The Book of the Nishan Shaman 05

Previous instalments: 1, 2, 3, 4.

emu jergi songgoho manggi, geren niyalma tafulame hendume, bayan agu suweni mafa mama ainu utu songgombi, emgeri bucehe songgoho seme weijure doro bio, giyan i giran de baitalara hobo jergi jake be belheci acambi, sehe

emu jergi [then]
songgoho [cried]
manggi [after]
geren niyalma [all the people]
tafulame [advising]
hendume [said]

bayan agu [rich brother]
suweni mafa mama [old man and old woman]
ainu [why]
utu [so] dict. form: uttu
songgombi [cry]

emgeri [already]
bucehe [dead (one)]
songgoho seme [crying]
weijure [revive]
doro [way]
bio [is there?]

giyan i* connects with acambi (giyan i [by right])
giran de [corpse]
baitalara [use]
hobo [coffin]
jergi jake be [other things]
belheci [prepare]
acambi* [should]
sehe [said]

Having cried, the people advised them, “Our Lord and Lady! Why are you crying so much? Is there a way to revive the dead with your tears? A coffin and other things should be prepared.”

* The verb acambi put after conditional converb (-ci suffix) means “should, ought to”.  giyan i at the beginning of the sentence puts additional emphasis on this duty.

manggi yuwan wai eigen sargan teni nakafi hendume suweni gisun umesi giyan, udu tuttu bicibe yargiyan i gvnin dolo alime muterakv korsombi, mini haji sure jui emgeri bucehe kai, geli aibe hairambi, te geli ya emu juse de banjikini seme ten hethe werimbi sefi

manggi [after]
yuwan wai eigen sargan [the landlord and his wife]
teni [just]
nakafi [stopped]
hendume [said]

suweni gisun [your words]
umesi [very]
giyan [right]
udu [although]
tuttu [that way]
bicibe [(though it) is] concessive converb
yargiyan i [truly]
gvnin dolo [in mind]
alime muterakv
[(I) can’t accept]
korsombi [(and) miss]

mini haji sure jui [my beloved bright son]
emgeri bucehe kai [is dead]
geli [moreover]
aibe [what] acc
hairambi [cherish]

te [now]
geli [moreover]
ya [what]
emu juse de [to one son]
banjikini seme [live]
ten hethe [noble property]
werimbi [(will) leave]
sefi [said]

Then the landlord and his wife stopped and said, “You are most right. Although it is so, I can’t accept it in my heart, and I miss and cherish my beloved bright son, even though he is dead. Also, to whom will I leave my noble property?”

ahalji bahalji sebe hvlafi afabume ere aha damu angga be juwafi songgombi, sini belin age de nadan waliyara jaka yarure morin ku namun jergi be gemu belhe ume hairara sefi

ahalji bahalji sebe [Ahalji and Bahalji]
hvlafi [called and]
afabume [ordered]

ere aha [these servants]
damu [but]
angga be [(with) mouth]
juwafi [open]
songgombi [cry]

sini belin age de [for your master]
nadan [seven]
waliyara [to make an offering at a grave]
jaka** [things]
yarure morin [lead horses]
ku namun*** [storehouses]
jergi be [and other things]
gemu [all]
belhe [prepare]
ume hairara [don’t skimp on anything]
sefi [said]

He called Ahalji and Bahalji and ordered them, “These servants! You only open your mouths and cry! Prepare the seven things for the offering**; lead the horses, prepare the storehouses, and all the other things for your master. Don’t skimp on anything.”

** nadan waliyara jaka – seven things needed to make an offering at a grave, or Seven Jewels (Sanskrit: Saptaratna), in Buddhist tradition several sets are mentioned: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, red pearl, emerald, coral; or: gold, silver, beryl, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, carnelian; the Russian translation lists another set, namely: gold, silver, ruby, pearl, agate, amber, coral.
*** ku namun – synonyms used to indicate plurality, ku from Chinese 庫 kù – warehouse, storehouse, namun – storage, treasury, warehouse for precious things

ahalji bahalji se songgoro be nakafi afabuha gisun be dahame, belin age de yarure ilha boco alha akta morin juwan, tuwai boco jerde akta morin juwan, aisin boco sirga akta morin juwan, hvdun keri akta morin juwan, xayan(xanyan) boco suru akta morin juwan, behei boco sahaliyan akta morin juwan,

ahalji bahalji se [Ahalji Bahalji]
songgoro be [crying]
nakafi [ceased]

