svv30_10

_ What do you know about other feasts, what do you remember?

_ išgen dġesasc̣aul mä ǯixa, mä ǯašq̇id?

_ I remember such feasts as: Easter, Qvishoba and Ulishoba.

_ išgen dġesasc̣aular ser alyār mašq̇id, tanap i kûišob i ûulišob li.

Ulishoba is celebrated in Upper Mele, but people used to ride from Sasashi,

ulišob gûixal leža meles aš, eǯi, ulišob, mar sasāšxen i čixen,

from Lashkheti and all other places. That is Ulishi.

tel lāšx ečxāû esġrə̄da čāžšû i amnoš, kûeq̇ana, eǯi uliš li.

They say, that the icon of St. Kvirike of Kala is taken from there...from Lagurka (the St. Kvirike church)

lagûirḳa, dideb otqad, ḳala lagûirḳa... məde..., ečxēnisa naes lok li,

and now...how it was celebrated there, in that St. Kvirike church, the same happens during Ulishi feasts.

imžûay eče ṭardeba, eǯ lagûirḳas, eče ḳala... məde..., amḳayb ṗlanži ṭardeba eǯ uliš

This is also a great feast, a very great one...

i eǯī bəgi dġesasc̣aul li, ʒġə̄d bəgi dġesasc̣aul li.

We also celebrate the Ascension Day and this happens in the same way, too; the Ascension Day is called "Amaghleba".

anġleb gûixal eče, ečey amži lišdab, anġlebs, atxe amaġlebas xaṭūlix.

All these...these nice feasts; and Giorgoba...we celebrate Giorgoba (the day of St. George) and so on.

mag ale, mag xoča dġesasc̣aular i ligērgi, giorgoba gûixal i amži.

We did not celebrate the day of St. George before...

giorgobaži aš ečkad nay dġesasc̣aul mām gûixālda,

but now everybody celebrates it; it was a simple holiday before...

atxe asq̇i xalx, edo ale gûixāld'ā, ûikm.

It was forbidden during Giorgoba to touch a needle...mother used to hide scissors, combs:

ar šeiʒleboda ligērgi ladeġ ûoǯaxs, yed nēsq̇as... i čīs čûaṗžūnda dede, tərkaṭs, lacxnirs:

"Don't look at these things, or else your cattle won't come back...

"nom loku xûec̣add, sabra, ales lok xoxal ḳumaši kam lised

beasts will tear the cattle".

i ḳumašs nadir lok aglə̄re".

And it was forbidden on Giorgoba to do anything

i ligērgi ḳerb xoxāldax, ere giorg... eča ladeġ xaḳûer mod eykutnānda, mod eykutnānda ṭoṭ

and you were not to do anything... were not to break the holiday; you were not to work and, of course, you had to pray.

i dōsma eysq̇ānda eyḳalib, ere dagerġûia eǯi ûukm i limšae ṗlanži i limzə̄r-liqərāli, ra tkma unda.

There were no acting churches by that time and people themselvesàthere were local people - "Sarostas"- who prayed; we had two of them

momkmed eḳlesiēl des'ārdax ečka i tûiton xalx, sarosṭāld yeru ameču,

When I was married and went to live in Lentekhi...then there, in the church of St. Lamaria in Leqvsuri...glory to itàthere were "Sarostas"...

k'ēr oxc̣ûilēn lenṭxate, ečānġo lekûsuri lamārias, dideb otqad, ečečūn sarosṭēl xeq̇ēdax,

They were in Lentekhi...well...in Leqvsuri...

ale, tûiton lenṭxā... məde..., lekûsurā.

You would give them sacred (holy) bread, flour, a candle and say to them: "Bless my children with it".

ka lahōdin eǯis ṭabə̄ls, tetrs, santels i ka xēkûnin, ere "ču lok emmezər amnoš mišgûi bōpšar".

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He would bless them aloud:

eǯi ž'īmzəralda ḳōltxid:

"With it may blessed her children, her boy and girl, amen!"

"amnoš lok čûatmēzər amša bōpšar, amša č̣q̇inṭ i dina, āmens lok".

And they threw some coins in it... there...they had a special box for this.

i eǯis, tetrs, mine... mədatēysa.... šə̄ddax, q̇ut xuûānx calḳe.

And they kept separately the sacred bread.

ṭāblare lārda calḳe xuûānx.

They had special jugs for wine.

ġûineli lagûša calḳe xuûānx.

