The Bald Man and the King

a masala tanenna ka-diyyukh aten ila kha-dana kachala etva gu-kha mdita. etva raba kachale. kurbet esra-dane kachale-etva. etvalun … suyset kesa khute. ki-makhiva allu, k-aviva berkhata m-da-risha al-do-risha, m-da-risha al-do-risha, k-aviva vada nu bubeshka! nu bubeshka! akhet matruyena suyse.

I shall tell you this story. It is (as follows): There was a bald man in a town. There were many bald men. There were nearly ten bald men. They had a wooden horse beneath them. They used to strike it (while) they ran from this side to that side, from this side to that side, and (while) they used to shout ‘nu bubəšk̭a! nu bubəšk̭a!’ as if they were riding a (real) horse.

ina k-aziva malyat shakliva men-nashe, men-dukkanane ki-jammiva malyat b-do-mendi ki-khayyiva-anne. ina a guret kachale guret kachale yane sar-dasteva iva bush ullul men dan-khine. kheshle kes kha-dana tajer. o-tajer ka-da kachala raba ki-bayyiva. raba ki-bayyiva tajer beddayet muile-khina? raba ki-bayyiva ka-da kachala. kheshle keslu kat-shakelvale zuyze. morisha-jaldeda ki-kemiva, m-kam nashe napliva al-shula, kat-zuyze shaklivale menne, nashe yavvi-valun malyat. ki-shakliva zuyze, k-aziva, khayyiva biyye.

Now, they used to go and take protection money from people. They used to gather protection money from shops. They used to live by this. Now, the elder of the bald men, the elder of the bald men, that is he was the head of their gang, he was higher (in rank) than the others. He went to a merchant. The merchant used to like this bald man very much. He liked him very much. You know what a merchant is, right. He used to like this bald man very much. He went to him to take money. In the early morning they used to get up, before people went to work, to take their money from them, the people used to give them protection money. They used to take money, go off and live by it.

o-yuma a kachala kheshle kes … tajer. merre katu tajer merre ka-kachala kat-ana berrekhsheven al-Makka. Makka beddayet muila? anne meshshelmane k-azi Makka Madina. Makka Pziyarat.P merre ana berrekhshen al-Makka ka-tre yarkhe u-zuyzet tre-yarkhe b-yavven katukh bush-raba. ina aynukh oya al-mendiyyi al-khayyuyti. iman tili derri bet-yavvennukh raba.

On that day the bald man went to the merchant. He said to him, the merchant said to the bald man, ‘I am going to Mecca.’ Do you know what Mecca is? The Muslims go to Mecca, Medina, Mecca, pilgrimage. He said ‘I am going to Mecca for two months, and the money of two months I shall give to you, and more too, but keep your eye on my belongings, my livelihood. When I come back and return, I shall give you a great deal.’

merre raba spay u-shvekle b-shena. nsheklun uydale. kachala kheshle u-tajer kheshle beta. tajer etval kha-bakhta raba shaperta. tukhmenne kat-a-bakhta ika mattila kat khiyalu avi rahat. tukhmenne raba raba, merre kat-etli kha-dana khora, hajile. avda khishele Makka, khishele Madina, khishele haj. raba mhumna nashele. kul-nashe yattile. lablen mattenna keslu.

He said ‘Very well’ and left him with (a greeting of) peace. They kissed each other. The bald man went (on his way) and the merchant went home. The merchant had a very beautiful wife. He thought about where he could he put this wife of his so his thoughts could be at peace. He thought a lot. He said ‘I have a friend. He is a pilgrim. He too has gone to Mecca and Medina, he has gone on the pilgrimage. He is a very pious man. Everybody knows him. I will take her and place her with him.’

beshkalole bakhtu berrekhshele kes-haji. marele haji, khori, ana hech-dukta la muchekhli kat-bakhti mattenna hemanta. muyyon keslukh. anneda kha dunye davena katukh kat en khurejlukh ka-bakhti, en bserrun ana pt-aten b-yavvennun. u-haji marele o raba spay. ana bakhtet diyyukh akh-kha-khatila. ana raba spay bet-aven mukayyad menno, heshyar. aha mattuyole bakhtu tama u tajer berrekhshele Makka ka tre-yarkhe u kachala berrekhshele betu u-bakhta mattuyona kes-haji.

He takes his wife and he goes to the pilgrim. He says ‘Pilgrim, my friend. I did not find any place to leave my wife in trust. I have brought her to you. These are a load of gold coins for you, which, if you spend them on my wife, if they are insufficient, I shall come and pay them (back).’ The pilgrim says ‘Oh, very good! Your wife is like a sister of mine. I shall be very careful with her, vigilant.’ He places his wife there. The merchant goes to Mecca for two months and the bald man goes to his house. They place the wife with the pilgrim.

kha tre tla shabate varela. ayya bakhta berrekhshela hammam. u hajida berrekhshele hammam. bekhzayole ayya bakhta raba shaperta b-paghro u shavvutele allo. bayye azel kurbo. bakhta lela beshvaka . avva haji raba nervesle byayele khela aved allo. bakhta charchurela.

One, two, three weeks pass. The woman goes to the bathroom. The pilgrim also goes to the bathroom. He sees the woman, beautiful in her body, and he desires her. He wants to go near her. The woman does not allow it. The pilgrim became very upset and wants to force her. The woman screams.

charchurela u haji etvale kha-dana riga. raba spayiva o-riga. raba mhumneva ka-haji. berrekhshel berkhatel gavay bekhzayele ina haji shulkhaya u bakhta shulkheta. haji beddayele kessat muila ka-riga marele kat bekhzayet a-bakhta raba srekhtela, srekhta yane har vitela yane kherbela. atkha bakhtate gari peshi ktile. duk ido surrun, labella gu … vaddar men-mdita gu-mesha, ktulla.

