personal narratives

Pavelsko 4

27 (b) drùgunu nè e uràtu gà utìdəm’e utàm s’ètn’e pàk

the other half was unplowed. When we managed to get back there,

28 (b) kràvətə mi sə pə ut’èllə pàk z dv’è məgàrtɤ ut’ìdəme də ur’èm

my cow had calved, so we went off to plow with two donkeys

29 (b) səs ə ìməhm’e ìməh təkwòvə nə bràtə ž’enà zəv’èdəh i

We had – I had – my brother’s wife had [one], so I took them out

30 (b) pàk s t’àhnutu məgàr’e i smo i s mòtu də wòd’im də ur’èm

again, their donkey and mine, to go out to plow.

Petŭrnica

5 (a) màjka mi beše vràčkə̥ ut selàta dovàždaa òra tə gi cɛ̀ree

My mother was a seer. People came from [other] villages for her to heal them.

6 (a) dòeše vèčer ednà vèčer si dodòjme ot kɤ̀rɤ̥ sednàjme

Evening came – one evening we got back from the fields and sat down [to eat]

7 (a) i tìa do dodè edìn stàrec i dovèdi dvɛ̀ decà dvɛ̀ momčènca

and there came an old man, leading two children, two boys –

8 (a) ednò pò golɛ̀mo i ednò pò màlko̥ i sednàa

one older and one younger. And they sat down.

9 (a) i màjka mi be si došlà ot kɤ̀rɤ i tò sa mrɤk’ìn’a

My mother had just come from the field, and dusk was falling,

10 (a) i t’à vìka na stàreca dɛ̀do štò si dovè: tɛ̀a dečìca

and she said to the old man, “Grandpa, what did you bring these kids for?”

11 (a) tòj vìka tè dovè: sɤn gi dàj t’à glèaše na bɛ̀jek

And he said, “Well, I brought them. Have a look.” And she looked at the mark.

12 (a) otkɤ̀sneše ednò končènce drɛ̀ška dèto spì

She snipped off a thread from [the child’s] clothing [at a point] where he slept [on it]

13 (a) i tùrne f ədnɤ̀ čàša vudɤ̀ i gl’èda po tàa stàru tә̥kòvu

and dropped it into a glass of water and looked at it in the “old manner”.

14 (a) abe dɛ̀do dàj dàj rèče da ti poglèdna tòj dàde podàde

“Well, Grandpa, give over,” she said, “so I can look at you [too]. And he gave –

15 (a) podàde ednò končè ud nèja i t’à gu spuštì dvà pɤti̥ trì pɤti

he gave over a thread from his [clothing] and she dunked it twice,

16 (a) trì pɤti f čàšə̥tə i vìka prez mlàdi godìni si bì: pastìr

three times in the glass, and said, “In your early years you were a herdsman,

17 (a) ofčàr si pàsɤl òfce sɤs òšte dvuìca tòj vìka

a shepherd. You pastured sheep along with two others.” He said,

18 (a) o̥fčàr bèx vɛ̀rno e pàsox emi katu pàsi tɛ̀a òfce

“That’s right, I was a shepherd. I pastured [them].” “Well, when you pastured these sheep

19 (a) sɤs tòo sɤs tɛ̀a dvuìcata kvò sa nagovaràxte koto fanàxte

with these guys, these two, what did you scheme to do when you stole

20 (a) dvà pràza i gi za zavèdoxte kɤm vàzi i gi zatvòrixte

two rams and took them off on your own and shut them up

21 (a) f ednɤ̀ mazɤ̀ da:bòkḁ i tìa blɛ̀at i tì kɤ̀ kazà

way down in the cellar, and they were bleating. And what did you say?

22 (a) dàjte də i odrɛ̀žem ezìciti da na blɛ̀:t štòto

‘Let’s cut their tongues out’ [you said] ‘so they won’t bleat, because [otherwise]

23 (a) še ni čùat komšìiti̥ vɛ̀rno vɛ̀rno ə napràvimè go tovà

the neighbors will hear us’ “ “That’s right,” [he said]. “That’s right, we did that.”

24 (a) èj koto skočìa onɛ̀a decà koto zakàčia da go šìbat

And then these kids jumped up and started to punch him

25 (a) i t’à mu vìka dɛ̀do šɤ tɤ nakàži priròdata

and she said, “Grandpa, nature will punish you!

