A2 Women are Stronger than Men

Yulia Davudi of ⁺Hassar ⁺Baba-čanga in Sydney, Australia

ʾətva xa-dana-malca. ʾətva xa-dana-malca ʾu-yuvvəllə ⁺xabra k̭a-vazzər. mərrə ʾana lé-⁺bayyən həč xa ⁺šra ʾoya gu-mata, gu-mdita. ⁺bayyən ⁺palṱən, ⁺bayyən ⁺palṱən xazzən ⁺ʾatri mu꞊ilə, xazzən ʾatri mu꞊ilə. vazzər ⁺pláṱələ ⁺jār bədráyələ, ⁺jār. ʾé-⁺danta telefonə melefonə lətva. ʾatxa ⁺jār bədráyələ. hamzúmələ mara k̭at həč xa ⁺šra lá-layya gu-bətvatə. malca ⁺byayələ ⁺paləṱ ⁺xadər cut ⁺šra tapə́ ʾət-jarima. ⁺xabra yávələ b-lelə vazzər mən-malca ⁺pláṱəna b-ricavə bərrə́xšəna ⁺bəxdárəna xazzə mu-ʾət mu ləttən. bəxzáyələ mən-rək̭k̭a ʾina xá-dana ⁺šra vela bəllaya gu-xa-beta. mara vazzər ʾana k̭atux mírənva ʾa-mú꞊ila ⁺šra bəllá tamma? mərrə malca ʾavət basima, ʾana mirən ʾita ʾana lḗn-⁺bədda ʾayya mu꞊ila balcət lena ⁺šəmyə. ʾazax xazax. bərrə́xšələ ⁺varəl ⁺tama gaššúk̭ələ ʾina xá-dana baxta mən təryəssár ʾurzə. hamzúməna, tanúyəna, gə́xcəna, ⁺bixáləna, bəštáyəna. ⁺bak̭úrəna, mara ⁺maxleta ʾaxnan tilan gu-dá ⁺ʾatra k̭aribáyəvax lēx ⁺bəddá həč məndi. xzilan ʾaxči xa-⁺šrá laxxa bəlláyəla. ⁺bayyax ⁺yaṱṱax ʾaxnan ʾícəvax, ʾica c-⁺amsax xazzax xa-ga mácxaxən. ʾaxči xa-⁺šra bəlláyəla. ⁺xarta ⁺bak̭úrəna, bətyávəna ⁺tama čay bəštá ⁺šulə, ⁺bak̭úrəna k̭at ⁺gōr dá-baxta ʾícələ. mara ⁺gōr dá-baxta xəšlə k̭aribuyta. mara bas-ʾannə mu꞊ina laxxa, ʾannə ʾurzə ⁺šulə? mara ʾannə ⁺xuyravátuna. malca ⁺raba ⁺narahat váyələ. k̭a-vazzər márələ k̭u-⁺yarmax. ⁺yarmax, yanə ʾazax. bək̭yáməna bitáyəna. k̭a-vazzər márələ, malca k̭a-vazzər márələ matti ⁺ʾalamat ⁺ʾal-dá-beta. k̭édamta jaldə ʾana ⁺byayən ʾa-baxta xazənna. matti ⁺ʾalamat. vazzər mattúyələ ʾalamat. k̭édamta bərrəxšəl vazzər ⁺bar-da-baxta. gaššúk̭ələ ʾina cullə ʾo-⁺xyavand ʾo nišánk̭ələ. ʾina lelə ⁺bəddá ʾə́mneva. bitáyələ k̭a-malca márələ malca muyyalux? mara la malca ṱ-avət basima. ʾana xəšli k̭édamta xzili ʾina cullə ʾo-⁺xyavand ʾo nišank̭ət ʾana muttun ⁺ʾav꞊da vēl-⁺tamma. lá-⁺dili ʾəm-bétələ. malca ⁺raba ⁺narahat váyələ. mara vazzər ʾana p̂ṱ-azən k̭a-xa-yarxa. hal ⁺derən ʾatən cōc nək̭va la-šok̭ət. cocət nək̭va cullə dok̭ət, k̭amta baxtət diyyi, ⁺xarta baxtət diyyux, tavəryatə, ⁺k̭aṱunyatə, calbə, cu-mət ʾəttə nək̭va p-šak̭ləttə m-pāt ⁺ʾarra. vazzər mara malca ṱ-avət basima ʾa-dáx ⁺šuləl?! ʾa-dáx c-⁺amsən ʾana-ʾá-⁺šula ʾodənnə?! mara ʾana k̭ax marən, ʾən-lá, k̭dalux maxənnə. ʾaxči gu-⁺ʾatrət diyyi ʾaha məndi ʾavə ʾana le k̭ablənnə. malca bərrə́xšələ. k̭a-xa-yarxa bərrə́xšələ. dastur yavəl k̭a-vazzər k̭at … ʾa-⁺šula ʾavədlə. bitayəl ʾa-vazzər ⁺raba ⁺narahat, la ⁺bixala la bəštaya. ʾa-vazzər ʾətvalə xa-dana baba. babət daha ʾiva vazzər k̭a-babət malca k̭amta. ʾina ⁺ʾuxča sívəva múttuva gu-xá … ⁺k̭ərṱala gu-ctana k̭at lá-⁺ʾajjəzva ⁺paǧru. ⁺raba sívəva ʾina ʾiva vazzirət babət malca. mara bruni mu-ʾət ⁺xabra? k̭am xá-ʾaxča ⁺narahat꞊ivət? lēt ⁺bixala, lēt bəštaya, ʾaslan dūt šuxləppa. ʾa mu꞊ilə viyya? mara ⁺rappi babi la ⁺bak̭ər la ⁺bak̭ər. bərrəxšəl bitáyələ bəlɑ̄xará mara ʾax bruni ʾana꞊da babux꞊vən. ʾa-cúl dax-ṱ-oya ʾana xač̭č̭a búš-zoda mənnux xiyyən. tánili balcət ⁺hayyərrənnux. mara babi mən-ʾálaha lela ⁺ṱšita, mənnux mut ⁺ṱšítəla? ʾatxa