She screams. Now, the pilgrim had a servant. That servant was very good. He was very faithful to the pilgrim. He goes and runs inside. He sees that the pilgrim is naked and the woman is naked. The pilgrim knows what the situation is and says to the servant ‘You can see that this woman is in a mad passion, in a mad passion, that is, she is hot (with passion), that is, she is wicked. Such women should be killed. Seize her and tie her hands. Take her outside the city into the forest and kill her.’

riga majburile. majburile shakella bakhta labella. ido besyarele labulole kat-katella. u-ayya bakhta raba nonuyela khayesh vaden mennukh la ktulli bekhya, raba benpala aklu benshake kat-la ktulli. kul-mendit bayyet yavvannukh, o-julli, kul-mendit bayyet davi, raba dave etli, kanneshyatet dava gardanband dava, isaktet dava. kul-mendit bayyet shkullun. akhchi la ktulli! le-bayyan metan.

The servant is forced (to do so). He is forced to take the woman away. He ties her hands and takes her to kill her. But the woman begs very much ‘Please. I plead with you don’t kill me,’ crying very much, falling kissing his feet (saying) ‘Don’t kill me. I shall give you everything you want— these clothes of mine, everything you want, my gold, I have a lot of gold, gold earrings, a golden necklace, a gold ring, take everything you want. Just don’t kill me! I don’t want to die.’

u riga lebbu bekyadele. lele bektalo. beshkalele jullo shalukhele ina haji mireva kat-jullo demmane mayyetlun kati ka-rigu. bakhta marela kat b-yavvannukh raba zuyze u a-zannatti, zannatti yane davi label zabennun. shkullukh kha-dana erba, ktulla demmo mattile al-julli labella ka marukh. a riga a-mendi vadule. bakhta beshvakol shulkheta tama gu-mesha bar m-mdita. beshvakol tama. riga berrekhshele. beshkala kha-dana tera bektalule. demma mattuyule al-jullo, mayyele ka-haji. mara ktilali. haji rahatile.

The servant feels sorry for her. He does not kill her. He strips her clothes off, since the pilgrim had said to his servant ‘Bring her bloody clothes to me.’ The woman says ‘I shall give you a lot of money, this ornament of mine, my ornament.’—meaning ‘my gold.’ ‘Take them away and sell them. Take a sheep, kill it, put its blood on my clothes and take it to your master.’ The servant does this. He leaves the woman naked there in the forest, outside of the town. He leaves her there. The servant goes. He takes a bird and kills it. He puts the blood on her clothes and brings them to the pilgrim. He says ‘I have killed her.’ The pilgrim is content.

ayya bakhta tamma khabulela. varela khut gellale kalpe u … kat-la khabla. nikha nikha nikha nikha karbunela la-mdita. kurbet mdita etva bet-kuravate. beddayet bet-kuravay muina? nashe tamrilun gave. berrekhshela tama gano beknazola.

The woman becomes cold there. She enters under shrubs and bark in order not to get cold. Very slowly she comes near to the town. Near the city there was a cemetery. You know what cemeteries are? They bury people in them. She goes there and huddles up.

kachala morisha jalde kimele. nu bubushka matruyele b-do kesu suyse. bekhzayele hala jaldela. saat khamshela. ika pt-azel adiyya? mara azen khachcha … makhleta miyya aved miyya yane jar kheshle tama kat-jar. khzile ina kha-dana risha beryamele, bekyapele, beryamele bekyapele. khachcha bush-kurba kheshle khzile nashele. kharta khachchada kamta kheshle. merra katu kat oyan khlapukh, la-ta kurba, shulkheten.

The bald man is awake in the early morning. ‘nu bubušk̭a,’ he is galloping with his piece of wood, the horse. He sees that it is still early. It is five o’clock. Where will he go now? He says ‘I shall go …’—pardon, ‘to pass water,’—that is urinate. He went there to urinate. He saw a head going up and down, going up and down. He went a little nearer and saw that it was a person. Then, he went a little further forward. She said to him ‘Please, do not come near, I am naked.’

berrekhsha akhchi gashukele beddayole beddayole aha kat bakh-tajerila. aha ay havar mara a mu-titela b-risho? mara khati spur alli dun-bita. betyavele al-suysu kesa matruyele duz-beta.

He goes forward and as soon as he looks, he recognizes her. He knows that she is the wife of the merchant. He says ‘Oh dear! What has happened to her?’ He says ‘My sister, wait for me. I am coming back.’ He sits on his horse of wood and gallops straight home.

ka-yemmu marele iket etlakh julle shapire hallun kati jalde! oyan khlapukh ka-muina? mara la hamzem akhchi hallun e bush-shaperta lveshtakh halla. mara khina-a mut hukmele? hukmet malkele? muile? raba julle shkilevet ita anneda bayyet shakletlun menni? mara la hamzem akhchi hallun. beshkalele jullet yemmu labulele, rappuyel kato. mara khati shkul lvushlun, ta bari.

He says to his mother ‘Wherever you have beautiful clothes give them to me quickly!’ ‘May I ask what are they for?’ He says ‘Don’t speak, just give them. Give (me) your most beautiful dress.’ She says ‘What order is this? Is it the order of the king? What is it? You have taken many clothes, now, do you want to take these too from me?’ He says ‘Don’t speak, just give them (to me).’ He takes the clothes of his mother. He takes them (with him) and throws them to her. He says ‘My sister, take them and put them on, (then) come after me.’

bakhta beshkalela julle belvashela. bitayela mara narahat la-oyat akhunakh lele mita. ana khayen ka-diyyakh tu al-suysi lablennakh. ayda aklo mattuyola l-a-pat l-e-patet kesa u-mkhayena berrekhshele beta, labulol beta. ka-yemmu marele yemmi ku-jalde vud tamta ka-da … khanem chunket hech lela khelta khati. akhla. en kha-nasha bukerre mennakh kat-aha manila, tanyat bratila. en merrakh lela lishanakh parmenne. u-kachalada yemmu yattava kat-kha-mendi tunile t-avedle.

