A Close Shave

kha-yuma kheshle malla kat-kosu makretvale kes makrettan-kosa. o-nasha makrettan-kosa shkelle koset malla makrutu ina kulle gelduda shkelle. kharta khzile malla rishu kulle demmana. shurile mattuye ktana alle ktana mattuye alle. malla gushshekle gu-nora ina palget rishu viyyel ktana.

One day the mullah went to have his hair cut at the barber’s. That man, the barber, took the hair of the mullah to cut it, but he took also all of his skin. Then the mullah saw that his head was all covered in blood. He (the barber) began to put cotton on them (the injuries), put cotton on them. The mullah looked in the mirror and (saw) that half his head had become cotton.

ka-do-nasha merre la, la, khina bassa bassa, la-vud. o-gibi khina gani t-azen t-odenne amra b-zarrenne amra. aten ktana vidut ana t-azen amra b-zarren gavu. a-gibu at-zrilukh ktana a-gibu khina ana gani b-zarrenne amra.

He said to the man ‘No, no, enough. Don’t do it. I shall make this other side of me wool, I shall sow it with wool. You have made it cotton, I shall go and sow wool in it. On this side you have sown cotton, on this other side I shall myself sew wool.’