A45 A Dutiful Son

Manya Givoyev of Guylasar, Armenia in Guylasar, Armenia

ʾətva lətva xa ⁺gura xa baxta. ʾə́tvalun ⁺ṱla bnunə ⁺ṱla bnunə ʾə́tvalun. ʾaha bitáyəla ʾa baxta ⁺mráyəla. baxta ⁺mráyəla vay ⁺goro mara ʾana ʾannə yalə mu-tar b-xamən? baxta lublalə balnitsa, xa yarxa pəšla muyyalə beta. muyyalə beta, lá-⁺məslə xamívala. baxta xina mətla, súpyalə bi-duco. yalu, ʾa naša꞊da honánəva, k̭a-brunu sura mərrə cačáləva, cačala ⁺bəddayət mu꞊ilə? cosa lə́tvalə, k̭a-brunu mərrə ʾat ⁺zād bašlət, jullə masət, daráy canšət, ctayáy b-yavvət, ⁺k̭aṱunyáy b-yavvət, suysaváy, vobšem ʾatən b-xazzáy bétəvət. ʾēn tre bnunu ganu bə́ššəna pəlxánəna. hada cullə paryadak̭ gu-beté. ʾaha msáyələ, bašúlələ, banúvvələ, ⁺k̭ark̭úzələ, ʾannə bə́ššəna, baba, tre yalə, tre ʾaxunváy. ʾa sura cačala bétələ. baba tilə, pləxlun, pləxlun, baba tilə ⁺mrilə. baba tilə ⁺mrilə. lubəllun mədrə balnitsa, muyyilun. baba ʾužé mərrə temun vasyatti vadon k̭atoxun. ʾana b-metən. ʾina ⁺ṱla yumanə ⁺ṱla bnúnitun. cut lelə xa mənnoxun ṱ-atitun ⁺ʾalli ⁺k̭aravul. ʾatitun ⁺ʾal-bat-⁺k̭uyri ⁺k̭aravul calitun. ba mara ba p̂ṱ-atax ba lé-ʾatax? ʾa lubəllun ⁺ṱumərrun. ʾa sura cačala ⁺raba ʾatxa ⁺yaṱṱuvva yala. k̭ala lət, k̭alta lət. márələ ʾaxunváy baba mu mərrə? baba la mərrə ʾatitun ⁺k̭aravul calitun. mān p̂ṱ-azəl? ʾaxuna ⁺gura mərrə ʾana, ʾád-lelə ʾana p̂ṱ-azən. xəšlə muttilə rišu rək̭k̭a m-axxa ⁺ʾal-bat-⁺k̭uyra. muttilə rišu, dməxlə, ⁺xərra ⁺xərru hal móriša. tilə beta móriša. ʾaxuna mərrə ʾo sura cačala ʾáxuni mu xzilux? mərrə həč məndi lēn xəzya. ʾo lelə xina ʾō꞊t ⁺ʾaralləǧ ʾaxuna bə́ššələ ⁺k̭aravul bəclayəl. mərrə ʾaxūn móriša tilə mu xzilux? mərrə həč məndi. di mərrə ʾa-spar ʾád-lelə nobət díyyilə. ʾana p̂ṱ-azən, ʾaxuna sura. xəšlə ʾaxuna sura ʾa ⁺sup̂p̂u surṱa primalə, ⁺siralə k̭uya. lelə ⁺myasa daməx. xa ⁺dana lelə gušək̭lə ʾina mu xa poxa tilə, xa xá-dana ʾatxa ⁺savanta poxa ⁺hava, xá-dana ⁺ṱlá-danə ⁺məsyáy ⁺ruppilə. ⁺ṱlá-danə ⁺məsyáy ⁺ruppelə mərrə šk̭ul, k̭ala tilə, šk̭ul labəl ⁺ṱášilun k̭a-xá naša sərrux la tánilə. ʾannə k̭a-diyyux ⁺lazəm꞊na. ʾannə k̭a-diyyux ⁺lazəm꞊na. k̭a-xá naša lá-tani, labəl ⁺ṱášilun. tilə sus-u-pús. k̭əmlə ʾannə ⁺məsyáy muyyelə cullə məxyelə, muyyelə gu paga, gu-⁺k̭arita. muttelə, ⁺ṱušyelə. xa šabta, tre šabáy, tilun ʾaxunváy mərrun ba ʾat mu xəzyət? cačala mərrə həč məndi. xa šabta, tre šabáy, xa yarxa, tre yarxə gušək̭lə ⁺ʾamman abyavlyéniye mu꞊ila mə́xyəna cəs hənna gu k̭əntrum k̭at ⁺pəllan malca bitáyəna ⁺ʾallu mən malcuyta xita bitáyəna ṱla bnatə ʾətlə, bitáyəna ⁺p̂alši bnatu lablilun. ʾo ʾaxuna ⁺gura tilə