The woman takes the clothes and puts them on. She comes and he says ‘Don’t be upset. Your brother has not died. I am alive for you. Sit on my horse and I shall take you away.’ She puts her leg this side and that side of the wood, they strike (the horse) and he goes home, he takes her home. He says to his mother ‘Mother, get up quickly, make breakfast quickly for this lady, because my sister has not eaten anything. Let her eat. If somebody asks you who this is, say “She is my sister.” If you say that she is not, I shall cut out your tongue.’ Now, the bald man—his mother knew that if he said something, he would do it.

kemla zurezla kato tamta u-jullo lvishela. kachala pletle. supyale b-yemmu pletle kheshle bar … shulu. kheshle al-da dukkana al-de dukkana, al-de dukkana. kha-ga verra kha dana shmile kat tajer tiyyele. tajer bitayele al … mdita mtayele. u-shadurele anne mara khallatte ka-haji. shadurul present raba timanta shadurol ka-haji kat-bakhtu madderra.

She got up and prepared breakfast for her, she put on her clothes and the bald man went out. He delivered her into the care of his mother and he went out to work. He went to this shop, to that shop, to that shop. Once some time had passed, he heard that the merchant had come back. The merchant comes back and arrives at the town. He sends gifts to the pilgrim. He sends him a very expensive present. He sends it to the pilgrim so that he will return his wife.

haji beshkalele … present ina kala let men-bakhta. tajer marele balket ana gani azen lablenne p-idi kha-mendi u-shaklen bakhti mayyenna, balket kanunet danne atkhele. beshkalele medre kha-dunye mendi shapira kat-muyyule men-Makka labulu ka-haji. kharduyena b-kdalet duydale, benshakena uydale. u-betyavena kha-chay beshtayena, e-pashkash yavol ka-haji. kharta marele kat e-dana raba le hamzemmiva nashe sure men-nashe gure. masalan imanet kha nasha gura averva gari kemetva al-aklukh ka-khemyanukh ka-khmatukh ka-savunukh. ahaze leva bashure hamzemva men haji.

The pilgrim takes them … the present, but there is no word about the woman. The merchant says ‘Perhaps I myself should go and take something by my own hand and bring my wife back. Perhaps the custom of these people is like this.’ He takes a load of beautiful things, which he has brought from Mecca, and takes them to the pilgrim. They embrace each other around the neck and kiss one another. They sit down, drink tea and he gives the present to the pilgrim. Then he says—at that time young people did not talk much with the older people. For example, when an old person entered, you would have to get up on your feet, for your father-in-law, for your motherin-law, for your grandfather. So he (the merchant) did not manage to talk to the pilgrim.

merre haji raba makhleta betlaben raba benkhapen kat-tanen hemanti tiyyen lablenna. hemantu bakhtuva. merre shurile haji atkha bekhya shule kat a mu tanen ka-diyyukh? bakhtukh len-bashure tanen ina majburin tanennukh kat hemantet diyyukh metla. tajer mkhayele gu-rishu bekhya bektalol ganu. dakh metla!? merre metla la b-khabret diyyan kheshla al-mesha. u-diva khilole. bekhya bekhya bas-letlukh kha nishanka? kha nishanka kati yavvet kat mujjur mettela? merre la hech mendi letli-menno. akhchi metla u-tumrali. diva khilale.

He said ‘Pilgrim, I beg your pardon, I am very ashamed to say that I have come to take what I left in trust.’ His trust was his wife. He said, the pilgrim began crying like this and so forth, (saying) ‘What can I tell you? Your wife—I cannot say (it), but I must tell you that what you left in trust died.’ The merchant beat his head, weeping. He kills himself (in anguish). ‘What do you mean she died!?’ He said ‘She died. Without our permission, she went to the forest and a wolf ate her.’ He weeps and weeps ‘But do you not have a sign? Can you give me a sign as to how she died?’ He said ‘No, I have nothing of hers. She just died and I buried her. A wolf ate her.’

avva tajer majbur pyashele berrekhshele kes-malka, kes-malka. ka-malka marele kessat. Pdastan-Pu marol ka-malka kat-ana bakhti muttonva kes haji. adi tiyyen shaklenna, marele mettela. a-mujjur-oya-yane?

The merchant has no choice. He goes to the king, the king. He tells the king the story. He tells his story to the king (saying) that ‘I placed my wife with the pilgrim. Now I have come back to take her and he says “She has died.” How could this be?’

malka shadurele bar haji. bekrayule bakurele mennu but bakhtet tajer. mara aven khlapukh aha duzila. bakhtu muttova kesli hemanta ana akh-khati khumyonva ina la-b-khabret diyyi kheshtela al-mesha, diva khilole. mujjurra yavvenna khina?! bar-mettela mettela. malka marele etlukh sade? merre hi kurban, aven khlapukh. manina?

The king sends for the pilgrim. He summons him and asks him about the wife of the merchant. He says ‘With respect, this is true. He placed his wife with me in trust and I looked after her like my sister, but, without my permission she went to the wood and a wolf ate her. How can I give her back?! After she has died, she has died.’ The king says ‘Do you have witnesses?’ He says ‘Yes, with respect.’ ‘Who are they?’

merre rigile. u kazi kat-ka-kulle da mdita k-aved kazi, shulane zarezlun. u-mallele u kha-dana kassabile kassab rishet kucha alula, avunile. kulle beddayena kat mettela. malka marele khub mu-bayyet mennu khina? bar-metta mettela duna kulle saduyta yavena. keryel kulle-anneda malka tama. merre hi mettela. ka-yala ka-tajer marena khub-mettela mettela bakhtukh, mu-bayyet mennu?

