svv30_05

_ There were feasts in my childhood; since then we've been making them...

_ dġesasc̣aular atxe mišgûa libopšsī, mi laydi atxēy xuasq̇ixûi.

The way I celebrate New Year...

mi imžīn xûasq̇i zōmxas.

We, Lashkhs, call New Year's Eve "Shushkhvami".

zomxa lad... c̣ina ladeġ šušxûams xûāq̇led lāšxar.

On that day, in the morning, Mother and Father used to tell us, children in bed:

ʒinars ču er irûi, zomxay c̣ina ladeġ, mama i alyār, mišgûi dede i alyār bōpšars laq̇ûreltēysa gûāq̇lax:

"Many happy return of Shushkhvami!" We answered: "The same to you too";

"xuāy šušxûam lok ogûšxûāmena," _ nay laydi: "sgay lok xûāy šušxûāmu eššxûamēnax",

- and it was New Year's Eve...

_ i ale las zomxay sgobne ladeġ.

Then, in the evening, used to get prepared; even now I do it so.

ečānġo, zomxa let, ser ži xûimārold, ži... atxēy eyži ži xûasq̇īxûi mi.

I would boil a pig's head and jaw.

xami txum-aq̇bas ži xûaǯbi.

I would bake bean-bread, khachapuri, cakes, sweets and then I set a container for flour;

ales, lobyanars, ka xûānq̇e, xač̣aṗurals, namcxûarals, ṭḳbileuls i ečānġo ûac̣q̇ob lapeks.

I would set a container for flour,

ži xûasq̇īxûi lapeks.

I would fill it up with wheat flour.

ži xûagûšile ḳûecna pekšû.

I would pat it on top with a palm and put a white egg and some white wadding on it.

žikānka lāġs amži ka xocûēnixûi, ečeži ču xûadēsxûi tûetna ləgras, tûetne bambas.

We would bake sacrificial bread resembling board and put a candle and lots of sweets on it;

pusna lemezər dyars xûanq̇ēxûi ka, ṭabəlšāl, eǯis xûadēsxûi, santels, ṭḳbileulobas atasnairiš

and I took an apple, a good apple,

i uusgûs xûiḳēdxûi, xoča tûala ûusgûs.

put some coins around it, coins around the apple;

ales xurda tetrs ser amži ka xûacxṗe, xurda tetršû ale ûusgûs,

and I would put it and cover it with coins...

i xurda tetršû ləbrōmbas ču xûadēsxûi ečēži i ču xûadēsxûi

and I used to put coins onto it even before.

i ečkad aš tetrs xûadēsgis.

Now, when my son - God, give a long life to my Zviad! - gives me some dollars,

mi atxe mišgûi bōpš, mišgûi zûiadi xûāy xansu maq̇a, dolars er maûdi,

I put them on the container for flour waiting for an early morning.

dolarsi ži xûadēs lapekži i ser ûelodebi ʒinars dōsgi gatenebas.

I call a New Year well-wisher, but before he comes, a family well-wisher...should...that...

məč̣šxi dabarebul maq̇a, mara məč̣xi liqdāld kora məč̣šxi xaḳûer... məde...

I have my grandchild Giorgi, Manana's son, as a family well-wisher; he would go out near there...

kora məč̣šxi mišgûi nibāšnol giorgi maq̇a, mananā gezal, ečeču pēdyas, i ka ġə̄ri ale.

We would go out and I take the prepared container for flour to the gate and I put some rice on... that... on the plate,

ka ġūrid i mi laydi lapeks ka xûaesxûi č̣išḳarnun i kāmenču xugēmxûi brinǯi... mədas... tepšisa

and I pray:

i xûimzərālxûi i:

"God, let Sasashi's power be of great help to us; many happy returns of New Year to my Zviad, to his wife and children, to my Manana,

"ġērbet, sasši q̇er šemc̣add, ġērbet, xûāy zay maxe ossrul mišgûa zûiadis, miča col-šûils, mišgûa mananas,

to her husband and children and to my children," - and with these words of praying I come back home;

miča kmaršûils i mišgûa bōpšilars", _ i amži lamzərāluš sga qûednīxûi i sga korte i sga qedni giorgi i meḳûled.

then the well-wisher comes.

ečānġo qedni meḳûle.

Then a well-wisher comes, a well-wisher.

ečānġo meḳûle qedni, məč̣šxi.

So, a well-wisher comes and I already have a flour container at the door and I tell him: "Now open your hands to this container".

es'ēgi, məč̣šxi qedni i məč̣šxis lapeks xoxûienixûi q̇ōrməq̇ i aġo: "sgayǯ lexšyašenxas atxe ales, lapeks."

When I get up in the morning, before a well-wisher comes, while being here, in Lentekhi, I prepare

ʒinars ûod məč̣šxi liqdāld ži er xûignālxûi, mi lapeks, ûod amečūnen xûard, lelṭxas,

a flour container and I go out and shout to him:

ži xûasq̇is lapeks i ka ġūris q̇ōrka i xuaṭūli:

"Open the door, you, lucky - man!

q̇ōr məḳar, bednyēr!

My husband replies from the house, smiling:

korxenisa māṭxa mišgûi č̣aš, _ xačōnda aš:

"What are you carrying, you, lucky-one?

may ayġûa, bednyēr?

"Peace for men, peace for cattle".

māremi našdobi, ḳumaši našdobi.

