàwayˈ t-là-napleti b-lɛ́le.ˈ dmíxe rəš-gə̀šrɛla.ˈ ʾáw də́ryəlle gàway,ˈ gáwṛa m-ày-gotaˈ báxta m-ày-gota,ˈ qa-t-b-lɛ́le šaqlíle zadɛ́le gu-šàṭṭa,ˈ gu-nèra,ˈ gu-Zàwa.ˈ ʾáwwa yằḏe módila qə́ṣṣət,ˈ hóle ṛíša biyèy.ˈ ʾáwwa b-lɛ́le qìmɛle.ˈ gáwṛa díya mqulə́bzəlle də́ryəlle gawàyaˈ ʾáw píša b-áy-gota xètɛle.ˈ badláṯa jàldeˈ heš-xúya xùyaˈ mə́re bàxtaˈ dànɛla.ˈ qímta báxta m-ày-gotaˈ ʾáwwa xuláma m-ày-gota,ˈ gáwṛa díya mqulə̀bzəlleˈ zə́dyəlle gu-Zàwa.ˈ mə́ra mò-widlux?!ˈ mə́re ʾàwwa,ˈ mə́re gáwṛəx zìlle.ˈ mò-widlux bíyi?!ˈ qəm-ṣaṭmə́tle bɛ̀ṯi.ˈ ʾána nṭarə̀nnəx kəma-dána.ˈ bắyən ʾáti pɛ́šət dìyiˈ hadìyaˈ gáwṛa díya qəm-zadéle gu-Zàwa,ˈ píšla màjburˈ mò bṱ-óḏa?ˈ mə́re ʾána-w ʾáw xàṱ-ix.ˈ gáwṛəx zìlle,ˈ ʾána pɛ́šən šōp-gàwṛəx.ˈ qu-qálbəx bɛ́ṯa biš-spày.ˈ qìmlaˈ qlíbla l-bɛ́ṯa dìya.ˈ ʾu-qəm-gawə́rra ʾáwwa xulàmaˈ ʾu-zílle bar-náše dìyeˈ kúlla muṯɛ́le tàma.ˈ ʾánna mallàkelaˈ zangìnela.ˈ ʾu-píšle xyáʾa mən-d-ɛ̀-baxta.ˈ ʾu-ʾána šwiqáli tàmaˈ ʾána ṯéli làxxa.ˈ ʾíṯwa lìṯwaˈ biš-m-álaha góṛa čú-mdi lìṯwa.ˈ ʾíṯwa xà-naša,ˈ ʾíṯwale trè-bnone.ˈ rába píšle taqṣīr-ḥā̀l.ˈ láš-iyewa mṣáya xằyewa.ˈ mə́re ta-bnóne dìyeˈ bàbiˈ de-sóga ṭólɛxu xa-šúla ta-t-xắyitu bìye.ˈ ʾɛ́ni mənnɛ́xu ṱ-àzəl?ˈ mə́ra ṱ-ázəl ʾo-gòṛa.ˈ bíš-yăḏe mtagbə̀rra.ˈ ʾáti ʾo-zóra lá ʾazèti,ˈ tá d-o-zòra.ˈ zílle bróne díye ṭắya šúla gu-ḏa-màṯa.ˈ mə́re ʾɛ́ni bắye palàxa?ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulàma?ˈ mə́re hé ʾàna bắyən xuláma.ˈ ṯèleˈ kə́sle dìyeˈ qəm-maplə̀xle.ˈ mə́re ṱ-amrə́nnux xà-məndi.ˈ bắyət pàlxət?ˈ mə́re hè!ˈ mə́re pálxət kə́sli hal-d-o-yómə qárya ṱòk̭e.ˈ har-qréla ṱòk̭eˈ párəq šùlux.ˈ mə́re lìtla-xam.ˈ mə́re mòdi šúla?ˈ mə́re m-lɛ̀leˈ mpalṭə́tta tàwreˈ nablə́tta ta-ʾawáʾha ṭùra.ˈ w-áyya tullə̀kṯa,ˈ tullə́kṯa zórta mə̀nnux,ˈ kálba zóra mə́nnux ṱ-àwe.ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṣàṭqaˈ tàma zăréti.ˈ ʾu-mattə́nnux jarréta lə́xma zeḏàye.ˈ ʾu-mattə́nnux màsta.ˈ zeḏàyeˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna t-là-qṣaya.ˈ ʾu-màstaˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna qrúšta díya t-la-xàrwa,ˈ qrúštət páṯa dìya.ˈ w-aṣə́rta mɛṯə̀tliˈ xá-qapla qɛ̀seˈ t-lá-hawa b-qàlpe,ˈ ṱ-áwa xwáre t-la-qàlpe.ˈ mə́re rába spày.ˈ m-lɛ́le qìmɛle,ˈ ʾo-xuláme dìyeˈ táwre mpúlṭəlla-w nùbləllaˈ ʾu-tullə́kṯa mənne-dìye,ˈ ʾu-bzára mənne-dìye,ˈ ʾu-màsta-wˈ zeḏàye,ˈ zílɛle ta-t-zắre.ˈ mə́ṭyɛle ṭla-ṭùra,ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-xà-ʾisarɛwa,ˈ tíwta tàma.ˈ kàzeˈ háyyo ṣla-làxxa!ˈ ʾána ʾàxxa bắyən zăréna.ˈ mùt síqta táma?ˈ là ṣléla.ˈ hìrre b-gáne díye.ˈ táwre masóqəlla b-o-kəndàla,ˈ sáqa zắre b-o-kəndàla,ˈ táwre lɛ́la-mṣaya ṣálɛ qlába ṣlàyaˈ ʾu-qarqárte dìyela.ˈ m-lɛ́le hal-ʾaṣə́rta məskéna blíga tàmaˈ lɛ́le mṣáya zằre.ˈ ksìrre,ˈ kčíxle ràba.ˈ tullə́kṯa lɛ́la ṣlàya,ˈ síqta b-o-ʾisàrɛla.ˈ ʾàtxɛle,ˈ kèpa.ˈ hadíya bắye ṱ-áxəl mə́ndi kpìnɛle.ˈ b-xyára b-zeḏàye,ˈ t-la-qṣàyaˈ dàx ṱ-axə́lla?ˈ ma-zāl qaṣe-llèy.ˈ màstaˈ lázəm qrúšta díya là xárwa.ˈ píša kpìna.ˈ la-xála xìlleˈ ʾu-zeḏáye šwíqile b-šawpèy.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta bắye qɛ̀se.ˈ ṭắye ʾátxa qɛ̀se,ˈ qɛ́se t-la-qálpe lìṯena.ˈ ʾə́ṯya bɛ̀ṯɛle.ˈ ʾə́ṯya bɛ̀ṯɛle:ˈ ʾa-mu-wìdlux?ˈ lá-mṣeli zrìli.ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-xà-ʾisara,ˈ lá-mṣeli zrìli.ˈ ʾu-lə́xma t-la-qṣáya là-mṣən ṱ-axlə́nwale.ˈ másta hot-màraˈ t-la-xráwa qrúšta dìya,ˈ fa-míṯa m-kə̀pna.ˈ mə́re ʾàtiˈ la-dóqət wájju mə̀nni.ˈ qəm-maxèleˈ ʾəṣrà-jaldeˈ ʾəṣrá-qɛse gu-xáṣe dìye,ˈ ʾu-ṭarə̀dle.ˈ sí ʾat-là-năfətli.ˈ zílle məskènaˈ bxàya.ˈ há bàbi!ˈ mòdi wídlux?ˈ ḥāl u-ḥăwāl ʾu-qə́ṣṣət hàtxa-wawa.ˈ lá-mṣeli plíxli kəsle-dìyeˈ hátxa wídle b-rèši.ˈ xóne ʾo-šeḏána mə́re ʾàna ṱ-azéna.ˈ k̭óra la-ʾàzət.ˈ qaṭə̀llux.ˈ ʾáwwa kapòrɛle.ˈ ʾána ʾəṣrà-jalde məxyə́lli.ˈ ʾáwwa qaṭə̀llux!ˈ là,ˈ ʾána ṱ-azèna.ˈ zílle xóne ʾo-šeḏàna.ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulamwàṯa?ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulamwàṯa?ˈ qúrbət bɛ̀ṯele xḏára,ˈ ṣràxaˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xolamwàṯa?ˈ mə́re hayyo-làxxaˈ ʾána bắyən xulamwàṯa.ˈ há bắyət pàlxeti?ˈ mə́re hè.ˈ hàyyo,ˈ ṱ-amrə́nnux xà-məndi.ˈ bắyət pàlxət?ˈ mə́re hè.ˈ mə́re pálxət kə́sli ʾàxxaˈ hál-o-yomət qáre ṱòk̭e.ˈ qréle ṱòk̭eˈ párəq šùlux.ˈ mòdi šúlux?ˈ mə́re ʾánna táwre mpalṭə́tta m-lɛ̀le,ˈ nablə́tla ṭùra.ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṣáṭqa ʾáyya tullə̀kṯa,ˈ ʾáyya kálba ʾɛ́ka ṣàṭəq,ˈ tàma zăréti.ˈ ʾánna zeḏàyeˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna t-là-qṣaya.ˈ ʾáyya màstaˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna qrúšta díya t-la-xàrwa.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta mɛṯə́tli xa-qápla qɛ̀seˈ t-là-hawe b-qálpe,ˈ xwàre.ˈ mə́re rába spày.ˈ qímɛle m-lɛ̀le,ˈ zíla núbla táwre dìye,ˈ bzáre xáṣe dìye,ˈ tullə́kṯa mə́nne-mənne dìye,ˈ jarréta mə́nna zeḏáye-u màsta-wˈ zìlɛle.ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-isàrɛla.ˈ káze ṣla-làxxa!ˈ ʾana-ʾáxxa bắyən zărèna.ˈ ṣla-làxxa!ˈ la-ṣlèla.ˈ síqɛle šqílle xa-kèpaˈ múttəlla ʾàxxaˈ kalə̀bṯa,ˈ qṭìləlla,ˈ də̀ryəlla,ˈ mqulə̀bzəlla-ži.ˈ grìšəlla,ˈ mə́re ʾàxxa ṱ-óyət.ˈ zrìyɛle táma.ˈ zrìyɛle,ˈ ʾáyya qṭilàle.ˈ ṯèleˈ ṱ-áxəl mə̀ndi.ˈ zeḏàyeˈ t-la-qṣàyaˈ de-màṭo hóya?ˈ hóla skínta mə̀nne.ˈ xarə́ṭla zeḏàyeˈ be-pálga dìya.ˈ tráṯna zeḏáye xarəṭlɛ̀y.ˈ màsta,ˈ băzèla,ˈ băzéla jullə́kṯa m-xòṯa.ˈ băzèla,ˈ másta plíṭla m-xóṯa dìya,ˈ š-zeḏàye,ˈ ʾu-xálɛle lə̀xma,ˈ ʾu-zeḏáye ʾu-másta xìlle.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta mùt ṱ-áwəḏ?ˈ bắye qɛ̀se,ˈ qɛ́se xwáre t-la-qàlpa.ˈ xìrɛle,ˈ mə́re b-xšáwən har-ʾánna bzàreˈ qɛ́mən torə̀nnɛy,ˈ nablə̀nna ʾə́lle-diye.ˈ ʾánna t-la-qàlpɛla.ˈ qímɛle bzáre twìrɛlela-wˈ níre-diye twìrɛlele,ˈ kúlla wíḏəlla qəṭṭàṭe,ˈ qmíṭəlla xáṣe ʾu-zìlɛle.ˈ ʾáw mírɛwa táwre morə́tla b-kàwe.ˈ ʾána lé-y-awən bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾána tắra xalqə́nne ṱ-ázən xa-dùkṯa.ˈ ʾáti dɛrə́tla b-káwe kùlla,ˈ lá morə́tla b-tằra.ˈ zílɛle qam-tắrət gòma.ˈ kàwe,ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṱ-áwər táwra b-kàwe?ˈ ya-ʾálaha mo-ʾóḏən b-gàni?ˈ ʾíṯwa xá-năra tàma.ˈ kut-táwra mə́xyəlle xá gu-réše dìye,ˈ gu-be-ʾɛ́ne dìye.ˈ də́ryəlle l-ắra tàwra.ˈ mqudə́qdəlla kùlla.ˈ b-o nằraˈ ʾan-táwre dìyeˈ mqudə̀qdɛlelɛy.ˈ kúlla də́ryəlla b-kàwe,ˈ də́ryəlla gu-gòma.ˈ mār-bɛ́ṯa ʾə́ṯyɛle sìqɛle.ˈ mə́re ʾan-táwre mo-wìḏlux?ˈ dréli gu-gòma.ˈ ʾó qɛ́se … ʾánna nírə bzára mút twirìlux?ˈ ʾána m-ɛ́ka mɛṯə́nnux qɛ́se xwáre t-la-qàlpe?ˈ m-ɛ́ka ṭăyə̀nwalux ʾána?ˈ k̭óra mu-wìḏlux?!ˈ xrīw-diyára twirílux bzàre!ˈ twirílux mešáne kùlla!ˈ kúlla twirìlux!ˈ mə́re hàtxɛla.ˈ zeḏàye?ˈ lan-qə̀ṣyəlla.ˈ hóla zeḏàye.ˈ jullə́kṯa hóla hár qrúšta rèša.ˈ ʾáwwa lɛ́le ḏíya ṱ-íla táwre díye prìme.ˈ lɛ̀ḏe.ˈ dmìxɛle.ˈ m-lɛ̀leˈ šmíyɛle qálət qàṭe.ˈ qáṭe narnartɛ́y gu-gòma.ˈ ʾə́ṯye l-bə́sra kùlla.ˈ qàṭe,ˈ šárrət qáṭe gu-gòmɛla,ˈ parpàṭṭɛla.ˈ báxta mə́ra xzí gáwṛa módila wáḏa ʾánna qàṭe!ˈ m-ɛ̀ka píšla láxxa?!ˈ lìṯwalən qáṭe ʾáxni.ˈ kúlla qáṭə máṯa kpíše táma qàṭe.ˈ ʾáyya mòdila?