svv21_02

I was born here, in the Kodori canyon, in the year one thousand nine hundred and thirty one, on the 14th of June, one hundred and... umm... how, two times... {1931} in Svan.

ameču natäû xûi, däls, atäsičxaraširisemešdiešxu zaûži, ešdyûōštxû iûniss, ašir i... məde..., imži, yurin... {atascxras ormocdaerti} lušnud.

_ Now of wrestling... those... what... umm... in Dali, look, it has always been a custom, and it was regarded... umm... as bravery, as good bravery, look, good wrestlers were (regarded) as brave young men.

_ atxe libərgyēle... mədyär... mäy... məde... dälisga, ai, xemtkûǟndax i limxeġûažû i... mədad... itûleboda ala, xoča limxeġûažd, á, xoča mabərga mäxeġûažär ardax.

_ {Look at this now...}

_ {dauḳûirdi axla ase...}

_ In Svan!

_ lušnud!

_ {Yes, and} when I was growing up, there was the custom then here in Svanetia {to compete in} wrestling, jumping, swimming, throwing stones.

_ {hoda,} ču mǟy ser i amču, č'on... mäxeġûažteka k'ōġûer, eka c̣es läsû ameču, šûänisga, libərgyēl, lisḳne, coreû, bäčä liḳûāne.

So it was and I chose wrestling, I took part in wrestling competitions and how I wrestled, and twice I became the champion of Abkhazia.

ala läsû i mi libərgyēlte oxûcxēn i xûibərgyāldäs i mām xoč̣inda eǯži xûibərgyāldäs i yurin gaûxdi apxazetis čemṗion.

Then I tried to inscribe at the sports university but I fell sick (then) and (so) I couldn't... couldn't... couldn't... reach my goal.

ečūnġo xûabräydäs pizḳulṭurulte, mara aûad gaûxdi i deš, deš, deš ohä... otäh.

So it was then.

amži läsû ečka.

The Svan man used to travel from village to village and to wrestle with another (man)

mušûän māra esġərda i sopel-sopel xemkarāl ušxûār

(to see) which villager would win, and there they awarded them prizes then.

sopeliš xeda moigebda i eče čûačkûärdax, ečka.

Now (the one) from Gentsvsh, (the one) from Gvandra... come on, this one is from here, that one is from there, and who would be the winner, and such customs were (here) then, (but) later this began, look, whom they would choose here, (as) good wrestlers, they had managers and took them to the regional centre.

atxe gənc̣išxän, gûandraxän... aġ' ûala amxän li, al' ečxän li i yerûǟymoš gaimarǯûebda i amži c̣es läsû ečka i ečūnġo al' ädbinǟná, ži amču erûäys ka itišdax, alas, á, xoča mebərgyēlas i xelmʒġûanelär xeq̇ǟdx i čûesq̇ǟndax räyonte.

They took us there, to the regional centre, and there it was then, eh, twice I became the champion of Abkhazia, that means.

čûanyex ečxaû, räyonte, i ečeču läsû ečka, è, ûorǯer gaûxdi, esēgi, apxazeti čemṗioni.

At that time there happened a certain case, how many (such) cases there were, when I was taken down to the regional centre, they met me in Tsebelda, those whom I was to defeat, their party.

ečka läsû ešxu momenṭ, á, momenṭ ûoša läsû, čûībte er anyex, čûemxûīddax c̣ebels, xedûǟys mi moûuge ečī ṗärṭia.

They met me and our party in Tsebelda, and initially we entered this, look, a dispute, then we competed in wrestling and I won there as well, in Tsebelda, there.

ämxûiddax c̣ebels i näy ṗärṭias i anādda mänḳû' alā, ḳamat i ečūnġo libərgyēl anādda ešču i eščuy moûige, c̣ebels, eče.

So we went farther away.

amž' ōġûerdad ser ži.

This... some short while had passed and this, look, the cattle was being driven from Karachay.

ala... ačäd xän i māma i q̇arčaxän axq̇ax alā, ḳumäš.

The Karachay people drove the cattle (here) and they have their herd down there, in Gentsish, on the field.

q̇arčǟls axq̇ax ḳumäš i ǯûeg xaq̇ax lekûāû, gənc̣iš, mindûerisga.

They were camping there.

čûadsodgûmǟnx.

I was not there on the spot then.

ešču mi mām xûardäs ečka ädgilži.

I was in Ajara and I was coming back up now, and we met them here, look, the Svan people: Ewgen Samsian, Dätiko Gurchian, Grisha Margwelian, these brave young men, in Gentsish, and (they said), "hey, Ujgush, now you can reveal your bravery, (lit. and) wrestle with this Karachay man."

aǯaras xûardäs i onġûr' ātxe leža i čûämxûiddax ameču alyär, á, šûanär: eûgen samsiān, dätiḳo gurčiān, griša margûeliān, alyär, lemxeġûaža, gənc̣iš i "haṭ, uǯguš, atx' ēser li, aġûe, mišgûi limxeġûaž i al məq̇ərčäys eser emoš ka xûebərgyēl."