26 (a) nèma nakàži tèp mi še nakàži nɛ̀ko eli unùci ili prɛ̀unùci

It won’t punish you [yourself] but another. Either your grandchildren or great-grandchildren

27 (a) da glèdat živa də glèə žìva žàba i t’è koto skočìa

will stare at a live – a live frog.” And when they jumped up –

28 (a) koto zakàčia da go šìbat po glavɤ̀ po rɤcɛ̀

when they jumped up to punch him on the head and arms –

29 (a) i dvɛ̀te nemì ne mòe prikàzvat tòj se fanà za glavɤ̀ta

both of them mute, they couldn’t talk – he grabbed his head

30 (a) i vìka vɛ̀rno dɛ̀do pòmoš ne mòe ti dàm nìšto ut bòga

and said, “That’s right.” “Grandpa, I can’t help you. I can’t give you anything from God.”

31 (a) tìa sə gledàle gledàle sa i netì tovà mòe prodùma

They looked and looked [at him], and neither could the one speak

32 (a) netì onovà i tòj si gi zavède tovà beše

nor the other. So he took them away, and that was the end.

36 (a) i trì čètiri kòn’a ìmame edin kòn’ ždrebèc [cough] gulɛ̀m

And three or four horses. One of the horses we had [was] a big [cough] stallion

37 (a) pḁ às mnògo se raspràvaj sɤs nègu nòsej se na kon’ète

and I had a lot to do with him. I spent time with the horses,

38 (a) pasɛ̀h gi glèdajme gi [cough] na pojànata ni e tàm dèto

I pastured them. We looked after them [cough]. [It was] to our meadow, where

39 (a) igràa orò àz žɤ gu zàveda na vòda go zàveda

they danced the round-dance, [that] I took him to water him. I took him

40 (a) na vòda [cough] a pa tòj potskàča pràvo nagòre sa plàši od mùzikata

to water him [cough], but he jumped straight up in the air – he was frightened by the music.

41 (a) jà sam si vɤrzàla sindžìrɤ səm gu zàvela na rɤkɤ̀tɤ si̥

I had tied my hand to the chain I was leading him by

42 (a) da ne opùšta kòn’a i tìja mi vìkat òrɤtɤ ut stɤrnɤ̀

so the horse wouldn’t get loose. And these folk called out to me from the side

43 (a) ma marìjo ma puštì tòo kòn ma puštì tòo kòn

“Hey Maria, let go of that horse! Hey! Let go of the horse!”

44 (a) às vìkam kà še go pùšta tòj mi e stegnà: rɤkɤ̀tḁ

I said, “How can I let him go? He’s fastened tight to my hand!”

45 (a) pristɤ̀pi edìn čovèk tàm lèko lèko go fanà otkopčà mi rɤkɤ̀ta

A man came up and carefully caught him, and undid my hand

46 (a) puštì kòn’a tòj pobɛ̀gna otidè si baštà mi izlɛ̀zi [cough]

and let the horse go. It ran off, it got away. My father came out, [cough]

47 (a) tòj mu raspràva kəkvò sam napràila tòj vìka bè màma mu

and he (this man) told him what I had done. He said, “Well damn it all!

48 (a) abè puštì go koto skàča kòn’a puštì go še ta prebìe

Let the horse go if it jumps! Let it go! It’ll batter you –

49 (a) še ta povlečè da ta prebìe da ma prebìe ko štè

it’ll drag you along and batter you up.” “Ah, let it batter me, what of it!”

Rakovski

1 (a) enò vr'èm'ə kugàtu zəvɤ̀ršij učɨlɨ̀štetu pedes'ɤ̀t i trìtə

Back then, when I had finished school in ’fifty-three

2 (a) pedes'ɤ̀t i četvɤ̀rtə gudɨ̀nə bème mnògu sirmàški

[or] fifty-four, we were very poor.

