personal narratives

Golica 5

13 (a) dàvat im parìt’ȅ a či nàšit’ȅ stojàə p’èt m’àse̥ca

get paid [good] money. And our folk stayed [only] five months

14 (a) i vèk’i nèma da da stojɛ̀t z’à si t’ɛ z’à si òtpuskata

and weren’t going to stay any longer. So they took leave [from work]

15 (a) če šə z duhɑ̀d’at tùka də dvanàisi čàsa pətùva sə oroplàn

to come here [to Varna]. It takes twelve hours by plane

16 (a) dù bezerlìk’ dvanàese čàsə pravì sm’ètka i si zi kət stujàa god’ìna

to Libya. Imagine, twelve hours! So when they had stayed for a year

17 (a) i si z’èli bil’èt’t’ȅ še s duhɑ̀d’at za ed’ìn m’àsec

they’d bought the tickets and were about to come [home] for a month.

18 (a) i ban’d’ìt’i ìmalo dìvi xòra i gi z’èha i im kɑ̀zali

But there were these bandits. Wild people! And they kidnapped them. They told them

19 (a) t’ìj bilì ottàk vašìst’ɨ č’ètiristòtin dùši otsàm c’àl gràd bezerlìk

there were four hundred Fascists over there, the whole city of Tripoli,

20 (a) tì i pàk komunìst’i i nàšto momč’è tehnìk bùlkata əndž’ilèrka

but they were Communists. So our boy is a mechanic and his wife an engineer

21 (a) i dàdəa im stud’èni kolɤ dv’à hòdiwa ot ə ə portakàlija

They had issued them driving school cars, two of them, from Portugal.

22 (a) z’èha dv’à kolì stud’èni i tàm tìa arap’à si ə očɛ̀t

So they took these two driving school cars out to give the Arabs driving lessons,

23 (a) pu ed’ìn i otòd’at nɑ̀štu mumč’è tehn’ìk pràat ym pɛ̀tištata

one on one. And they set off. Our boy the mechanic was building roads for them

24 (a) ama tìe ne štɛ̀t komun’ìstetu un’às fašìst’i ottàm

But [some people] don’t like [us] Communists, those Fascists there,

25 (a) i nɑ̀št’ȅ mumč’èta šə ə z’èmat ə n’ègo d’èn kɑ̀rat kolìt’ȅ stud’èn:t’ɛ̏

and they thought to kidnap our boys that day. So they’re driving the school cars

26 (a) kɑ̀rat trìjset dùš’i arap’à to prɑ̀vi napr’ɛ̀d momč’èto kɑ̀ra kamiòne

and thirty Arabs were driving. Our boy was in front, driving a truck.

27 (a) i vèšti ednò i po edìn aràpin vəs t’ɑ̀x očɛ̀d gi

and [so was] another one; and in each car one of ours was teaching an Arab.

28 (a) i kat vər’àli i tòs ə kɑ̀zal če ə kòjtu e ut bez’erlìk

And as they went along, this [Arab] said, the one who is from Tripoli,

29 (a) če muamàr kɑ̀zal dn’ès n’èma da pùskat’e ban’d’ìt’t’ȅ na un’àz

that Gadafi had said that bandits weren’t going to be allowed today among

30 (a) na aràpi na fašìstit’ȅ i tì nàš’to mumčè utòd’a n’ègu d’èn

the Arabs, that is the Fascists. And so our boy went off that day

31 (a) tò varì kɑ̀zva tùk še zabìš kòl’č’eto tùk še zabìš kòl’č’etu

and [as he went along] he told [his team] where to pound in the road marker posts.

32 (a) i vər’ɛ̀t otpodìr’e zabìrat arap’àta kòl’č’etata

[But] the Arabs went after them [in sabotage], and pulled out the posts.

33 (a) i tràktora orì pək pɛ̀t’a še im go pràvət

And the tractor was plowing [the ground] to make the road.

34 (a) i či muàr kɑ̀zal n’èma da pùskat’e ban’d’ìt’i n’ès tàm tij pùsnaha

So Gadafi had said not to let the bandits out today there. But they did let them out,

35 (a) i vkèpaxa nɑ̀šte mumč’èta š’ès mumč’èta ednò ot sòhia

and [those bandits] grabbed our boys – six boys, one from Sofia

36 (a) i ednò ot vɑ̀rna i bùlkatȁ i v’èš ednà ženɑ̀ š’estìma dùši

one from Varna, the bride, and another woman. Six in all.

