sheep

Baskalci 1

54 (GK) tì glèdal li si òfce

Have you looked after sheep?

55 (a) èxèj pu stutìnә òfci sәm gledàl

Oho! I’ve looked after a hundred sheep or so.

56 (GK) è i kàk kugà gi kàk stàvә tàa rabòta

Hah. And how – when do you – how does this work go?

57 (GK) cèlata gudìna da mi ob’asnìš cèlata godìna

Throughout the year. Take me through the whole year,

58 (GK) prìmerno kәt se zәjàgn’әt tàm kәtu zèmәd dә sә mɤ̀rl’әt

for instance, from the time they lamb up to the time they breed [again] –

59 (a) mi mi tuvà e glèdәj sә pru prolettà nәprìmer

Well, it’s – you see, in the spring, for instance,

60 (a) kәtu se zәjàgnәt ujàgnәt se tò o kәm ə dvàesti màj dә kàžeme

when they lamb, that happens around the twentieth of May.

61 (a) bizàәt cìcәt àgnetata slèt tovà i predòjva:me kәtu i predòime

The lambs suckle, and after that we milk the sheep. When we’ve done that,

62 (a) sabèreme i jàs ìәm dә kàžem pedesè mәznìki tì ìmәž dvàese

we gather them up. Let’s say I have fifty to milk and you have twenty,

63 (a) drùgijo ìma pèd drùgijo dèset i i sɤbèreme nә ednò mèsto

Another has five, another has ten. So we gather them in one place,

64 (a) trìsta òfci trìsta maznìci i tàmoka znàči kato i sabèreme

three hundred sheep, three hundred to milk, and then after we’ve gathered them

65 (a) premèrime si nәpràime prèmas

we take measure, we do the reference milking.

66 (GK) kàk sa prài prèmәs

How is reference milking done?

67 (a) è әmi sèki izmɤ̀zvә nèguvite i i mèrime

Well, each one milks his sheep dry, and we measure

68 (a) kòj kòj kòlku mu pùštәt i nә kilòtu putfɤ̀rl’әme nәprìmer

how much each one gives, and ascribe it by kilos. For instance

69 (a) nә ednò kilò putfɤ̀rl’әme trìese kìlə dә mu se dàdәt

thirty kilos are ascribed [to an owner] for each kilo in the reference milking.

71 (a) prez letòtu mɤzničàre si ì̥mә̥še̥ ufčàre dvàmә li trìmә li ke mɤ̀zәt

During the summer there were milkers. Two or three shepherds do the milking

72 (a) mәzničàre se tìjә kәžùvәt mәzničàre i nəli tijə dòat i mәzàt i

These were called “milkers”, and they do the milking.

73 (a) i nә tebeka nә prèmɤzu kòlku ti e došlò

So then whatever came out to be your share at the reference milking

74 (a) dvè kìlә ti e dušlò pu trì vèdrә dә kàžem

[if] it came out to be two kilos, then you’d take three pails, let’s say.

75 (a) nìa vèdrә gu vìka:me vedròtu sәbìra dvanàese kìlә

We called them pails; a pail can take [up to] twelve kilos.

77 (a) mlèku znàči trì kìlә ti e bìlu trì vèdra ke ti dàәt

Of milk. So if you had three kilos, they’ll give you three pails

78 (a) trìese kìlә ke ìmәš mlèku tì dә zìmәš drùgijo drùgijo

and you’d have thirty kilos of milk to take. Then the next, the next,

79 (a) i tuvà kàrә znàči edìn mèsec ili dvà mòže dә otkàrә

and that would go on for a month, or it could go on for two [months].

81 (a) izdàde se mlekòtu mlekòtu nә xòrәtә se izdàde pòsle si i rәzlàčvәt

The milk gets distributed to people, and then they separate out [the sheep].

82 (a) sèkoj si zìmә nèguvite kòj kàk si i i gledàl

Each takes his own, whoever had looked after which ones

83 (a) glèda si i cèlu lètu sobìrәt sènu [unclear]

They look after them all summer, gather hay [for them]

84 (a) às ə kәtu saà vèke cèlu lèto sobirà:me sèno

Like now, already we’ve gathered hay throughout the whole summer.

85 (a) sәbirà:me štà šùmә dàbuva dәbìci znàči ìmә kurìi

We’ve been gathering oak leaves, oak branches – there are groves, you know.

86 (a) sèkoj ke zәgràdi si prez zimàtә ufčàru si e ufčàr

Each one fences off [an area] in the winter. That’s what shepherds do,

87 (a) rәbutnìcite kòj e vәzmòžen dè kòj kòj mòže dә glèdә

workers, whoever is able, whoever can look after them.