afabuha gisun be [orders] from afabumbi [to order] gisun [speech/words]
dahame [obeying]
belin age de [for master]
yarure [lead]
ilha [design, pattern]
boco [colour]
alha [mottled, variegated]
akta morin juwan [ten geldings]
tuwai boco [in the colour of fire]
jerde [sorrel]
akta morin juwan [ten geldings]
aisin boco [in the colour of gold]
sirga [light bay]
akta morin juwan [ten geldings]
hvdun [fast]
keri [dark brown horse with a black tail and mane] dict. form: keire
akta morin juwan [ten geldings]
xayan boco [white] dict. form: xanyan shortened version of xanggiyan
suru [white]
akta morin juwan [ten geldings]
behei boco [in the colour of ink]
sahaliyan [black]
akta morin juwan [ten geldings]

Ahalji and Bahalji ceased their crying and went to obey the order. They lead ten mottled geldings, ten fire-colored sorrel geldings, ten golden light bay geldings, ten fast dark brown geldings, ten white geldings, and ten ink-colored black geldings.

gemu belhehe sehede yuwan wai afabume, gvsin morin de buktelii, gecuhuri etuku jergi be unubu,

gemu [all]
belhehe [prepared]
sehede [said]
yuwan wai [landlord]
afabume [ordered]

gvsin morin de [on thirty horses]
buktelii [sack made of cloth or leather for carrying clothes or bedding] dict. form: buktulin
gecuhuri [brocade, satin with dragons or flowers depicted on it] dict. form: gecuheri
etuku [clothings]
jergi be [other things]
unubu [put on back] caus. of unumbi [to carry on the back, to bear, to shoulder]

When they all were prepared, the landlord ordered, “Put  sacks, patterned brocade clothing, and other adornments on thirty horses.”

funcehe morin de jebele dashvwan jergi be alamibu, sure xeyen fulan akta morin de fulgiyan enggemu, kadargan tuhebume aisin bolgiha hadala jergi be yongkiyan tohofi yaru

funcehe morin de [remaining horses]
jebele [quivers]
dashvwan [bow cases]
jergi be [and other equipment]
alamibu [put on back] caus. of alambi [to carry across the back]
sure [white] dict. form: suru
xeyen [snow-white]
fulan [light-coloured horse with a dark mane and tail]
akta morin de [geldings]
fulgiyan [red/purple]
enggemu [saddles]
kadargan [a decoration attached to the bridle that hangs down from the horse’s jaw] can be spelled kandarhan
tuhebume [hang]

aisin bolgiha [gilded/plated with gold] dict. form: bulgiyaha
hadala [bridle]
jergi be [and other things]
yongkiyan [completion]
tohofi [saddle and]
yaru [lead] (bring)

“Put quivers and bow cases on the remaining horses. Saddle the snow-white and light-coloured geldings with purple saddles, hang gilded bridles with decorative tassels and other adornments on them, and when everything is complete, bring them.

geli adun i da sabe hvlafi ihan adunci juwan gaju, honin adun ci ninju gaju, ulgiyan adunci nadanju gaju, ere be gemu wafi belhe sehede, adun da ahalji se je sefi jabumbime teisu teisu belheneme genehe,

geli [moreover]
adun i da sabe [heads of the herds]

hvlafi [called]

ihan adun-ci [from cattle herd]
juwan [ten]
gaju [bring]
honin adun ci [from sheep herd]
ninju [sixty]
gaju [bring]
ulgiyan adunci [from swine herd]
nadanju [seventy]
gaju [bring]

ere be [these]
gemu [all]
wafi [slaughter and]
belhe [prepare]

sehede [said]
adun da [heads of the herds]
ahalji se [Ahalji and other servants]
je [yes]
sefi [said]
jabumbime [answered and]
teisu teisu [one by one]
belheneme [went to prepare] belhembi [to prepare] with -ne suffix meaning “to go to do sth” (allative verb)
genehe [went]

He also called his herdsmen and ordered them, “Bring me ten head of cattle, sixty sheep and seventy swines. Slaughter them and prepare.” “Yes, sir” the herdsmen, Ahalji, and the other servants answered, and one by one went to make the preparations.