3 (a) pručùjme mnògu pərɨ̀ či sə dàvə u sìlu rìsen tɤ̀rnufsku

[When] we heard good money would be paid in the village of Resen near Tǔrnovo,

4 (a) trɤ̀gnajmi səz bəštà mɨ sɤs sestrà mɨ utɨ̀dəjme tàm

we set out [for there together] with my father and my sister. We went there

5 (a) də ràbutime òpšta ràbota u tèkezes'ɤ̀tu də berìm pəmùk

general labor work in the collective farm – to pick cotton,

6 (a) də berìm bàmjə da b'èlim kučèn'a na drùgijə d'ɤ̀n dujdì

to pick okra, to shuck corn, [etc.] The next day [there] came

7 (a) edɨ̀n čuv'èk rəzbràl če ìma ù:rə ut sìlu

a man [who] appeared to have heard there were people from the village

8 (a) generàl.nikulàevu plòwd'usku i dudì prɨ nàm

General Nikolaevo village, near Plovdiv. So he came to see us,

9 (a) pòčnə də mə rəspɨ̀tvə ut kəd'è sm'ɤ kəkvɨ̀ sm'ə

and began to interrogate me: where we’re from, what sort [of people] we are.

10 (a) nìe gu prièjme guštàvəjme gu čèrpijme gu səs tàm səs ɨ̀no

We received him, entertained him, treated him to wine

11 (a) kəkùtu ìməši mɨ̀nəxə dvà trɨ̀ d'ɤ̀nə pàk dojdı̀ də gl'ɤ̀də

such as we had. Two or three days went by [and then] he came again to see

12 (a) kəkvò pràime s'ɤ̀dnəjme nə sinìjətə tàm də jədìm nə màsətə

what we are doing. We sat down at the table to eat

13 (a) i tòj vɨ̀kə slùšəjte kəkò žə vi kàža az mɨ̀slej

and he said, “Listen, I don’t know how to say this [but] I thought

14 (a) če vɨ̀e kətulɨ̀ci̥te ste slùšəl səm zə vàs če jədìte

that you Catholics were… I’ve heard about you, [I’ve heard] that you eat

15 (a) žɨ̀vi ù:rə zəštòtu ste jədèli tàm kuštanùgite

people alive, because [it’s known] you’ve been eating turtles there.”

16 (a) i nìa sə učùdijme kətu z'ɤ̀ də rəs rəskàzvə tɤ̀j zə nàm

And we were astounded when he just upped and said such things about us.

17 (a) učùdijme sə vɨ̀kəme kɤ̀k mòže də jədìm žɨ̀vi ùrə

We were amazed, and said “How can [you think] that we eat people alive?

18 (a) e stàvə trɨ̀ če̥tɨ̀rɨ d'ɤ̀nə sɨ prɨ nàm zəbelèžvəš

It’s been three or four days that you’ve been with us, and you’ve see

19 (a) kəkvò pràim kak ràbutime kàk sɤ punàs'əme səs ù:rɤtə

what we do, how we work, how we behave with folk.”

20 (a) i vɨ̀kə tìj kuètu sə prɨkàzvə znàči nè e ɨ̀stɨ̥nɤ

And he said, “[Yes,] what they say [about you], well, it isn’t true.”

21 (a) nə drùgijə d'ɤ̀n pàk dudì zəvàri nɨ nə blòkə tàm

The next day he came again, and found us out there in the field

22 (a) če berìm pəmùk az bèj nàj mɤ̀nenkətə nu berèj

where we were picking cotton. I was the smallest, but I [was the one who] picked

23 (a) nàj mnògu kilugràmɨ vɨ̀kə be tɨ̀ kəkvà si mɤ̀ničkə

the most kilos [of cotton]. He said, “Well look at you, you’re as tiny

24 (a) kətu fəstɤ̀čə ə pək nàj mnògu kilugràmɨ berìš

as a peanut and yet you pick the most kilos [of cotton].

25 (a) nə kòlku sɨ gudɨ̀nɨ àz zèj də mu kàzvəm če

How old are you?” And I upped and said to him that

26 (a) ùs'em d'əcà sme nə màjkə i nə tèjkə sɨruməšìjə nemutìjə

there were eight of us children, mother and father, very poor and with no property,

27 (a) dukàrə mə vr'èmetu čèk tùkə də dòdeme də ràbutime

and that times [like these] drove us to come all the way here to work.

