personal narratives

Bosnek 1

129 (a) kòlko pɤ̀ti tàm ni snimàa i nèma značènie kakvò i da bilò
many times. They took our photos there, no matter for what reason,

130 (a) ìmam òšte vèstnici da ti gi pokàža kakvà snìmka ìmam
I still have the newspapers and can show you the photo I have.

131 (a) nèma da kàžeš deka sɤm jà bilà takà i idòme pa
You wouldn’t know that it was me! And we went again

132 (a) u koprìvštica tàm ni aresàa za u xolàndija ta idòme
to Koprivshtitsa. The [Dutch] liked us there, and we went to Holland.

133 (a) i u xolàndija kato ìdexme ne ìm aresàx živòto im ne aresàx
But when we went to Holland I didn’t like their – I didn’t like their life.

134 (a) mnògo vodà da ìdex u dèckata gradìna decàta im žɤ̀lti kato
Too much water! We went to a kindergarten, their children are yellow like –

135 (a) ne mòg da ti gi kàžem ispìeni decà nè kato nàšte
I can’t describe them to you Washed out children, not like ours,

136 (a) da sà ùbavi decà nè nèma ùbavi decà a jà im kàžex
[who] are beautiful children. No, no beautiful children [there]. I told them

137 (a) ìmaše ednà prevɤr ja im kazùex ùoči ne vì xarèsvam živòto̥
there was a – I told them straight to their faces, “I don’t like your life.”

138 (a) u vòda živèja tì ne išlà li si tàm da vìiš kakvò e
They live in water. Have you gone there to see what it’s like?

139 (a) kɤ̀štiti sa im u vodà ne sì odìla na vètrenata vodenìca
Their houses are in the water. You haven’t gone. At a windmill

140 (a) ta stòexme ta vìkax na ženìte à da zèmeme pèsag
[where] we were standing I said to the women, “Let’s take some sand

141 (a) da si izmàžem kɤ̀štata ìdexme po cèla nòš
so I can plaster my house! We were out аll night long.

142 (a) e što bèše ùbavo vèselo bèše da znàeš
Ah, it was nice. It was happy, you know?

Bosnek 3

67 (a) i kazàx na ta se karàx pa i na kmèto
And I said – I had an argument with the village mayor.

68 (a) rèko kmète ma jà idì so po drùgite sèla da vìdite
I said, “Hey mayor – go around other villages, and you’ll see

69 (a) nàšite gròbišta sa nàj lòši zaštò ama ìmaž dvàma rabòtnici
[that] our graveyards are the worst [maintained]. Why? You’ve got two workers.

70 (a) što tì rabòta tìja rabòtnici tùka da pùši i da pijà
What do these workers do for you here, [other than] smoke and drink?”

71 (a) ama ne pijà abe takà e dùmata jà rèko slùšaj da ti kàžem
“They don’t drink,” [he said]. “Well, that’s the talk,” I said. “Listen up!

72 (a) jà gi èbni jà segà ìde zadùšnicḁ jà neka ìda ta iščìstat
Give them a push! All Souls Day is coming, they’d better go and clean things up!”

73 (a) ta kato išlì da iščìstat nàšio gròp nàj ùbavo iščistìli go
And they went there to clean, and our grave got cleaned the best.

74 (a) vèrni go no go iščistìli pa ni ukradnà nìe go zagradìme
It’s true that they cleaned it, but they also robbed us. We had barricaded it off

75 (a) sɤs ə pɤ̀sno sɤs takàva ogràda go zagradìme̥ mòl’a ti se
with [unclear] we made a kind of fence around it. And would you believe it,

76 (a) da ni otkàča: vratèto da go ukràdna zaštò pìtam se za kakvò
they just detached the little gate and stole it. Why, I wonder – what for?

Brŭšljan 2

6 (b) ìməhmə edìn bìvul vɨ̀nəgi nɨ beše stràh də ìdeme pri n'è̝gu
We used to have one water buffalo, and we were always afraid to go near it.

7 (b) budèš'e əmə təkà də budèš'e č'e jedɨ̀n də ìd'e
It used to butt, it used to butt so much that if one were to go [near]

8 (b) də gu č'èš'e pəg drùk də mu vərzè̝ rugi rugàtə
to groom it, another [had] to go tie its horn.