92 (GK) dobrè a tòo tàm dètu e nàj glàvnijә kәt sә prài prèmlәs

OK. Now back to when they note the yield. The head person [there],

93 (GK) òn kàk sә kәžùvә

what do you call him?

98 (a) è è bàč ә әmә znàči nәlì ti kәžùvәm

Well, sure, sheep owner. Didn’t I tell you

99 (a) kәtu se putfɤ̀rli mlekòtu nәprìmer dnèskә bәčùvәm àzeka

about ascribing milk [at the reference milking]? Today I’d be sheep owner,

101 (a) ùtre dòjde drùgiju trètijo pètijo tìja od ufčàreto aku sə trìmə

tomorrow another, a third, a fifth – If there are three shepherds,

102 (a) naprìmer tìjə se tìjə sə èdnəkvi i i trìmәtә nәprìmer idìn ìmә

for instance, they’re – the three are equal, but [of them] one would be

103 (a) kәtu zà čaùš odgovòrnik nàči nә stàdutu̥ sè ednò kәtu odgovòrnik nә stàduto

as if in charge, responsible for the flock. Yes, responsible for the flock.

104 (a) i drùgite òn kәtu vòdi tàmoka nәprìmer kato mèrɤt tuvà mlekòto mèri se

and he’d lead the others there, when they are measuring the milk,

105 (a) òn go mèri zapìsva si tàm ama ne zapìsvaa sәs tәkòvә

he’d measure it and write it down. But they wouldn’t write with [pen and paper],

114 (GK) tɤ̀j i kɤdè gi mɤzète òfcite

So. Now, where do you milk the sheep?

115 (a) әmi ufcìte si se nәpràvә tɤ̀rla tәkòa košàrka si se napràva

Well, for the sheep, they make a pen, a sheepfold gets made.

116 (a) ne sàm pušàč ne iskam košà košàra se napràva znàči

No thanks, I don’t smoke. So they make a sheepfold,

117 (a) i tàmoka ì mɤzàt

and that’s where they milk them.

120 (GK) kàk sɤ c’àlutu tɤkà ut c’àlәtә tәrlɤ̀ gi gònite ednà pu ednà

How do you [get them] all in the fold? You drive them one by one?

121 (a) nè ednà po ednà tè si se napràva utprèd znàči ìsxut vrәtìčka

Not one by one. They make this outlet in front, a little gate.

122 (a) dvè trì vratìčki kato sèdnat trìma mazničàre na stòluvetu

Two or three little gates where three milkers sit on stools.

123 (GK) takà li vratìčki li vìkaxte

Ah, you called them “little gates”.

124 (a) à nә nə stòluvetu jà sam na tòja stòl

Right. So [we’re] on stools. I’m on this stool,

125 (a) tì si na tòja tùa a a ofcète vrɤvàt pomeždu nàs

you’re on that one there, and the sheep pass between us.

126 (GK) izodzàde

From behind.

127 (a) o o odzàt tùka kәtu e trɤ̀lata znàči ìma si pokaričàr

In the back here by the sheepfold there’s the driver.

128 (GK) tɤ̀j tòj kvò prài

Right, and what does he do?

129 (a) bàčo stòje znàči odzàt i gòn’uva i znàči za da vrɤvàt ofcìte

The sheep owner stands behind and drives the sheep so they move [straight]

130 (a) da vrɤvàt za òti k’i izlègәt nèkoj pa mo

– move straight, because otherwise one might get out and –

131 (a) pa onìja nèma da izlègәt tò i ne mòže dә stàne

But this way they won’t escape [unmilked], it won’t happen,

132 (a) i tùka e grәdèš nәlì

because there’s this wall, right? and

134 (a) tàm è tè si vrɤvàt sàmi si vrәvàt tùka otprèt e pà zagràdeno

So they move along by themselves, it’s blocked off in front,

135 (a) tɤ̀rla ìma pàg zә dә ne izlègәt kato se izmɤ̀zat premèrɤt mlekòto

the pen is there so they don’t get out during the milking. The milk is measured,

136 (a) zakùsɤt ne znàm štò i hàjde pùštәt i tòja dèn

they have some sort of breakfast, then OK, let them go! and the rest of the day

137 (a) sàmi si pәsɤ̀t tàm nә tɤ̀rlәtә

[the sheep] graze by themselves in the pen.

138 (GK) i tovà t’àsnoto mèsto tàm dèto minàvat kàk se kažùva

And what do you call that narrow area that they move along,

139 (GK) dèka sedɤ̀t mazničàrete

where the milkers are sitting?

140 (a) sràga sràga

A “straga” (passage).