He said ‘There is my servant, my servant, and the judge, who works as judge for the whole town and sorts things out, and there is the mullah, and there is a butcher, a butcher, he is the head of the quarter, the street. All know that she is dead’ The king says ‘So, what do you want from him? After she has died, she has died. Look they are all bearing testimony.’ The king called all of them there. He said ‘Yes, she is dead.’ They say to the lad, to the merchant ‘So, (if) your wife is dead, she is dead. What do you want from him?’

lakhkha kachala kulle anne beshmayele. brata gu-betula. ina bekhzayele kat-haji muile vada. bekhzayele atra mujjurra bekhdarele. bekhzayele malka mujjurra divan vadele. anne kulle bekhzayele. kulle beshmayele. berrekhshele raba pshima ka-da mendi kat-letten kha mendi gav atra kat khezhbuyna odet allu.

Here, the bald man is hearing all these things. The girl is in his house. Well, he sees what the pilgrim is doing. He sees how the country is being run. He sees how the king holds a court. He sees all these things. He hears all of them. He goes (on his way), very sad on account of the fact that there is nothing in the land that you can rely on.

berrekhsha ka-bakhta marele. mara raba bepshameven khati gorakh tiyyele ina mirena kat-at-mettevat u-malkaze kublole. u-haji kulle kublalun kat-at-mettet. bakhta bekhyela mara oyan khlapukh labelli kes-gori. mara khati mujjur lablennakh kes-gorakh? kulle beddayena at-mettet. en adi yatti kat-aten kesli bekhkhayet u-katakh kati ka-gorakh bet-katli kat-khabre la-palet dugla. bas-spur khazzen mu-amsen oden.

He goes and says to the woman, and says, he says ‘I am very sorry, my sister’. He is going and saying to the wife. He says ‘I very much regret my sister, your husband has come back but they have said that you have died and the king has accepted it. The pilgrim and everybody has accepted that you have died’. The woman weeps and says ‘Oh please, take me to my husband.’ He says ‘My sister, how can I take you to your husband? Everybody knows that you are dead. If they now know that you are living with me, they will kill you, me and your husband so that their word does not turn out to be a lie. But wait, let me see what I can do.’

a besparele raba takhmunele. b-lele b-yuma lele bedmakha. PbelakharaP bekrayele an-kachale khine. kachale khine kulle bekrayele. kessat da-haji u-tajer, bakhtu hakuyol kate. anne kulle marena akhnan p-hayyerrakhlukh, kachale mara p-hayyerrakhlukh.

He waits and thinks a lot. Night and day he does not sleep. In the end he calls the other bald men. He calls all the other bald men. He tells them the story of, the story of the pilgrim and the merchant and his wife. They all say ‘We shall help you.’ The bald men say ‘We shall help you.

mu-odakh, mu-le-odakh? mara kumun talakh talta. kachala vayele malka kachala, o-kachalet brata muyyole vayele malka, shopet malka. kha men-kachale vadule vazzer. kha vadule tajer. kha vadule … kazi. kha vadule malla. kha vadule kassab. kha vadul brata. kha vadule … tajer kat-ile bakhtu tlekta. anne kulle shemmane mat-tuyele vadele. shemmet vazziruda mattuyule Alla-Vardi Khan chunket vazziret malka asli ile Alla-Vardi Khan. malkada malkele.

What on earth shall we do?’ He says ‘Get up let’s play a game.’ The bald man becomes a king. The bald man, the bald man who has brought the girl becomes a king, in place of the (real) king. He makes one of the bald men a vizier. He makes one a merchant. He makes one a judge. He makes one a mullah. He makes one a butcher. He makes one a girl. He makes one a merchant whose wife is lost. He fixes all their names. He makes the name of his vizier Allah-Vardi-Khan, because the vizier of the original king is AllahVardi-Khan. The king is (called) king.

adi anne tavulena talta kat mu gari odi. beddayona adi-kulle a-talta muila. shemmaneda kulle mattuyele. ka … kachale marele vimun heshyar khzimun malka kut kha-dana kut-kma kha-dana kut tre-yarkhe kut tla-yarkhe kha ki-palet, k-azel khdara, sakhber gashshek al-atru kat-khader men-vazziru. PbelakharaP bitayena kachale, ina akh-jasuse, gashshukena, bitayena ka kachala gura marena kat a-shabta malka pellan yuma, pellan dana, pellan saat platele al-da urkha. mara raba spay. kullokhun lipotun darsokhun? mara hi. kulleda bed-dayena mu-odi, kulle.

Now they play the game, according to what they have to do. They now all know what this game is, since he fixes all their names. He says to the bald men ‘Be aware, take note that the king every once in a while, every so often, once every two or three months, goes out and tours around, to visit and look at his land, to tour with his vizier.’ Eventually the bald men come—they look around like spies—they come to the head bald man and say ‘This week the king, on such-and-such a day, at such-and-such a time, at such-and-such an hour, is going out on this journey.’ He says ‘Very good. Have you all learnt your lesson?’ They say ‘Yes.’ They all know what to do, all of them.

anne kat-malka berrekhshele, anneda berrekhshena. tama etva kha-dana beta, ina khriva le-oya nashe gavu khayyiva. bekhzayet al-vaddar gu-chol, gu-biyaban etten betvate tlikhe. anne kachale kulle berrekhshena tama, betyavena. besparena kat-malka ate. etle tama medre tre kachale jasusuyta vadena kat-malka em-dana adi aklu mattila al-gare.

