The Angel of Death

kha-yuma malla meryeva raba kherba. raba kherba meryeva, bitayeva kat-matva. ka-bakhtu marele Payal-jan,P Payal-janP yane bakhti khlita, Payal-jan, lishan-farset. mara ku-khush kulle an-jullakh shapire lushlun matek mkhi, u … ganakh shaprenna. ku-ta tuy khut-rishi ana myaten.

One day the mullah was very badly ill. He was very badly ill. He was approaching death. He says to his wife ‘Dear wife, dear wife,’ that means ‘sweet wife,’ ‘dear wife [ayɑ̄l-jɑ̄n]’ is Persian. He says ‘Go and put on all your beautiful clothes, put on lipstick, and make yourself beautiful. Come and sit by me, I am dying.’

mara ka-muit atkha mara kat-nashe maskherri biyyi? tani masalan pellan-kas … goro myatele ina vela kheshta gano shuprentola. bayyet nashe gakhki biyyi? a-mut khabrele?

She says ‘Why are you saying this, so that people will despise me? They will say, for example, so-and-so’s husband is dying but she has gone and beautified herself. Do you want people to laugh at me? What is this all about?’

mara la Payal janP khayyi! ana atkha maren kat-oyat shaperta kat e-dantet PesrailP malakha tile, gani shakella khaze ka-diyyakh raba shapertet ka-diyyakh label men-jib-diyyi.

He says ‘No, my dear wife, my life, I am saying this so that you will be beautiful, so that when Isrāyīl the angel comes to take my soul, he will see that you are very beautiful and will take you instead of me.’