ˈ narnártət qàṭela.ˈ pṯíxəlle tằra,ˈ kúlla táwre mqudə́qde də́rye l-ʾằra.ˈ ʾɛ́-ga kàrəbˈ mút ṱ-áwəḏ b-rèše?ˈ mə́re mùt wíḏa?ˈ táwre dəryə́nna b-kàwe!ˈ mə́rux darə́tla b-kàwe.ˈ qanáne lɛ́wa pšàṭa,ˈ ʾap-qanáne twìrəllɛy.ˈ zìlla.ˈ mò-ʾawəḏ b-gáne?ˈ mə́re béna zílla báxta mò-ʾoḏexi?ˈ ʾáwwa šeḏànɛle.ˈ ʾáwwa prīṭ-dína ʾàp-ʾaw.ˈ ʾu-ṱòk̭eˈ ʾìman qárya ṱók̭e?ˈ ṱók̭e lá-qarya díya b-dìya.ˈ qìmle,ˈ mə́re béna xázəx mò-ʾoḏəx.ˈ ʾítla bráta gwírta xa-dúkṯa rə̀ḥqa.ˈ bratɛ́y gwìrtɛla,ˈ xa-bɛ́ṯa xèna.ˈ mə́re de-nábəl sáma dìya.ˈ ʾɛ̀bɛle,ˈ ṱ-àmra,ˈ tré-tre táwre prímɛle bàbiˈ lá muṯéle sàmi.ˈ xa-šaqòlɛleˈ mkùlčɛleˈ ʾu-xa-xènaˈ ḏa-ʾàṭmaˈ hóla sàxi.ˈ mə́re ʾáyya ʾàṭmaˈ nablə́tla ʾəlla-dìya.ˈ mə́re lìtla xám.ˈ sìqɛle,ˈ ʾáṭma múttəlla qúrbət bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾu-múrɛle šaqòlaˈ kúlle klìča.ˈ mə́re ʾáwwa sámət tàwraˈ bábəx mšudə̀rre-lləx.ˈ mə́ra m-kúlle d-o-táwra ʾáwwa šaqòla mšudə́rre!ˈ la-băyànne.ˈ si-nàbəlle!ˈ maqlə̀ble.ˈ qlíba ṣə̀lyɛle.ˈ mə́re mò-wiḏle?ˈ lɛ̀la bắyəlle?ˈ mə́re là.ˈ mə́re másəq ʾɛ̀-bena.ˈ ʾən-lá bèlaˈ maxə́tla b-pálgət be-ʾɛ́na dìya.ˈ mə́re lìtla xám.ˈ síqɛle bénət-tə̀rte.ˈ ʾáṭma góṛta múttəlla ʾap-ʾáy qam-tằraˈ múwrɛle šaqólət tàwra.ˈ mə́ra har-ʾàwwɛle.ˈ mə́re sáma díyəx ʾàwwɛle.ˈ là băyánne.ˈ maqlə̀ble.ˈ lá băyàtte?ˈ patə́lle šaqólət tàwraˈ b-palgə̀t be-ʾɛ́na dìya,ˈ mk̭andə́rra l-ằra.ˈ ʾawə́dla tarə̀kka šáwpa díya.ˈ qlíba ṣəlyɛle.ˈ mə́re har-là-wela rázi.ˈ ʾáwwa là-yăḏe módi bə́rya,ˈ ʾáwwa hole-qṭìlla ʾáy.ˈ mə́re yá-ʾalaha šùqla.ˈ hadíya hírra b-ganɛ̀yˈ mó-ʾoḏi b-o-nàša.ˈ rába híre b-gànɛla.ˈ ṱók̭e là-qarya di-b-dìya.ˈ hadìya,ˈ bráte díye ʾíṯwala bráta zòrta,ˈ mə́re ʾásqət m-lɛ́le jàldeˈ š-d-áwwa túṯa qàryatiˈ ʾu-ʾóḏət túke tùk,ˈ túke tùk,ˈ ʾáwwa qa-t-marpə̀xleˈ ṱ-àzəl.ˈ bráte díye síqtɛla š-tùṯaˈ héš xúya xùyɛle,ˈ wíḏtɛla túke tùk.ˈ ʾáwwa mə́re ʾáyya ṱók̭e b-áwwa héwən, m-ɛ̀ka ṱók̭e díya?!ˈ díya dánət ṱòk̭e díya?!ˈ mə́re ʾarbà-yarxe,ˈ xamšà-yarxe pyášɛla.ˈ m-ɛ̀ka ṱók̭e?!ˈ mə́re bába díya mparṭə́nne mo-ṱòk̭ela ʾáyya?ˈ šqílɛle xa-šəndòxaˈ ṭrípəlle l-gota-dìya.ˈ m-táma npíltɛla mìṯta šópa díya.ˈ pšìqtɛlaˈ mìṯtɛla.ˈ qìmɛleˈ ʾína ʾay-bráte díye mìṯta.ˈ mə́re mò-wiḏlux?ˈ mə́re ṱòk̭e,ˈ ʾána dréli b-ṱòk̭e.ˈ qráyɛwa ṱók̭e gu-d-áwwa tùṯa.ˈ ʾap-bràte qṭilále.ˈ ya-ʾálaha ʾo-náša mód ṱ-óḏi bìye?ˈ b-lɛ̀leˈ mə́re ʾáwwa yalúnka brónən zóra mpalṭə́tte majirə́tle b-lɛ̀le.ˈ mə́re lìtla-xam.ˈ mpalə̀ṭwale,ˈ čayə́kwa xmáṭa b-šə́rme dìye,ˈ y-amə́rwa bàssi,ˈ bàssi.ˈ hádəx ʾárba xámša gàye.ˈ mə́re lɛ́le jyàra,ˈ šăyə́tle b-gùda.ˈ bénət ṭə́ḷḷəṯ mpùlṭəlle,ˈ číkəlle b-xmáṭa b-šə́rme dìye,ˈ bàssi!ˈ bàssi!ˈ mə́re bássux bàssux?ˈ bábux mparṭə̀nne.ˈ šyéle l-gùda.ˈ tarə́kka hírra b-gànaˈ bɛ́ṯa muxrùle.ˈ bắyi ṱ-àrqi.ˈ mə́ra maqḏə̀xle bɛ́ṯaˈ bəd-ʾáwwa náša tàlxəx.ˈ har-máxəx b-dùnye,ˈ ʾáwwa b-tayə̀mlɛni.ˈ mə́ra bṱ-àrqexi.ˈ de-ʾə̀dyo,ˈ qu-pɛ́gən kàde.ˈ də-mjămə́xlən jarrèta.ˈ ʾázəx xá-mḏita xèta.ˈ marpə́xxe bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾu-šóqəx ṱ-árəq ṱ-àzəl.ˈ ʾu-bár ṱ-àzəl,ˈ dɛ́ṛəx l-bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ hadíya b-lɛ̀le,ˈ ʾáw hole-šmàʾa módila mára.ˈ hóle l-ɛ-gōt-hòdəx,ˈ də́rya ḏa-kùlla,ˈ dmíxa tàma,ˈ muṭəlya-gáne dìye.ˈ ʾáni hóla wáḏa tàgbir.ˈ péla kàde.ˈ wídla jarrèta,ˈ muttála gu-ḏà-guniya.ˈ hàtxa káde,ˈ qa-t ṱ-ázi b-lɛ̀le,ˈ b-lɛ́le qɛ́mi jàwji.ˈ ʾáwwa b-lɛ́le mòdile wíḏa?ˈ hóle ʾə́ṯya wíra gu-juwálət kàde.ˈ káde də́ryəlla b-réše dìye,.ˈ hole-xə́pya gu-d-a-juwàlaˈ ʾánna b-lɛ̀le,ˈ mŭrə́šəlla báxte dìye.ˈ báxta qù!ˈ dánɛla jàwjexi.ˈ hóle ṭlìya.ˈ hédi hédi lá-wuḏ qàla.ˈ mə́ra là.ˈ ṭắyənla xáṣe dìyeˈ mə́re ràba yaqúrtɛla.ˈ mə́re hola-kàdeˈ ràba kádela,ˈ yaqùrela.ˈ zìlela,ˈ zìlela,ˈ zìleleˈ qúrbət ḏà-maṯa.ˈ ʾə́ṯyela kálwe ṭalbèy.ˈ ʾə́ṯyela kálwe ṭalbèy,ˈ mə́re xóni xóni qəm-nɛsíli kàlwe.ˈ he-kálba brət-kàlba,ˈ hon-mára yaqùrtɛla.ˈ béna ʾurxa-ʾùrxa,ˈ qəm-jayə̀rwala.ˈ ṣlèlaˈ jòre.ˈ mə́re məšxàne!ˈ káde məšxàne!ˈ ṣléla b-júlle dìye,ˈ šqáləlla mšàyəlla.ˈ mə́re ʾánna kàde,ˈ mù-t wíḏta b-ánna kàde?ˈ kúlla mə́šxa ṣə̀pyɛla.ˈ kúlla xáṣe píšle mə̀šxa.ˈ mə́ra mšìla,ˈ mšìla.ˈ hóla mxálla ʾíḏe l-jóre d-ò-naša,ˈ ʾáw xšíwa mə̀šxɛle ṣláya mən-káde.ˈ wa-l-ḥáṣəl mə́re hóle gu-juwála kálba brət-kàlba!ˈ lɛ́ka šárṭəx mə́nne dìye?ˈ mə́re ṱ-amrə́nnəx xà-məndi.ˈ ṱ-ázəx rəš-gə̀šra,ˈ dámxəx rəš-gə̀šra,ˈ rəš-ʾáwwa gə́šrət nèra.ˈ b-lɛ̀le,ˈ ʾáw xšíwa lɛ̀le šmáya.ˈ mə́re mqaləbzə́xxe gu-šàṭṭa.ˈ dɛrə́xle gu-šàṭṭa.ˈ ʾáw hole-šmàya.ˈ ʾáw xšíwa la-šằme.ˈ zìlela,ˈ bắyi šóri xa-šàṭṭa.ˈ mə́ra dámxəx š-gə̀šra,ˈ biš-sălàmət-ile.ˈ ʾáxxa xuwwáwe ma-xuwwáwe lɛ̀-y-aṯɛ l-d-áwwa gə́šra.ˈ ʾàxxa damxéxi.ˈ káze lá-damxəx ʾàxxa,ˈ mə́ra dámxəx ʾàxxa.ˈ mə́re ʾát dámxət b-gàway.ˈ qá-t … t-la-mqaləbzètiˈ ṣálət ʾàti.ˈ báxta dmíxta b-ày-gotaˈ ʾu-gáwṛa m-ày-gotaˈ ʾu-xuláma də́ryəlle gawàyeˈ qa-t-b-lɛ́le šaqlíle zadɛ̀le.ˈ hadìya,ˈ zílela rəš-d-ò-gəšra.ˈ mə́ra dámxəx rəš-d-ò-gəšra.ˈ dámxəx réše bìš-spay,ˈ t-lá-ʾaṯa xuwwáwe məndiyáne ʾáxxa biš-sălàmət-ila.ˈ máx gə́šrə Zàwa d-o-dìyən.ˈ mə́ra ʾáti dɛrə́xlux l-gàwayˈ t-là-napleti b-lɛ́le.ˈ dmíxe rəš-gə̀šrɛla.ˈ ʾáw də́ryəlle gàway,ˈ gáwṛa m-ày-gotaˈ báxta m-ày-gota,ˈ qa-t-b-lɛ́le šaqlíle zadɛ́le gu-šàṭṭa,ˈ gu-nèra,ˈ gu-Zàwa.ˈ ʾáwwa yằḏe módila qə́ṣṣət,ˈ hóle ṛíša biyèy.ˈ ʾáwwa b-lɛ́le qìmɛle.ˈ gáwṛa díya mqulə́bzəlle də́ryəlle gawàyaˈ ʾáw píša b-áy-gota xètɛle.ˈ badláṯa jàldeˈ heš-xúya xùyaˈ mə́re bàxtaˈ dànɛla.ˈ qímta báxta m-ày-gotaˈ ʾáwwa xuláma m-ày-gota,ˈ gáwṛa díya mqulə̀bzəlleˈ zə́dyəlle gu-Zàwa.ˈ mə́ra mò-widlux?!ˈ mə́re ʾàwwa,ˈ mə́re gáwṛəx zìlle.ˈ mò-widlux bíyi?!ˈ qəm-ṣaṭmə́tle bɛ̀ṯi.ˈ ʾána nṭarə̀nnəx kəma-dána.ˈ bắyən ʾáti pɛ́šət dìyiˈ hadìyaˈ gáwṛa díya qəm-zadéle gu-Zàwa,ˈ píšla màjburˈ mò bṱ-óḏa?ˈ mə́re ʾána-w ʾáw xàṱ-ix.ˈ gáwṛəx zìlle,ˈ ʾána pɛ́šən šōp-gàwṛəx.ˈ qu-qálbəx bɛ́ṯa biš-spày.ˈ qìmlaˈ qlíbla l-bɛ́ṯa dìya.ˈ ʾu-qəm-gawə́rra ʾáwwa xulàmaˈ ʾu-zílle bar-náše dìyeˈ kúlla muṯɛ́le tàma.ˈ ʾánna mallàkelaˈ zangìnela.ˈ ʾu-píšle xyáʾa mən-d-ɛ̀-baxta.ˈ ʾu-ʾána šwiqáli tàmaˈ ʾána ṯéli làxxa.ˈ	There was once—nothing is greater than God—there was a man, who had two sons. He was in very straitened circumstances. He could no longer make a living. He said to his sons ‘My dears, go and search for a job for yourselves by which you may make a living. Which of you will go?’ They said ‘The older one will go. He knows better how to manage things. You, the younger one, don’t go’, (speaking) to the younger one. His son went searching for a job in a town. He said ‘Who wants a workman? Who wants a servant?’ (Somebody) said ‘Yes, I want a servant’. He went to him and he employed him. He said ‘Let me tell you something. Do you want to work?’ He said ‘Yes!’ He said ‘Work with me until the _toke_ bird sings. As soon as the _toke_ bird has sung, your work will finish’. He said ‘All right’. He said ‘What is the job?’ He said ‘Early in the morning take out the oxen and take them to that mountain over there. This hound, small hound, small dog, will be with you. Wherever she squats down, it is there that you should plough. I shall provide you with a food-box of pitta breads. I shall provide you also with yoghurt. You should eat the pittas without breaking them and should eat the yoghurt without the crust being spoilt, the crust of its surface. In the evening bring me a bundle of pieces of wood that are without bark, that are white without bark.’ He said ‘Very good’. That servant of his got up early in the morning. He brought out the oxen, took them (with him) and went to plough together with a hound, a plough, and also yoghurt and pitta breads. He reached the mountain and the hound went up onto a rock and sat there. He tried (to persuade her down saying) ‘Come down here! I want to plough here. Why have you gone there?’ But she did not come down. He was confounded. He took the oxen onto the slope, he went up to plough on that slope, but the oxen could not manage and came back down. The plough squeaked (on the rock). The poor man was busy there from morning until evening, but could not plough. He was shattered. He was very tired. The hound did not come down but went up onto the rock, that is the stone. Now he wanted to eat something, since he was hungry. He looks at the pitta breads, how can he eat them without breaking them? He must break them. As for the yoghurt, its crust could not be spoilt. So he remained hungry. He did not eat and left the pitta breads where they were. In the evening he seeks wood, searches for wood, but there is no wood without bark. He went back home. He went back home and he (his master) said ‘Well, what have you done?’ ‘I could not plough. The hound went up onto a rock and I could not plough. I could not eat the bread without breaking it. You told me not to spoil the crust of the yoghurt. So, I am dying of hunger’. He said ‘You have no use for me’. He struck him ten strokes, ten strokes of a stick on his back and drove him away. ‘Go away, you are no use to me’. The poor man went away weeping. (His father said) ‘My dear, what have you done?’ ‘This is what happened. I could not work with him. He did such-and-such to me’. His crazy (younger) brother said ‘I’ll go’. ‘Don’t go my lad. He’ll kill you. He is a scoundrel. He beat me with ten strokes. He will kill you’. ‘No, I’ll go’. That brother of his, the crazy man, went on his way. (He cried) ‘Who wants servants? Who wants servants?’ He went wandering near his house, crying out ‘Who wants servants?’ He said ‘Come here. I want servants. Well, do you want to work?’ He said ‘Yes’. ‘Come, I’ll tell you something. Do you want to work?’ He said ‘Yes’. He said ‘You will work with me here until the day the _toke_ bird sings. When the _toke_ bird sings, your work is finished. What is your job?’ He said ‘Take these oxen out in the early morning and take them to the mountain. Where this hound crouches, where this dog crouches, it is there that you should plough. You should eat these pitta breads without breaking them. You should eat this yoghurt without its crust being spoilt. In the evening bring me a bundle of wood, white, without bark’. He said ‘Very good’. He got up in the early morning and went and took his oxen, with his plough on his back, together with the hound and a food-box contain-ing pitta breads and yoghurt. He went off. The hound went up on a rock. He tried (to persuade it down saying) ‘Come down here! I want to plough here. Come down here!’ It did not come down. He went up and took a stone, put the dog here, killed it and turned it upside down. Then he dragged it and said ‘You will be here’. He ploughed there. He ploughed. He had killed it. He came to eat something. ‘Pitta bread without breaking it, how could that be?’ He had a knife with him. He scored the pittas in their middle. He scored both the pittas. He pierced the yoghurt. He pierced the vessel from below. He pierced it, the yoghurt came out from underneath onto the pittas and he ate the bread. He ate the pittas and the yoghurt. In the evening what did he do? He searched for pieces of wood, white pieces of wood without bark. He looked and said ‘I think it is only this plough (that has white wood). I’ll break it up and take it to him. They are without bark’. He broke up the plough. He broke up its yoke. He reduced it to pieces. He tied them on his back and went off. He (his master) had said ‘You should bring the oxen in through the window. I shall not be at home. I shall lock the door and go somewhere. You put them all through the window, don’t bring them in through the door’. He went up to the door of the basement stable. ‘A window, where could an ox enter in a window? By God, what should I do with myself?’ There was an axe there. He struck each ox a blow on its head, on its forehead and put it on the ground. He chopped them all up. He chopped the oxen up with the axe. He put them all through the window and put them in the basement stable. The landlord came back. He said ‘What did you do with those oxen?’ ‘I put them in the basement stable’. ‘These pieces of wood … why have you broken the yoke of the plough?’ ‘From where can I fetch white wood without bark? From where could I seek this for you?’ ‘Wretch, what have you done! You have broken the plough! You have broken all the beams (of the plough). You have broken everything!’ He said ‘That’s how it is’. ‘And the pittas?’ ‘I have not cut them. Here are the pittas. As for the bowl (of yoghurt)—here, its crust is still on it’. He did not know that his oxen were slaughtered. He did not know. He went to sleep. In the early morning he heard the sound of cats. The cats were hissing in the basement stable. They had all come for the meat. Cats, it was a cat fight in the basement stable. They were pulling each other’s hair out. The wife said ‘Husband, see what those cats are doing. Where have they come from? We did not have any cats’. All the cats of the village were gathered there. What was it (that they heard)? It was the hissing of cats. He opened the door (and saw that) all the oxen were chopped up and put down on the floor. Then he got angry. What will he do to him (the servant)? He said ‘What have you done?’ ‘I have put the oxen through the window! You said “You should put them through the window” ’. The horns did not fit, so he brought also the horns. They were all dead. What could he do with himself? He said ‘Well, they are dead, wife, what should we do?’ He is mad. He is also a damned scoundrel. Now, when will the _toke_ bird sing? The _toke_ bird will not sing right now. He said ‘Let’s see what we can do’. They had a married daughter in a distant place. Their daughter was married in another house. He said ‘Take her portion (of the meat). She will say that “It is shameful. My father has slaughtered several pairs of oxen and has not brought my share.”’ One (piece) was a shank, which was stripped (of its meat). Another was a thigh, which was in good condition. He said (to the servant) ‘Take this thigh to her’. He said ‘All right’. He went up and put the thigh near to the house and brought the shank which was all stripped. He said ‘This is your share of the ox. You father has sent it to you. She said ‘From all the ox he has sent this shank! I don’t want it! Go and take it away! Take it back!’ He went back down. He (the master) said (to himself ) ‘Now what has he done?!’ (He said to him) ‘Doesn’t she want it?’ He said ‘No!’ He said ‘Take it up again. If she does not want it, hit her with it in the middle of her forehead’. He said ‘All right’. He went up a second time. He put down the large thigh outside and brought in the shank of the ox. She said ‘Is this all?’ He said ‘This is your portion’. ‘I don’t want it. Take it back’. ‘Don’t you want it?’ He twists the shank of the ox in the middle of her forehead and caused her to roll on the ground. He made her into a corpse. He went back down (to the house). He said ‘She was still not satisfied’. He (the master) did not know what had happened. He had killed her. He (the master) said ‘Leave her’. Now they were perplexed as to what they could do with that man. They were very perplexed. The _toke_ bird would not sing right now. Now, his daughter—they had a small daughter—he said ‘Early in the morning go up onto that mulberry tree and call out, make a _tuke tuk, tuke tuk_ sound, so that we can get rid of him, so that he will go away’. His daughter went up onto the mulberry. It was still very dark. She made a _tuke, tuk_ sound. He (the servant) said ‘Is this a _toke_ bird in this season? Where has a _toke_ bird come from at this time? Is it the time of the _toke_ bird?’ He said ‘Four months, five months are left (before the time of the _toke_ bird). Where is the _toke_ bird from?’ He said ‘I’ll bray her father. What kind of _toke_ bird is this?’ He took a small stone and threw it at her. She fell off from there and died on the spot. She fell flat and died. He got up (and saw) that his daughter was dead. He said ‘What have you done?’ He said ‘I threw (a stone) at the _toke_ bird. The _toke_ was singing in this mulberry tree’. So, he even killed his daughter. By God, what will they do with that man? ‘At night’, he said, ‘Take out this young boy, our young son and make him pass water at night’. He said ‘All right’. He took him out and pricked a needle into his buttocks. He (the boy) said ‘That’s enough! That’s enough!’, four or five times. He (the master) said ‘(If ) he does not pass water, throw him against the wall’. The third time, he took him out, pricked him with a needle on his buttocks ‘That’s enough! That’s enough!’ He said ‘Is that enough? Is that enough? Damn your father’. He flung him against the wall. (Their son was) a corpse and they were confounded ‘He has destroyed the home’. They wanted to escape. They said ‘Let’s burn the house and get rid of this man. Let’s go away. He will finish us off’. They said ‘Let’s flee. Today bake _kade_ cakes. Let’s put together a food-box for ourselves. Let’s go to another town. We shall abandon the house and let him go away. After he has gone away, we shall return to the house’. Now, at night, he was listening to what they were saying. He was on the other side. He had put up a mosquito net and was lying there, pretending to be asleep, while they were making a plan. They baked _kade_ cakes. They made a food-box and put it in a sack. (They made) _kade_ cakes, so that they could go at night, get up in the night and go on their way. What did he do at night? He came and got into the sack of _kade_ cakes. He put _kade_ cakes on top of himself. He crouched down in the sack. In the night he woke his wife ‘Wife, get up. It is time for us to go. He (the servant) is asleep. Quietly, don’t make a noise’. She said ‘No (I won’t make a noise)’. He loaded it (the sack) on his back. He said ‘It is very heavy’. He said ‘It is (full with) many _kade_ cakes. They are very heavy’. They went a long way and came close to a village. Dogs came towards them. Dogs came towards them. He (the servant) said ‘Brother, brother, the dogs have bitten me’. ‘Hey, you dog, son of a dog, I thought it was heavy’. Now, on the way, he had urinated. The urine flowed down. He said ‘They’re oily! The _kade_ cakes are oily. It ran down onto his clothes. He took it and licked it. He said ‘What did you put in these _kade_ cakes? They are all pure oil’. All his back became (covered with) oil. She said ‘Lick it, lick it’. He put his hand on the urine of the man, thinking that oil was running down from the _kade_ cakes. In the end he said ‘Look here is the dog, son of a dog in the sack! Where can we escape from him?’ He (the master) said (to his wife) ‘I’ll tell you something. Let’s go onto the bridge, let’s sleep on the bridge, on this river bridge. At night’—he thought he could not hear—he said ‘we’ll throw him in the river. We’ll put him in the river’. He was listening. He thought he was not listening. They went along and needed to cross a river. They said ‘Let’s sleep on the bridge. It is safer. Here—snakes and the like will not come onto this bridge. Let’s sleep here. He (the servant) tried (to persuade them, saying) ‘Let’s not sleep here’. He (the master) said ‘Let’s sleep here’. He said ‘You sleep in the middle so that you do not roll down (into the river)’. His wife slept on one side and the husband on the other side. They put the servant in the middle so that they could take him in the night and throw him. Now, they went onto that bridge. They said ‘Let’s sleep on that bridge. It is better to sleep on it, so that snakes and the like don’t come. Here it is safer’. It was like our bridge over the Zab. They said ‘We shall put you in the middle so that you do not fall at night’. They slept on the bridge. They put him in the middle, with the husband on one side and the wife on the other, so that in the night they could take him and throw him into the river, into the Zab. He knows what is happening. He was listening to them. He got up in the night. He rolled over her husband and put him in the middle. He came to be on the other side. In the early morning, when it was still very dark, he said ‘Wife, it is time’. The wife got up on this side and the servant on the other side, they rolled her husband and threw him into the Zab’. She said ‘What have you done?’ He said ‘It is him’. He said ‘Your husband has gone’. ‘What have you done to me?! You have destroyed my home’. ‘I have been waiting for you for a long time. I want you to become mine’. Now, he had thrown her husband into the Zab. She was forced (to cooperate). What could she do? He said ‘He and I are one. Your husband has gone. I’ll take the place of your husband. It’s better if we return home’. They set off and returned to her home. That servant married her. He went (look-ing for) her relatives and brought them all there. They were landowners. They were rich. Then he began to live with that woman. I have left it there and come here.