When the king sets off, they also set off. There was a house there, but it was a ruin, in which people could not live. You see (such ruins) outside, in the desert, in the wilderness there are houses that have collapsed. The bald men all go there and sit down. They wait for the king to come. He (the head of the gang) has there two bald men who act as spies (to see) at what time the king puts his foot on the roof.

malka asli men-vazziru bekhzayena m-rekka gu-davva beta tlikha etten shrayate bellayena. malka marele manile bekhkha gu-davvo beta? avva tlikha hech-mendi let-gavu. azakh khazakh muile. berrekhshena mtayena allu. anne lakhkha kulle gane hudrona. et kha kave, ullul. malka bitayele aklu mattuyole hal-tama kat-gashshek, anne sharuyena.

The real king with his vizier see from afar that in that ruined house there are lanterns burning. The king says ‘Who is living in that house over there, the one that is collapsed? There is nothing in it. Let’s go and see what it is.’ They go and reach it. These (bald men) here have all prepared themselves. These ones here all have prepared themselves. There is a window above. The king comes and places his foot there in order to look, and they begin.

kachala asli malkele. ka-kha-vazziru shemmu muttuyele Alla-Vardi-Khan. u-a-vazziret kat-ile kes-malka shemmuda Alla-Vardi-Khanile. kachala kha-b-kha-ga merre Alla-Vardi-Khan, Alla-Vardi-Khan! merre PbaleP kurban aven khlapukh. o vazzeret ullul byayeva taniva malka pummu dvekle. merre la-vud kala! betu shiyya! byayet katlilan lakhkha? khzi a mut masalela? magar etten malka khina gu-da-atret diyyi ana len-bedda? gashshek muile vaya mu kavvumele.

The person who is really a bald man is the king. He gives his vizier the name Allah-Vardi-Khan. The name of the vizier who is with the king is also Allah-Vardi-Khan. The bald man all of a sudden says ‘Allah-Vardi-Khan, Allah-Vardi-Khan!’ He said ‘Yes, I am at your service.’ The (real) vizier above wanted to speak but the king held his mouth. He said ‘Don’t make a sound! Damn it! Do you want them to kill us here? Look, what is happening? But is there another king in this country of mine whom I do not know? What is going on, what is happening?’

anne m-tama gashshukena ina anne kulle beddayena malka ullulile. kachala kat-ile malka, beddayet khina preshlukh muila masala, kachala asli o-gura viyyele malka adiyya, bedrayele kale ka-kha men-kachalu ile vazzer bedrayele kale Alla-Vardi-Khan! Alla-Vardi-Khan! kachala bitayele katu kamaytu mara hi aven khlapukh mu byayet? merre betkharet kha-kessat etva kha-tajer etva. bakhtu muttova kes-haji. kha-akhcha mendi etva. tilun kesli. merrun bakhtu mettela, ina ana malka, malket da-atra kma khmarenva! kma khmarenva! la bukerri kat-a bakhta b-mut mota mettela, dakhi mettela. ana byayen a-kessat taza patkhenna. ana bayyen yatten.

They look from there, but they all know that the king is above. The bald man who is the king—you know, you understand what the story is, the elder bald man has now become the king—shouts to one of his bald men who is the vizier, he shouts ‘Allah-Vardi-Khan! Allah-Vardi-Khan!’ The bald man comes to him, to meet him, and says ‘Yes, at your service, what do you want?’ He said ‘Do you remember there was a story, there was a merchant? He had placed his wife with a pilgrim. There was something like this. They came to me. They said that his wife died, but I the king, the king of this country, what an ass I was! What an ass I was! I did not ask with what (type of) death she died, how she died. I want to open this case afresh. I want to know’.

mara hi aven khlapukh kha-akhcha-mendi etva, ina mara PbaleP kurban iva. kachala shadurele mara khush bar tajer. kha men-kachale ile tajer. dilukh kamta merri. kulle tamena. kha kachala mayyule shemmu tajer. mara bruni makhlili. ana raba repyuta vedli at kha-akhcha kvalta etvalukh men-haji kat-bakhtukh liten, mettela. raba makhlili, pakhelli, ana byayen adiyya sharenna masala. mudiva kessat?

He says ‘Yes, sir, there was such a thing’—but rather he said ‘Yes, my lord, there was.’ The bald man sends (a messenger) saying ‘Go and fetch the merchant’. One of the bald men is the merchant. You have understood, I told you previously. They are all there. They bring a bald man who is named as the merchant. He (the king) says ‘My son, forgive me, I acted weakly. You had a complaint against the pilgrim that your wife was missing, that she had died. Forgive me, pardon me. I now want to resolve the matter. What was the story?’

tajer medre hakuyole ka-malka. mara khush tuy tamma. dilukh mujjur hukyale khina kat-bakhtu mettela. tajer mat-tuyule tamma kachala. mara shadrun bar malla. haji, malla, kassab kulle mayel tama. mara haji, tajer bakhtu muttova keslukh. mujjur metla? merre aven khlapukh metla. diva khilale metla. merre khush-tamma. bitayele malla mara malla at dilukh bakhta mettela? hi aven khlapukh dakh la-dili! ana khzili gani tumron. b-mut mota metla? merre pella men-gare eltekh metla. merre atda khush-tamma.

The merchant tells this again to the king. He says ‘Go and sit over there.’ You know how he told it, that his wife had died. The bald man puts the merchant over there. He says ‘Send for the mullah.’ The pilgrim, the mullah, the butcher, he brings them all there. He says ‘Pilgrim, the merchant placed his wife with you. How did she die?’ He said ‘My lord, she died. A wolf ate her, she died.’ He said ‘Go and sit over there.’ The mullah comes. He (the bald man) says ‘Mullah, do you know that the woman is dead?’ ‘Yes, my lord, of course I know! I saw it. I have buried her myself.’ ‘By what kind of death did she die?’ He said ‘She fell from the roof and died at the bottom.’ He said ‘You also go over there.’

bitayele kassab avze mara hi aven khlapukh ana khzili metla, ina ana khzili pella gu-havuz khnekla o-khina malla marele mara at mu? mara ana khzili kat-a-bakhta raba khamkhamta etvala. raba khamkhamta kam-avila, metla. anne kulle mattuyel tamma mara akhtun tumun tamma.