In old times our grandfather used to tell us something like this, I have heard from him, my grandfather used to say something like this:

ǯûineld babāy amži gûaq̇la, ečāšxen muġûa naûnār, babāy amži ṭūlda:

"Peace to men, be cattle-shed full of cattle, pigsty full of pigs,

mārem našdobi, laḳûmaš ḳumašš goši, laxam xamarš goši,

hen-house full of chickens; open the door, you, lucky-man!"

laktalir katlarš goši, q̇ōr məḳar, bednyēr!

And we used to reply again, to reply:

aǯaġ logṭixa, lax... loxṭixad:

"What are you carrying, lucky-man?"

may ayġûa, bednyēr?

"Peace for men, open the door, lucky-man!"

māremi našdobi, q̇ōr məḳar, bednyēr!

Having heard for the third time _

mēsmamd er lēkûne:

"Come in, lucky-man!"

"sg'ānsgoǯ, bednyēr!"

my grandfather would open the door and come in... and I do the same here, and I do all this as of old

i šemoaġebda, sga qednōl babua i ales xûasq̇i miy eče i amži xûasq̇i ʒûeleburad ales čīs

And I would carry a flour container round the beds and I open my hand and offer it to everyone...

i lapeks ka xûač̣mīne laq̇ûrēlməq̇ i sga xûašyāšixûi, ka xûabše.

I do everything this way and I put their hands on sweets,

amži xûasq̇i ales čīs i tetrālžī ži xûadēsne ṭoṭs, ṭḳbileulžī,

so that my family might have sweet New Year.

ere ṭḳbil er maxe zay ere exīdes mišgûa oǯaxs.

Then a well-wisher will come.

ečānġo məč̣šxi qedni.

You should sit together with the well-wisher and say a toast.

məč̣šxicaxan ču xaḳû er esgurdēxi, ž'exmezrāla.

The well-wisher would go around the rooms praying.

məč̣šxi šemoiûlis otaxars lamzərāluš.

You, too, would sit, pass him sweets and I would take a glass of wine ,

si laydi čûesgurixi, ṭḳbils miac̣odeb i ži xûiḳēdxûi ġûineli č̣iks,

and put as much money as we have - one, five, or ten lari note on the glass.

ži xûadēsxui ečežīnen, māzumi ǯeġûēni, xutlaryan, manetsi xûaydin xûadēsd, atisi, č̣ikži.

Then I put a candy on it and offer a glass:

ečānġonen ečežīnen ḳampeṭs xûadēsxûi i č̣iks ka xûabše:

"Have a full year, let it bring you increase in number, growth, health, physical fitness, luck,

"goši zaysu laxgēnenaxi, kemiryand, cxemiryand, ǯanmrteld, ṭanmrteld, soyand,

thousand returns of the day"' - and I would offer, I would open my hand.

atasu zaysu ačyēna ladeġi ladeġ", _ i ka xûabšēxûi, eǯis ču xûašyāši.

He would say a toast, then I give him a present before he goes, I give him a shirt or whatever I have...

eǯi ž'imzərāli, ečānġo lizāld ču xaḳûer otsačkûara, yed saročḳas xûahûdīxûi, may meġûēni,

I have prepared it beforehand, I would wrap it and present him some money too and then I let him go... he is pleased...

ləmāre muġûa c̣inasc̣ar, šeûuxûeû eǯis i tetrsi ka xûasačkûari i ḳmaq̇opils pušdēxûi meḳûles.

This is how we celebrate New Year...

amži ûaṭarebt zomxā dġesasc̣auls.

They had my children as well-wishers.

mišgûi bōpšar məč̣šxyard xeq̇ēdax.

My neighbor Pepiko is here; I have a good neighbor Pepiko; Manana was her well-wisher.

mišgûi mezobel pepiḳo li amečūnen, xoča mezobel maq̇a pepiḳo, eča məč̣šxi manana las.

Zviad was a well-wisher to my another neighbour.

eče mezûbeli məč̣šxi zûiadi las.

I had Madona (a name) here and she, too, was a well-wisher.

madonōl meq̇ēda i eče eǯi aǯaġ meḳûle las

And in the morning I would prepare candies, sweets and all these things for all of them.

i ʒinars čīmis ži xûamāres amži... mədāysa..., ḳampeṭars, ṭḳbileuls, čīs,

I would give them to the children and they would go as well-wishers.

bōpšars ka xûaq̇ûanis i ʒinars esġrə̄dax meḳûlēld.

Zviad was little, he had to go over the bridge when he was going as a well-wisher and I used to see him off.

zûiadi ḳoṭōlil las, bogka xāda ka lēzi meḳûled i ka xûāgnad.

He was scared; he was going to such a place that he went hardly...

ečēka xaq̇lūnda, eḳayb adgite esġrə̄da, ere ʒliûs ġə̄rda.

He was a little child...

bōpš ḳoṭōlil las.

He was so much afraid! And I used to see them off all as well-wishers and then they would come back with presents.

eyži maq̇aûlar las i ka xûagnis alyārs meḳûlēld čīs i ečanġō ləsačkûare sga qednōldax.

Then, when they became students, Pepiko changed her well-wishers then...

ečānġo sṭudenṭar er gaxden, pepiḳod šeicûala ečānġo meḳûle, sṭudenṭar er gaxden

and we had our well-wisher here and made him go up and down in our own way and we did everything well.

i amečūnen nay gušgûe meḳûle gûeq̇ēda i gušgûeurad ûaṭarebdit i čīs xočāmd xûasq̇ə̄dad

And I had a good family, hospitable one...

i xoča ûoǯax muġûānda, sṭumartmoq̇ûare.