mərrə la-ʾavaxva xelanə, ʾaxnan ʾazaxva, maxaxva, ⁺k̭aṱlaxva, ʾodaxva, ʾe malcuyta pešava k̭a-diyyan. ⁺ʾah mərrə ba mu ʾodax? lətlan xela cačala mara lətlan xela, lé-ʾazax. mərrə de ʾé-⁺danta ʾatən cačala puš beta ʾaxnan ṱ-azax. tre ʾaxunváy k̭əmlun susavaté ⁺hudrelun. móriša jaldə laxmé ⁺xəllun, b-susaváy təvlun, xəšlun. ʾaha k̭əmlə, ⁺muryəslə cnəšlə, ⁺zadu bušəllə jaldə jaldə jaldə cullə ⁺šulu vədlə. ⁺vərrə gu-paga, ⁺slutu ⁺sulyalə mərrə ya ⁺marya xaltana baba mu mərrə. baba balcət xa məndi túnyələ. xa məsta grišalə. šk̭ilalə, tre švik̭elə. mərrə ya ʾalah. šəp̂p̂əšk̭a mxilə ⁺ʾallo gušək̭lə xa suysa tilə hrəmma hrəmmu cuma, sepu cumta, ⁺ləbbas cumta, cusita cumta. suysa cəlyəl ⁺ʾaǧay mu ⁺bayət? dunyə talxənna ya šok̭ənna? mərrə brāt-malca dəžmən bitáyələ maxə brāt-malca ʾe-⁺gurta labúlona. mərrə ʾadiyya ⁺bússahat tuy. m-gu-⁺hava suysa prəxlə. ⁺ʾallo, xá-dana ⁺sumurk̭uš tanila, cumta, práxələ. gašúk̭ələ mən-⁺ʾultux ʾaxunvatu ʾina ⁺tappa ⁺tappé b-suysa. mara xač̭č̭a cup. bəcyápələ. cút-mənne xa k̭amči tapuvvelə, k̭at hada mírəva k̭a-diyyi꞊da lablun mírəva ʾat tuy cačala, ʾat həč duca lé-ʾazət. xəšlə sepu꞊da gubbaz cumta sepa cumta, xəšlə cullə purziyyelə. ⁺vərrə xa-ga gu-bēt-malca, mxilə, ⁺č̭uxč̭əxlə, brāt-malca ʾe-⁺gurta šk̭ilalə. muyyalə, muttalə gu-paga. parda grəšlə. mərrə k̭alax lá-ʾatə ʾanga k̭alax tilə, səppatax parmənnun. xəšlə xa mana ⁺zād drilə, muttilə k̭amo. xa mana miyya muttilə k̭amo. k̭alax lá-ʾatə, parmənnax. la la, la lé-ʾodan. tilə təvlə. ʾaxunvatu tilun ⁺bérašə ⁺šiyyə, šuršiyyə, lišané dvik̭a. ʾaxunvati mu vədloxun? ʾa bēt-babux la xərba xa jvank̭a tíyyəva cullə purziyyelə brata ⁺gurta lublalə. ⁺ʾa mərrə tuyun. tuyun. laxmoxun ⁺xulun. ʾalaha ⁺raxmanəl. ⁺ʾal-móriša bək̭yáməna, mədrə ⁺tappa ⁺tappé bə́ššəna. ⁺xəllun laxmé ʾannə tre ʾaxunváy. gona ʾazax mara ʾē꞊t-⁺ʾaralləǧ mayyax. mərrə xuš. k̭a-diyyi le lablitun? la la la. betux lá-xərba cačala ʾat ʾica ʾatət? cullu ⁺šulu vədlə xəšlə ʾe ⁺məstət ⁺ʾaralləǧ grišalə. ⁺slutu ⁺sulyalə jəns b-⁺k̭ayda. ʾalahu txərrə šəp̂p̂əšk̭a mxilə, ⁺məsta šk̭ilalə. šəp̂p̂əšk̭a mxilə, xa suysa tilə smuk̭a ⁺ləbbas smuk̭ta, sepa smuk̭ta, ⁺ləbbas smuk̭ta, cusitu smuk̭ta, suysa smuk̭a. ⁺ʾaǧay mu ⁺bayyət? p-parpəssənnun cullə. mərrə brāt ⁺ʾaralləǧ bəššəx dəžmən maxaxlə šak̭lax mayyax. ʾe-⁺dān la vúuu m-gu-⁺hava ʾax samalyót ʾe-⁺dān la mxilə xəšlə cullə ⁺k̭uṱk̭əṱṱelə, purziyyelə, šk̭ilalə brāt ⁺ʾaralləǧ, tilə. ʾaxunvatu taza bəšša ⁺mṱáyəna. cút-mənne xa k̭amči꞊da tupyelə mərrə ʾannə gnayela. ʾannə lena nata bədvak̭a. ⁺ʾal-baba nata la dvək̭lun. tilə. tívələ, mərrə