37 (a) vkèpaxa gi kat nì zakɑ̀raxa kɑ̀i tàm i ə izl’àzaha kɑ̀e

They took them. “And when they drove us there,” he said, “there emerged

38 (a) dvàma dùši z ban’d’ì ban’d’ìt’i səs šmàjzere n’èma da mɛ̀r

two guys, bandits with sub-machine guns, [who said] we mustn’t move.

39 (a) i z’àha ni kolàta i gu ščùpiha kae v’èče tugɑ̀s t’ɑ̀h kolà xùbavit’ȅ̥

Then they took our cars and broke them,” he said, “these really nice cars.”

40 (a) dìvi xòra savs’àm d’ìvu bizùmno i ə segɑ̀ spr’àha gi tàm

Wild men, completely wild! Without sense. And they kept them there.

41 (a) dvɑ̀ise d’èn’a kɑ̀e səs ə pɛ̀ster bòp ni hrɑ̀n’ət š č’urbɛ̀

“For twenty days,” he said, “they fed us only pinto bean soup.

42 (a) nie kɑ̀e vèk’i kɑ̀e hìč’ kɑ̀e ni znàeme kɑ̀e tɛ̀j bleštùl’ki

We hadn’t the slightest idea [where we were], just flashing lights

43 (a) kɑ̀e na uč’ìt’ȅ ni i dòjde kɑ̀e edìn č’ov’èk poslàli si

in our eyes”, he said. “And then,” he said, “this guy came, and they spread out

44 (a) s’àno na zem’ɛ̀ta s’àn:tȕ senòto kɑ̀e m’ètər i pol’vìna tàm u gorɛ̀tə

hay on the ground, about a meter and a half of hay there in the woods.

45 (a) poslàha ni kɑ̀e l’ègnali si to tòplu tàm b’ɛ̀ši̥

They spread it out for us,” he said; they lay down and it was warm.

46 (a) l’ègnali si na senòto i ətkrìt’i i n’àma nìštu̥

So they lay on the hay, out there in the open, and nothing to be done.

47 (a) edìn pàk ə go zèli ot portakɑ̀lia šees’ègodìš’en č’ov’èk

And they’d also taken [another person], from Portugal, a 60-year old guy.

48 (a) otišèl àz rekɛ̀l še v donsɛ̀t fašìstit’e tòj vèk’e s t’ɑ̀h

He went and said the Fascists will bring you things (he was one of them) –

49 (a) inò od’àlu i edìn briz’ènt da s pustèl’at əf takòsta

– a blanket, and a [piece of] canvas, so they could spread it out there.

50 (a) i sigà tɑ̀m nìe ne gì znàemi žỳvi li sa kakvì sa

So they’re there – and we here don’t know if they’re [even] alive, or how they are –

51 (a) nì gì znàeme tɛ̀rsim pìtame ot sòhia čil’àk ìmalo

we don’t know. We look around and ask questions There was this man from Sofia,

52 (a) ed’ìn minìster ženà mu zapoznàhme se tàm i minìster ženà mu

his wife is a minister – we’d met him there. So [this guy] – his wife is a minister –

53 (a) i ə i tòj tàm i tòj č’ov’èk sàl ni kɑ̀zwa f sòhia

he is there. So this guy, in Sofia, said to us only that

54 (a) tìe gɨ z’èha ama tùriha gi učilìšte pək t’ìj na trevɛ̀ta

they’d taken them and put them in a school or out on the grass [or something]

55 (a) i nìj plàčem tùkana i [cough] ne gì znàeme v’èk’e

And we’re crying here, because [cough] we have no idea

56 (a) kakvì sa nìj žỳvi li sa n’èma pìsmu n’èma nìštu

how they are, or if they are alive: no letter, no nothing from them.

57 (a) i ə tùkanək ednà kadɛ̀nka ìmaši gledɑ̀čka i svàta

So there is this Turkish woman here, a fortune teller, my in-law

58 (a) na mumč’èto mi d’àdo mu i tòd’a na gledɑ̀čkata

my boy’s [other] grandfather. So he went to the fortune teller

59 (a) t’à reklà nìj kaìl snim sàl da sme ž’ùvi

and she said – “We’d be content [to hear from them] only “We’re alive”, [we told her].

60 (a) ne ìm dàvat tàm ni pìsmo ni nìštu sàl da gi čùimi

“They don’t let them write letters or anything, we just want to hear

61 (a) ž’ỳvi li sa i tɛ̀z gledɑ̀čka kɑ̀zəla ž’ỳvi sa reklà

if they are alive.” And that fortune teller said, “They are alive,” she said.

62 (a) žu žə dəšter’à ti reklà inžilèrka z’èt’e ti t’ehn’ìk

“Your daughter is an engineer, your son-in-law a mechanic.

