B2 Village Life

Yonan Petrus of ⁺Muyšava in Fresno, California

⁺ṱlə́bloxun but-⁺zruta k̭atoxun xacma məndyanə tanən mən-Mušava, ʾina ʾaha məndit ʾana ⁺bayyən tanənnə bədvák̭ələ mən-cullə matvatət diyyan k̭at-ʾə́tvalan gu-dəštət ʾUrmi, gu dəštət Salamas. ʾaxnan gu … dəštət ʾUrmi Salamas ⁺ʾal-⁺ʾuydalə ʾə́tvalan ʾəmmo tlay ⁺ṱla matvatə, matvatət ʾaxči ṱ-⁺aturáyəva. ʾita ʾə́tvalan xacma … ⁺xviṱə mən-ʾarəmnáy. cullə ʾana šəmmané ʾətli, hi, laxxa ʾətli šəmmané. ʾita gu-dannə matvatə ⁺zruta cullə ʾax ⁺ʾúydaləva. leva prəšta. gu-matvatə ʾə́tvalan cul beta ʾət-cúl mata ʾə́tvalə xa-⁺k̭əṱṱət carma k̭at gu-carmu ⁺ʾanvə, ⁺ʾanvət ⁺xala ʾita mən-⁺ʾanvə꞊zə cəšmišə꞊zə dok̭iva sabza꞊zə. xayyuté mən-⁺támməva. sabza dariva lablívala ⁺ʾal-mdita ci-zabnívala ʾu-məndit ⁺lázəmva k̭até ci-šák̭liva mayyívalə. ʾina xina mən-carmanə, nipuxta ci-bašliva. ⁺ʾanvə mayyívalun gu-čarazə ⁺mač̭č̭ívalun, šira ʾita gu-⁺tiyanə dariva. xuté malliva nuyra nipuxta bašliva. cəšmišə mabrəzziva ʾay maxzúyəla k̭a-diyyi k̭at tanən cəšmišə. ⁺ʾal varazanə dariva cəšmišə k̭a-sətva. ʾani xurragət sə́tvəva. tluvvə, tluvvə ci-⁺ṱarsiva. ⁺ʾanvə har-hada taza cambəllívalun gu … čuxyatə čuxta c-avívalun gu-xəšca. ci-cambəllívalun ta-sətva. ci-yatviva marzanət tanuyra mən-dannə tluvvə ci-mayyiva ci-⁺masliva ʾarxə darívalun c-⁺axliva. ⁺xamra ⁺ṱársiva ⁺raba rišaya ⁺xamra gu-⁺linə. ʾaha gu-cullə matvátəva, leva ʾaxči gu-matət diyyan. gu-cullə matvatət dəštət ʾUrmi ʾa-mə́ndi-ʾətva. ʾə́tvalan matvatə xač̭č̭a surə ʾə́tvalan matvatə ⁺gurə ʾina cullə ʾá-məndi. ʾá-sapar ʾə́tvalun ⁺ʾarratə šuk̭ mən-carmanə. ʾina ʾá-məndi꞊da tanənnə. gu-carmanə ci-ṱársiva ⁺čolatə bi … k̭esə ⁺ʾarp̂á ⁺hačə ʾatxa ci-mattiva čardák̭ čardak̭ə ʾita b-yuma bnatə ci-yatviva gu-⁺čolatə k̭at-ginavə la-ʾaviva ⁺ʾal-carmanə ⁺šulə. ⁺xadərvanan məššəlmánəva məššəlmanə꞊zə … həč-xa mənné lə́tvalun carmanə. la carmanə ʾə́tvalun