Černovrŭx

61 (GK) ne gù pràat v dvòrovete f kɤ̀štata
They don’t do it in the yards of houses,

62 (GK) f kɤ̀štata da bɤ̀de svàdbata
so as to have the wedding at home?

63 (a) kujàtu kɤ̀štə pril'àgə mòži nàštə às nìj sm'e d'ès'ət dùši
You can in a house that’s appropriate. Our [family] – I – there are ten of us

65 (a) às səm nàj màlək àj nìj sm'e bèdni t'à b'èše ùžəs
and I am the youngest. Ah, we were poor. The [whole thing] was horrible.

66 (a) dušlè bugàti xòrə dušlè pretpriemàči bəštà mi sə srəmùvə
Rich people came, business people came, my father was ashamed

67 (a) i vìždəš kɤ̀štətə kàk i kàktu i də è
and you see what the house is like. Well, it is as it is.

Drabišna 1

9 (a) ò bùbt'e t'è sə gl'èdət jà tùkə udzàt' bəhč'ɤ̀tə ìməh
Oh, the silkworms, [how] you look after them. I had a garden here in back,

10 (a) zàt kɤ̀štətə c'àlə bəhč'ɤ̀ èj tàm ìmə bəščɤ̀ èj tàm
behind the house, an entire garden. There was a garden over there [by]

11 (a) vujnìcte d'àt nəpràhə kəzàrmə tvà b'àš'e bəhc'ɤ̀
where the soldiers built the barracks, that was a garden.

12 (a) r'àž'eh lìste nòsim lìste nà kətò nòseh lìste pànnə mi
I'd cut up leaves and carry them. I was carrying leaves, and it fell on me

13 (a) èj tàm gòr'e tà edìnə kràk si sč'ùpih tə kətu nòseh lìste̥te̥
up there, and I broke my leg while I was carrying the leaves.

14 (a) s'etne dòəhə mə z'èhə s lin'èjkətə nə bòlnicətə
Then they came and took me in an ambulance to the hospital

15 (a) tə mə izgl'èdəə d'èvet m'àscə
and looked after me for nine months.

17 (a) gipsìrənə b'àše
[My leg] was in a cast [that whole time].

18 (GK) dèvet mèsecə
Nine months!

19 (a) d'èvet m'àscə nə bòl'nicətə lež'àh
I stayed in the hospital for nine months.

20 (RA) pùf
Whew!

21 (GK) mnògo
[That’s] a lot.

22 (RA) mnògo
A lot.

23 (a) tàə nògə sàə nògə èj tùvə e sč'ùpenə tù
This leg, this leg here was broken [when]

24 (a) kulàtə mìnə snòpi i tùvə pàk mi e sč'upenə
the cart went by [carrying] sheaves. And it got broken here too.

26 (a) jà vìš ìš
Here, you see?

27 (GK) ù
Ooh!

28 (RA) ù dà c.c.c
Oh, yes. Tsk, tsk.

29 (a) è səgà e skà səm
And so now I am lame.

31 (GK) kəto si rabòtilə sè
[Ah,] after all that work!

32 (a) jà si znàm nà sigà ut'ùəm č'ɤ̀k du gòr'e du pluštàtə
I should know! Look now, [when] I go even up to the [village] square,

33 (a) ne mòə də vɤ̀r'ə səz d'v'a pàterici e sə putpìrəm i vɤ̀r'ə
I can’t walk. I [can only] walk by [using] two crutches to lean on.

34 (a) n'èskə nàš'ə l'èl'ə hriš'ìjkə uòt wòt si nə dv'à pàterici
Today our aunt Hrishiyka said, “Well, why do you [use] two crutches?”

35 (a) əm ne mògə də vɤ̀r'ə ìkəm tə ədnɤ̀ pàterica ìkə z'èmi ìkə vɤ̀rvi
“I can’t walk,” I said. “One crutch!” she said. “Take [it up]”, she said, “and walk!”

37 (a) òrətə i bustàni s'àhə fsìčkut s'àhə
People [just now] planted their melon patches, they planted everything.

38 (a) jàs ni mògə ənɤ̀ kərpùskə n'àməm bəre
But I can’t. I don’t even have a single watermelon.