ʾa꞊da xāt ⁺ʾaralləǧ k̭ato mərrə xzi tuy cəs xatax. k̭alax tilə, səppatax parmənnun. cpəntət? ⁺hana ʾa mana ⁺zād ʾannə꞊da miyya. ⁺xul. k̭aloxun lá-ʾatə. parda grəšlə. ʾa꞊da ʾatxa. ʾe ⁺dana tilun ʾaxunvatu. tilun ʾaxunvatu, mədrə ⁺šiyyə, šuršiyyə, ʾatxa vay mara cačala dax ⁺spay tivət la tuy tuy, tuy tuy. k̭a-diyyux lela ⁺lazəm. ʾaha mərrə dmuxun ʾalaha ⁺raxmánələ, ʾalaha ⁺raxmánələ. ʾannə har taxmúnəna mara ⁺spay mara ʾáha-ga bəššəx brata surṱa gona k̭a-diyyux mayyaxxa, cačala. mara xušun! ʾa k̭əmlə, mədrə ⁺zadu bušəllə, ctayáy yuvvelə, cullə betu cnəšlə ⁺k̭urk̭əzlə, xəšlə. ʾe-⁺dān la ⁺vərrə gu-paga, ʾe-⁺dān la ʾe ⁺məsta šk̭ilalə, ʾe-⁺dan la məxyalə šəp̂p̂əšk̭a, xa suysa ⁺xvara tilə, xa ⁺ləbbas ⁺xvarta, xa sepa ⁺xvarta, mən ⁺ṱup̂p̂urtu ⁺ʾal-⁺k̭ərk̭əptu biyya bi-suysu cullə ⁺xvara, xanjal, ʾa꞊da dəpnu. mxilə m-gu-⁺hava, púuu, xəšlə. xəšlə, cullə məxyelə, ⁺č̭uxč̭əxxelə. brata surṱa šk̭ilalə. sepu švik̭ál ⁺tama. məxyalə gu-guyda, švik̭alə. švik̭ál, brata muyyál, mərrə tuy cəs xatvatax. hamzamta səppatax parmənnun. k̭aloxun lá-ʾatə. cpínətun ⁺xulun. laxma ⁺šulə yuvvelə, tilə. hada ləbbu ⁺rahat꞊ilə cačala, hada jəns꞊ilə. ganu k̭a-ganu hərra hə́rrula. tilun. ⁺xasé ⁺šmiṱa, paté cumta. tilun təvlun. mara k̭a-diyyux꞊da la ⁺məslan brata mayyaxva. vsyo prək̭la xina, ʾaxnan pəšlan ʾatxa. dax p̂ṱ-avax. mara ʾalaha ⁺raxmánələ. dmuxun, dmuxun. xa-cma yumā́n ⁺vərra, ʾe ⁺dana abyavlyéniye mədrə mxilun. cut bnāt-malca lublelə, malca, cut bnāt-malca, mara bnati lublelə, xuš ʾatə sepa šak̭əlla beti, malcuyti, cullə k̭atu. cullə beti, malcuyti꞊zə … cullə k̭atu. cu-mət ʾətlə lətlə. ʾe ⁺dana bə́ššələ, márələ ʾaxun, bitáyələ ʾaxuna ⁺gura mara ⁺ṱve ⁺ʾal-dō꞊t ʾaha vídələ. ⁺ṱve ⁺ʾallu. gu-cullə xayyu la … xəšša ʾavəd. mara ʾən ʾazə́n bnāt-malca mayyənnún, mu p-tanitún? baxtavar rišan mara m-ica bnāt-malca? nixunta bəššəl ⁺ṱúllunte m-⁺úydalə mavelə. mara temun xzimun. ʾannə mān muyyelə? ba marən baba mu mərrə? baba la mərrə calitun ⁺k̭aravul? xə́šloxun muttíloxun rišoxun dmə́xloxun. ba ⁺k̭aravul mu-tar c-avə? xu-lé-ʾazəl daməx. ⁺k̭aravul darəc calə ⁺ʾal-p̂osṱ-u xazzə mu ʾət mu lət. ci-mattə rišu, ci-⁺ṱallə? bəxzáyətun ⁺sup̂p̂i gašk̭un, ⁺k̭ṱítəla, ⁺sup̂p̂i lətli. ʾa sapar ⁺ṱla ʾaxunváy bərrə́ššəna ⁺tama cəs malca. cullə davəlta yávvona k̭até. xá-mənne vazzər vádulə. xá-mənne vaccəl vádulə. bnatə gané jəns cul davəlta k̭até, ⁺ʾal-p̂ósṱ cullə mattuvvena. xayyé jəns xayyə bəxxáyəna. magvurena, ⁺xluylé, šaré. jəns xayyə bəxxáyəna. ʾani ʾalaha yavvəllun ʾalaha꞊da k̭a-diyyan yavvəl basimuyta. k̭a-diyyux꞊da ʾalaha yavvəl basimuyta.