la baxčanət yeməš. cullə ʾət-diyyan ⁺ʾaturayə ʾu-ʾarəmnáy꞊da. ʾətva xacma matvatət ʾarəmnayə gu-dəštət ʾUrmi. ʾita b-yuma bnatə ci-yatviva. ⁺baǧvanə c-aviva k̭at ginavə ⁺šulə lá-ʾativa. ṱerə꞊da c-ativa k̭at-⁺ʾanvə ⁺ʾaxlívalun ci-maprəxxívalun. b-lelə꞊da gvank̭ə c-aziva. ʾana gani꞊zə gu xa šita ⁺ʾam gvank̭ə m-⁺uydalə ʾá-⁺šula vidux. ginavə c-ativa dok̭áxvalun ⁺šulə. ʾita sabza ci-lablívala ʾax mərri ⁺ʾal-mdita ci-zabniva. ⁺raba məndyanə, šacar yan xacma məndyanə k̭at gu-matvatə lətva ci-zoniva, mayyiva k̭at-⁺lazəm c-aviva, ⁺parčə, jullə ʾatxa məndyanə. har dé-⁺dana c-avívalun ⁺k̭əṱṱaṱət ⁺ʾarratə. gu-⁺ʾarratə ⁺zarriva ⁺xəṱṱə ⁺zarriva ⁺sarə. ⁺xəṱṱə ⁺sarə b-⁺dana b-⁺k̭eṱa ci-⁺xazdívalun. gu-matvatə ʾətva jarjarə ʾannə ci-lablívalun gu-⁺budratə, b-jarjarə b-k̭ənyanə yan torə yan xmarə ʾannə garšiva xəṱṱə ci-⁺palṱívalun mən-gu-bulət ⁺xəṱṱə. ci-⁺palṱívalun lablívalun ʾə́rxə-ʾətva. gu-ʾərxə ci-taxnívalun c-odívalun k̭amxa k̭at-mayyiva gu-batə laxma yapiva. gu-matvatə ʾətva tanurə tanurə ⁺raba ʾatxa ʾamk̭u gavé laxma ci-yapiva. ʾita ci-mapləxxiva taxta … ⁺dorana mən mazrak̭ ʾō꞊t laxma ci-mattívalə ⁺ʾallu ʾita b-⁺davun ci-maxívalə gu-tanuyra. ci-pāšva xa ⁺ʾarp̂a xamšá dak̭ik̭ə jəns ci-bašəlva. ⁺raba šap̂ira laxma həč ʾax do-laxmət matvatə꞊da ʾaslán hə́č-ducta ʾannə laxxa b-annə ducanə lé-mačxət mən-do-laxma ⁺raba šap̂ira. ⁺raba məndyanə. hi mən-k̭ənyanə, k̭ənyanə꞊zə c-avívalun. masta ʾi-dok̭iva ⁺carra ʾi-dok̭iva ⁺xalva, cul xa-məndi c-avívalun mən k̭ənyanə꞊zə. ʾita gu-dán ⁺ʾarratə šuk̭ mən-xəṱṱə šəptiyyə, bašilə ⁺gurə ⁺gurə mən-dannə yemišə ⁺zarriva. ci-⁺zarriva ʾannə꞊zə yan xa-sama ʾən-⁺raba ʾáviva ci-zabniva xa-zuyza ⁺ʾal-ʾida ci-mayyiva ʾan-xinə c-⁺axlívalun. ⁺raba yalə jilə bnatə jilə c-aziva gu-dannə ⁺bustananə ⁺šulə bəzmara, tanuvvə, bərk̭ada. ʾita cullə batə꞊zə c-avívalun, cul beta k̭əṱṱət ⁺ʾarra꞊da c-avívalə carmanə꞊zə c-avívalə.

