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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personal narratives

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Bosnek 3

Brŭšljan 2

Černovrŭx

Drabišna 1

Drjanovec 1

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personal narratives

Bosnek 1

Bosnek 3

Brŭšljan 2

Černovrŭx

Drabišna 1

Drjanovec 1

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