A35a The Wife Who Learns How to Work

Nancy George of Babari in Turlock, California

xá-yuma mədrə xa yala babu myátələ xa yəmma váyulə. xina lə́tvalə ʾaxuna xata. mara yəmmi babi k̭a-diyyi múlpələ ʾana mujjurra ʾannə torə lablənnun, ⁺ʾarra ⁺ʾak̭rila, mu ʾodila ⁺šulə ʾatxa. ʾaha ʾana c-⁺amsən palxən. yəmmu꞊da mara ⁺bəzdayən la ⁺ʾamsət, xa məndi ʾoya ʾannə torə maxi cisux ⁺p̂arṱila. mara la ⁺nigaran la-vi p̂ṱ-odən. ʾaha bərrə́šxələ pəlxánələ nixa nixa garvúsələ. ʾa-yala ⁺gura váyələ. xá-yuma yəmmu mara sətva váyələ mara bruni hə́č-məndi lətlan k̭a-⁺xala. zuyzə꞊da lətlan dáxila xa mən-dannə torə parmaxlə, bašlaxlə ʾodaxlə k̭alya? ʾe-⁺dana sətva ci-parmiva k̭ənyana, ⁺busra ci-bašlívalə gu-məšxa, ci-mattívalə gu ʾatxa k̭adalə ⁺gurə. sətva mən-dani c-⁺axliva. mara yəmmi ʾana ʾé-⁺dana b-xa tora lá-ʾamsən palxən. mara ʾalaha ⁺raxmánələ. mara ʾăgar ʾalaha la ⁺rxəmlə́, mu gari ʾodax ʾaxnan? ʾana b-xa tora lá-ʾamsən palxən. k̭a-diyyax b-⁺yasrən dəpnət da tora ʾatən꞊da mən-gibət ⁺davən gari palxat. mara palxan xob mara tora parmax. tora prámuna jəns ⁺ṱuyatə ⁺bixáləna bašúləna. švavé xəzmané꞊da ⁺bək̭rayena, bašúləna ⁺bixáləna. váyəla bi-nisanə. xina ⁺danət pəlxánəla. mara yəmmi ʾadiyya tora ⁺bəsyarun ⁺ʾal-⁺šula gari ʾatən꞊da ʾatyat. mara xina ʾana mərtən gari ʾodannə. ⁺bəsyárolə ⁺ʾal-daha pəlxánələ. ʾé-⁺dana b-⁺darət Šɑ̄h ʾAbbɑ̄́s ⁺raba ci-⁺xadərva gu-mdita xaziva mu ʾət mu lət. b-suysa ci-⁺xadərva, b-xač̭č̭a jullə ʾatik̭ə k̭at-lá yaṱṱívalə. bəxzáyələ gu-ʾurxa ⁺várələ, bəxzáyələ xa … yala jīl ʾina xa-baxta sota xa-tora ⁺sirelə cəs-⁺ʾúydalə ʾaha pəlxánələ. ⁺bəsláyələ mara bruni ʾaha mut ⁺šúlələ ʾa baxta sota? ⁺ʾavva hak̭úyələ k̭atu mara masala ʾátxəla. ʾaha … k̭uvvə́ltəva ʾatxa ʾodava ʾana꞊da mərri ⁺ʾal ⁺xabrax k̭uvvəltət gari ʾodatlə ʾa-⁺šula. mərrə la ʾaha lela ⁺spay, ʾa-⁺šula. xač̭č̭a davə yávələ k̭atu mara ʾazət xa-tora zonət mayyət. ʾa-baxta xina la mapləxxətta. xob puš b-šena, ʾavət basima, bərrə́šxələ. ⁺bar hada ʾa taxmúnələ malca ʾə́tvalə xa-brata həč məndi lé-ʾodava. c-⁺axlava ci-damxava. həč ⁺šula lé-ʾodava. malca mərrə ʾa yala honana yálələ. ʾana bəxšavən bratan yavvaxla k̭a-daha. ʾaha ʾa-brata mayyila ⁺ʾal-ʾurxa. mədrə bərrə́šxələ xá-yuma mara ʾatən ⁺hala lēt gvira? mara la. mara ʾana xa-brata ʾətli. ⁺spay brátəla. ʾayya b-yavvənna k̭atux. ⁺xluyla꞊da ʾana gani p̂ṱ-odənnə k̭ato. ⁺ʾavva mara ʾana lətli xá-ʾaxča zuyzə k̭at-ʾana ⁺ʾamsən gorən. mara ʾana b-⁺hayyərrənnux. ⁺xluyla p̂ṱ-odənnə, cúllə-məndi ʾana p̂ṱ-odən. brati yavvənna k̭atux. mara ⁺raba ⁺spay. ʾa bəšk̭ala labúlolə, brata bəxzáyolə. mara mu xina ⁺spay꞊la. bəgvárolə ⁺xluyla vádəna. bəšk̭álolə máyolə. máyolə, hə́č-məndi lətlun ʾannə gu-beta. mara yəmmi ʾaha brata ʾana muyyon gviron. ʾadiyya ʾa ʾən xa-⁺šula vədla, yavvat k̭atu xa məndi ⁺ʾaxla. ʾən la vədla, la yavvat həč məndi k̭ato ⁺ʾaxla hal ʾana ʾatən. mara məjjət dax c-oya ʾa ⁺šula ʾodannə? mara la ʾana mərri ʾátxəla ʾátxəla. ⁺xabrət diyyi ʾáhələ. ʾa mara ⁺raba ⁺spay. ʾaha bərrə́šxələ mədrə pəlxánələ. xina malca yúvvələ k̭atu zuyzə ⁺šulu ⁺spay꞊lə xina. xíšələ ⁺ʾal-dəšta pəlxánələ, bitáyələ. ⁺bak̭úrələ yəmmi ʾa brata xa ⁺šula və́dtəla yan-lá? mərra dūz tanyannux dmə́xtəla hal-ʾadiyya. hə́č-məndi lela vədta. márələ k̭ato hal꞊ət la palxat hə́č-məndi lá-⁺ʾamsat ⁺ʾaxlat ʾat gu-da-beta. ʾannə mattúyəna xurrag ⁺bixáləna k̭a-dayən lena yava. ʾaha bədmáxəla cpənta. ʾó-yuma xina bitáyələ mara yəmmi, ʾa brata plə́xtəla yan-lá? mara hi ʾana tanuyra ⁺šə́rtənva ʾannə xač̭č̭a k̭esə ⁺ruppila gu-tanuyra. mərrə xač̭č̭a laxma me yavvax k̭a-dá. xa-p̂ərc̭a xurrag də́ryəna k̭ato xa-p̂ərc̭a꞊da laxma, ʾaxči ʾa p̂ṱ-⁺axlatla, la zoda. nixa nixa ʾa bəlyápəla. ⁺šulət beta vádəla. cullə məndi vádəla. xina vítəla m-axxa ⁺ʾal-tamma ʾa malca mara k̭a-baxtu ʾaxnan ʾe bratan yuvvalan xəšla ⁺xabra la vilalan mənno. xa-yuma ʾazax xazzax ʾaha dáxila. ʾe mədrə yəmma babət brata bitáyəna b-xač̭č̭a jullə ʾatik̭ə t-la yaṱṱi ʾannə málcələ ʾaha. ʾannə꞊da ⁺raba xə́dyəna ⁺xabra yúvvəna k̭até k̭at yəmma babət da brata bitáyəna xazzila. ʾannə xa-darya labúləna pašcašə k̭ato, ⁺šulə labúləna. ʾannə꞊da ⁺húdrəna k̭até ⁺xa-⁺ramša k̭at-matti. xač̭č̭a ⁺xoravatu꞊da ⁺k̭əryelə tíyyəna tívəna ⁺xa-⁺ramša ⁺bixáləna. k̭at ⁺ʾaxli ʾe-brata bitáyəla brāt-malca k̭a-babo mara babi ʾaha xašúltəla, ʾax daha, ʾaha tuyma xšullə. drítola ⁺tamma. ʾatxa gari ʾodət ʾa tuyma xašlətlə. mara baba ʾa mut ⁺šúlələ ʾána-ʾodən?! mara gari ʾodətlə ʾaha. ⁺čara lət. k̭a-yəmmo꞊da máyəla cma ⁺lavašə laxma baruyzə. mara ʾannə꞊da xač̭č̭a miyya ⁺maryəs ⁺ʾallé máccəslun k̭at racxi ʾannə ⁺xa-⁺ramša ⁺ʾaxlax. mara k̭a-mú ʾaxnan ʾa ⁺šula ʾodax? mara ʾaha lelə ʾo beta. laxxa xa naša la paləx lé-⁺ʾaməs ⁺ʾaxəl. ⁺yuxsa xurrag le yavvi k̭atoxun ⁺ʾaxlitun. malca ⁺ʾavva bəxšálulə baxtu꞊da laxma marcúxula. mattúyəna ⁺xa-⁺ramša ⁺bixáləna. malca mara k̭a-do-yala basma ganux! basma ganux! ʾaxnan cma šənnə la ⁺məslan ʾaha malpáxvala. ʾaha dula cullə ʾa beta šap̂ira cullə məndi ⁺spay. ʾaha ⁺raba xədya xá-ʾaxča zuyzə ⁺palúṱələ yávələ davə k̭atu. mara cú-məndit ⁺bayyət ʾodət vud.