The butcher comes. He also says ‘Yes, my lord, I saw that she died, but I saw that she fell into the pool and drowned.’ The other one, the mullah, says—he (the bald man) says ‘What do you (have to say)?’ He says ‘I saw that the woman had a great fever. She had a great fever and died.’ He puts them all over there and says ‘You sit over there.’

mara lakhkha etten kha-dana nasha khina bush spayile kat-yavellan khabra. avunda ile riget haji. memun lakhkha riga. memunle lakhkha riga. kha men-kachaluda rigeva. riga bitayele mara PbaleP kurban, aven khlapukh, mu byayevet? mara tunilukh, tunilukh. la tunilukh, geldukh p-shalkhenne malenne tuyna. malenne tuyna. gari tanetla duzuta.

He says ‘There is here another man, who is better (qualified) to give us a report. He is the servant of the pilgrim. Bring the servant here. Bring the servant here’. One of the bald men was the servant. The servant comes and says ‘Yes, my lord, at your service, what do you want?’ He says ‘(If) you say (the truth), you say (the truth). (If) you do not say the truth, I shall flay your skin and fill it with straw. I shall fill it with straw. You have to tell the truth.

beddayet kessattet bakhtet tajer men-haji? merre hi aven khlapukh beddayon. merre mu vila? merre aven khlapukh, haji kati merre lablen katlenna. ina malka kulle beshmayele anne. anne kulle talanena. mara haji kati merre byayeva avedva khela allo gu-hammam. ana rkhetli kheshli u-haji kati merre kat-a-bakhta khrevta bakhtela. shemmi makhrevvale gu-nashe shemmi t-azel razzellale. gari lablet katletla.

Do you know the story of the wife of the merchant with the pilgrim?’ He says ‘Yes, my lord, I know it.’ He said ‘What was it?’ He said ‘My lord, the pilgrim said to me that I should take her and kill her.’ The king hears all of them. They are all actors. He says ‘The pilgrim said to me—he wanted to rape her in the bathroom. I ran and went there and the pilgrim said to me that this woman is a bad woman. “She will ruin my (good) name, my (good) name among the people will be lost and she will ridicule me. You must take her and kill her.”

ana ido sireli kat-lablen a-bakhta katlenna. lublali gu-mesha, ina ukhcha bakhta bkhila ukhcha nunila biyyi ukhcha ide-akli nshikela lebbi kedle duzuta kato. la ktilali. shvikali. lakhkha mara a-bakhta khetela? mara len bedda. alaha rakhme aved allo kat-la-avi dive khilo sab-ana shvikali tama gu-kheshka.

I tied her hands to take the woman and kill her. I took her into the forest, but the woman wept so much, she pleaded with me so much, she kissed my hands and feet so much, that, in truth, I felt sorry for her. I did not kill her. I left her.’ Here he says ‘Is this woman alive?’ He says ‘I do not know. God have mercy on her that wolves have not eaten her, since I left her there in the dark.’

mara ada mattunle tamma. mattuna tama. mara beddayetun muila? mara la. mara etten lakhkha kha-kachala, shopet ganuze muttele kha-kachala khina ganu vidole malka, mara o-kachala lakhkha a kachala etle khabra men-da-bakhta. khushun bar-kachala. khakma men-dan-kachaleda berrekhshena. kha kachala khinada mayuna kamaytu. mara guret kachalet aten. bayyen bakren mennukh kha-khabra. etlukh khabra aten men-da-bakhta tlekta o metta, bakhtet haji men tajer?

He says ‘Put him also over there.’ They put him there. He says ‘Do you know what?’ They say ‘No.’ He says ‘There is here a bald man’—in the place of himself he has put another bald man, he has made himself the king—he says ‘The bald man here, this bald man has a report about this woman. Go and look for the bald man.’ Some of the bald men go off. They bring another bald man before him. He says ‘You are the elder of the bald men. I want to ask you something. Do you have any news of the woman who has disappeared or died, the woman of the pilgrim, (taken) from the merchant?’

mara hi aven khlapukh ana etli khabra. bakhta khetela. ana muchkhon. adi gu-beti bekhkhayela. ka-kachala marena kat khob shkul khush-mela e-bakhta. kha men-kachaleda vidule bakh-tet tajer. berrekhshele maya kha dana bakhta mulvishona akh-bakhta. mayole. har-gu-varto tama, o kachala khina kat-iva tajer vidu, tulona talta, bekyamel mara ay havar! ay-ketma b-rishi! aha bakhtila. dula kheta lela metta. a ikeva? bekhya bekhpakena uydale.

He says ‘Yes, my lord, I have news. The woman is alive. I have found her. Now she is living in my house.’ They say to the bald man ‘Good, go and bring the woman.’ He has made one of the bald men the wife of the merchant. They go and bring a woman, they have dressed her like a woman. They bring her. Just as she enters there, the other bald man whom he had made the merchant—they have played the game (well)—gets up and says ‘Oh alas! Oh ash be on my head! This is my wife. She is alive, she is not dead. Where was she?’ Weeping, they embraced one another.

ka-bakhta marele aha gorakhle? mara hi oyan khlapukh! oyan nedrukh! malket malke! aha goril. mara khob. akhtun khpukun uydale. mattunla gu-kha-dana arabana et-suysavate lablunla beta . anne berrekhshena beta ina tamena. anne khineda dukun kulle surunlun! surunlun! kpushunlun! mara surunlun! dushunlun gu dussak! mattunlun tama. ana le-bayyen kha-akhcha mendi gu-atret diyyi ave. ana leven bedda ka-mudi ana o-yuma zhghishenva lenva takhmune spay rahat. aha kha-akhcha shula gura ave viyya gu-da-atret diyyi, ana la-yatten? khob, adi khushun b-shlama.