yuwan wai geli takvrara sargan jui aranju xaranju sebe hvlafi alame suweni juwe niyalma toksoi geren aisilara hehesi sebe gaime maise efen nadanju deren, caise efen ninju deren, mudan efen susai deren, mere mudan dehi deren, arki juwan malu, niongniyaha juwan juru, niyehe orin juru, coko gvsin juru, sunja hacin tubihe guye emte juwe deren, ere jergi be te uthai hahilame belheme yungkiyabu tookabuci suwembe gemu tantambi, sehede,

yuwan wai [yuwan wai]
geli [moreover]
takvrara sargan jui [maids]
aranju xaranju sebe [Aranju and Xaranju]
proper names
hvlafi [called and]
alame [said]

suweni juwe niyalma [two of you]
tokso-i [from village]
geren [all]
aisilara hehesi sebe [female helpers]
gaime [take and]
maise [wheat] from Chinese 麦子 màizi
efen [bread]
nadanju deren [seventy] deren classifier for flat objects dict. form: dere
caise efen**** [round cake]
ninju deren [sixty]
mudan efen***** [deep-fried twisted pastry made from millet, rice, and buckwheat flour]
susai [fifty]
mere mudan [twisted pastry made from buckwheat flour]
dehi deren [fourty]
arki [liquor]
juwan malu [ten bottles]
niongniyaha [geese]
juwan juru [ten pairs]
niyehe [ducks]
orin juru [twenty pairs]
coko [chickens]
gvsin juru [thirty pairs]
sunja [five]
hacin [kinds]
tubihe [fruits]
guye emte [on each one]
juwe deren [two tables]
ere [this]
jergi be [(and) other things]
te uthai [right now]
hahilame [hurry and]
belheme [prepare]
yungkiyabu [complete] dict. form: yungkiyabu

tookabuci [if waste time]
suwembe [you] pl. acc
gemu [all]
tantambi [(will) beat]
sehede [said]

Moreover, he called Aranju, Xaranju and other maids and said, “Two of you, take all the women helpers from the village, hurry up and prepare: seventy wheat-breads, sixty caise cakes, fifty mudans and fourty buckwheat mudans, ten bottles of liquor, ten pairs of geese, twenty pairs of ducks, thirty pairs of chickens, and two tables with five kinds of fruits on each. Do it right now. If you waste time, you will all be beaten.”

**** for detailed description of the origin of this word, see here
***** mudan efen – this pastry may be similar to Chinese
麻花 (máhuā)

geren gemu je seme jabufi, meni meni fakcame belheneme genehe, goidaha akv geren niyalma gari miyari seme meyen meyen tukiyefi hvwa de jalu faidame sindaha

geren gemu [everyone]
je [yes]
seme [saying]
jabufi [answered]

meni meni [each one]
fakcame [jumping]
belheneme [to prepare]
genehe [went]

goidaha akv [before long/it didn’t last long]
geren niyalma [all the people]
gari miyari seme onom. sound of many people shouting
meyen meyen [piece by piece]
tukiyefi [carrying]
hvwa de [in the yard]
jalu [full]
faidame [lined up]
sindaha [placed]

“Yes, sir” they answered and rushed to make the preparations. Before long all the people were carrying and placing the goods in the yard, filling it up piece by piece.

barun be tuwaci hada i gese den sabumbi, udu hacin yali alin i gese muhaliyahabi, arki mederi gese tebume sindahabi, tubihe efen deren sirandume faidahabi,

barun be [large quantity, mass] dict. form: baran
tuwaci [if watching]
hada i gese [like a crag]
den [high]
sabumbi [looked]

udu hacin [several kinds]
yali [meat]
alin i gese [like a mountain]
muhaliyahabi [were stacked up]

arki [liquor]
mederi gese [like a sea]
tebume [poured]
sindahabi [placed]

tubihe [fruits]
efen deren [pastries]
sirandume [following]
faidahabi [lined up]

When one watched the mass (of the goods), it looked like a high crag. Several kinds of meat were stacked up like a mountain. A sea of liquor was poured. Fruits and pastries were lined up.

ku namun, aisin menggun hooxan jergi fiheme jalubume faidafi geren urse arki sisalafi songgombi,

ku namun [storehouses, treasuries]
aisin [gold]
menggun [silver]
hooxan [paper money]
jergi [other precious things]
fiheme [stuffed]
jalubume [filled] dict. form: jalumbume
faidafi [lined up]

geren urse [all the people]
arki [liquor]
sisalafi [sprinkled] can be spelled sisafi
songgombi [cried]

The treasuries were filled with gold, silver, paper money, and other precious things. All the people were sprinkling liquor around and crying.

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