One day, again a lad—his father dies. He has a mother. He did not have a brother and sister. He says ‘Mother, my father has taught me how to take the oxen to plough the field, and what they do to it and so forth. So I can work.’ But his mother says ‘I am afraid that you will not be able and something will happen, and these oxen will strike and rip your stomach.’ He says ‘No, don’t worry. I shall do it.’ He goes and works. He gradually grows. The boy becomes an adult. One day his mother says—it is winter—she says ‘My son, we have nothing to eat. How about we slaughter one of those oxen, and cook it and make k̭alya?’ At that time in winter they used to slaughter cattle, cook the meat in oil and put it in big jars like this. In winter they would eat this. He says ‘Mother, I then shall not be able to work with one ox.’ She says ‘God is merciful.’ He says ‘If God is not merciful, what should we do? I cannot work with one ox. I shall tie you by the side of this ox and you must work in place of the other one.’ She says ‘I shall work.’ ‘Well,’ he said ‘We shall slaughter the ox.’ They slaughter the ox. They cook and eat good grilled meat. They invite their neighbours and their relatives, they cook and eat. Spring comes. It is the time of work. He says ‘Mother, I am now tying up the ox. You also must come to work.’ She said ‘I have said I must do it.’ He ties her onto it and works (in the field). At that time, during the reign of Shah Abbas, he often used to travel around the town to see what was happening. He would travel around on a horse, in some old clothes, so that people would not recognize him. He sees, passes on the road and sees that a young man has tied together an old woman and an ox and he is working. He dismounts and says ‘My son, what is this business with this old woman?’ He tells him and says ‘This is the story. She had promised to do this and I said ‘You have given your word and you must do this job.’ He said ‘No, this is not good, this situation.’ He gives some gold coins to him and says ‘Go and buy an ox and bring it back. Do not make this woman work anymore.’ ‘Well, goodbye and thank you.’ He goes off. After that he thinks. The king had a daughter who did nothing. She ate and slept. She did not work. The king said ‘This lad is a clever lad. I think we shall give our daughter to him.’ He will bring the girl to her senses.’ He goes and says one day ‘Are you not yet married? He says ‘No.’ He says ‘I have a daughter. I shall give her to you. I shall arrange the wedding for her.’ He says ‘I do not have so much money that I can get married.’ He says ‘I shall help you.’ I shall arrange the wedding, I shall do everything. I shall give my daughter to you.’ He says ‘Very good.’ He takes and brings her. He sees her. He says ‘Well, she is good.’ He marries her and they hold a wedding. He takes her and brings her back. He brings her back, but they have nothing in the house. He says ‘Mother, I have brought this girl and married her. Now, if she does a job, give her something to eat. If she does not do it, do not give her anything to eat until I come back.’ She says ‘Really, how can I do this?’ He says ‘No, I have said that it is like this. This is my command.’ She says ‘Very good.’ He again goes to work. The king has given him money and his work is good. He has gone to the field to work and comes back. He asks ‘Mother, has this girl done a job or not?’ She said ‘I’ll tell you the truth, she has slept until now. She has not done anything.’ He says to her ‘So long as you do not work, you cannot eat anything in the house.’ They lay food and eat, but do not give to her. She goes to sleep hungry. The next day he comes back and says ‘Mother, has the girl worked or not?’ She says ‘Yes, I had lit the oven and she threw a few of these logs into the oven.’ He said ‘Bring a little bread for us to give to her.’ (When) they have laid for her a tiny amount of food and a tiny piece of bread, (he said) ‘You will eat only this, no more.’ Gradually she learns. She does the housework. She does everything. After some time, the king says to his wife ‘We gave away that daughter of ours and she went away, but we have not had word from her. One day let’s go and see how she is.’ So, the mother and father of the girl come in some old clothes so they do not know that he is the king. They are very pleased. They have given them the news that the mother and father of the girl are coming to see her. They bring a load of gifts for her, and take things. They have prepared for them dinner, so they can serve it (to them). He has also invited some of his friends and they have come and are sitting eating dinner. In order that they (the parents) can eat, the girl, the daughter of the king, comes to her father and says ‘Father, this is a pestle, like this one pound this garlic.’ She has put it out there. ‘You must do like this to pound the garlic.’ He said ‘What kind of job is this for me to do?!’ She says ‘You must do this. There is no way out.’ For her mother she brings a few dry flat-breads. She says ‘Sprinkle some water over these and cover them so that they become soft, so that we can eat them for dinner.’ They said ‘Why should we do this work?’ She says ‘This is not the same house (as I grew up in). Here if a man does not work, he will not be able to eat. (You must work) otherwise they will not give you food to eat.’ The king pounds that (garlic) and his wife softens the bread. They lay dinner and eat. The king says to the young man ‘Well done! Well done! We have not managed for many years to teach her. Now look at all this, this beautiful house, everything very good.’ He (the king) is very happy and takes out a lot of money and gives gold coins to him. He says ‘Do whatever you want to do.’