O Duj Phrala – The two brothers

This tale is from the Kirimlides group, a Balkan Roma group found in the Crimean peninsula.

Ande jekhe gaveste bešenas duj terne roma pe romnjenca. On esas o phrala, taj na sas lende ni dad, ni daj. Jek phral esas barvalo, aver esas čoro. Barvale phraleste o baro kher esi terdo. O kher lesko pherdo si, so manges – kan-arakhes ande leste: Li gudle xamates, li bahalodes savutja, li love, li pholja, li bax(t), li loš. Čore phraleste e purani katuna sas bare xevjenca. Kana delas brišin – pani sas ande; kana bari balval phudelas – baro šudripe sas ande. Čore phraleste efta puja sas taj gene ništo. Alo asavko djes, kaj nasvalili leski romni. Nanaj lende so te xan, bokhalile o puja, roven taj mangen te xan.

Gelo o phral čoro pe barvale phraleste. Alo taj mangel: Phrala, nasvalili mi romni, bokhalile me puja, roven. “Mangav tutar kotor manro te xavdjarav len.” Dinjas o phral barvalo jek baro manro pe čore phraleske – taj xoljasajlo. Bešlo taj tašandijel: “Mo phral esi Čoro, te na dikhelas ov o barvalipe minro, o love, o pholja minre, te na Čorelas len. Sar me trašav! So kan-kerav?” Phenljas akasavke zbores ta; dikhljas pe čače kakes, kuj alo leste. Alo o kak taj phučel lestar: “Čaveja, sostar izral o teni tinro, sostar tu na lošazes? So vulo?” Phukavdjas o phral barvalo pe čače kakeske: “Alo mo phral Čoro, taj trašaniljom. Te na dikhelas ov o barvalipe minro, o love, o pholja minre, te ne čorelas len.” Aj o kak phenel: “Ma traša, čaveja, kerava tuke jardomi”.

Ali e rat, tuj sute o phral pe kakesa. Ertes sabastan ušine on taj dikhen – avel o phral čoro lende te mangel gene jek manro. Alo taj phenljas: “Romalen, tume sanuz barvale taj baxtale. Phukaven mange, sar vuljanuz akasavke?”

Ušjol o phral barvalo taj phenel: “Prandosajlo o kak amaro, kana amende sas e bokh bari, taj barvalilo pe romnjatar. Šun, phrala, so kerdjas ov, ker li tuja.” Ušjol o kak taj le te phukavel: “Čaveja, barvaliljom me romnjatar. Peli oj e bare bokhatar. Liljom e Čuri minri, astardjom me vastesa o bala lakere, Čindjom agoral, taj vuli mande kušma tati. Bikindjom la ande diz taj vuljom barvalo.” Xoxavel les o kak, ami ov pakjanilo. Dinjas pes godi, phenel: “So ovela, me ovel. Kerava!”. Aj o phral barvalo e kakesa asan lestar taj phenen: “Ma traša, Čin taj bikin! Kan-barvaljos li ti romni avel sasti.”

Alo o phral čoro ke katuna. Kana ratilo, liljas pi čuri taj čindjas o bala taj o kana romnjakere, kerdja e kušma taj prastanilo te biknel la. Ando pazari o manuša asanile e kušmatar taj kuvdolar les khere. Phenle: “Kan-aves rano!”

Prastanilo o phral čoro ke katuna taj dikhel – muli e romni leskiri, ande groboste si pašli. Phanljas ov pe jakha taj liljas te rovel taj te del beberja. “Devla, ajadije man!” Ami kana phinravdjas pe jakha, dikhljas, kaj bešel ande bare khereste, taj agoral o love, o pholja esi čite. O puja šukar vurjavde paš ko konas bešen taj xan.

Garavdjas ov pe romnja ande vešeste paš ko drom. Biš breš nakhle. Jekhvar alo o phral Čoro pe romnjakere grobjeste. Bešlo paš grobos, rovel thaj phenel: “Na kamav me mo barvalipe., me love, me pholja, ozaman tu ande phuvjate san. O puja barile taj gele romende.. Ačiljomas me, jek phuro džano, sar jek phuro džukel ande vešeste.” Phenljas taj mulo.

In a village, lived two young Roma with their wives. They were brothers, and they had neither father nor mother. One brother was rich, the other poor. The rich brother had a large house. His house is full, what you need, you can find in it: Sweets to eat, precious things, money, gold, happiness, amusement. The poor brother had an old tent with large holes. When it rained, water ran inside; when there was a strong wind, it was really cold inside. The poor brother had seven children and nothing more. There was a day where his wife fell ill. They have nothing to eat, the children are getting hungry, cry and ask for food.

The poor brother went to his rich brother. Went and asks: “Brother, my wife fell ill, my children are hungry, they cry. I beg you for a piece of bread to feed them. The rich brother gave his poorer one, a large bread and became angry. He sits and thinks: “My brother is poor, he should not see my wealth, my money, my gold coins, he should not steal them. I am so afraid, what will I do?” He said these words, and saw hi uncle coming towards him. The uncle came and asks him: “Boy, why is your body trembling? Why are you not happy? What has happened?”  The rich brother replied to his uncle: “My poor brother visited me and I became afraid. He should not see my wealth, my money, my gold coins, he should not steal them.” The uncle says: “Don’t be afraid, boy, I’ll help you.”

The poor brother went to his rich brother. Went and asks: “Brother, my wife fell ill, my children are hungry, they cry. I beg you for a piece of bread to feed them. The rich brother gave his poorer one, a large bread and became angry. He sits and thinks: “My brother is poor, he should not see my wealth, my money, my gold coins, he should not steal them. I am so afraid, what will I do?” He said these words, and saw hi uncle coming towards him. The uncle came and asks him: “Boy, why is your body trembling? Why are you not happy? What has happened?”  The rich brother replied to his uncle: “My poor brother visited me and I became afraid. He should not see my wealth, my money, my gold coins, he should not steal them.” The uncle says: “Don’t be afraid, boy, I’ll help you.”

The night fell, and the brother and uncle slept. Early morning, they woke up and see that the poor brother comes to beg them another loaf of bred. He arrived and said: “Romalen, you are rich and happy. Tell me, how did you manage it?

The rich brother stands up and says: “Our uncle got married when there was a famine, and got rich from his wife. Listen, brother, to what he did, and do so yourself.” The uncle stands up and begins to tell [the story]: “Boy, I got rich from my wife. She fell down because of hunger. I took my knife, Grabbed her hair with my hand, cut around, and I had a warm fur cap. I sold it in town, and became rich.” The uncle lies to him, but he believed him. He thought and says: “Be what will be. I’ll do it.” And the rich brother and the uncle laugh and say: “Don’t fear, cut and sell. You’ll be rich and your wife will be healthy.”

The poor brother went to the tent. As it became dark, he took his knife and cut his wife’s hair and ears, made a cap, and fled to sell it. On the market, people laughed at this hat, and hunted him home. They said: “Come tomorrow! “

The poor brother fled to his tent and sees that his wife is dead. She is in a coffin. He closed his eyes and started to cry and to shout: “God, feel sorry for me.” But when he opened his eyes, he saw that he was sitting in a large house, and all around there is money, gold coins. The children are nicely dressed, sit besides a table and eat.

He buried his wife in the woods near the road. Twenty years passed. One time, the poor brother went to his wife’s grave. He sat beside the grave, cries and says: “I don’t need my wealth, my money, my gold coins while you are in the earth. The children grew up, married. I remained, an old person, as an old dog in the woods!” So he said and died.