142 (a) sràga se kә nә stràgata po nàči tovà e sràga ponèže minàvat

It’s called “straga”, the place where they pass by

143 (a) әku sɤ pòveče òfci ili pòveče mɤzničàre trì čètiri stòla ìma

If there are more sheep or more milkers, there’ll be three or four stools,

144 (a) dә kàžeme әku sә pò màlku trì stòla ìma

for instance; if there are less, then there’ll be three stools.

145 (a) sèdnɤt abe tòčno tәkà sàmu če stòluvetu kàg dә ti opìsvәm

They sit – just how, on these stools, how to describe [this] to you?

146 (a) tò stòlu znàči se napràvә sè ednò

It’s a stool, it’s made, well –

147 (b) kato trùpče

Like a wooden block.

148 (a) sɤz bàzi sɤs čìmuve si gu nәpràvәt tәkà otprède è tәkà pudìgneno

They make it with chunks of sod. It’s built up in front like this,

149 (a) è kәtu tuvà sә dìgnәti nәgòre i tuvà tàmuka kәtu izlìzәt ufcìte

Like this, built up high, at the spot where the sheep come out,

150 (a) àh nә sràgәtә dә ne mòž də utèče ufcàtə znàči nә sràgәtә

in the “straga” so that any one sheep can’t run away, there in the “straga”.

151 (a) pres sràgәtә minàvәt à kәtu prez vrәtàtә saà tùka nәprìmer

They pass through the “straga”. It’s like passing through a gate, for instance,

152 (a) sàmo če pò tèsno e tәkà

except it’s more narrow, just enough …

154 (a) kòlkoto ofcàta dә minàva

… for a sheep to pass through.

156 (a) ednà po ednà minàvat

They pass through one at a time.

158 (a) òti aku sә tìjә trìmәtә tàm mɤzničàre dә kàžem

So if there are three milkers there, for instance,

159 (a) tòj a fàšta tàә i i ә izdòje izmɤ̀ze a drùgijo drùgata

one grabs a sheep and milks it dry, and the next another,

160 (a) n nìe nә ednàk ne mòš ne də i izmɤ̀zeme jàs pùštәm tàa

and we can’t milk them all at once. I release one,

162 (a) nә sràgәtә si vrɤvàt pustujànnu òfci òti edìnu pùštә

The sheep keep on moving through the “straga”, since one releases,

163 (a) drùgiju lòvi znàči tò se brɤ̀že stàvә tàmoka što sə

another grabs, and it all gets done quickly like that.

164 (GK) aha i tovà dèto dèto se sɤbìra mlekòto nә ufcàtә

Uh huh. And this – where the sheep’s milk accumulates –

165 (GK) tò kɤ̀k sә kәžùvә

what’s that called?

166 (a) ve̝drò

A pail.

169 (GK) dèto tovà tò dèto go mɤzèš

… below the thing that you milk.

170 (a) vɤf ә vәf tuvà što go mɤzèš ml’àkutu le

in the – in the thing where you get the milk?

173 (a) à ìmeto ìme se kàzva ìme

A, udder! It’s called an udder.

175 (a) vìme vìme ìme ìme ufcàtә jà kuzàtә znàči ìmetu kugà [laughter]

“vime”, “ime” (udder) on the sheep. And look at the goat! Yes, udder.When –

176 (GK) è kugà gi strižèxte ufcète

So. When did you shear the sheep?

177 (a) ufcìte se strigàd znàči ud girg’òvden znàči kәm šèsti desèti màj

Sheep are shorn around St. George’s day, the sixth or tenth of May.

179 (a) tugàj i srižème

That’s when we shear them.

180 (GK) i kàk stàә tàә rәbòtә

And how does that happen?

183 (a) strìženetu e [laughter] ìmә si tәkìi speciàlni krɤklìzi ili mòže sәs nòžnici

Shearing! Well, there are special shears, or maybe with scissors,

184 (a) nòžnici tìjә štò krujàčeto

Scissors of the sort that tailors …

186 (a) terdzìite što sà i s tәkvìi mòže ә pә ìmә si

… old-time tailors [use], you can do it with those, but there are also

187 (a) i drùgi kɤrklìzi bàš speciàlni zә strìžene si ìmәše tugàj kәrklìzi

other shears. There were these shears specially [made] for shearing back then.

188 (a) sòpneš a ufcàtә znàči sòpneš à sèdneš sì i sì ә

You hobble the sheep, you hobble, sit by it and –

189 (a) às ustrìgvәx pu četìreese tòa dèn nàči kәtu sèdnә

I used to shear forty sheep a day. I would sit down [to it]

190 (a) ut sutrintà du òbet četìrese ke ostrìžem tùkə ə pə

in the early morning, and by noon I’d shear forty of them. But,

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