Judeo-Esfahani Dialogue on Eelanut (Tu Bishvat)
Notes:
The following is a dialogue in Judeo-Esfahani on Eelanut / Tu Bishvat by an unknown author. Transcription and translation by Haideh Herbert-Aynehchi, Michael Zargari, and Jacob Kodner, with Wikitongues and the HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project. Judeo-Esfahani is one of several Median languages spoken by Jews in Iran.
Transcript:
Khosh oomedeed, khosh oomedeed. Kheili khab karydoon bekart keh too ilanootieh néneishteheedtoo kezeh tanai. Boomayd doreh ham beem. Khab karidoon bekart.
Man: Welcome, welcome. You did good to come. That you didn’t stay home on Tu Bishvat all alone. You came so we can all be together. It was a good thing that you did. Welcome
Arei, delem mipousehbeepisseh too kezi.
Woman: Yes, I was bursting at home.
Arei, Moonam tana boom.
Man: Yes, I was lonely too.
Kho berakha ara bouaeed.
Woman: Well, say the blessing
Kho shana touba. Ishalla keh amsal saleh khabi bera ameh bo. Saleh khab. Parnasa tova, bera ameh, ameh, ameh. Fargh nekroo, boveh ameh, khaleh, daiee. Fargh nekroo. Bera tamoomeh famil. Saleh salamati vo tandorosti ba aslakha. Ba temoomeh omidai delemoon beh khabi beresim. Ajab Sali bo. Saleh ajab, gouyma vasehshoon che saleh khabee bo.
Kheili chee yai khabi vasseh shoon o’roo boo
Man: Well, happy new year. God willing this year to be a good year for all. A good year. Good heath. For everyone, everyone, everyone. Doesn’t make a difference, be it a father’s sister, mother’s sister, mother’s brother. Doesn’t make a difference, a good prayer for all the family. To fulfill all the hopes of our heart in goodness. What a year it was. What a year. For the goys, it was such a good year. for them it [the last year] brought very good things.Now, please have a little wheat and barley
Na, nesham. Ghorboonedoon boom. Diré jenabiam nezaroo bee. Sereh een doctora deemeh sinesh nend. Ke dandoonash beram bessa
Kheili chee yai khabi vasseh shoon o’roo boo
Woman: No, I can’t. Thank you indeed. My teeth don’t let me. May they put the head of this doctor on his chest, Who made these teeth for me.
Yeh dooneh zeitooneh ra begireed.
Man: Well, have an olive.
Hasesh khafem keroueh
Woman: It’s seed will suffocate me.
Bebinned, yeh pareh eely yeh u berakha bouaeed
Man: Look, bless a tiny piece of the peach .
Sheereenoo, ghandem balashoo, nesham. Pareezam
Woman: It is sweet. My sugar will go up. I cannot. I’m not allowed.
Kho, enareh ra begireed. enar keh khaboo. Enareh ra dooneshoon karteh. Een keh aibi nedaroo.
Man: Well have some pomegranate. Pomegranate is good. They have seeded it out. There is nothing wrong with this.
Nah nah. Tarsoomeh. Tah torshoo. Ghorboonedoon. Torshoo. Bedahanem nevejoovoo
Woman: No. I am scared. It has a sour aftertaste. Can’t chew in my mouth.
Bibineed, yakhcheh chi eelee yeh . yeh khodeh Enjileh, O’noom neh. Bera shekamedoonam kheili khaboo.
Man: Look, a tiny bit of the [dried] peach, a bit of the [dried] fig, we have soaked them in water. It’s good for your stomach. Drink up a glass of it.
Nah, gorboonedoon. Tarsoomeh. Righovim terouvi.
Woman: No. thank you indeed. I’m scared. It gives me the runs.
Chekaretoon kerooveh?
Man: What does it do to you?
Golab beh dimetoon. Righooneem keroueh. Nesham. Nesham eech anaee bakhrom. Ez amehchi pareezam.
May there be rosewater on your face. Gives me diarrhea. I can’t. I can’t eat any shit. I am forbidden of all.
Kho yeh mosht ajileh ra
Man: Well, a handful of the nuts.
Nemak daroo. Pareezam.
Woman: It has salt. I am not allowed.
Kho, yeh seebeh ra poos kanoo.
Man: Well, peel an apple.
Oo, goodooneh bem kasheed? Pareezam.
Woman: Oh, do you want to kill me? I’m not allowed.
Keshmesh
Man: Raisins?
Sheereenoo, pareezam
Woman: It’s sweet. I am not allowed.
Yeh lyvan o loo, eghalan.
Man: A glass of water, at least.
Oonam gareh neshoo. Nesham, pareezam
Woman: That doesn’t go down [my throat], either. I can’t. I am not allowed.
Pas chichi kherydvan?
Man: So what do you eat?
Eechi, eechi. Eechi neshan bakhrom. Akharsham keh neshooneh doctor, temameh doctoray merizkhooneh rizand beh sarom. Ar ki yeh chi vaboo. Khodeh am engarandeh bo. Yeh roueh vo sad ta kouzeh.
Woman: Nothing, nothing. I can’t eat anything. Ay, and when I go to see the doctor, all the doctors of the hospital gather around me, each one says something. They talk among themselves. Oh, oh, one day and one hundred dogs.
Yani elan eechi nakhrayd?
Man: Do you mean that you don’t eat anything?
Metarcid, metarcid. Khorakema bemarteh. Too een digchiyeh.
Woman: Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I have brought my food. In this little pot.
O’ chichitoon bepakhoo?
Man: And what did you cook?
Kakeh pacheh vo syravee. Yeh vaghtayam varbandooneh gipash keroomeh. Hagh berakha ra deemesh vegira. Arou maghzesh neda. Nah, nesham, pareezam ez ameh chi. Hami a-roo een digchiyeh ra bar noomi vo een khorako ghevam boyeh. e sahb ta shoo.
Woman: [sheep’s] head, feet, and tripe. And two [sheep’s] eyes. And sometimes, I make gippa and add to it. May God take away the blessing from his [butcher’s] face. Today, they did not have brain. I can’t. I’m forbidden of everything. I just set up this little pot every day, and this is my food and sustenance. From morning to evening.
Een gelat muk nedaroo.
Man: There is no strength in this food.
Che kar bekrom. Veh, namdoonam, namdoonam. Mikham namneveshteh een roobara. Eh, nashokri neba. Ghorboonedoon boom. Pareezam. pareez
Woman: What can I do? Oy, I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t want this fate [that was] written for me. Eh, I don’t want to be ungrateful [to God]. I thank you indeed. It is all forbidden. Forbidden.