63 (a) s’edemdes’è d’èna reklɑ̀ ilì sedemdesè l’ m’às’ca reklà še gi derdž’ɛ̀t

They’ll keep them [captive] either seventy days or seventy months

64 (a) ama ž’ỳvi sa reklɑ̀ i š ìdat m za roždènia d’èn

but they are alive,” she said. “And they will come back for her birthday

65 (a) nabližàə še ìdat reklɑ̀ še dòjdat reklɑ̀ za ružd’ènija i d’èt’

which is coming up. They’ll come,” she said, “They’ll come for her birthday.”

66 (a) i še dòjdat za ružd’ènija i d’èn i tò tɛ̀j stàna

They’ll come for her birthday.” And in fact that happened.

67 (a) šèstija nə na s’èdmia oslobodìha gi oslobodìha gi togàs i ə

They liberated them on the sixth – on the seventh. They liberated them then. And

68 (a) i tɛ̀s ə aràpit’ȅ d’èto t’ì komunìsti d’et’ka mumč’èto ni

the Arabs that were Communists, [that is, on the side of] our boy,

69 (a) xòdili dvà pɛ̀ti da gi otn’èmat am ne mužìli da gi utɛ̀vnət

had gone twice to try to get them out but couldn’t free them.

70 (a) strɛ̀l’at kɑ̀e str’ɛ̀l’at on’às ingličàn:t’ɛ̏ i merikɑ̀ncit’ȅ gi podɛ̀ržat

There was shooting, he said. The others (Americans and English) were giving support.

71 (a) mɑ̀lko ama podɛ̀ržat gi s urɛ̀dia i s’ètn’e kat dohàd’a edìn rusnàk

Not much, but support with weapons. But then there came a Russian

72 (a) ot wɑ̀r ot ə rusìja i ednò mumč’è dvɑ̀ese i trì godìšno

from Var– from Russia: a young fellow twenty-three years old.

73 (a) i rusnɑ̀ka kɑ̀zal dud’è n’ gì nəm’ɛ̀rim n’èmə də zəminùvəme

And the Russian said, “We’re not going to leave until we find them.”

74 (a) i ə tìj vər’àli vər’àli izl’àzli nə ednà pul’ànə glɑ̀nni

And our folk were wandering about, hungry, and came upon this field.

75 (a) id’ìn čil’àk gi vìd’el ama ut t’ɑ̀h ud un’às i rikɛ̀l

A man saw them, though he was one of those others, and he said

76 (a) às š ìdə də vi dunsɛ̀ mɑ̀lku l’àp əmə vujnìst’ȅ

“I’ll go off and bring you back a little bread.” But the soldiers

77 (a) s’è gi tɛ̀rsili izl’àzli tàm žinà i mɛ̀š vìdehte li riklì

still sought them. They came out and said, “Did you see man and woman here?”

78 (a) tòj rikɛ̀l dòdəh vìkə tùkənək izl’àzəh rikɛ̀l še im tɛ̀rs’ə mɑ̀lku jàd

He said, “I got here, came out [and saw them], and was going to get them food”, he said.

79 (a) dòdəh vìkə t’è pɑ̀g gi strɑ̀h pɑ̀k sə ftìknəli u gurɛ̀tə

[But] when I came, they took fright and dashed into the woods again.”

80 (a) vər’àli vər’àli č’ètiri d’èn’ə vər’àli glɑ̀nni i izlɑ̀zət

And they walked on and on, four days, without food, and came upon

81 (a) ed’ìn hòdil zə rìba tòj rikɛ̀l mumč’ètu riklò də n zəved’èš

a fisherman, and he – this boy said to him, “Take us [to get food],”

82 (a) riklò glɑ̀nni sn’e i nìj snim rikɛ̀lə ərt’ìšti krìjət sə

he said, “we’re hungry. And we’re actors,” said [the girl] (they were hiding).

83 (a) hùbəvu əmə tòj gi zəv’èl bùlkətə mu dàlə čəsòvnikə si

OK. Anyway, he took them. The wife had given him her watch

84 (a) tòj gi puv’èl zəv’èl gi nə kulìbətə si i tò kɑ̀e

So he took them. He led them to his hut where, he said,

85 (a) ni jədɛ̀t l’àp n’èməd bràšnu əmi kɑ̀šə kərtòhenə rəzbɛ̀rkələ

they don’t eat bread. They had no flour, but [the woman] stirred up some potato mash

86 (a) i gi nəhrɑ̀nili i gi spɑ̀li tɑ̀m i trɛ̀gnəli də gi zəvəd’è

and they fed them and put them up overnight, and then left to take them

87 (a) kəm bezerlìk’ də kɑ̀že pɛ̀t’ə vər’àli vər’àli

to Tripoli, to show them the way. They walked, they walked –

88 (a) utòd’ət dv’à mumč’ètə ud ərɑ̀pit’ȅ bùlkətə v’èk ni mòž də vərì

and then two Arab boys came up. The wife wasn’t able to walk any more,

89 (a) pɑ̀nnəli ud glɑ̀t sedemdes’è d’èn’ə i č’e t’às mumč’ètə

they were fainting from hunger after 70 days. So these boys

90 (a) bìli s kulil’ètə z’èmət bùlkətə č’e vər’àli dràgu ni mòš

had bicycles. They took the wife, and because Drago couldn’t [walk either].