Drjanovec 1

8 (a) mòjtu d’ètstvu ni b’èši mnògu v’ès’ɤlu nu nɤ̀l’ kɤt sɤm zdràva
My childhood was not very happy. But at least I had my health,

9 (a) kɤt ìmɤm bɤštà aku nìmɤm màjkɤ š’ɤ ìmɤm bɤštà
I had a father. If I had no mother [at least] I had a father.

10 (a) aku nìmɤm bɤštà š’ ìmɤm bràte sè sɤ mɤ zɤštitàvɤli
And when I didn’t have a father I had brothers. They were always protecting me.

11 (a) punɤčàlo àz b’àx nɤ čètri bràte idnɤ̀ sistrɤ̀
Basically I was a [single] sister to four brothers.

12 (a) nògu sɤ bòr’lɤ màjkɤ zɤ mumìči čàk p’ètɤtɤ sɤm às vèk’i
My mother really fought [to have] a girl. And I was the fifth child.

13 (a) i uvɤžàwɤ mɤ obàče tɤ̀j sa pulùči či mòjtɤ màjkɤ umr’à
And she had high regard for me. But it so happened that my mother died

14 (a) tòčnu nɤ g’urg’òwd’en b’èšə̥ bilà brèminnɤ às ni gù znàjew tùj n’èštu
on the very day of St. George’s Day. She’d been pregnant, but I didn’t know that.

15 (a) i t’à m kàzwɤ dònke zimì bràtči̥tu̥ si id’ì nɤ l’ul’kata
And she said to me, “Donka, take your small brother and go to the swing.”

16 (a) pɤk vìždɤm jɤ t’à sɤ krivì tù nɤ jurgàntȅ sɤ putpìrɤ
But I saw that she was bent over, leaning now on the bedquilts,

17 (a) nɤ dulàpu tɤ̀j nɤ òdɤro tù tɤkò ɤmɤ ni sɤ̀m rɤzbìrɤlɤ
now on the cupboard, now on the bed, and such. But I had not understood

18 (a) če e br’èmennɤ i zɤrɤt tùj mɤ j pràt’ilɤ dɤ igràjɤ
that she was pregnant, and that’s why they sent me off to play

19 (a) tɤ̀j də i àz zimàw d’it’ètu utìduw do nɤ l’ùl’kata
like that. So I took the child and went to the swing.

20 (a) i č’ùwɤm l’ùl’kata d’ètu u t’àw xòra bùl’a bòjka sɤ kàza
the people whose swing it was – Auntie Boyka was her name –

21 (a) vìknə bùlkə ivànke bùl’ə stòjkə ìmɤ mumìči̥ kətu kàə
called out, “Auntie Ivanka! Auntie Stoyka has a girl!” And when she said

22 (a) bùljə stòjkə ìmɤ mumìči às zimàw d’it’ètu uluìw gu zɤ rɤkɤ̀tɤ
“Auntie Stoyka has a girl”, I took the child, I grabbed it by the hand –

23 (a) tò bèš’ č’ètr’i gudìni màlku ud mèn’e àz b’àw na wòc’ɤm gudìni
it was four years younger than me (I was eight years old) -

24 (a) i utìduw si̥ u dmà vìždɤm tàt’ɤ plàč’e č’ùwim mumìč’i
аnd I went home. I saw Dad crying. I’d heard there was a girl,

25 (a) mɤ ni vìždəm b’èb’i i uluvìw tàt’ɤ tɤ̀j zɤ kul’àntȕ
but I didn’t see a baby. And I grabbed Dad by the knee.

26 (a) i tòj plàč’e i às ə vɤz n’ègu dùmɤm tàt’e ɤm
He was crying and I was with him. I said, “Dad, but

27 (a) d’è im b’è b’è b’èb’itu bà d’è j b’èb’itu
where is the ba- ba- the baby? Where is the baby?”

28 (a) pɤk tòj ìkə èj tàm i u tòs mum’ènt mòjtɤ màjkɤ
And he said “It’s over there.” And at that moment my mother –

29 (a) t’à sɤ jɤ l’ɤkùvɤlɤ izgl’èždɤ vànɤ tɤ̀j dɤ r’ìtɤ
she’d been taking medicines it seemed, and she started to kick,

30 (a) dɤ tɤkòžd’ɤ p’ànɤ pu ustàtɤ i i àz zɤplàkuw i izl’àzuw
to thrash about, foam at the mouth, and I burst into tears and went out.