They gathered all these and then, in the evening, they shared all these with each other; many things were gathered:

ales čīs ž'ixûryēldax, čûītdax ečānġo nebozs, xûāy xexûryelolx ale,

sacred (holy) bread, the money and the spirits...all this was gathered in great amounts...

lemzezəral i ale tetr i ale letre, mag xûāy xexûryeloldax alyārs, yedur xûāy,

and they usually shared all these with each other...

i eǯis čûītdax.

That church was almost destroyed.

eǯi eḳlesia dangreûis ṗiras las misul.

It was thoroughly destroyed.

dangreul las mteld

And God, glory to Him, endowed His mercy on Zviad and Zuro, and they were able to do it

i laxōm ġertem, dideb otqad, mišgûa zûiadis i zurōcaxan ču, zuros, šesaʒlebloba

They rebuilt the church and now it is called St. Mary's church of Leqsuri and this had been done by my Zviad and Zuro...

i ž'āngex maxan i atxe maxe li eǯi lamāria leksurāš i ale mišgûi č̣q̇inṭd i miča zurod ānsq̇ex

and prayers were served there...and may all be blessed...all...

i limzər-liqərāl xārx i čīs mašeddu axqēda i čīs.

May that church bless all...all, who enters and who goes out of it.

mag ləmzə̄reû li eǯi eḳlesiāûš, sga mēzi i ka meqed mag.

Here, above my house, on the peak of the cliff, there had been a chapel in old times.

ameču, mišgûa kora txumžīnen, ḳoǯa karapži, lamzə̄r ləmār ǯûineld.

There was nothing there; just on the Ascension Day the whole region used to gather here...here, where I live in Lentekhi.

desam'ārda ečečūnen, oġond amaġlebā ladeġ ž'īxûryelol al ḳutxe ameču, imečuy mi ûcxoûrob, lenṭxas,

It is a small region, 12 families... and they had promised God and used to go up...

ṗaṭara ḳutxe li, yešdyeru ûoǯax ari, ži ləgad xuûān, ž'esġrə̄dax.

They used to take a calf, kill it and these 12 families gathered at the Ascension Day.

ž'aesdax ečxāû ġuns, čûaʒyendax, ž'īxûryelol ale yešdyeru ûoǯax anġleb ladeġ,

The Bendelianis joined them from there and baked holy bread with the plucks.

ečxēn bendelyānar xekmenōlx i ale gul-ġûiʒlšû, ṭāblars ānq̇ax

And there were all members of the families, but women were forbidden to be present.

i ûoǯaxi c̣eûr mag ārda, oġond zuralēls dem ixnax.

Men would sit, toast and bless...

ġûažar čûīsgroldax, ž'īmzəraldax aminšû i amzə̄rdax

And there...in short, either my husband or my Zviad would go there...wellàZviad began to go there

i amxāû ser may mišgûi č̣aš esġrə̄da i zûiadi... məde..., zûiadid enbīne ečxāû lizi.

I would bake the sacred bread and the child would take it there to them.

ži xomāris ales ser ečxāû lemzərāls, bōpšs, i ž'aesda,

Thus, he'd go there... and they used to get drunk...they often got drunk;

ka xelḳōl amži i žib ser ečanġōn, ečeču, čuy xûaydin išdmōlx, _ amēn,

and their voices were heard throughout the region and then they would come down.

_ ismōl mteld rayonte i ču qednōlx amži.

When Zviad got firmly established and went to the city, he said to me:

zûiadi er c̣amoimarta, c̣amoimarta, i ačad kalakte, ečka lēkû, ere, mi mēkû:

"Mother, I must build here a small chapel".

"dede lok, mi lok ameču ḳoṭōl mayġena ču lok xaḳûer otga lamzər-laqərāl".

I said: "It would be very well, my dear son, if you build a small...

mi xûekûne... xûekar, ere "ezariǯ iri, dede šemogeûlosiǯ, amži ṗaṭara... mədāsiǯ... er atgēmxi,

something like a small niche...so that to place that icon there and people will pray". That's what I said.

nišilšāl, ereé, xaṭiǯ er... məde... ečeysa i xalxiǯ er imzər-iqərālni".

Then, glory to God, there is a place where was a church before.

ečānġo, dideb otqad ġērtem, ečeču, eščūnen eḳlesia nagem li.

You can guess there was a church there in old times.

eǯ eḳlesia ži xetīri ečeču, nagem er li eḳlesyāš.

And, sure, God wished the church to be there...for praying...

i albat isurûa upald aǯaġ, ere ečeču eḳlesia, limzər-liqərāl, ləmārelan

And when Zviad got a chance, he said to Zuro...Zuro always helps him like a real brother, that's why he said to Zuro:

i zûiadid er šesaʒlebloba i zuros xēkû, mičacaxanču čigar zuro xāg muxûbašāl i zuros xēkû,

"Let's do something what we can with (the help of) our business;

ere "ameču alsq̇ad lok mayġena nay, may lok guġûēns sašualeba gušgûe biznesxenka,

first of all, let's spare money for this".