show raw texts

Transcription:

ʾíṯwa lìṯwaˈ biš-m-álaha góṛa čú-mdi lìṯwa.ˈ ʾíṯwa xà-naša,ˈ ʾíṯwale trè-bnone.ˈ rába píšle taqṣīr-ḥā̀l.ˈ láš-iyewa mṣáya xằyewa.ˈ mə́re ta-bnóne dìyeˈ bàbiˈ de-sóga ṭólɛxu xa-šúla ta-t-xắyitu bìye.ˈ ʾɛ́ni mənnɛ́xu ṱ-àzəl?ˈ mə́ra ṱ-ázəl ʾo-gòṛa.ˈ bíš-yăḏe mtagbə̀rra.ˈ ʾáti ʾo-zóra lá ʾazèti,ˈ tá d-o-zòra.ˈ zílle bróne díye ṭắya šúla gu-ḏa-màṯa.ˈ mə́re ʾɛ́ni bắye palàxa?ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulàma?ˈ mə́re hé ʾàna bắyən xuláma.ˈ ṯèleˈ kə́sle dìyeˈ qəm-maplə̀xle.ˈ mə́re ṱ-amrə́nnux xà-məndi.ˈ bắyət pàlxət?ˈ mə́re hè!ˈ mə́re pálxət kə́sli hal-d-o-yómə qárya ṱòk̭e.ˈ har-qréla ṱòk̭eˈ párəq šùlux.ˈ mə́re lìtla-xam.ˈ mə́re mòdi šúla?ˈ mə́re m-lɛ̀leˈ mpalṭə́tta tàwreˈ nablə́tta ta-ʾawáʾha ṭùra.ˈ w-áyya tullə̀kṯa,ˈ tullə́kṯa zórta mə̀nnux,ˈ kálba zóra mə́nnux ṱ-àwe.ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṣàṭqaˈ tàma zăréti.ˈ ʾu-mattə́nnux jarréta lə́xma zeḏàye.ˈ ʾu-mattə́nnux màsta.ˈ zeḏàyeˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna t-là-qṣaya.ˈ ʾu-màstaˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna qrúšta díya t-la-xàrwa,ˈ qrúštət páṯa dìya.ˈ w-aṣə́rta mɛṯə̀tliˈ xá-qapla qɛ̀seˈ t-lá-hawa b-qàlpe,ˈ ṱ-áwa xwáre t-la-qàlpe.ˈ mə́re rába spày.ˈ m-lɛ́le qìmɛle,ˈ ʾo-xuláme dìyeˈ táwre mpúlṭəlla-w nùbləllaˈ ʾu-tullə́kṯa mənne-dìye,ˈ ʾu-bzára mənne-dìye,ˈ ʾu-màsta-wˈ zeḏàye,ˈ zílɛle ta-t-zắre.ˈ mə́ṭyɛle ṭla-ṭùra,ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-xà-ʾisarɛwa,ˈ tíwta tàma.ˈ kàzeˈ háyyo ṣla-làxxa!ˈ ʾána ʾàxxa bắyən zăréna.ˈ mùt síqta táma?ˈ là ṣléla.ˈ hìrre b-gáne díye.ˈ táwre masóqəlla b-o-kəndàla,ˈ sáqa zắre b-o-kəndàla,ˈ táwre lɛ́la-mṣaya ṣálɛ qlába ṣlàyaˈ ʾu-qarqárte dìyela.ˈ m-lɛ́le hal-ʾaṣə́rta məskéna blíga tàmaˈ lɛ́le mṣáya zằre.ˈ ksìrre,ˈ kčíxle ràba.ˈ tullə́kṯa lɛ́la ṣlàya,ˈ síqta b-o-ʾisàrɛla.ˈ ʾàtxɛle,ˈ kèpa.ˈ hadíya bắye ṱ-áxəl mə́ndi kpìnɛle.ˈ b-xyára b-zeḏàye,ˈ t-la-qṣàyaˈ dàx ṱ-axə́lla?ˈ ma-zāl qaṣe-llèy.ˈ màstaˈ lázəm qrúšta díya là xárwa.ˈ píša kpìna.ˈ la-xála xìlleˈ ʾu-zeḏáye šwíqile b-šawpèy.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta bắye qɛ̀se.ˈ ṭắye ʾátxa qɛ̀se,ˈ qɛ́se t-la-qálpe lìṯena.ˈ ʾə́ṯya bɛ̀ṯɛle.ˈ ʾə́ṯya bɛ̀ṯɛle:ˈ ʾa-mu-wìdlux?ˈ lá-mṣeli zrìli.ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-xà-ʾisara,ˈ lá-mṣeli zrìli.ˈ ʾu-lə́xma t-la-qṣáya là-mṣən ṱ-axlə́nwale.ˈ másta hot-màraˈ t-la-xráwa qrúšta dìya,ˈ fa-míṯa m-kə̀pna.ˈ mə́re ʾàtiˈ la-dóqət wájju mə̀nni.ˈ qəm-maxèleˈ ʾəṣrà-jaldeˈ ʾəṣrá-qɛse gu-xáṣe dìye,ˈ ʾu-ṭarə̀dle.ˈ sí ʾat-là-năfətli.ˈ zílle məskènaˈ bxàya.ˈ há bàbi!ˈ mòdi wídlux?ˈ ḥāl u-ḥăwāl ʾu-qə́ṣṣət hàtxa-wawa.ˈ lá-mṣeli plíxli kəsle-dìyeˈ hátxa wídle b-rèši.ˈ xóne ʾo-šeḏána mə́re ʾàna ṱ-azéna.ˈ k̭óra la-ʾàzət.ˈ qaṭə̀llux.ˈ ʾáwwa kapòrɛle.ˈ ʾána ʾəṣrà-jalde məxyə́lli.ˈ ʾáwwa qaṭə̀llux!ˈ là,ˈ ʾána ṱ-azèna.ˈ zílle xóne ʾo-šeḏàna.ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulamwàṯa?ˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xulamwàṯa?ˈ qúrbət bɛ̀ṯele xḏára,ˈ ṣràxaˈ ʾɛ́ni bắye xolamwàṯa?ˈ mə́re hayyo-làxxaˈ ʾána bắyən xulamwàṯa.ˈ há bắyət pàlxeti?ˈ mə́re hè.ˈ hàyyo,ˈ ṱ-amrə́nnux xà-məndi.ˈ bắyət pàlxət?ˈ mə́re hè.ˈ mə́re pálxət kə́sli ʾàxxaˈ hál-o-yomət qáre ṱòk̭e.ˈ qréle ṱòk̭eˈ párəq šùlux.ˈ mòdi šúlux?ˈ mə́re ʾánna táwre mpalṭə́tta m-lɛ̀le,ˈ nablə́tla ṭùra.ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṣáṭqa ʾáyya tullə̀kṯa,ˈ ʾáyya kálba ʾɛ́ka ṣàṭəq,ˈ tàma zăréti.ˈ ʾánna zeḏàyeˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna t-là-qṣaya.ˈ ʾáyya màstaˈ ʾáxlət mə́nna qrúšta díya t-la-xàrwa.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta mɛṯə́tli xa-qápla qɛ̀seˈ t-là-hawe b-qálpe,ˈ xwàre.ˈ mə́re rába spày.ˈ qímɛle m-lɛ̀le,ˈ zíla núbla táwre dìye,ˈ bzáre xáṣe dìye,ˈ tullə́kṯa mə́nne-mənne dìye,ˈ jarréta mə́nna zeḏáye-u màsta-wˈ zìlɛle.ˈ tullə́kṯa síqta š-isàrɛla.ˈ káze ṣla-làxxa!ˈ ʾana-ʾáxxa bắyən zărèna.ˈ ṣla-làxxa!ˈ la-ṣlèla.ˈ síqɛle šqílle xa-kèpaˈ múttəlla ʾàxxaˈ kalə̀bṯa,ˈ qṭìləlla,ˈ də̀ryəlla,ˈ mqulə̀bzəlla-ži.ˈ grìšəlla,ˈ mə́re ʾàxxa ṱ-óyət.ˈ zrìyɛle táma.ˈ zrìyɛle,ˈ ʾáyya qṭilàle.ˈ ṯèleˈ ṱ-áxəl mə̀ndi.ˈ zeḏàyeˈ t-la-qṣàyaˈ de-màṭo hóya?ˈ hóla skínta mə̀nne.ˈ xarə́ṭla zeḏàyeˈ be-pálga dìya.ˈ tráṯna zeḏáye xarəṭlɛ̀y.ˈ màsta,ˈ băzèla,ˈ băzéla jullə́kṯa m-xòṯa.ˈ băzèla,ˈ másta plíṭla m-xóṯa dìya,ˈ š-zeḏàye,ˈ ʾu-xálɛle lə̀xma,ˈ ʾu-zeḏáye ʾu-másta xìlle.ˈ ʾaṣə́rta mùt ṱ-áwəḏ?ˈ bắye qɛ̀se,ˈ qɛ́se xwáre t-la-qàlpa.ˈ xìrɛle,ˈ mə́re b-xšáwən har-ʾánna bzàreˈ qɛ́mən torə̀nnɛy,ˈ nablə̀nna ʾə́lle-diye.ˈ ʾánna t-la-qàlpɛla.ˈ qímɛle bzáre twìrɛlela-wˈ níre-diye twìrɛlele,ˈ kúlla wíḏəlla qəṭṭàṭe,ˈ qmíṭəlla xáṣe ʾu-zìlɛle.ˈ ʾáw mírɛwa táwre morə́tla b-kàwe.ˈ ʾána lé-y-awən bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾána tắra xalqə́nne ṱ-ázən xa-dùkṯa.ˈ ʾáti dɛrə́tla b-káwe kùlla,ˈ lá morə́tla b-tằra.ˈ zílɛle qam-tắrət gòma.ˈ kàwe,ˈ ʾɛ́ka ṱ-áwər táwra b-kàwe?ˈ ya-ʾálaha mo-ʾóḏən b-gàni?ˈ ʾíṯwa xá-năra tàma.ˈ kut-táwra mə́xyəlle xá gu-réše dìye,ˈ gu-be-ʾɛ́ne dìye.ˈ də́ryəlle l-ắra tàwra.ˈ mqudə́qdəlla kùlla.ˈ b-o nằraˈ ʾan-táwre dìyeˈ mqudə̀qdɛlelɛy.ˈ kúlla də́ryəlla b-kàwe,ˈ də́ryəlla gu-gòma.ˈ mār-bɛ́ṯa ʾə́ṯyɛle sìqɛle.ˈ mə́re ʾan-táwre mo-wìḏlux?ˈ dréli gu-gòma.ˈ ʾó qɛ́se … ʾánna nírə bzára mút twirìlux?ˈ ʾána m-ɛ́ka mɛṯə́nnux qɛ́se xwáre t-la-qàlpe?ˈ m-ɛ́ka ṭăyə̀nwalux ʾána?ˈ k̭óra mu-wìḏlux?!ˈ xrīw-diyára twirílux bzàre!ˈ twirílux mešáne kùlla!ˈ kúlla twirìlux!ˈ mə́re hàtxɛla.ˈ zeḏàye?ˈ lan-qə̀ṣyəlla.ˈ hóla zeḏàye.ˈ jullə́kṯa hóla hár qrúšta rèša.ˈ ʾáwwa lɛ́le ḏíya ṱ-íla táwre díye prìme.ˈ lɛ̀ḏe.ˈ dmìxɛle.ˈ m-lɛ̀leˈ šmíyɛle qálət qàṭe.ˈ qáṭe narnartɛ́y gu-gòma.ˈ ʾə́ṯye l-bə́sra kùlla.ˈ qàṭe,ˈ šárrət qáṭe gu-gòmɛla,ˈ parpàṭṭɛla.ˈ báxta mə́ra xzí gáwṛa módila wáḏa ʾánna qàṭe!ˈ m-ɛ̀ka píšla láxxa?!ˈ lìṯwalən qáṭe ʾáxni.ˈ kúlla qáṭə máṯa kpíše táma qàṭe.ˈ ʾáyya mòdila?ˈ narnártət qàṭela.ˈ pṯíxəlle tằra,ˈ kúlla táwre mqudə́qde də́rye l-ʾằra.ˈ ʾɛ́-ga kàrəbˈ mút ṱ-áwəḏ b-rèše?ˈ mə́re mùt wíḏa?ˈ táwre dəryə́nna b-kàwe!ˈ mə́rux darə́tla b-kàwe.ˈ qanáne lɛ́wa pšàṭa,ˈ ʾap-qanáne twìrəllɛy.ˈ zìlla.ˈ mò-ʾawəḏ b-gáne?ˈ mə́re béna zílla báxta mò-ʾoḏexi?ˈ ʾáwwa šeḏànɛle.ˈ ʾáwwa prīṭ-dína ʾàp-ʾaw.ˈ ʾu-ṱòk̭eˈ ʾìman qárya ṱók̭e?ˈ ṱók̭e lá-qarya díya b-dìya.ˈ qìmle,ˈ mə́re béna xázəx mò-ʾoḏəx.ˈ ʾítla bráta gwírta xa-dúkṯa rə̀ḥqa.ˈ bratɛ́y gwìrtɛla,ˈ xa-bɛ́ṯa xèna.ˈ mə́re de-nábəl sáma dìya.ˈ ʾɛ̀bɛle,ˈ ṱ-àmra,ˈ tré-tre táwre prímɛle bàbiˈ lá muṯéle sàmi.ˈ xa-šaqòlɛleˈ mkùlčɛleˈ ʾu-xa-xènaˈ ḏa-ʾàṭmaˈ hóla sàxi.ˈ mə́re ʾáyya ʾàṭmaˈ nablə́tla ʾəlla-dìya.ˈ mə́re lìtla xám.ˈ sìqɛle,ˈ ʾáṭma múttəlla qúrbət bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾu-múrɛle šaqòlaˈ kúlle klìča.ˈ mə́re ʾáwwa sámət tàwraˈ bábəx mšudə̀rre-lləx.