The English Gipsies and Their Language Part 23

Yeckorus a choro Rommany chal d.i.c.ked a rani hatch taller the wuder of a boro ker an' mukked adovo a bitti lil. Then he putched the rakli, when the rani jessed avree, what the lil kaired. Adoi the rakli pukkered lesco it was for her rani ta jin kun'd welled a d.i.c.k her. "Avali!"

penned the Rommany chal; "_that's_ the way the Gorgios mukks their patteran! _We_ mukks char apre the drum."

The grai mukks his pirro apre the drum, an' the sap kairs his trail adree the puv.

TRANSLATION.

Once a poor Gipsy saw a lady stop before the door of a great house and left there a card (little letter). Then he asked the girl, when the lady went away, what the card meant (literally, _did_). Then (there) the girl told him it was for her lady to know who had come to see her. "Yes!"

said the Gipsy; "so that is the way the Gorgios leave their sign! _We_ leave gra.s.s on the road."

The horse leaves his track on the road, and the snake makes his trail in the dust.

GUDLO XXV. THE GIPSY IN THE FOREST.

When I was beshin' alay adree the wesh tale the bori rukkas, mandy putched a tikno chillico to latch mandy a bitti moro, but it jalled avree an' I never d.i.c.ked it kekoomi. Adoi I putched a boro chillico to latch mandy a curro o' tatti panni, but it jalled avree paul' the waver. Mandy never putchered the rukk parl my sherro for kek, but when the bavol welled it wussered a lay to mandy a hundred ripe kori.

TRANSLATION.

When I was sitting down in the forest under the great trees, I asked a little bird to bring (find) me a little bread, but it went away and I never saw it again. Then I asked a great bird to bring me a cup of brandy, but it flew away after the other. I never asked the tree over my head for anything, but when the wind came it threw down to me a hundred ripe nuts.

GUDLO XXVI. THE GIPSY FIDDLER AND THE YOUNG LADY.

Yeckorus a tano mush was kellin' kushto pre the boshomengro, an' a kushti d.i.c.kin rani pookered him, "Tute's killaben is as sano as best-tood." And he rakkered ajaw, "Tute's mui's gudlo sar pishom, an' I'd cammoben to puraben mi tood for tute's pishom."

Kushto pash kushto kairs ferridearer.

TRANSLATION.

Once a young man was playing well upon the violin, and a beautiful lady told him, "Your playing is as soft as cream." And he answered, "Your mouth (_i.e_., lips or words) is sweet as honey, and I would like to exchange my cream for your honey."

Good with good makes better.

GUDLO XXVII. HOW THE GIPSY DANCED A HOLE THROUGH A STONE.

Yeckorus some plochto Rommany chals an' juvas were kellin' the pash-divvus by dood tall' a boro ker, and yeck penned the waver, "I'd be cammoben if dovo ker was mandy's." And the rye o' the ker, kun sus d.i.c.kin' the kellaben, rakkered, "When tute kells a hev muscro the bar you're hatchin' apre, mandy'll del tute the ker." Adoi the Rom tarried the bar apre, an' d.i.c.ked it was hollow tale, and sar a curro 'pre the waver rikk. So he lelled dui sastern chokkas and kelled sar the ratti 'pre the bar, kairin' such a gudlo you could shoon him a mee avree; an'

adree the sala he had kaired a hev adree the bar as boro as lesters sherro. So the barvelo rye del him the fino ker, and sar the mushis got matto, hallauter kettenus.

Many a cheirus I've shooned my puri dye pen that a bar with a hev adree it kairs kammoben.

TRANSLATION.

Once some jolly Gipsy men and girls were dancing in the evening by moonlight before a great house, and one said to the other, "I'd be glad if that house was mine." And the gentleman of the house, who was looking at the dancing, said, "When you dance a hole through (in the centre of) the stone you are standing on, I'll give you the house." Then the Gipsy pulled the stone up, and saw it was hollow underneath, and like a cup on the other side. So he took two iron shoes and danced all night on the stone, making such a noise you could hear him a mile off; and in the morning he had made a hole in the stone as large as his head. So the rich gentleman gave him the fine house, and all the people got drunk, all together.

Many a time I've heard my old mother say that a stone with a hole in it brings luck.

GUDLO XXVIII. STORY OF THE GENTLEMAN AND THE GIPSY.

Yeckorus a boro rye wouldn't mukk a choro, pauvero, chovveny Rommany chal hatch odoi 'pre his farm. So the Rommany chal jalled on a puv apre the waver rikk o' the drum, anerjal the ryas beshaben. And dovo ratti the ryas ker pelled alay; kek kash of it hatched apre, only the foki that loddered adoi hullered their kokeros avree ma their miraben. And the ryas tikno chavo would a-mullered if a Rommany juva had not lelled it avree their pauveri bitti tan.

An' dovo's sar _tacho like my dad_, an' to the divvus kenna they pens that puv the Rommany Puv.

TRANSLATION.

Once a great gentleman would not let a poor, poor, poor Gipsy stay on his farm. So the Gipsy went to a field on the other side of the way, opposite the gentleman's residence. And that night the gentleman's house fell down; not a stick of it remained standing, only the people who lodged there carried themselves out (_i.e_., escaped) with their lives.

And the gentleman's little babe would have died if a Gipsy woman had not taken it into their poor little tent.

And that's all _true as my father_, and to this day they call that field the Gipsy Field.

GUDLO XXIX. HOW THE GIPSY WENT INTO THE WATER.

Yeck divvus a prastramengro prastered pauli a Rommany chal, an' the chal jalled adree the panni, that was pordo o' boro bittis o' floatin' shill, and there he hatched pall his men with only his sherro avree. "Hav avree," sh.e.l.led a rye that was wafro in his see for the pooro rnush, "an'

we'll mukk you jal!" "Kek," penned the Rom; "I shan't jal." "Well avree," penned the rye ajaw, "an' I'll del tute pange bar!" "_Kek_,"

rakkered the Rom. "Jal avree," shokkered the rye, "an' I'll del tute pange bar an' a nevvi chukko!" "Will you del mandy a walin o' tatto panni too?" putched the Rommany chal. "Avail, avail," penned the rye; "but for Duveleste hav' avree the panni!" "Kushto," penned the Rommany chal, "for cammoben to tute, rya, I'll jal avree!" {235}

TRANSLATION.

Once a policeman chased a Gipsy, and the Gipsy ran into the river, that was full of great pieces of floating ice, and there he stood up to his neck with only his head out. "Come out," cried a gentleman that pitied the poor man, "and we'll let you go!" "No," said the Gipsy; "I won't move." "Come out," said the gentleman again, "and I'll give you five pounds!" "No," said the Gipsy. "Come out," cried the gentleman, "and I'll give you five pounds and a new coat!" "Will you give me a gla.s.s of brandy too?" asked the Gipsy. "Yes, yes," said the gentleman; "but for G.o.d's sake come out of the water!" "Well," exclaimed the Gipsy, "to oblige you, sir, I'll come out!"

GUDLO x.x.x. THE GIPSY AND HIS TWO MASTERS.