Once upon a time there was a husband and wife. They had three sons. They had three sons. The wife becomes ill. The wife becomes ill ‘Oh’ the husband says ‘How can I look after these children?’ He took the woman to hospital. He stayed there and he brought her home. He brought her home, but he was not able to save her. The woman died and he put her in her grave. As for his children, this man was clever, he said to his youngest son—he was bald, do you know what ‘bald’ is? He has no hair—he said to his son ‘You will cook the food, wash the clothes, sweep the yards, feed the chickens, feed the cats, the horses. In short, you are the overseer of the house. As for his two (other) sons, they go to work. Thus all is in order in their house. He launders, cooks, does maintenance, tidies up, whereas they go off, the father and the two boys, the two brothers. The young bald child is at home. They worked and worked, and it happened that the father became ill. It happened that the father became ill. They took him to the hospital and they brought him back. The father already said ‘Come, I am making a will for you.’ I shall die, but for three days, you are three sons, every night one of you will come to guard over me. You will come to my grave and stand guard.’ They say ‘Well, we shall come. (Why) would we not come?’ They took him and buried him. The young bald man was a very clever lad. There is no sound or utterance. He says ‘Brothers, what did father say? Did not father say that you should go and stand guard. Who will go?’ The elder son said ‘Tonight I shall go.’ He went and lay down his head—far be it from here—upon the grave. He put down his head and slept, snoring until morning. He came to the house in the morning. ‘Brother’ said the young bald lad, ‘Brother, what did you see?’ He said ‘I have not seen anything.’ The next night the middle brother goes and stands guard. He says ‘My brother,’ when he came back in the morning ‘What did you see?’ He said ‘Nothing.’ ‘Well’ he said ‘this time, tonight it is my turn. I shall go,’ the young brother (said). The young brother went off. He cut his little finger and tied it up tightly, and so cannot sleep. At some time in the night he sees that a wind has come, a very bad wind, and it threw down three hairs. It threw down the three hairs and said ‘Take them,’ a voice came, ‘Take them away and hide them. Do not tell your secret to anybody. You will need these. You will need these. These are important for you. Do not tell anybody. Take them and hide them.’ He came back very quietly. He brought the hairs and put them all in the stable, on a beam. He put them there and hid them. After a week, two weeks, the brothers came and said ‘Well, what have you seen?’ The bald lad said ‘Nothing.’ A week (went by), two weeks, a month, two months, he looked, but (look) what is the announcement, which they have put up in … the centre saying ‘People are coming against a certain king, they are coming from another kingdom, he has two daughters, they are coming to take his daughters.’ The elder brother came and said ‘If only we were strong, we would go and strike them and kill them, and ensure that the kingdom remains ours.’ ‘Oh,’ he said ‘Well what should we do?’ ‘We do not have the strength’ the bald lad said ‘We do not have the strength, we shall not go.’ He said ‘Well then you, Baldy, stay at home. We shall go.’ The two brothers got up and prepared their horses. Early in the morning they ate their food, they sat on their horses and went off. He got up and sprinkled, swept, cooked food and did all his work very quickly. He went into the stable and he prayed his prayer saying ‘Oh mighty Lord. What did father say? Perhaps father has said something.’ He pulled out a hair. He took it and left the two others. He said ‘Oh God.’ He lit a match. He saw a horse come, neighing, black, with a black sword, black apparel and a black cover. The horse stood. ‘My master, what do you want? Should I destroy the world or save it?’ He said ‘An enemy is coming to attack a princess. They are taking away the elder princess.’ It said ‘Now, right now, mount.’ The horse flew through the air. He flies on it, they call it a sumur bird, a black one. He sees from above his brothers galloping on a horse. He says ‘Go down a little.’ He goes down. He whips each one, because he had said ‘Take me too,’ but they had said ‘You stay, Baldy. You are not going anywhere.’ He went, with his sword and shield, black sword, he went and cut them all to pieces. He entered at once into the house of the king. He attacked and battered them, and took the elder princess. He brought her back and put her in the stable. He drew the curtain. He said ‘Do not make a sound. If you make a sound, I shall cut your lips.’ He went and served out a plate of food and placed it before her. He placed a bowl of water before her. ‘Do not make a sound, I’ll cut you up.’ ‘No, no, no, I shall not.’ He sat down. His brothers came in the evening, exhausted, tired, their tongues sticking (with thirst). ‘My brothers, what did you do?’ ‘Oh, may your father’s house not be sealed, a youth came, cut them all to pieces and took away the elder daughter.’ He said ‘Sit down, sit down. Eat your food. God is merciful.’ In the morning they get up. They again go galloping off. They eat their food, the two brothers. They say ‘At least let us go and bring the middle girl.’ He said ‘God. Will you not take me?’ ‘No, no. May your house not be destroyed, Baldy, where would you go?’ He did all his work then went and pulled out the middle hair. He prayed his prayer, as it is proper. He remembered God, lit a match and took out the hair. He lit a match and a red horse came, with red apparel, a red sword, red apparel, a red hat, a red horse. ‘My Lord, what do you want? I will destroy them all.’ He said ‘We are going to attack the enemy, take a middle daughter and bring her back.’ When he set off into the air like an aeroplane , when he struck and went and cut them all to pieces, he chopped them to pieces, he took the middle daughter and came back. His brothers are only just arriving. He whipped each one of them with a whip. He said ‘It is their fault. They do not pay attention. They did not pay attention to father.’ He came back. He sat down and said, he said to the middle sister ‘Look, sit next to your sister. If you make a noise, I shall cut your lips. Are you hungry? Here is a plate of food and here is water, eat. You two do not make a sound.’ He drew the curtain. So that was that. Then his brothers came back. His brothers came back, exhausted and tired, like this ‘Oh’ they said ‘Baldy, it is good you are sitting. No, sit, sit, sit, sit. You are not needed.’ He said ‘Sleep, God is merciful, God is merciful.’ They think and say ‘Fine,’ they say ‘At least we shall bring back the youngest daughter to you, Baldy.’ He said ‘Go!’ He got up and again cooked the food, gave (food) to the chickens, he swept and put in order all his house and went off. When he entered the stable, when he took the hair, when he lit the match, a white horse came, with white apparel, a white sword, everything on the horse was white from his toenails to his skull, a dagger too on its side. He set off into the air, puuu, he went off. He attacked them all and battered them. He took the youngest daughter. He left his sword there. He put it into the wall and left it. He left it and brought the girl back. He said ‘Sit next to your sisters. One word and I’ll cut your lips. Do not make a sound. If you are hungry, eat.’ He gave them food and so forth and went back. The bald lad is so content, he feels good. He giggles to himself. They came back, their backs broken (with fatigue), their faces black. They came back and sat down. They said ‘We could not bring any girl back to you. Enough! It is all over, we are in such a state. What will become of us?’ He said ‘God is merciful. Sleep, sleep.’ Several days passed. Then they put up an announcement. ‘Whoever took the daughters of the king, the king, whoever took the daughters of the king’—he said—‘my daughters, let him come and take the sword, then my house, my kingdom is all his. All my house and kingdom, it is all his’—whatever he has. Then he goes, he says ‘My brother,’ the elder brother comes and says ‘How fortunate for him who has done this. How fortunate for him. In his whole life he will not experience sorrow. He says ‘If I go and fetch the daughters of the king, what would you say?’ ‘How fortunate we would be!’ they say ‘From where (will you fetch) the daughters of the king?’ He slowly goes and brings the three of them together. He says ‘Come and see.’ ‘Who has brought them?’ ‘Well, I say what did father say? Did not father say that you should stand guard? You went, put your head down and slept. Well, how should a watchman behave? Surely he should not go and sleep! A guard should stand at his post and see what is happening. Does he put down his head and sleep? Do you see, look, my finger is cut off, I do not have my finger.’ Then the three brothers go there, to the king. They give them all great wealth. He makes one vizier. He makes one the overseer. The daughters themselves (give) them all wealth and install them in posts. They live a good life. They marry them (to the daughters) and their marriage celebrations (take place). May God give them and may God give us good fortune. May God give you also good fortune.