vila k̭əssat. malca꞊da yuvvəl dastur k̭at-cullə panənnun baxtət gani꞊zə, bax-malca꞊da cullə nək̭və mən-pā́t ⁺ʾarra šak̭lənnun. mara bruni hal dé-⁺danta ⁺raba ⁺dánəla. ʾe-⁺dān malca tilə k̭ati tani ⁺danu ⁺ʾəsrá yumanə m-k̭am ⁺dana k̭ay-tani. bitáyəla ⁺dana k̭at-malca ⁺bayyə ʾatə. mara babi ʾadi ⁺dān tétula. mu-⁺bayyət ⁺k̭aṱəlli? riši parəmlə? mara ʾatən ⁺xabra hal-k̭a-cullə ⁺ʾatra k̭at-cullə nək̭və ʾō꞊t-ʾətlə jullə šap̂irə šak̭əllun ʾō꞊t-lətlə꞊da zavən, tavəryatu zabənnun, cut-ʾətlə zabənnə šak̭əl ʾaxči jullə šap̂irə ⁺paləṱ k̭am-malca. ʾay babi ʾavən ⁺xlapux ʾa-mút ⁺šúlələ? malca gu-⁺mṱetu rīš-diyyi maxilə. mərrə ʾatən ʾa-⁺šula vudlə lá-ʾavilux šula. bitáyəna ⁺jār bədráyələ vazzər k̭at-cullə baxtatə loši lvəšta šap̂ərta. ⁺danət málca-da k̭arbúnəla. ʾadiyya ʾannə nək̭və cullə ⁺hazər váyəna mən-yāl-surə nək̭və hal ⁺gurə. ⁺pláṱəna k̭am-malca. malca mara ʾo-bēt-babux ⁺šayyənnə ʾa-mú vídələ? la ʾadiyya k̭a-diyyi꞊da ⁺k̭aṱəl? ʾa dulə cullə nək̭və xumyé ʾurzə ⁺k̭ṱilelə. ʾana mírənva k̭atu baxtatə ⁺k̭aṱəllun ʾa dūl ʾurzə ⁺k̭ṱilé ʾu-ʾadi gu-⁺mṱeti k̭ay-da p̂-⁺k̭aṱəl ʾa-mút ⁺k̭əṱma dəryəl b-rišu. bitáyələ mara vazzər ʾa-mút ⁺šula vídəvət? mara malca ṱ-avət basima. ʾana ʾətli xa-baba. ⁺raba b-šə́nnələ. víyyəva vazzər k̭a-bāb-diyyux. ⁺ʾavun ⁺ṱlibəl mənnux ʾaxči ⁺ʾəsrá dak̭ik̭ə mənnux hamzəm. ʾita ʾe-⁺dān-maxət rišət cullə mxilə. mərrə xuš-melə cəsli. bəšk̭áləna biyya b-do sala babət … vazzər labúluna cəs-malca. mara mú-ʾətlux tanət k̭ati? mərrə malca ṱ-avət basima ʾana ʾīnva vazzirət babət diyyux. vazzirət babət diyyux꞊īnva. sepi maxə́nvala ⁺ʾal-cipa ⁺č̭ambərrə́nvalə. ʾana ʾatxa nášənva. ʾita ʾudyu yuma ʾana-sivən. ʾətli tre ⁺xabrə k̭atux tanən. ʾita ⁺xarta k̭amtət cullə rīš-diyyi mxilə. mara ⁺raba ⁺spay hamzəm! mara ʾana gu-beti tívənva ʾe-⁺dantət ʾīnva jvank̭a, ⁺tarri mxilun. ⁺tarri mxilun, ⁺tuk̭tək̭lun ʾu-⁺pləṱli, ʾaxči ⁺šmili mara ta-jaldə ʾətli ʾəhtiyɑ̄́j ⁺ʾallux. ⁺bayyən ⁺maṱət ⁺ʾalli. hal꞊ət xəšli ⁺baru mara tulək̭lə. ⁺dərri tili. ʾó-yuma xina mədrə ʾó-məndi vilə. ⁺tuk̭tək̭lə ⁺tarra mara hal k̭əmli mədrə təvli ⁺ʾal-suysi julli lvišeli xəšlə. yumət ⁺ṱla mara ʾana julli lvišeli, təvli ⁺ʾal-suysə ⁺hazər, sepi꞊da p̂-idi. ʾe-⁺dana ⁺raba críbənva mərri ʾadi bət-⁺k̭aṱlənnə. săbab ʾá-sepət diyyi ʾicət maxənva c-odə́nvalə tre. lə́tvali ⁺zduta mən-hə́č naša. mara tívənva ⁺hazər ⁺bar ⁺tarra. ⁺ṱak̭ gu-vatta ⁺tarra ptəxli ⁺bar-daha. mara ʾaha bərrəxša ʾana ⁺baru ʾax-tənna mara, ⁺ʾamsənva ⁺maṱə́nvalə. mara sepi grəšli, ptəllə k̭a-diyyi mərrə lela ⁺dān šuxí. ta ⁺bari. bərrəxšəx xəšli mara xina ⁺paǧri rgədlə mara xəšli ⁺mṱili xut xa-⁺ṱuyra. k̭ati mərrə ʾat cli laxxa xut-⁺ṱuyra. ʾən k̭āl-gəxca ⁺šmilux xuš. xina lətli ʾəhtiyɑ̄́j ⁺ʾallux. ʾən k̭āl-bəxya ⁺šmilux, cli. mara malca ṱ-avət basima, ʾana clili ⁺tama. ʾa sək̭lə mən-səmmalta səmmalta ⁺bəddayət mu꞊ila? səmmalta hi, səmmalta. sək̭lə ⁺ʾullul ⁺ʾal-⁺ṱuyra. mara xzili k̭alət bəxya tilə sp̂ərri clili. mara xzili ⁺slilə tilə təvlə ⁺ʾal-suysə k̭ama k̭am-diyyi ⁺mṱilan xa-ducta k̭ati mərrə ʾatən k̭a-diyyi bət-⁺k̭aṱlət. mara ʾiman šk̭əllə jullu šulxelə xzili nə́k̭vəla. malca ṱ-avət basima, mara cullə ⁺paǧri rgədlə. cullə ⁺paǧri rgədlə. nək̭va