91 (a) č’e z’èli i n’ègu gi vòzili kudžà dvà trì kilum’ètrə gi vòzili

they took him too and drove them a long way, two or three kilometers,

92 (a) i gi zəv’èli u vujnìst’ȅ d’ètu vujnìci še gi vòd’ət və və vəz ərɑ̀pi̥tȅ

and took them to soldiers, soldiers who would then take them to the Arabs.

93 (a) i ni zəv’èdəə kɑ̀e tɑ̀m i vujnìst’ȅ kɑ̀e pu i səupštìə kɑ̀e

“And they took us there,” he said. “And the soldiers sent a message,” he said,

94 (a) dòjde kòlə ìnək tɛ̀rs’əd gi pək təkvìsə drùgi gi tɛ̀rs’ət

and a car came – they and several others had been looking for them.

95 (a) kəd gù vìd’ət kɑ̀e bɛ̀lgərin ubìvəd gu dòdəə kɑ̀e s kulìt’ȅ

“If they see [someone’s] Bulgarian, [bandits] will kill him,” he said. “Then they came with cars

96 (a) z’èhə ni zəkɑ̀rəə ni kɑ̀e əm dɑ̀vət kɑ̀e dràgu

“They took us and drove us and gave us [to eat],” said Drago.

97 (a) i jàden’e ìmət əm nə stòl səd’evə əmə ɑ̀s kɑ̀e

“They had food there, but it was only canteen food, and I,” he said,

98 (a) dr’èh ne mògə də jàm i t’às rusnàkə i mumč’ètu

couldn’t eat [it].” And [then] this Russian and another boy

99 (a) s vərtul’èt dušlì ud rusìjə i tìj ku n b’àha

came with a helicopter from Russia, and if it weren’t for them –

100 (a) ne mužàə ne mòž’eli də spəs’ɛ̀t mumč’ètətə nɑ̀št’ȅ rusnàkə gi spəsìl

they wouldn’t have been able to save our boys. The Russian saved them!

101 (a) i im z’èl ədr’èsə i šə duhɑ̀d’ə nə gòsti ud wɑ̀rnə

So they took his address [so that] he’ll come visit us in Varna.

102 (a) i ə i vərtul’ètət pùskə č’e si utòd’ət i hòp vərtul’ètə se zəpɑ̀lgə

Then the helicopter signalled that it was leaving, and without warning it took fire

103 (a) i izgur’àvət belòtit’ȅ i i mumč’ètu i m rusnàkə

and the pilots burned to death – both the [other] boy and the Russian.

104 (a) i nɑ̀s kɑ̀e pək ni pɑ̀z’ət ut ə drùgiətə

“But,” he said, [the Russians] will still protect us from others [like this].

105 (a) huligɑ̀nt’ȅ kɑ̀e ìmə kət vìd’ət bɛ̀lgərin ubìvəd gu

There’s hooligans who will kill someone when they see he’s Bulgarian.

106 (a) štòtu kɑ̀i təkòvu

Because,” he said, “that’s how they are.”

Gorna Krušica 1

86 (a) be se kačùvame jàs na kòn me bèa kačìli mène

that we rode. I – it was on a horse that they put me [as a bride],

87 (a) i me svàl’a svèkara e me vrɤtì okol ə tovà

and my father-in-law took me off and took me around it –

88 (a) okol kòno me vrɤtì trì pati trèbe me zavrɤtì

three times around the horse. Three times he had to take me around it

89 (a) takà bèše sìčkite dè nè sàmo mène ìskam da vi kàža

that’s how it was. For everyone, mind. Not only me, that’s what I wanted to tell you

91 (a) jà sam takà ahà izvrɤtì okol kòno i svàli vèče

I was [welcomed] that way. He took [me] around the horse, and then let go.

Gorna Krušica 3

19 (c) l’ubòvnik k’e se žèna

I was going to marry [my] beloved

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Golica 5

Gorna Krušica 1

Gorna Krušica 3

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Golica 5

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