He says to the woman ‘Is this your husband?’ She says ‘May I be your substitute! My I be your offering! King of kings! This is my husband.’ He says ‘Good. You embrace one another. Put her in a carriage of horses and take her home.’ They go home, but they are there. ‘Seize the others and tie them up! Tie them up! Round them up.’ He says ‘Tie them up! Throw them into prison! Put them there. I do not want such a thing to be in my land. I do not know why I was confused that day and I was not thinking clearly. Has such a mighty matter as this taken place in this land of mine and I do not know about it? Good, now go in peace.’

malket ullul ka-vazziru marel ku yarmakh azakh m-kamet ka-diyyanda kapshi gu dussak deshilan gu-dussak idan asrila katlilan. ku betu shiyya ka-vazziru marele kha-gashshek mu kavvume gu-atret diyyan! anne nikha nikha beslayena berrekhshena. kachala beddayele kat-malka kheshle. kachala bed-dayele malka kheshle, ina beddayele morisha jalde malka p-shader baru.

The king above says to his vizier ‘Get up, let’s go, before they bundle us into prison, kick us into prison, bind our hands and kill us. Get up—may his house be sealed!’ He says to his vizier ‘Just look what is happening in our land!’ They slowly come down and go on their way. The bald man knows that the king has gone. The bald man knows that the king has gone. The bald man knows that the king has gone, but he knows that early in the morning the king will send for him.

gane hazer vidona kulle kachale. malka morisha jalde bekyamele, kul-lele shima lele dmikha. lele dmikha men-narahatuytu. shadurele polise shurtiyye marena bar kachala. iket etten kachale bedvake mayena. mayena tama. ka-kachala marele e-taltet berashe tulalukh tulalukh, tulalukh. la tulalukh, bet-yavven dastur kat-katlilukh makhile rishukh b-sepa. jallad etva tama. merre rishukh makhile.

All the bald men have prepared themselves. The king gets up early in the morning, during the whole night he has not slept. He has not slept due to his being upset. He sends policemen, we say ‘policemen,’ after the bald man. Wherever there are bald men they seize them and bring them in. They bring them there. He says to the bald man ‘The game that you played last night—if you played it, you played it. If you did not play it, I shall issue a decree to kill you, to strike off your head with a sword.’ There was an executioner there. He said ‘He will strike off your head.’

kachala ka-malka merre malka t-avet basima lela b-da hasanuyta. ana sharte mennukh matten. b-shart t-odenne a-shula. mara muila shartukh? mara ka-tre saatte malkutukh halla kay. tre saatte malkutukh halla kay. malka bekyamele jullu shalukhele yavel katu. kulle kachale belvashena, vazzer, vakkel, hasabdar, kulle belvashena, tamena. mara mennukh byayena jar daret makhberret ka-kulle atra ate. tanimun kat-malka byayele kha divan raba gurta aved kulle gari avi tama.

The bald man said to the king ‘King, be well, it is not this easy. I shall set conditions with you. I shall do this on one condition.’ He said ‘What is your condition?’ He says ‘Give me your kingdom for two hours. Give me your kingdom for two hours’. The king gets up, takes off his clothes and gives them to him. All the bald men put them on, the vizier, the deputy, the accountant, they all put them on and they are there. He says ‘They want you to make an announcement, to tell all the land to come. Say that the king wants to hold a large court and everybody must be there’.

yavele khabra kulle nashe bejmayena bitayena. kulle vara gashshukena, ina malka vel tiva tamma, ina kha-malka khatele. mara iman a malka vile akhnan khabra letlan? shadurele bar tajer asli, bar kazi, bar kassab, bar malla, bar riga, kulle mayele. shadurele bar tajer, bar haji ina an-asliyye, bare kat-ati. adi hajile, tajerile, mallele, kas-sabile, kulle kat-yuvve saduyta jummel tama, muyyel tama.

He makes an announcement, all the people gather and come. They all enter and look (and see) that the king is sitting there, but he is a new king. They say ‘When did this man become king (while) we had no word of it?’ He sends for the real merchant, the judge, the butcher, the mullah, the servant. They bring them all. He sends for the merchant, pilgrim, but the real ones, (he sends) for them to come. Now there is the pilgrim, the merchant, the mullah, the butcher— he gathered there all who had given testimony and brought them there.

muyyel tama. e-dan khzilun, haji shurilun aklu bergada, paghru bergada lebbu pkile. kachala kat viyyel adiyya malka humzemle merre beddayetun gu-da-atra mu kavvumele? ana le-bayyen loma mayyen al-malka asli, ina kha-akhcha kessat vitela. kha-akhcha mendi vile lakhkha kat-kha tajer bakhtu mayyila matte kes-haji. haji kharta kam al-gano kharta yavvel ka-rigu label katella. riga rakhme videl allo, lele ktilo. a-mendi kabulutun? kut-kha b-kha kala merre la.

He brought them there. When they saw (what was happening), the legs of the pilgrim began to tremble and his body (began) to tremble. His heart burst (with fear). The bald man who had now become the king spoke and said ‘You know what is happening in this land? I do not want to adduce blame against the real king, but a certain event has taken place, a certain thing has happened here, whereby a merchant brings his wife and places her with a pilgrim, the pilgrim then assaults her, then gives her to his servant to take away and kill. The servant has mercy on her and does not kill her. Do you accept this?’ Everybody with one voice said ‘No!’

merre ka-yala merre aten etvalukh kvalta men-haji? merre hi kurban dakhet merri katukh, malka t-avet basima, ana berrekhshenva al-Makka u-bakhti muyyali muttali kes haji sabab raba mhumneva ki-bayyenvale, khoriva. beddayenva kat-khishele Makka khishele haji viyel akh kha-dana khalifa akh kha-dana abuna, patriyarka letle kha khtita khelta. bakhti mut-tali keslu.