ʾita dəštət ʾUrmi xina raba šap̂ə́rtəva. ʾana xa-ctava ʾətli, tre məššənnerət ʾamricayə ʾan č̭əm k̭amayə məššənnerə k̭at tilun gu-dəštət ʾUrmi xá-mənne ʾiva šəmmu Mister Smith, ʾo-xina ʾiva Dwight, ʾannə tre ⁺parsupə tilun, ʾe-⁺dān tilun, ʾé-⁺dana ʾurxatə꞊zə ʾasfalt leva viyyə. ʾurxatə šuseva ʾasfalt leva viyyə ʾita lətva ⁺mašinə꞊zə k̭at b-⁺mašinə našə ʾaziva ʾativa. b-susaváy b-cavədnə b-xmarə c-aziva. ʾannə b-susavaté ʾe-⁺dān ⁺mṱilun ⁺ʾal ⁺lap k̭ark̭əptət ⁺ṱuyra ʾiva xa … ⁺tama ʾə́tvalan xa pass ⁺raba ⁺ramta ci-⁺k̭arívala k̭učiyyə. gaduggət k̭učiyyə ci-⁺k̭arívala. ʾe-⁺dān mṱilun tama mən-⁺tama m-⁺al-susavaté ⁺slilun gušək̭lun ⁺ʾal-dəštət ʾUrmi mən-⁺tama dəštət ʾUrmi ci-mabyənnava ⁺raba šap̂ərta ʾita dəpnət de dəšta꞊da ʾətlan xa-yama yamtət ʾUrmi ci-⁺k̭arila, yamət məlxa. ʾayən xəzyalun gu-ctavé bəctávəna ʾo-ctavu k̭at-ctívuna k̭a board꞊ət diyyé gu-Boston, laxxa gu-ʾAmérica, márəna ʾaxnan gu-⁺raba ⁺ʾatravatət dunyə ⁺xdírəvax ⁺raba dəšyatə xə́zyəvax ⁺raba ducanə xíšəvax ʾalbatta b-našə꞊zə k̭at-tpík̭əna, b-⁺parsupə ʾannə məndyanə꞊da tanúyəna, mara dəšta b-da ⁺šup̂ra ʾaxnan lēx xəzyə həč duca lət dəšta b-da šup̂ra. xa gibo cullə ⁺ṱuyránəna ʾadiyya b-⁺arálləǧət ⁺k̭eṱa cullə ⁺ṱuyranə ⁺ʾulluylé ʾe k̭ark̭əptət ⁺ṱuyra talga ⁺maxvúrələ ʾəltəx dəšta cullə k̭ə́ntəla. ⁺raba šap̂ərta l-á-giba xita mabyúnəla xa-hənna … ⁺ʾabi məlta ʾe yama. ʾaxnan ⁺raba bət-xadax ʾən yavvitun k̭a-diyyan pərsat ⁺ʾijaza yavvítunlan har pešax laxxa mašxəddax gu-dá ducta. bərrə́xšəna ʾalbatta bətfák̭əna b-cma ʾapəsk̭upə k̭at-vayan꞊lə ⁺ʾarp̂a xamšá ʾapəsk̭upə. gu-matvatə ⁺šulə ⁺bəxdárəna biyyé bətpák̭əna ctavə ʾatik̭ə꞊zə k̭at-viyyan꞊lə bərrə́xšəna cullə bəxzayena. matxúrəna ʾica xíšəna, cosə yan ducanə xinə k̭at tpík̭əna b-⁺mar ⁺ʾAvrā́m, ⁺mar Yosəp, ⁺mar ʾIliyya, ⁺mar Yuxannan, ⁺ʾarp̂á-danə ʾapəsk̭upə ʾayya ⁺dana ʾə́tvalan. b-dannə k̭at bətpák̭əna muggurra b-xubba k̭abulena b-do xubbé. gu-ctavé ctívəna. ʾita. dəštət ʾUrmi ʾana bəxšavən xa mən … lela k̭at ʾaxnan ganan víyyəvax gavo gurvə́ssəvax, ⁺raba ⁺pšáməvax k̭at m-ida yuvvo. dəštət ʾUrmi xa ⁺dana vítəla cullanaʾít vítəla ʾət-⁺ʾaturáy. həč məššəlmanə ⁺šulə꞊da lena viyyə ʾaxči ʾe-⁺dān Nɑ̄dər-Šɑ̄́h, xa mən-malcət ⁺ʾIran tilə xa nášəva ⁺raba … ⁺raba fanatik̭aya ⁺raba zoda mən-⁺lazəm mən ⁺crəsyanə xošu le-ʾatyava ⁺ʾaturayət diyyan bəšk̭aleva mən-dəštət ʾUrmi labuleva la-dó-rišət ⁺ʾatra ⁺K̭oč̭an, Mašad, la-dán gibanə mən-⁺tama máyəva ⁺ʾafšariyyə ʾannə ʾaxnan ⁺k̭araxlun ʾadiyya꞊da ⁺hošarə k̭a-cullə dannə ⁺parsupə k̭at gu-dé dəštət ʾUrmi ci-xayyi k̭at məššəlmánəna ci-⁺k̭arax ⁺hošarə, ⁺hošarə yan ʾafšɑ̄rī́. ⁺ʾavun Nɑ̄dər-Šɑ̄́h ʾafšɑ̄́r ʾiva꞊da šəmmu ⁺ʾavun šak̭ə́lvalun mayyívalun ⁺tama ⁺ʾaturayət diyyan šak̭əlva ⁺mabsə́rvalun mən-⁺tama. ʾaxnan xá-⁺dana dəštət ʾUrmi cullə ʾaslán yama … ʾe yama ⁺tama šəmmo ʾilə yamət ʾUrmi ʾÚrmiyya gano, ʾÚrmiyya, yanə ductət miyya k̭ənnət miyya ⁺mabbuvvət miyya ʾa ⁺xabra ⁺xabrət ⁺ʾaturáyələ ʾət-diyyan꞊lə. ʾÚrmiyya.

