Axiqar

etva dan-PkadimiP mara etva letva etva kha-dana malka Sankhiro, mal-ket aturayeva u-Akhikar khakkima maruna, khakkima yan lipa. akh-diyyukh professorivet avda raba lipeva, raba. kulle dunye yattavale.

In times of old, there was, the story goes, there was there was not, there was a king, Sanxiro the king of the Assyrians, and Axiqar, the wise man, as they called him, the wise man, that is learned man. Just as you are a professor, he also was very learned. All the world knew him.

u-Akhikar kes babet malkaze plikheva. kes-babuda videva vazziruyta, vazzer. ina yale letvale. Akhikar yale letvale. etvale eshti-dane bakhtate. eshti bakhtate etvale. raba kasre kasre betvate raba shapire, ina yale letvale.

Axiqar had worked also with the father of the king. With his father he had held the office of vizier, (he was) vizier. But he had no children. Axiqar had no children. He had sixty wives. He had sixty wives. He had many palaces, palaces, very beautiful houses, but he had no children.

kha-yuma krile raba men-danne nashe lipe, Prammal-dareP, PjadugareP u-raba nashe krile kat kha-mendi odi palachiyye pala ptakheva katu kat aha yala avile. la-vile kha-khabra menne.

One day he summoned many learned men, such as geomancers, magicians. He summoned many people to do something, fortune-tellers were reading fortunes to him, in order for him to have a child. No word (of a child) was forthcoming from them.

bar hada baret khabra la-vile men-danne, bar hada derre kes-alahet ganu. derre kes-alahet ganu. derre kes-alaha merre katu ya-alaha, khlapu vili, halli kha-bruna.

Afterwards, after no word was forthcoming from them, he appealed to his god. He appealed to his god. He appealed to God. He said to him ‘Oh God, I implore you, give me a son.’

alaha juvvab yuvvelle katu merre le-avilukh bruna, sabab kamta kheshlukh kes nashet kat p-ida plikhena la kes-alaha. kheshlukh kes-nashe khine kat-ani la-msiva katukh odiva. at le-avilukh bruna.

God gave him an answer. He said ‘You will not have a son, because formerly you went to people who were made by hand (i.e. idols), not to God. You went to other people, who could not do this for you. You will not have a son.

brunet khatukh, Natan, shemmu Nataniva, vudle ka-ganukh bruna. maleple. khamile. ka-ganukh vudle bruna. avun pt-ave ka-sebuytukh e-dan-sevlukh, t-ave bruna katukh. e-dan-metlukh, aynukh p-chamla.

Make the son of your sister—Natan, his name was Natan—your own son. Teach him. Take care of him. Make him your own son. He will be for your old age when you have become old, he will be a son for you. When you die, he will close your eyes.’

aha bitayele ka-Natan brun-khatu, vadu brun-ganu. malupule raba mendyane kat-gu malkuyta, betet PdarbarP malkuyta ave, la gu-alulane lakhkha tamma malupule kat gu-betuytet malka ames khayye, palekh, javej, akhel, shate, kul-mendi aved. akhchi gu-bet-malkuyta la al-vaddar. malupule. raba mendyane malupule katu.

He goes to Natan, the son of his sister, and makes him his son. He teaches him many things, so that he can be in the royal court, not in the streets, and so forth. He teaches him so he can live, work, move, eat, drink and do everything in the household of the king, only in the house of the king, not outside. He teaches him. He teaches many things.

a-yala garvusel. raba mendi yavel katu, lveshyate shapire, mikhulyate shapire. raba mendyane katu tanuyele. malupele katu, ka-brunu, raba nasyatte yavele.

The boy grows up. He gives him many things: beautiful clothes, fine food. He tells him many things. He teaches him. He gives his son many pieces of advice.

khakma men-nasyatte masalan marele bruni la-avet raba shakhina. la-avet raba kayra. bruni, la gakhket bi … nashet dostukhina sabab mumken ani kemi, ani garvessi kharta gakhki biyyukh. la akhlet lakhma haram. akhletle lakhma duz, spay.

Some of this advice, for example, was that he said ‘My son, do not be too hot and do not be too cold. My son, do not laugh at people who are your friends, because they may grow up and later laugh at you. Do not eat forbidden food. Eat proper, good food.’

raba men-danne mendyane malupule. la avet men-kha-bakhta kat … goro mitele, la goretla, sabab imanet … ku-danta pt-oya mara gori gori.

He teaches him many of these things. ‘Do not be with a woman whose husband has died, do not marry her, because she will always be saying “my husband, my husband”.

la-azet bar shupra. shupra le-pash katukh. la-azet bar raba davelta. vi kha-nasha lipa. vi kha-nasha makikha. arra kmat oya makekhta bush-miyya k-azi gavo. ina arra-oya kvita miyya gu-drete miyya k-azi. vi akh arra.

Do not go after beauty. Beauty will not last for you. Do not go after great wealth. Be a learned man. Be a soft man. The softer the ground is, the more water sinks into it. But if the ground is hard, when water is poured out, it flows away. Be like the ground.

vi akh tuyta. la-vi akh shada. shada kamta ki-yavva tarpe kharta ki-yavvala tunto. ina at vi akh tuyta. vi akh-tuyta kamta kulle tunta ki-yavvala ka-nashe, kharta tarpe.

Be like a mulberry. Do not be like an almond. An almond tree first produces leaves and then produces its fruit. But you be like the mulberry. Be like the mulberry. First it gives all the fruit to people and afterwards (produces) leaves.

vi makikha. vi khubbana. vi gakhuka. vi spay nasha. anne mendyane raba, raba katu tanuyele. balket arpamma, khamshamma atkha mendyane malupule.