He said, he said to the fellow (the merchant) ‘Did you have a complaint concerning the pilgrim?’ Yes, my lord, as I said to you, king be well, I was going to Mecca and I brought my wife and placed her with the pilgrim, because he was very pious, I loved him, he was my friend. I knew that he had gone to Mecca, he had gone on the pilgrimage, he had become like a caliph, like a bishop, like a patriarch, he had no sin or mistake. I placed my wife with him.

ina ana tili shaklenvala merre mettela. tili kes-malka, malka merre khob metta mettela. mu bayyet men-kha-mita? u-kulle sadu yuvvellun saduta kat-mettela. malka haji krile. merre byayen bakren but bakh-tet tajer dakh vitela? haji shurile bekhya ina asli shuril bekhya merre kat-bakhtu diva khilale. merre mattunle tamma.

But when I came to fetch her, he said that she was dead. I came to the king and the king said “Now, if she has died, she has died. What do you want from a dead person?” All his witnesses gave their testimony that she had died.’ The king called the pilgrim. He said ‘I want to ask about the wife of the merchant, how has it come about?’ The pilgrim—the real one—began to weep, he began to weep, he said that a wolf ate his wife. He said ‘Put him over there.’

muttilun tamma har-dakhet merri kamta u-tile kassab, tile malla, tile kazi, kulle tilun. kha-menne merre kat diva khilole. kha-menne merre pella gu-havuz. kha-menne merre khumkhemla metla. kha-menne pella men-gare metla. anne kulle merre tumun tamma ani tevlun tamma.

They put him there, just as I said before, and the butcher came, the mullah came, the judge came, they all came. One of them said ‘A wolf has eaten her.’ One of them said ‘She fell into a pool.’ One of them said ‘She got a fever and died.’ One of them (said) ‘She fell from the roof and died.’ (To) all of these he said ‘Sit over there.’ They sat over there.

ka-de-bakhta mireva merre en shuderri barakh la zadyat, atyat. ka-dan-kachalet ganu malka marele kat tre-tla daneda shurtiyye ati mennokhun kat-la p-urkha katlila. anne berrekhshena bakhta beshkalo mayona.

He had said to the woman, he said ‘If I send for you, do not fear, you should come.’ The king says to his own bald men ‘Two or three policemen should come with you so that they do not kill her on the way.’ They go and bring the woman.

yala tajer har-bekhzayole bakhtu, havar vadele. mkhayele gu-rishu. ay aven khlapukh, a bakhtila, bas mareva mettela. ina bar-nashuyta kulle gashshukela, kulle narahat bekhya. bakhtada berkhatela kes-goro bekhpakula. ay havar a gorile. mara akhtun … a bakhtukhla? hi. bakhta, a gorakhle? hi, a gorile. bekhpakena uydale. mara anne mattimunlun gu-kha lilanka et-susavate mamtimunlun beta. anne berrekhshena.

The lad, the merchant, as soon as he sees his wife, he yells. He beats his head. ‘Oh, my lord, this is my wife, but he had said that she was dead.’ Now, the crowd are all watching, all being moved and weeping. The woman runs to her husband and embraces him ‘Oh joy! This is my husband!’ They embrace one another. He says ‘Put these in a horse-drawn carriage and take them home.’ They go off.

bitayele haji, malla, u-kassab u kazi. anne kulle mayele mara anne dukunlun kulle ide-akle surunlun. makhleta lakhkha. anne kulle emza vedlun haji emza vedle hi, ana emza vadeven diva khilale u-kassab emza vadele kat hi a-bakhta pella gu-havuz, metla. u o-malla khina mara kat ana khzili a bakhta men-gare pella. ina kulle emza vadena, emza beshkalena menne kamta. emze beshkalule, idate besyarele. mara anne lablunlun, mattunlun gu-dussak ka-hal mote, ka-halet meti.

The pilgrim comes, the mullah, the butcher and the judge. They bring them all and he says ‘Seize them all and tie their hands and feet.’ Pardon (I forgot to say) here: They all signed. The pilgrim signed, yes, (he says) ‘I sign (and certify) that a wolf ate her.’ The butcher signs that ‘yes, the woman fell into the pool and died.’ The mullah says ‘I saw the woman fall from the roof.’ They all sign. They take a signature from them, previously. They take their signatures and bind their hands. He says ‘Take them and put them in jail until their death, until they die.’

bekyamele al-aklu. ka-malka mara avet basima raba kat a-persat yuvvalukh kati anne jullukh ina e-dan bayyet odet kha-mendi vudle akh-nashe. anne jullukh anne … malkuytukh akhla rishukh ana len byayo khina. malka bekyamele al-aklu. kachala bezdayele, bekhshava kat-adiyya rishu makhile. merre la la, aten men-kachalukh khine pt-avitun gu-darbar-et diyyi, darbar yane betuytet malkuyta. at t-avet shopet vazziri. anne pt-avi gu vakkel vazzer. raba bekhdayeven kat-kha-akhcha mendi ana muchekhli gu-mellat. avet raba basima bekhpakule. anne kulle bedyashele vadele gu betuytet malkuyta. basima raba kat-shmilukh.

He gets up onto his feet. He says to the king ‘Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity, here are your clothes, but when you want to do something, do it properly. Here are your clothes, and your kingdom is your responsibility. I do not want it anymore.’ The king gets onto his feet. The bald man is afraid and thinks that now he will strike off his head. He said ‘No, no, you together with your other bald men will be in my court, court, that is the royal household. You will be in place of my vizier. They will be in (place of) the deputy and vizier. I am very pleased that I have found such a thing in the nation. Many thanks.’ He embraces him. He insists on making them (members of) the royal household. Many thanks for listening.