bətvatə dáxiva? bətvatə sama zoda … gu-matvatə ʾə́tvalan batə prišə clítəva ⁺ʾal-našə mújjurra másalan cma ʾá-ʾiva ⁺casəb yan dolatman. ʾə́tvalan batət tre ⁺ṱla tabak̭ə꞊zə b-carpəc smuk̭ta carpəč k̭ədta muk̭ədta ʾə́tvalan batə ʾina cullanaʾít sama zodət batət mata ci-⁺ṱarsívalun mən … ci-⁺palṱiva ⁺ʾal-vaddar mən-mata cimanə ʾə́tvalan. ci-⁺k̭aṱṱiva cimə, ʾaxnan ci-tanaxlun xina, ci-⁺k̭aṱṱiva cimə ʾēn cimə b-⁺ṱina ci-mayyiva mattiva ⁺ʾal ⁺ʾuydalə ʾatxa mask̭ívalə guyda beta ⁺ṱarsiva biyyé. ʾita xina ⁺ʾulluylé꞊da cullə c-aviva k̭esə, parduvvə, ⁺k̭aryatə. stuyna ci-mattiva. xut dan ⁺k̭aryatə k̭at ʾən-beta ⁺gura ʾaviva garu sətva talga ⁺raba ci-⁺rayyiva. ⁺raba talga ci-⁺rayyiva. sətva ʾana bətxárəvən gani súrənva꞊da babi꞊da sávəva ci-yask̭axva mən-babi m-⁺úydalə cut-yum talga gari ⁺rappáxvalə m-⁺al-garə, cul yuma, cul yuma. ⁺ʾuxča talga ci-⁺rayyiva. ʾadi xina ʾax k̭amta lela garə, ʾax mərri xina, garə … k̭esa ci-mattiva ⁺xlima ʾatxa mən-dá guyda ⁺ʾal-dó guyda. ʾən beta ʾavə ⁺gura xá-dana stuyna꞊da xut ci-maxiva mən-⁺ʾarra hal ⁺tamma k̭at la taləxva. ʾita cma danə mən-⁺davun ʾatxa ci-mattiva. ⁺xarta ʾətva k̭esa sura ʾatxa ci-parmívalun ⁺k̭aṱk̭əṱṱívalun, k̭a-dani ⁺k̭ariva parduvvə. hi k̭a-dani ⁺k̭ariva parduvvə. ʾo-k̭esa ⁺yarixa ⁺k̭arívalə ⁺k̭arita. k̭a-dani ⁺k̭ariva parduvvə. ʾan-k̭esə ci-mattívalun ʾatxa šavyə yan párallel, lišā́n ʾəngləz, ʾatxa m-⁺úydalə ʾazi ʾatxa, ⁺ʾal dani ci-mattiva parduvvə, mən-dá-riša. ⁺ʾal dan parduvvə꞊da ci-mattiva ⁺pavanət ʾilanə brizə, čarpuvvə ci-tanáxvalun ʾaxnan. ci-mattiva ⁺ʾal-dani yan꞊zə hasirə ci-mattiva. ʾita ⁺ʾal-dani dariva ⁺ṱina, ṱina la ⁺raba miyyana. ṱina ci-dariva dašdəššívalə. ⁺xarta꞊zə ci-⁺mač̭rívalə. m-⁺bar ⁺ʾav brə́zvalə, xa gura xina ⁺ṱina ṱarəsva, tuyna꞊da dariva gavu tuyna꞊da dariva gavu, dašdəššívalə ʾatxa jəns ⁺mamṱívalə. mask̭ívalə ⁺ʾal-garə ⁺mač̭rívalə garu biyyu, k̭eṱa c-odívalə ʾa-⁺šula, k̭at barəzva. mən-⁺bár brə́zvalə, xina miyya ʾe-⁺dān ⁺muṱra talga ⁺šulə ⁺rayyiva gu-beta le ⁺saliva.

