Kolju Marinovo 6
3 (a) i t’è kəto z’èmət ə jèsenno vrèm’i kəto dòd’i
and when they take – when it gets to be autumn,
4 (a) i kəto z’èmət i po inɤ̀ m’èčkə i še gi ràn’ət
and when they take one bear each, they’ll feed them
5 (a) i gi gl’èdət iz balkànə nə dòlu i tàm gi udgl’èduvət
and look after them [on their way] down from the mountains. They raise them there,
6 (a) i gi nəùčuvət də igràat i kəto trɤ̀gnət pu s’ilàtə
and teach them to dance. And when they come through the villages,
7 (a) ta s’àku s’èlu utvòri vratàtə i cigùl’kətə svìri i [laughter] i p’èji
each village opens up its doors, and they play the violin, [laughter] and sing,
8 (a) i i m’èčkətə vɤ̀rdzənə tùkə za krɤ̀stə duvid’è ə òpreš kɤ̀šti
and they bring the bear, tied here around the waist, in front of [peoples’] houses
9 (a) kəto pòčnet də zəsvìri i t’à kəto zərečè è təkà krəkàtə pr’èdniti
and when they begin to play [music], [the bear] takes its front legs like this
10 (a) də gi dìgn’e pràvə sə ispràv’ə
and lifts them up: he stands straight upright
12 (a) du kutu čuv’èk mòje takà də stàn’i
just like a man! It’s able to stand up that way.
14 (a) ispràv’ə sə i pròsto t’èpə də igràj i tòj svìri
It stands up, and stamps like it’s dancing, and [all this time the guy] is playing music
15 (a) mičkədàrinə svìri
the bear trainer is playing music.
27 (a) səs takɤ̀vo s takɤ̀vi s takɤ̀vo gi vòdija tìjə m’èčki
So they would lead these bears around with this – with these [sorts of things],
30 (a) i à bàbo dàj rɤ̀ka də ti celùvə rəkɤ̀
and [they’d say] “Hey, granny - give me your hand, so [the bear] will kiss your hand.
31 (a) dàvəj rɤ̀kə də cəlùvə š ti s fàni rəkɤ̀tə
Give your hand here to be kissed!” And he’ll grab your hand [and say
32 (a) kvò ubištàvəš [laughter]
What do you promise [to give us]?” [laughter]
34 (a) tr’àbvə da kàžiš kvò e
You have to say what it is –
36 (a) kvò žə i pudar’àvəš na m’èčkətə fàn’i rəc’èt’e i takà
what you’re going to give the bear. And he takes you by the hands and such
43 (a) tìjə kut sə trɤ̀gnəli tìjə n’àmaa nìštu mečkàrit’e
When they set out these bear keepers didn’t have anything at all,
44 (a) b’èl lùk kartòfi takɤ̀vi ràbuti pudarìm im dad’èm
just onions, potatoes, things like that. [So] we make gifts to them, we give
45 (a) da ìmət za zimɤ̀tə i tìi
[them something] so they too will have [provisions] for the winter.
47 (a) i za tvà gi rəskàrvət
After all, that’s why they drive them [= the bears] around.
50 (a) xèm də ni pup’èjət də ni puigràat [laughter] m’èčkiti
not just to sing for us and have the bears dance for us
51 (a) xèm də si puzbìrət zə zimɤ̀tə takɤ̀vo napràvea
but also to gather some provisions for the winter. That’s what they would do.
54 (GK) [cough] à t’è kɤ̀k sə gi fàštəli tìjə mèčki
[кашляне] Well, how did they get hold of these bears?
55 (a) mənìnki gi fàštəli
They’re said to have taken them [when they were] tiny.
59 (a) ukùčeni òšti gi fàštali i gi udgl’èdvəli tèj mečkàri
These bear keepers – they’d even take them as newborns, and then raise them up.
60 (a) i t’èj kutò ə sə v’èči zimàl’i n’àkoə gud’ìna
Some years, since they were taking them anyway,
61 (a) t’ì si zìmət i mɤ̀ški i žènski znàči i si gi udvɤ̀ždət
they’d take [both] a male and a female and then, you know, breed them.
62 (a) amà nàj nəprèš sə gi zìməli i kòjto
But primarily they would take them [from their mothers]: whoever
63 (a) ni jè mòžəl pɤ̀k tɤ̀j də si pruizved’è ud gorɤ̀tə
wasn’t able to “produce” one this way [would get them] from the woods:
64 (a) òd’ət iz gorɤ̀tə nəmìrət si ukùčeni takɤ̀vi mənìn’ki
they would go about the mountain forest, find these tiny newborns,
65 (a) i si fàtət ut tàm i si gi odglèduəš
and capture them from there. And then you raise them up.