šk̭ə́ltuva rišət ⁺goro. ⁺haramiyyə, ⁺haramiyyə lúbluva ⁺goro ⁺báyyiva ⁺k̭aṱlívalə k̭ati ⁺bəṱlabəva comac ʾazənva ⁺ʾallu ʾina ʾana dərrang ⁺mṱili. rišət ⁺goro gu-xpák̭ova. k̭ati mərra garə ⁺k̭aṱlət k̭ati mattət laxxa gu-⁺k̭ora cəs-⁺gori ⁺ṱamrətli ʾita ʾazət. mara mərri ʾana la-⁺msən ʾa-⁺šula ʾodənnə. la-⁺msən ʾa-⁺šula ʾodənnə. mara malca ṱ-avət basima, sepa muttila ʾatxa gano məxyala ⁺ʾallu. k̭ōl šk̭əlla mənni k̭at ⁺ṱamrənna. sepa muttila ʾatxa ⁺gora šk̭əlla gu-⁺sadro gano ⁺ruppala ⁺ʾal-sepa ʾu-prək̭la. ʾana ⁺ṱumrali ʾe-baxta. ʾu-sepi mxili b-cullə xeli ⁺tama, k̭ōl yuvvəlli k̭ato k̭at nək̭va mən-ʾurza buš-xelántəla. ʾadiyya ʾana ʾa-⁺xabri k̭ax tanuyun ʾadiyya cepux꞊la ʾadi nək̭va pármətla ʾurza parmətlə mu ⁺bayyət ʾodət. k̭əmlə malca nšək̭lə gu-k̭əssu mərrə ʾana ⁺puxlən cullə məndi. ⁺bəṱṱanən məntux k̭at ʾá-məndi k̭ay tunilux. basima ⁺raba k̭at ʾatən꞊da ⁺šəmyalux.

There was once a king. There was once a king. He gave an order to the vizier. He said ‘I do not want any lantern to be in the village, in the town. I want to go out, I want to go out and see how my land is, see how my land is.’ The vizier goes out and makes an announcement, an announcement. At that time there were no telephones or the like. So, he makes an announcement. He speaks saying ‘No lantern should be lit in the houses. The king wants to go out and tour around. If anybody lights a lantern, there will be a fine.’ He gives an order and at night the vizier and the king go out, they go with horsemen, touring around, so he (the king) could see what is happening. He sees from afar a lantern burning in a house. He (the king) says ‘Vizier, I told you, what is that lantern burning there?’ He said ‘King, be well, I have said (what you ordered me to say) and so I do not know what that is. Perhaps they have not heard. Let us go and see.’ He goes and enters there. He sees a woman with twelve men. They are speaking, telling stories, laughing, eating, drinking. They ask saying ‘Pardon, we have (just) come to this land. We are foreigners. We do not know anything. We saw only one lantern burning here. We want to know where we are, where we can find (somewhere to stay). Only one lantern is burning. Then they ask—they sit and drink tea and so forth—they ask where the husband of the woman is. They say ‘The husband of this woman has gone to foreign lands.’ They say ‘But what are these here, these men and so forth?’ They say ‘These are his friends.’ The king becomes very upset. He says to the vizier ‘Let’s get up and be off,’ that is ‘Let’s go.’ They get up and come back. He says to the vizier, the king says to the vizier ‘Put a sign on this house.’ Early tomorrow morning I want to see this woman. Put a sign (on it).’ The vizier puts a sign (on it). In the morning the vizier goes looking for the woman. He looks and sees that the whole street is (marked with) the same sign, but he does not know which one it was. He comes to the king. The king says ‘Have you brought her?’ He says ‘No, king, be well. I went in the morning and saw that the same sign that I had placed was in the entire street. I did not know which was the house.’ The king becomes very upset. He says ‘Vizier, I shall go away for a month. Before I return and come back, do not leave female kind (alive). Seize all female kind, first my wife, then your wife, cows, cats, dogs, whatever has female kind you must take away from the face of the earth.’ The vizier says ‘King, be well, what kind of task is that?! How can I perform this task?!’ (The king responds) ‘I am telling you, if not, I shall cut off your head. I will not permit this thing to exist in my country!’ The king goes away. He goes away for a month. He gives a command to the vizier to perform this task. The vizier comes back (home) very upset, he does not eat or drink. This vizier had a father. His father was formerly vizier to the father of the king. But he was so aged that they had placed him in a basket, in cotton, so that his body is not harmed. He was very old, but he used to be the vizier to the father of the king. He says ‘My son, what news is there? Why are you so upset? You are not eating, you are not drinking, you have completely changed. What has happened?’ He says ‘Drop it, father, do not ask, do not ask.’ He goes and comes back, and in the end (his father) says ‘But my son, I am your father. Whatever the case may be, I have lived a little more than you. Tell me, perhaps I can help you.’ He says ‘Father, it is not hidden from God, how can it be hidden from you? This is what has happened. The king has given a command that I should eradicate everybody, even my own wife, also the wife of the king, that I should remove from the face of the earth all females.’ He says ‘My son, there is a lot of time until then. When the king has comes back, tell me when, tell me ten days beforehand.’ The time comes when the king intends to come home. He says ‘Father, now is the time of his coming home. Do you want him to kill me, to cut off my head?’ He says ‘Give an order to all the land that all women—whoever has fine clothes should take them, whoever does not have any should buy them, should sell his cows, should sell everything he has, and take fine clothes and come out before the king.’ ‘Oh father, with respect, what kind of task is that? When the king arrives he will cut off my head.’ He said ‘Do that task and you will have no problem.’ They come and the vizier makes an announcement that all women should wear fine clothing. The time of the (return of the) king is getting close. Now the women are all ready, from young girls to older women. They go out before the king. The king says ‘I shall blot out the house of your father. What has he (he vizier) done? Will he now not kill also me? He has preserved all the women and killed the men. I had said to him that he should kill the women, but he has killed the men. Now, when I arrive, he will kill me also. What a shameful thing he has done!’ He comes and says ‘Vizier, what have you done?’ He says ‘King, be well, I have a father. He is very aged. He was vizier to your father. He has requested to speak with you just for ten minutes. Then cut off everybody’s head, if you want to do so.’ He said ‘Go and bring him to me.’ They take the father of the vizier together with that basket, they take him to the king. He says ‘What have you to tell me?’ He says ‘King, be well, I was the vizier of your father. I was the vizier of your father. I used to strike my sword on a stone and split it. I was such a man and now today I have become old. I have a couple of things to tell you. Then cut off my head before all others.’ He says ‘Very well, speak!’ He says ‘I was sitting in my house, when I was young, and somebody banged on the door. Somebody banged on the door, somebody knocked, and I went out. I only heard somebody saying ‘Come quickly, I need you (to do something for me). I want you to come to me.’ Before I got to him, he disappeared. I returned home. The next day the same thing happened. He knocked on the door. By the time I got up and sat on my horse and put on my clothes, he went. On the third day I put on my clothes, sat ready on the horse, my sword in my hand. At that time I was very angry and said ‘Now I shall kill him,’ since wherever I struck my sword I cut (the victim) in two. I had no fear of anybody. I was sitting ready behind the door. When there was a knock, I opened the door after him. He went off and I was behind him (as fast) as smoke, and I could have reached him. I drew my sword and he turned round to me and said “It is not a time for joking. Come after me.” We go. I went.’ He says ‘My body trembled. I went and arrived under a mountain. He said to me “You stay here under the mountain. If you hear the sound of laughter, go. I do not have need of you. If you hear the sound of weeping, wait.”’ He says ‘King, be well, I waited there. He went up by a ladder—you know what a ladder is?—yes a ladder. He went up into the mountain.’ He says ‘I saw that the sound of weeping came, I waited.’ He says ‘I saw that he came down and sat on the horse in front of me. We arrived at a place. He said to me “You will kill me.”’ He says ‘When he took off his clothes, I saw that it was a woman.’ ‘King, be well,’ he says ‘all my body trembled. All my body trembled. She was holding the head of her husband. Brigands had taken her husband and wanted to kill him. She had been seeking me in order to go and help him. But I arrived late. The head of her husband was in her arms. She said “You must kill me and put me here in the grave with my husband, bury me, then go.”’ He says ‘I said “I cannot do this task. I cannot do this task.”’ He says ‘King, be well, she put the sword like this and thrust herself upon it. She made me promise that I would bury her. She took the sword like this, she held her husband to her breast and threw herself onto the sword, and met her end. I buried the woman. I struck my sword with all my might there and made a promise to her (to make known) that a woman is stronger than a man. Now I am telling you this. Now it is up to you if you want to slaughter women or slaughter men, whatever you want to do.’ The king got up and kissed him on his forehead. He said ‘I have forgiven everything. I am grateful to you that you have told me this.’ Thank you for listening to this.