You have asked me to tell you a few things about agriculture with regard to Muyshava, but what I want to say holds for all our villages that are in the plain of Urmi and the plain of Salamas. We, in the plain of Urmi and Salamas, we had altogether a hundred and thirty three villages, villages that were only (those) of Assyrians. We had some that were mixed with Armenians. I have all their names, yes I have their names here. Now, in these villages agriculture was all the same. It was not different. In villages that belonged to us, every house of every village had a section of a vineyard, vineyard and in his (the householder’s ) vineyard there are grapes, grapes for eating, and so from the grapes they used to produce raisins, and (there were) vegetables. Their livelihood was from there. They used to lay out the vegetables and take them to the town and sell them, then they would buy what they needed, and bring it back. Also from the (produce of) the vineyards they would cook molasses. They used to bring the grapes in water-jugs, they used to press them and then they used to pour the must into cauldrons. They used to light a fire beneath them and cook molasses. They used to dry raisins—she is pointing to me so that I mention raisins. They used to lay out raisins on the slopes (of the rooftops) for the winter. These were food for winter. They used to make preserved grape-clusters, preserved grape-clusters. They used to hang up grapes, exactly as they were fresh (from the vineyards) in cellars—they used to have a cellar—in the dark. They used to hang them up for winter. They used to sit around an oven and used to bring some of those preserved grape-clusters. They used to take them down and serve them to guests and they would eat them. They used to make wine, very good quality wine in jars. This was in all the villages, not just in our village. In all the villages of the plain of Urmi this was the custom. We had some small villages, we had large villages but they all had this custom. Now, other than vineyards they had fields, but (first) I’ll say one other thing, in the vineyards they used to make huts with wood, they used to place four supports like this, a hut, huts, so during the day girls used to sit in the huts so that there would not be any thieves (breaking) into the vineyards and so forth. Around us were Muslims. None of the Muslims had any vineyards. They had no vineyards or fruit orchards. They all belonged to us, the Assyrians and also the Armenians. There were few Armenian villages in the plain of Urmi. So during the day girls would sit (there) they used to be vineyard keepers so that thieves and so forth would not come. Birds too used to come to eat the grapes and they used to drive them away and at night the lads used to go. I myself together with the lads did this task one year. Thieves used to come and we used to catch them and so forth. Now, they used to take the vegetables, as I said, to the town and sell them. They used to buy many things, sugar or things that did not exist in the villages and bring (them) for they were necessary, textiles and clothing, such things. At the same time they used to have fields. In the fields they used to farm wheat, they used to farm barley. They used to harvest wheat and barley at (harvest) time in summer. In the villages there were threshing-machines. They used to take these to the threshing floors, and on the threshing-machines—they used to pull these with cattle, or oxen or asses—they used to extract the wheat from the ears of wheat. They used to extract it (the wheat) and take it to a water-mill, which was (in the village). In the water-mill they used to grind it and make it into flour, in order to take home and bake bread. In the villages there were ovens, ovens, very deep like this, in which they used to bake bread. So they used to use a board, a rolling pin together with a dough-cushion, on which they used to put the bread, then on this they used to place it in the oven. It stayed there for four or five minutes, and baked well. (It was) very fine bread. Nothing like the bread of the villages—nowhere in these places (here) will you find such fine bread. There are many things. Yes, with regard to cattle, they used to have also cattle. They used to produce yoghurt, they used to produce butter, milk, they used to have everything from the cattle. Now, in those fields other than wheat, they used to cultivate watermelons, muskmelons, different types of these fruits. They used to cultivate these or if a proportion (of them) were surplus, they used to sell (them) and earn a bit of money, the others they used to eat. Many young boys and young girls used to go to these orchards and so forth, singing, telling tales and dancing. So all homes used to have (these), every house used to have a piece of land, and used to have vineyards.