31 (a) ubàd’uwa sɤ nɤ l’èkɤr ud grɤdɤ̀ jìd’i l’èkɤr
They called for a doctor and a doctor came from town –

32 (a) ɤmɤ s kɤkò j duš’ɤ̀l n’i znàm i l’èkɤrɤ kàza
I don’t know with what conveyance – and the doctor said,

33 (a) v’èdnàga kàrɤjte u grɤdɤ̀ i sɤz dv’è kɤrùci nɤ̀tə nɤ č’ìč’uwi
“Get her to town immediately!” So [we took] two carriages, one from оne uncle

34 (a) inɤ̀tɤ nɤ svàka i nìj upr’àgvɤmi vulòwi tugìs i zɤkàrɤ jə
and one from another. We harnessed the oxen and started off with her.

35 (a) i t’à pu pɤ̀tištɤ kàzala nɤ tàt’ɤ gèrge ìskɤm vudɤ̀
And along the way she said to Dad, “Georgi, I want water.”

36 (a) tòj rikɤ̀l či nìj ni zimàxmi i màjkɤ tàm izdɤ̀xvɤ
He said that we hadn’t brought any, and mother gave up the ghost right there.

37 (a) i vɤ̀rnɤ jɤ nɤdzàt’ i nɤ sɤmìjɤ dèn’ nɤ gerg’òwden’ bèš’e tùj
He brought her back the same day. And that was on St. George’s Day.

38 (a) òrɤtɤ sɤ ràdvɤt nɤ àganca nɤ tùj unùj pɤ̀k nɤ nàs zl’è
People were celebrating, [roasting] lambs, this and and that, but for us bad [times]

39 (a) dòdi i prebràwme sɤ bràtt’ȅ fsìčkit’ȅ kɤt zɤròviwmi màjkə prɤbràwmi sɤ
had come. And all the brothers came together when we buried mother.

40 (a) nàj golèmijɤ òd’ɤ sɤs màstur:tȅ dɤ ràbuti dɤ pràj kɤ̀šti̥ d’ulgèrin b’èš’i̥
The oldest was apprenticed to work as a mason, to build houses.

41 (a) i vɤ̀rnɤm sɤ n’àmɤ kàk dɤ nɤpràjmi č’ùdim sɤ udd’è dɤ jɤ svɤ̀rdz’im
We came back, what else could we do; and we wondered – how will we manage?

42 (a) n’àmɤ kòj dɤ m’ès’i̥ n’àmɤ kòj dɤ p’irè n’àmɤ kòj dɤ šetɤ
There’s nobody to make bread, nobody to do the washing, nobody to do housework.

43 (a) puč’ùdi sɤ tàt’i puč’ùdi sɤ kàza nɤ bàč’a nɤ nàj gul’ɛ̀mije
Dad puzzled about it, and then said to my brother, to the oldest one –

44 (a) tòj b’èše s’id’imnàjsi usimnàjsi gudìš’in tàt’i m kàza
he was seventeen or eighteen – Dad said to him

45 (a) dàj dɤ tɤ už’ènim t’èb’e dɤ zɤ̀mnimi inò mumìči
“Let’s marry you off! Let’s get [ourselves] a girl.

46 (a) sàmu dɤ p’ir’è t’èz d’ecà i dɤ im gòtvi sàmu u.kɤ̀šti
She only [needs] to do the washing for these kids and to cook for them in the house.

47 (a) pɤk tɤ̀kɤn prèžba drùgtȕ š’ɤ dàvɤmi nɤ xòrɤtɤ srištu pɤrì
Weaving, spinning, all the other [stuff] – we’ll hire [other] people to do that.”

48 (a) bàču̥ sɤ ubɤ̀rnɤ či mu kàzɤ tàt’e àš š’ɤ t’ dàm
My brother turned to him and said, “Dad – I’m going to give you

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Comments and questions may be addressed to bdlt@berkeley.edu.

Recommended Model for Citations

Bulgarian Dialectology as Living Tradition [2016] (http://www.bulgariandialectology.org, visited on 1 March 2016)
Babjak 1: 13-15. In: Bulgarian Dialectology as Living Tradition [2016] (http://www.bulgariandialectology.org, visited on 1 March 2016)

by Dr. Radut