ˈ mə́ra m-kúlle d-o-táwra ʾáwwa šaqòla mšudə́rre!ˈ la-băyànne.ˈ si-nàbəlle!ˈ maqlə̀ble.ˈ qlíba ṣə̀lyɛle.ˈ mə́re mò-wiḏle?ˈ lɛ̀la bắyəlle?ˈ mə́re là.ˈ mə́re másəq ʾɛ̀-bena.ˈ ʾən-lá bèlaˈ maxə́tla b-pálgət be-ʾɛ́na dìya.ˈ mə́re lìtla xám.ˈ síqɛle bénət-tə̀rte.ˈ ʾáṭma góṛta múttəlla ʾap-ʾáy qam-tằraˈ múwrɛle šaqólət tàwra.ˈ mə́ra har-ʾàwwɛle.ˈ mə́re sáma díyəx ʾàwwɛle.ˈ là băyánne.ˈ maqlə̀ble.ˈ lá băyàtte?ˈ patə́lle šaqólət tàwraˈ b-palgə̀t be-ʾɛ́na dìya,ˈ mk̭andə́rra l-ằra.ˈ ʾawə́dla tarə̀kka šáwpa díya.ˈ qlíba ṣəlyɛle.ˈ mə́re har-là-wela rázi.ˈ ʾáwwa là-yăḏe módi bə́rya,ˈ ʾáwwa hole-qṭìlla ʾáy.ˈ mə́re yá-ʾalaha šùqla.ˈ hadíya hírra b-ganɛ̀yˈ mó-ʾoḏi b-o-nàša.ˈ rába híre b-gànɛla.ˈ ṱók̭e là-qarya di-b-dìya.ˈ hadìya,ˈ bráte díye ʾíṯwala bráta zòrta,ˈ mə́re ʾásqət m-lɛ́le jàldeˈ š-d-áwwa túṯa qàryatiˈ ʾu-ʾóḏət túke tùk,ˈ túke tùk,ˈ ʾáwwa qa-t-marpə̀xleˈ ṱ-àzəl.ˈ bráte díye síqtɛla š-tùṯaˈ héš xúya xùyɛle,ˈ wíḏtɛla túke tùk.ˈ ʾáwwa mə́re ʾáyya ṱók̭e b-áwwa héwən, m-ɛ̀ka ṱók̭e díya?!ˈ díya dánət ṱòk̭e díya?!ˈ mə́re ʾarbà-yarxe,ˈ xamšà-yarxe pyášɛla.ˈ m-ɛ̀ka ṱók̭e?!ˈ mə́re bába díya mparṭə́nne mo-ṱòk̭ela ʾáyya?ˈ šqílɛle xa-šəndòxaˈ ṭrípəlle l-gota-dìya.ˈ m-táma npíltɛla mìṯta šópa díya.ˈ pšìqtɛlaˈ mìṯtɛla.ˈ qìmɛleˈ ʾína ʾay-bráte díye mìṯta.ˈ mə́re mò-wiḏlux?ˈ mə́re ṱòk̭e,ˈ ʾána dréli b-ṱòk̭e.ˈ qráyɛwa ṱók̭e gu-d-áwwa tùṯa.ˈ ʾap-bràte qṭilále.ˈ ya-ʾálaha ʾo-náša mód ṱ-óḏi bìye?ˈ b-lɛ̀leˈ mə́re ʾáwwa yalúnka brónən zóra mpalṭə́tte majirə́tle b-lɛ̀le.ˈ mə́re lìtla-xam.ˈ mpalə̀ṭwale,ˈ čayə́kwa xmáṭa b-šə́rme dìye,ˈ y-amə́rwa bàssi,ˈ bàssi.ˈ hádəx ʾárba xámša gàye.ˈ mə́re lɛ́le jyàra,ˈ šăyə́tle b-gùda.ˈ bénət ṭə́ḷḷəṯ mpùlṭəlle,ˈ číkəlle b-xmáṭa b-šə́rme dìye,ˈ bàssi!ˈ bàssi!ˈ mə́re bássux bàssux?ˈ bábux mparṭə̀nne.ˈ šyéle l-gùda.ˈ tarə́kka hírra b-gànaˈ bɛ́ṯa muxrùle.ˈ bắyi ṱ-àrqi.ˈ mə́ra maqḏə̀xle bɛ́ṯaˈ bəd-ʾáwwa náša tàlxəx.ˈ har-máxəx b-dùnye,ˈ ʾáwwa b-tayə̀mlɛni.ˈ mə́ra bṱ-àrqexi.ˈ de-ʾə̀dyo,ˈ qu-pɛ́gən kàde.ˈ də-mjămə́xlən jarrèta.ˈ ʾázəx xá-mḏita xèta.ˈ marpə́xxe bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ ʾu-šóqəx ṱ-árəq ṱ-àzəl.ˈ ʾu-bár ṱ-àzəl,ˈ dɛ́ṛəx l-bɛ̀ṯa.ˈ hadíya b-lɛ̀le,ˈ ʾáw hole-šmàʾa módila mára.ˈ hóle l-ɛ-gōt-hòdəx,ˈ də́rya ḏa-kùlla,ˈ dmíxa tàma,ˈ muṭəlya-gáne dìye.ˈ ʾáni hóla wáḏa tàgbir.ˈ péla kàde.ˈ wídla jarrèta,ˈ muttála gu-ḏà-guniya.ˈ hàtxa káde,ˈ qa-t ṱ-ázi b-lɛ̀le,ˈ b-lɛ́le qɛ́mi jàwji.ˈ ʾáwwa b-lɛ́le mòdile wíḏa?ˈ hóle ʾə́ṯya wíra gu-juwálət kàde.ˈ káde də́ryəlla b-réše dìye,.ˈ hole-xə́pya gu-d-a-juwàlaˈ ʾánna b-lɛ̀le,ˈ mŭrə́šəlla báxte dìye.ˈ báxta qù!ˈ dánɛla jàwjexi.ˈ hóle ṭlìya.ˈ hédi hédi lá-wuḏ qàla.ˈ mə́ra là.ˈ ṭắyənla xáṣe dìyeˈ mə́re ràba yaqúrtɛla.ˈ mə́re hola-kàdeˈ ràba kádela,ˈ yaqùrela.ˈ zìlela,ˈ zìlela,ˈ zìleleˈ qúrbət ḏà-maṯa.ˈ ʾə́ṯyela kálwe ṭalbèy.ˈ ʾə́ṯyela kálwe ṭalbèy,ˈ mə́re xóni xóni qəm-nɛsíli kàlwe.ˈ he-kálba brət-kàlba,ˈ hon-mára yaqùrtɛla.ˈ béna ʾurxa-ʾùrxa,ˈ qəm-jayə̀rwala.ˈ ṣlèlaˈ jòre.ˈ mə́re məšxàne!ˈ káde məšxàne!ˈ ṣléla b-júlle dìye,ˈ šqáləlla mšàyəlla.ˈ mə́re ʾánna kàde,ˈ mù-t wíḏta b-ánna kàde?ˈ kúlla mə́šxa ṣə̀pyɛla.ˈ kúlla xáṣe píšle mə̀šxa.ˈ mə́ra mšìla,ˈ mšìla.ˈ hóla mxálla ʾíḏe l-jóre d-ò-naša,ˈ ʾáw xšíwa mə̀šxɛle ṣláya mən-káde.ˈ wa-l-ḥáṣəl mə́re hóle gu-juwála kálba brət-kàlba!ˈ lɛ́ka šárṭəx mə́nne dìye?ˈ mə́re ṱ-amrə́nnəx xà-məndi.ˈ ṱ-ázəx rəš-gə̀šra,ˈ dámxəx rəš-gə̀šra,ˈ rəš-ʾáwwa gə́šrət nèra.ˈ b-lɛ̀le,ˈ ʾáw xšíwa lɛ̀le šmáya.ˈ mə́re mqaləbzə́xxe gu-šàṭṭa.ˈ dɛrə́xle gu-šàṭṭa.ˈ ʾáw hole-šmàya.ˈ ʾáw xšíwa la-šằme.ˈ zìlela,ˈ bắyi šóri xa-šàṭṭa.ˈ mə́ra dámxəx š-gə̀šra,ˈ biš-sălàmət-ile.ˈ ʾáxxa xuwwáwe ma-xuwwáwe lɛ̀-y-aṯɛ l-d-áwwa gə́šra.ˈ ʾàxxa damxéxi.ˈ káze lá-damxəx ʾàxxa,ˈ mə́ra dámxəx ʾàxxa.ˈ mə́re ʾát dámxət b-gàway.ˈ qá-t … t-la-mqaləbzètiˈ ṣálət ʾàti.ˈ báxta dmíxta b-ày-gotaˈ ʾu-gáwṛa m-ày-gotaˈ ʾu-xuláma də́ryəlle gawàyeˈ qa-t-b-lɛ́le šaqlíle zadɛ̀le.ˈ hadìya,ˈ zílela rəš-d-ò-gəšra.ˈ mə́ra dámxəx rəš-d-ò-gəšra.ˈ dámxəx réše bìš-spay,ˈ t-lá-ʾaṯa xuwwáwe məndiyáne ʾáxxa biš-sălàmət-ila.ˈ máx gə́šrə Zàwa d-o-dìyən.ˈ mə́ra ʾáti dɛrə́xlux l-gàwayˈ t-là-napleti b-lɛ́le.ˈ dmíxe rəš-gə̀šrɛla.ˈ ʾáw də́ryəlle gàway,ˈ gáwṛa m-ày-gotaˈ báxta m-ày-gota,ˈ qa-t-b-lɛ́le šaqlíle zadɛ́le gu-šàṭṭa,ˈ gu-nèra,ˈ gu-Zàwa.ˈ ʾáwwa yằḏe módila qə́ṣṣət,ˈ hóle ṛíša biyèy.ˈ ʾáwwa b-lɛ́le qìmɛle.ˈ gáwṛa díya mqulə́bzəlle də́ryəlle gawàyaˈ ʾáw píša b-áy-gota xètɛle.ˈ badláṯa jàldeˈ heš-xúya xùyaˈ mə́re bàxtaˈ dànɛla.ˈ qímta báxta m-ày-gotaˈ ʾáwwa xuláma m-ày-gota,ˈ gáwṛa díya mqulə̀bzəlleˈ zə́dyəlle gu-Zàwa.ˈ mə́ra mò-widlux?!ˈ mə́re ʾàwwa,ˈ mə́re gáwṛəx zìlle.ˈ mò-widlux bíyi?!ˈ qəm-ṣaṭmə́tle bɛ̀ṯi.ˈ ʾána nṭarə̀nnəx kəma-dána.ˈ bắyən ʾáti pɛ́šət dìyiˈ hadìyaˈ gáwṛa díya qəm-zadéle gu-Zàwa,ˈ píšla màjburˈ mò bṱ-óḏa?ˈ mə́re ʾána-w ʾáw xàṱ-ix.ˈ gáwṛəx zìlle,ˈ ʾána pɛ́šən šōp-gàwṛəx.ˈ qu-qálbəx bɛ́ṯa biš-spày.ˈ qìmlaˈ qlíbla l-bɛ́ṯa dìya.ˈ ʾu-qəm-gawə́rra ʾáwwa xulàmaˈ ʾu-zílle bar-náše dìyeˈ kúlla muṯɛ́le tàma.ˈ ʾánna mallàkelaˈ zangìnela.ˈ ʾu-píšle xyáʾa mən-d-ɛ̀-baxta.ˈ ʾu-ʾána šwiqáli tàmaˈ ʾána ṯéli làxxa.ˈ

Translation:

There was once—nothing is greater than God—there was a man, who had two sons. He was in very straitened circumstances. He could no longer make a living. He said to his sons ‘My dears, go and search for a job for yourselves by which you may make a living. Which of you will go?’ They said ‘The older one will go. He knows better how to manage things. You, the younger one, don’t go’, (speaking) to the younger one. His son went searching for a job in a town. He said ‘Who wants a workman? Who wants a servant?’ (Somebody) said ‘Yes, I want a servant’. He went to him and he employed him. He said ‘Let me tell you something. Do you want to work?’ He said ‘Yes!’ He said ‘Work with me until the _toke_ bird sings. As soon as the _toke_ bird has sung, your work will finish’. He said ‘All right’. He said ‘What is the job?’ He said ‘Early in the morning take out the oxen and take them to that mountain over there. This hound, small hound, small dog, will be with you. Wherever she squats down, it is there that you should plough. I shall provide you with a food-box of pitta breads. I shall provide you also with yoghurt. You should eat the pittas without breaking them and should eat the yoghurt without the crust being spoilt, the crust of its surface. In the evening bring me a bundle of pieces of wood that are without bark, that are white without bark.’ He said ‘Very good’. That servant of his got up early in the morning. He brought out the oxen, took them (with him) and went to plough together with a hound, a plough, and also yoghurt and pitta breads. He reached the mountain and the hound went up onto a rock and sat there. He tried (to persuade her down saying) ‘Come down here! I want to plough here. Why have you gone there?’ But she did not come down. He was confounded. He took the oxen onto the slope, he went up to plough on that slope, but the oxen could not manage and came back down. The plough squeaked (on the rock). The poor man was busy there from morning until evening, but could not plough. He was shattered. He was very tired. The hound did not come down but went up onto the rock, that is the stone. Now he wanted to eat something, since he was hungry. He looks at the pitta breads, how can he eat them without breaking them? He must break them. As for the yoghurt, its crust could not be spoilt. So he remained hungry. He did not eat and left the pitta breads where they were. In the evening he seeks wood, searches for wood, but there is no wood without bark. He went back home. He went back home and he (his master) said ‘Well, what have you done?’ ‘I could not plough. The hound went up onto a rock and I could not plough. I could not eat the bread without breaking it. You told me not to spoil the crust of the yoghurt. So, I am dying of hunger’. He said ‘You have no use for me’. He struck him ten strokes, ten strokes of a stick on his back and drove him away. ‘Go away, you are no use to me’. The poor man went away weeping. (His father said) ‘My dear, what have you done?’ ‘This is what happened. I could not work with him. He did such-and-such to me’. His crazy (younger) brother said ‘I’ll go’. ‘Don’t go my lad. He’ll kill you. He is a scoundrel. He beat me with ten strokes. He will kill you’. ‘No, I’ll go’. That brother of his, the crazy man, went on his way. (He cried) ‘Who wants servants? Who wants servants?’ He went wandering near his house, crying out ‘Who wants servants?’ He said ‘Come here. I want servants. Well, do you want to work?’ He said ‘Yes’. ‘Come, I’ll tell you something. Do you want to work?’ He said ‘Yes’. He said ‘You will work with me here until the day the _toke_ bird sings. When the _toke_ bird sings, your work is finished. What is your job?’ He said ‘Take these oxen out in the early morning and take them to the mountain. Where this hound crouches, where this dog crouches, it is there that you should plough. You should eat these pitta breads without breaking them. You should eat this yoghurt without its crust being spoilt. In the evening bring me a bundle of wood, white, without bark’. He said ‘Very good’. He got up in the early morning and went and took his oxen, with his plough on his back, together with the hound and a food-box contain-ing pitta breads and yoghurt. He went off. The hound went up on a rock. He tried (to persuade it down saying) ‘Come down here! I want to plough here. Come down here!’ It did not come down. He went up and took a stone, put the dog here, killed it and turned it upside down. Then he dragged it and said ‘You will be here’. He ploughed there. He ploughed. He had killed it. He came to eat something. ‘Pitta bread without breaking it, how could that be?’ He had a knife with him. He scored the pittas in their middle. He scored both the pittas. He pierced the yoghurt. He pierced the vessel from below. He pierced it, the yoghurt came out from underneath onto the pittas and he ate the bread. He ate the pittas and the yoghurt. In the evening what did he do? He searched for pieces of wood, white pieces of wood without bark. He looked and said ‘I think it is only this plough (that has white wood). I’ll break it up and take it to him. They are without bark’. He broke up the plough. He broke up its yoke. He reduced it to pieces. He tied them on his back and went off. He (his master) had said ‘You should bring the oxen in through the window. I shall not be at home. I shall lock the door and go somewhere. You put them all through the window, don’t bring them in through the door’. He went up to the door of the basement stable. ‘A window, where could an ox enter in a window? By God, what should I do with myself?’ There was an axe there. He struck each ox a blow on its head, on its forehead and put it on the ground. He chopped them all up. He chopped the oxen up with the axe. He put them all through the window and put them in the basement stable. The landlord came back. He said ‘What did you do with those oxen?’ ‘I put them in the basement stable’. ‘These pieces of wood … why have you broken the yoke of the plough?’ ‘From where can I fetch white wood without bark? From where could I seek this for you?’ ‘Wretch, what have you done! You have broken the plough! You have broken all the beams (of the plough). You have broken everything!’ He said ‘That’s how it is’. ‘And the pittas?’ ‘I have not cut them. Here are the pittas. As for the bowl (of yoghurt)—here, its crust is still on it’. He did not know that his oxen were slaughtered. He did not know. He went to sleep. In the early morning he heard the sound of cats. The cats were hissing in the basement stable. They had all come for the meat. Cats, it was a cat fight in the basement stable. They were pulling each other’s hair out. The wife said ‘Husband, see what those cats are doing. Where have they come from? We did not have any cats’. All the cats of the village were gathered there. What was it (that they heard)? It was the hissing of cats. He opened the door (and saw that) all the oxen were chopped up and put down on the floor. Then he got angry. What will he do to him (the servant)? He said ‘What have you done?’ ‘I have put the oxen through the window! You said “You should put them through the window” ’. The horns did not fit, so he brought also the horns. They were all dead. What could he do with himself? He said ‘Well, they are dead, wife, what should we do?’ He is mad. He is also a damned scoundrel. Now, when will the _toke_ bird sing? The _toke_ bird will not sing right now. He said ‘Let’s see what we can do’. They had a married daughter in a distant place. Their daughter was married in another house. He said ‘Take her portion (of the meat). She will say that “It is shameful. My father has slaughtered several pairs of oxen and has not brought my share.”’ One (piece) was a shank, which was stripped (of its meat). Another was a thigh, which was in good condition. He said (to the servant) ‘Take this thigh to her’. He said ‘All right’. He went up and put the thigh near to the house and brought the shank which was all stripped. He said ‘This is your share of the ox. You father has sent it to you. She said ‘From all the ox he has sent this shank! I don’t want it! Go and take it away! Take it back!’ He went back down. He (the master) said (to himself ) ‘Now what has he done?!’ (He said to him) ‘Doesn’t she want it?’ He said ‘No!’ He said ‘Take it up again. If she does not want it, hit her with it in the middle of her forehead’. He said ‘All right’. He went up a second time. He put down the large thigh outside and brought in the shank of the ox. She said ‘Is this all?’ He said ‘This is your portion’. ‘I don’t want it. Take it back’. ‘Don’t you want it?’ He twists the shank of the ox in the middle of her forehead and caused her to roll on the ground. He made her into a corpse. He went back down (to the house). He said ‘She was still not satisfied’. He (the master) did not know what had happened. He had killed her. He (the master) said ‘Leave her’. Now they were perplexed as to what they could do with that man. They were very perplexed. The _toke_ bird would not sing right now. Now, his daughter—they had a small daughter—he said ‘Early in the morning go up onto that mulberry tree and call out, make a _tuke tuk, tuke tuk_ sound, so that we can get rid of him, so that he will go away’. His daughter went up onto the mulberry. It was still very dark. She made a _tuke, tuk_ sound. He (the servant) said ‘Is this a _toke_ bird in this season? Where has a _toke_ bird come from at this time? Is it the time of the _toke_ bird?’ He said ‘Four months, five months are left (before the time of the _toke_ bird). Where is the _toke_ bird from?’ He said ‘I’ll bray her father. What kind of _toke_ bird is this?’ He took a small stone and threw it at her. She fell off from there and died on the spot. She fell flat and died. He got up (and saw) that his daughter was dead. He said ‘What have you done?’ He said ‘I threw (a stone) at the _toke_ bird. The _toke_ was singing in this mulberry tree’. So, he even killed his daughter. By God, what will they do with that man? ‘At night’, he said, ‘Take out this young boy, our young son and make him pass water at night’. He said ‘All right’. He took him out and pricked a needle into his buttocks. He (the boy) said ‘That’s enough! That’s enough!’, four or five times. He (the master) said ‘(If ) he does not pass water, throw him against the wall’. The third time, he took him out, pricked him with a needle on his buttocks ‘That’s enough! That’s enough!’ He said ‘Is that enough? Is that enough? Damn your father’. He flung him against the wall. (Their son was) a corpse and they were confounded ‘He has destroyed the home’. They wanted to escape. They said ‘Let’s burn the house and get rid of this man. Let’s go away. He will finish us off’. They said ‘Let’s flee. Today bake _kade_ cakes. Let’s put together a food-box for ourselves. Let’s go to another town. We shall abandon the house and let him go away. After he has gone away, we shall return to the house’. Now, at night, he was listening to what they were saying. He was on the other side. He had put up a mosquito net and was lying there, pretending to be asleep, while they were making a plan. They baked _kade_ cakes. They made a food-box and put it in a sack. (They made) _kade_ cakes, so that they could go at night, get up in the night and go on their way. What did he do at night? He came and got into the sack of _kade_ cakes. He put _kade_ cakes on top of himself. He crouched down in the sack. In the night he woke his wife ‘Wife, get up. It is time for us to go. He (the servant) is asleep. Quietly, don’t make a noise’. She said ‘No (I won’t make a noise)’. He loaded it (the sack) on his back. He said ‘It is very heavy’. He said ‘It is (full with) many _kade_ cakes. They are very heavy’. They went a long way and came close to a village. Dogs came towards them. Dogs came towards them. He (the servant) said ‘Brother, brother, the dogs have bitten me’. ‘Hey, you dog, son of a dog, I thought it was heavy’. Now, on the way, he had urinated. The urine flowed down. He said ‘They’re oily! The _kade_ cakes are oily. It ran down onto his clothes. He took it and licked it. He said ‘What did you put in these _kade_ cakes? They are all pure oil’. All his back became (covered with) oil. She said ‘Lick it, lick it’. He put his hand on the urine of the man, thinking that oil was running down from the _kade_ cakes. In the end he said ‘Look here is the dog, son of a dog in the sack! Where can we escape from him?’ He (the master) said (to his wife) ‘I’ll tell you something. Let’s go onto the bridge, let’s sleep on the bridge, on this river bridge. At night’—he thought he could not hear—he said ‘we’ll throw him in the river. We’ll put him in the river’. He was listening. He thought he was not listening. They went along and needed to cross a river. They said ‘Let’s sleep on the bridge. It is safer. Here—snakes and the like will not come onto this bridge. Let’s sleep here. He (the servant) tried (to persuade them, saying) ‘Let’s not sleep here’. He (the master) said ‘Let’s sleep here’. He said ‘You sleep in the middle so that you do not roll down (into the river)’. His wife slept on one side and the husband on the other side. They put the servant in the middle so that they could take him in the night and throw him. Now, they went onto that bridge. They said ‘Let’s sleep on that bridge. It is better to sleep on it, so that snakes and the like don’t come. Here it is safer’. It was like our bridge over the Zab. They said ‘We shall put you in the middle so that you do not fall at night’. They slept on the bridge. They put him in the middle, with the husband on one side and the wife on the other, so that in the night they could take him and throw him into the river, into the Zab. He knows what is happening. He was listening to them. He got up in the night. He rolled over her husband and put him in the middle. He came to be on the other side. In the early morning, when it was still very dark, he said ‘Wife, it is time’. The wife got up on this side and the servant on the other side, they rolled her husband and threw him into the Zab’. She said ‘What have you done?’ He said ‘It is him’. He said ‘Your husband has gone’. ‘What have you done to me?! You have destroyed my home’. ‘I have been waiting for you for a long time. I want you to become mine’. Now, he had thrown her husband into the Zab. She was forced (to cooperate). What could she do? He said ‘He and I are one. Your husband has gone. I’ll take the place of your husband. It’s better if we return home’. They set off and returned to her home. That servant married her. He went (look-ing for) her relatives and brought them all there. They were landowners. They were rich. Then he began to live with that woman. I have left it there and come here.