28 (a) nəm'èrime ub'èžist'ə tùkənə dubrɨ̀ ù:ra ràbutime tùkə segà

We found a safe haven here, good people, and we work here now.

29 (a) mɨ̀slɨm zə nəpr'èt pàk də təkòs pàk da dòdime

We’re thinking that in the future we [might] come again this way

30 (a) əku mə izvìkət əmə əku mə ɤrìsət tòj vɨ̀kə

if they invite me, if they like me. And he said,

31 (a) à hərèsvət vɨ òrətə zəštùtu ràbutite trùdite se

“Oh yes people like you, because you work, you work really hard.”

35 (a) às səm rudìnə il'àdə dìv'ətstòtin i trɨ̀set i òsmə gudɨ̀nə

I was born in nineteen thirty-eight

36 (a) vəv b'èdnu semèjstvu òs'əm d'əcà sme às səm s'èdməta

into a poor family. We were eight children: I was the seventh

37 (a) užìnij sə zə ednò sɨrmàšku mòmčə pedesèt i dev'ɤ̀tə gudɨ̀nə

I married a poor boy in [nineteen] fifty-nine.

38 (a) zəvàrih gu sàmu səz bəštà mu màjkə mu pučɨ̀nələ

[When] I met him he only had a father, his mother had died.

39 (a) səs trɨ̀ zɤ̀lvɨ i edɨ̀n dìver deverɤ̀t m bèše užìnən

[He lived] with three sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law [who] was married

40 (a) zə mujà sestrà àz zə nèguvijət bràt stànəjme dvè sestrɨ̀

to my sister, [and] I to his brother. [So] we ended up as [both] two sisters,

41 (a) dv'è etɤ̀rvɨ rəzbɨ̀rəjme sə živèejmi zàednu trɨ̀ čètrɨ gudɨ̀nɨ

[and] two sisters-in-law. We got on well, we lived together three or four years.

42 (a) nɤ p'ɤ̀tətə gudɨ̀nə s'èki sə nəm'èr'ɨ svòjə pɤ̀t

In the fifth year each of us went our own way.

43 (a) sestrà mi sɨ kùpɨ dù:r nəpràvi sɨ kɤ̀štə

My sister bought herself a plot of land and built a house,

44 (a) nɨ̀e si ustànɤjme u stàrijə dù:r səs svekərɤ̀t

[but] we stayed in the old homestead with my father-in-law.

45 (a) užìnijmi zɤ̀lvit'e zədum'à sə i tìjə

We found husbands for my sisters-in-law; they each set up their own households.,

46 (a) dubr'è živèem'ə ìməm sɨ dvàma sɨnə

We lived well. I have two sons.

Repljana 1

2 (VZh) išlà li si tùkə po

did you go out here around –

3 (a) išlà səm išlà səm sɤs govèda z volòve ìmašemo

Oh, I did, I did! I went out with the cows, and we also had oxen.

4 (a) pa me ubòde edɤ̀n jà gi pasèm pa do livàdutu

And one gored me. I was taking them to pasture, out to the meadow,

5 (a) ta da se napasè òn kìmnu vàrdi se od mùe

to graze, and he gave a shake to ward off the flies.

6 (a) kìmnu i jà òp ta na rodzìte mu se ukačì

He gave a shake and whoops! There I was up on his horns!

7 (a) jà sɤm detè

[And] I was [just] a child.

8 (VZh) tòj s òpašɤt li kìmnu

Gave a shake [how]? With his tail?

9 (a) detè nè s ròdzi ròdzi è ròdzi mu tekà bèuše

A child! No, with his horns, his horns. Eh! His horns were this [big]!

10 (a) jà sɤm detè učenìčka è sɤs ə ɤm komšìk'a ni bèše

I was a child, a schoolgirl, and this neighbor of ours was there too,

11 (a) pak vamìlija smo bèomo dvème decà è tòlki smo

we were family, in fact. [There] were two of us, [just] kids, just this big.

12 (a) pa me vànu vòlɤt ta me prenèse jà ne smèem

And the ox took me up and carried me across – I didn't dare

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personal narratives

Pavelsko 4

Petŭrnica

Rakovski

Repljana 1

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personal narratives

Pavelsko 4

Petŭrnica

Rakovski

Repljana 1

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