I glanced at him and yes, he is of my age, and (so) we wrestled, firstly from the left side - such was their custom - then from the right side, and I overpowered him.

ka loxsgi i... ə... mišgu cäl li ala i č'otbərgyǟnd mänḳu lertanxän, _ eǯyärs amži xämtkûǟnx, _ ečkānġo _ lersgûānxän i č'otc̣ind alas.

I won.

č'otc̣ind.

He was offended.

amnēmd ž'ängoxle.

He was offended, but his boss was a good man, he took my side and gifted me a three-year old calf on my name.

ž' yer ängoxle, eči upros xoča māre läsû, eǯa m' ämc̣ādda i ka maščukûre amži mišgûa žaxaži semi ləzäy xabna.

_ Aha, because you defeated that Karachay man?

_ aha, eǯi məq̇ərčäys mouge, eǯġaya?

_ Yes, come on, "nobody here has (ever) overwhelmed him," (they said) and I seemed to be much smaller and he looked like a bull, he.

_ ādu, aġo, al' ēser ču dǟs xoda ameču i mi xoxra šdikd tûerīndäs i eǯa buġas xaǯōnda, eǯa.

_ Was he tall?

_ xoša läsmo?

_ Of a tall body, enormous.

_ xoša ṭanär, ûitmatûir.

We had three turns, and all three times I won.

sumin loxûṭäxd, sumin oxûid.

That Ewgen was glad there, all (our) Svan people, and they made a feast for me.

eče eǯa eûgens atxīdən, mteli šûanärs i keip maq̇erx ameču.

So it ended for once.

amit damtaûrda es ešxûimin.

When they came here later, they came from Chuber, especially for wrestling.

ečūnġo ser amxāû er anġərdax, č̣ubērxän anqädx, amxän, läbərgyālte sṗecialurad.

_ The brave young men from Chuber?

_ č̣ubri mäxeġûažära?

_ The brave young men from Chuber.

_ č̣ubri mäxeġûažär.

One was a Chkhwimian and the other one, a Tsindelian.

čxûimiān läsû ešxu i cindeliān läsû.

There they had wrestled with Vazha Gurchian, poor Wano Pirwel - Wano Pirvel wrestled best, (with) Jujula Choplian, and they used to go around with victories here, but (lit. and) I met Tsindelian and defeated him, too. And so the time passed, (time) passed and in the course of time, a time came when they organised competitions with each others village by village, village by village.

ešču k'äxbərgǟnx ûaža gurčiāns, lešundebis, lešundûebi ûano ṗirûels, _ ûano ṗirûel megč̣ad ibərgyǟl, _ ǯuǯula čopliāns i ameču aǯaġ eǯyär mogebul esġərdax i lohxûid cindeliāns mi i ečas moûuge aǯaġ mi i ase midioda dûreû, esġərda i drota ganmaûlobaši uḳûe dadga eǯḳäli dûreû, ere sopli-sopel xemkarālx ušxûār, sopli-sopel.

_ Aha, the brave young men of which villages?

_ aha, xed sopli lemxeġûaža?

_ They were to win.

_ ätc̣inix.

_ They all used to gather on Sundays from Saken, from here and once Bidzina Etaant, poor man, he and I met each other here, all (of them), Alexandre Pakelian, all (of them) I defeated, from all villages.

_ ž'iq̇ûbǟlx mišladäġ mäg saḳenxän, amxän i ešxu momenṭka biʒina eṭaša, lešundebi, eǯa i mi lohxûidd ušxûār amču, či, aleksandre ṗaḳeliān, či, moûige i či sopelxän.

Now, even Bidzina and me, Bidzina (and me) were separated, that means, look, as they say, and they separated us, so and so it was.

atxe, biʒina i miy biʒinad amži otq̇ûäld esēg' á, laxûbads er ṭūlix i čûanq̇ūrlex eǯži i amži läsû.

_ Aha, you finished with a drawn match?

_ aha, meguži aq̇ûaldmo?

_ Yes, it was a drawn match between us, an even match, between me and Bidzina Etaant.

_ meguži oq̇ûald näy, meguži, mi i biʒina eṭaša.

With this, with this it passed, it passed, my... umm... and I did have success.

amnoš, amnoš ačäd, ačäd mišgu... məde... i c̣armaṭeba muġûǟn.

I was on the right way but then I was prevented from further success by him.

ezär esġurdäs, mare ečūnġo šemišala aman xeli.