Now the plain of Urmi was very beautiful. I have a book (of) two American missionaries, the very first missionaries that came to the plain of Urmi. The name of one of them was Mr. Smith and the other one was Dwight. These two gentlemen came. When they came, at that time the roads had not (yet) been laid with asphalt the roads were surfaced (with sand), they had not (yet) been laid with asphalt. So there were no cars, so that people could come and go in cars, they used to travel by horses, mules and donkeys. When these men arrived with their horses to the very top of the mountain, there we had a very high pass which they used to call K̭učiyyə, they used to call it the K̭učiyyə pass. When they arrived there, they dismounted from their horses and looked at the plain of Urmi. From there the plain of Urmi looked very beautiful. Next to the plain we have a sea. They call it the lake of Urmi, the sea of salt. They saw it and write in their book, the book that they wrote to their board in Boston here in America, they say ‘We have travelled to many countries of the world, we have seen many plains, we have gone to many places’—of course they speak about the people they have met, the people, such things—they say ‘We have not seen a plain of such beauty. Nowhere is there a plain of such beauty. On one side of it it is all mountains, now in the middle of summer all the mountains, upon (each one of) them the mountain peak is white with snow. Below the whole plain is green. On the other side something blue is seen, that is the sea. We would be very happy if you gave us the opportunity, if you gave us permission to stay right here, and preach in this place.’ They, of course, go to meet some bishops that we had, four or five bishops. They go around the villages and so forth and meet them. They also go and see all the old books that we had. They mention where they have gone, Kose, or other places where they have met Mar Abraham, Mar Joseph, Mar Elijah and Mar John—we had four bishops at that time. They have written in their book how they meet them, how warmly they receive them with love. So the plain of Urmi I think it is one (of the most beautiful places). This is not because we ourselves were born and grew up in it. We are very sorry that we have now lost it. The plain of Urmi was at one time completely Assyrian. There were no Muslims there. But at the time when Nadershah, one of the kings of Iran came—he was a very, very fanatic person, he hated the Christians more than was necessary—he took our Assyrians from the plain of Urmi and deported them to the far end of the country, Kochan, Mashhad, to those parts. From there he brought afšars, whom we now call ⁺hošarə—we call all those people that live in the plain of Urmi who are Muslims ⁺hošarə, hošarə means afšari. The last name of Nadershah was also Afšar. He took them and brought them there. He took away our Assyrians and reduced (their numbers) there. At one time the whole of plain of Urmi in fact (was Assyrian). The lake there, its name is the lake of Urmi. Urmiyya itself, Urmiyya means the place of water, the nest of water, the source of water. This word Urmiyya is an Assyrian word. It belongs to our (language).

The majority of the houses … in the villages we had various houses, it depended on the people, for example, how poor he was or how rich. We had houses of two, three storeys with red brick, burnt, baked brick. We had houses—generally, the majority of the houses of a village they used to make them from … They used to go outside the village, (where) we had sods of earth. They used to cut what we called sods, they used to cut sods. They used to bring back the sods with mud and place them on top of each other and in this way they used to build up the wall. They used to build a house with them. Now, on top of them everything was wood. They used to lay laths and beams. They used to lay pillars beneath the beams, if the roof of the house was big. In winter a lot of snow used to fall. A lot of snow used to fall in winter. I myself remember, I was young and my father was old, I used to go up together with my father and every day we had to throw off the snow from the roof, every day, every day, so much snow used to fall. Now it is not like before. The roofs —as I said, the roof, they used to place a piece of wood, thick like this, from this wall to that wall. If the house was big, they used to place also a pillar underneath (coming up) from the ground up to there, so that it would not collapse. So they used to place a few pillars thus. Then there was a small stick. They used to cut them up. They used to chop them into small pieces. They called those laths. Yes they called those laths. They called the long piece of wood a beam. They called those laths. They used to lay those sticks equal like this, so that they fitted together like this. On those they put laths, from this side. On the laths they put dry branches of trees, which we used to call twigs, or they used to place on them (the laths) straw-mats. Then on those they would pour mud, mud that was not very watery. They used to pour the mud and stamp on it. Then they used to smooth it. After it had dried, another type of mud used to be made. They used to put straw in it. They used to put straw in it, they used to stamp it very well and prepare it well. They used to take it up to the roof and smear the roof with it. They used to do this in summer so that it would dry. After it dried, when it rained or snowed and so forth, water would not come down into the house.