ṗirûel rigisa amxāû lok gadaûdot eǯ tanxa".

We were at home, Jokia and me... they arrived from there...from the Organization of Protection of Monuments...12 men and they went up...

nay agis xûārdad, mi i ǯoḳi, čûānqadx ečxe, ečxēnisa, ʒeglta dacûāxen yešdyeru māre, ž'āčadx,

They investigated the place.

čûatsinǯaûex.

They said: "Indeed, a church had been here, but we can't build it (anew) here.

ka lēkûx, ere "ameču lok martla eḳlesia nagem li, mara eḳlesias deš lok adgemx,

How are you to carry up the building materials there?

imis lok xaḳûer ačes masala amxāûteži,

It is impossible", - they said.

ale deš er lok imēdi ameleža masala lyes".

So, they left, but then they arrived again; they arrived again and pondered over it, discussed it, studied the place.

aṭaxx amži, ečānġo aǯaġ anṭaxx, yer anṭaxx, ečānġo aspikrex, admōrûex, ad... gadax... k'etsgidrālex.

It is very high up and they made a rope-way.

ale ʒġə̄d ḳə̄ltxika li i sabagiro ansq̇ex.

They fastened it and did everything with the help of this rope-way.

daamagres i sabagiroûš ansq̇ex.

They brought everything...well...all, that was necessary, got the builders of churches and workers who knew what to do

anqidx amša məgemāla, eḳlesia məgmāla, yasi xoxālda i ž'esgēnex

and in 2000, glory to God, it was built... and now we have a marvelous Ascension Church here.

i oriatas c̣elisa, dideb otqad ġērbats, ž'ensq̇ānda ale, amḳay didebul amaġlebā eḳlesia i čûāri atxe.

When you come to our region... there is nothing like it (better) in our region...

sg'ēr anqdeni rayontēysa, eǯḳalib desam' āri gušgûey rayonisa.

It is seen on the height, glory to it, the Ascension Day's church and it was buil...

ḳûinapxži ka tēra eǯi, dideb otqad, amaġlebā eḳlesia, i čûedgānda,

This is done by Zviad and Zuro...and their friends helped them and others too...I don't know who, but others, too, helped them..,

ale mag zûiadid i zurod i daexmaren mine apxniḳāri, mi mām mixal yariġena, mara exmareboden

And they said: "How could they have managed it"...some had said it...

i: "alyār imži lok enənmēdnax", _ yerxi eʒzūmin lumṭūlinx.

Probably somebody from the Organization of Protection of Monuments.

ale albat ʒegla, ʒeglta dacûaxen.

The Organization of Protection of Monuments didn't pay just a centàwell...it had nothing...my boys managed this with the help of their business...

ešxu ḳaṗiḳ dēsa ʒeglta dacûas, mine... məde... mā xuûānda, ali ansq̇ex mine biznesxenka.

Oh, glory to God, may they do it again, such good things...may they do.

o, dideb otqad ġērbet, ečānġoy axsq̇eûālin aǯaġ amḳaybar i aǯaġu oxsq̇eûāna,

May He never be tired of making them do such good things...

nosāû axžarēna alyārešd amḳay ḳetil sakmey lisq̇i

May all be blessed by His Will and Might!

i čīs mašedu xār eča ʒala i eča ʒlier ʒala.

A lot of people go there...all, who come to pray...

ečxāû siṗx ser kûeq̇ana, yari čûānġri lamzərd-laqərāld

And the Ascension Day's prayer...we already have a priest - Father Iosebi and he celebrates the Ascension Day there...

i amaġlebā c̣irûa-locûas, ešču uḳûe ču gûaq̇a momkmed mġûdel mama ioseb i aṭarebs amaġlebas ečečūnen

And the sacrifice cattle is killed there, but women are not allowed to be present.

i saḳlaûar iʒiēnix ečeču i oġond zuralēls dem ixnix eča ladeġ.

So, everybody goes there and prays.

aš esġri ser mag i imzər-iqərālx

And this church is the adornment of the whole region...that church...

i mtel rayoni... məde... li, damamšûenebel, činoûš eǯi eḳlesia.

And also there is St. George's church there...and so things stand...

amečūnen aǯaġ c̣minda giorgīš i amži li ale mag

And may you always hear (learn) about good things...what else can I say...

i mag xoča čigaroû eǯuûnārax i išgen may...