Be soft. Be loving. Be merry. Be a good man.’ He tells him many of these things. He teaches him perhaps four hundred, five hundred such things.

kha-yuma —khachcha makriyyanne —kha-yuma malka marel ka-Akhikar Akhikar, at raba duvet siva. etlukh kha-nasha mattetle shopukh? sabab letten kha-nasha akh-diyyukh, lebbu betlaba al-kha-nasha akh-diyyu ave.

One day—I shall shorten it a little—one day the king says to Axiqar ‘Axiqar, you have become very old. Have you somebody you can put in your place, because there is nobody like you?’ His heart was seeking somebody who would be like him.

Akhikar marele ka-malka malka t-avet basima, Natan bruni ana tuyberrun, gurvessuven, mulpun, akhchi ka-daha mendi. akhchi kat-ave gu-idet diyyukh ka-malkuyta.

Axiqar says to the king ‘Oh king, be well, I have raised Natan, my son, I have brought him up, I have taught him only for this purpose, only so that he would be in your service, for your royal court.’

mara raba spay, mele. kha-yuma Akhikar beshkalul brunu, viyyele kha-jvanka, metya, labulu kes Nokhadnaser. Nokhadnaser malka ka-daha … kul-mendi tanuyel bekhzayele he spayile kat-gu malkuyta t-ave vazzer katu. aha mattuyul tama. Akhikar berrekhshel beta.

He says ‘Very well.’ One day Axiqar takes his son, when he has become a mature young man, he takes him to Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar tells him everything, he sees that he is suitable to be a minister for him in the royal court. He appoints him there. Axiqar goes home.

a-Natan etval kha-akhuna. Akhikar khubba makhziva ka-da akhuna. kha akhuna khina et-etvale anne-tre yale surena, ka-kha-menne khubba makhzuyet, o-khina narahat vayele. imanet Akhikar khubba mukhzil ka-do-akhuna sura, Natan brunu kat-gurvessuva gu … malkuyteva narahat vile, bukhkhelle.

Natan had a brother. Axiqar showed love to this brother, the other brother that he had. When these two were children, he showed love to one and the other becomes discontented. When Axiqar shows love to that younger brother, his son Natan whom he had brought up and was (now) in the royal court became discontented. He became jealous.

u-mendida Akhikar yuvvelle ka-da-yala. ka-daha yavi zuyze yavi beta, sabab Natan iva gu … betet malke. Natan raba narahat vile kat Akhikar muttile tapavut, muttile tapavut bel-da-bruna bel-davva.

Axiqar made an arrangement for this child that they would give him money, give him a house, because Natan was in the household of the king. Natan became very discontented that Axiqar made a distinction, made a distinction between this son and himself.

mu vedle? kha-ktava ktevle men-pummet Akhikar ka-malket Messer, kat-ana Akhikar ku-talukh Nenve har-atkha la-plasha b-yavvenna katukh. bayyen khazennukh. ina Akhikar khabra letle.

What did he do? He wrote a letter on behalf of Axiqar to the king of Egypt saying ‘I, Axiqar—come to Nineveh and I shall give it to you without a battle. I want to see you.’ But Axiqar has no word of this.

Natan a-mendi vadule, o-brunu. ka-malka bektavele malka t-avet basima pellan yuma, pellan tarekh mal-ket Messer, furun hamla t-aved allukh, hamla, plasha. koshun muyyele kat-ate palesh mennukh.

Natan, his son, does this. He writes to the king ‘King, be well, on such-and-such a day, such-and-such a date, the king of Egypt, Pharaoh, will make an attack on you, an attack, a war. He has brought the army in order to come to fight with you.’

a-ktava tre-samele. kha-ka-furun shadurele m-pummet Akhikar. kha ka-malka shadurele kat-malka t-avet basima furun bayye palesh mennukh. ka-furun marele ku-talukh pellan-dukta khazennukh kat … yavvenna atra ka-diyyukh la plasha.

The letter is in two parts. He sends one to Pharaoh on behalf of Axiqar and one he sends to the king saying ‘King, be well, Pharaoh wants to fight with you.’ He says to Pharaoh ‘Come, I shall see you at a certain place, in order to give the land to you, without a fight.’

a-ktava Natan yavule ka … Nokhadnaser, malka. ita, m-bar-hada, Natan ka-malka marele bekhzayet mu-vadele babi b-rishukh? adi kma shenne keslukh khilele, shetyele! gu-betukh gurvessele ina adiyya vele-viyya khayen allukh.

Natan gives this letter to king Nebuchadnezzar. Then, afterwards, Natan says to the king ‘Do you see what my father is doing against you? For how many years has he eaten and drunk in your presence! He has grown up in your house but now he has become treacherous to you.

khayen plitele allukh. bayye mamkhilukh b-o … furun malka. en-let hammune, ku-ta-menni azakh pellan dukta.

He has turned out to be treacherous to you. He wants to cause you to be smitten by Pharaoh. If you do not believe, come with me, let’s go to such-and-such a place.’

ka … Akhikar m-pummet malka bektavel Akhikar, m-pummet malka bektavel ktava ka-Akhikar ka-Akhikar furun hamla vadel allan. koshun etle. jammila e-koshun bush-khelanta kat-khazzenna kam-furun.

To Axiqar he writes a letter on behalf of the king. He writes a letter to Axiqar ‘To Axiqar, Pharaoh is making an attack against us. He has an army. Muster a stronger army so that I can see it (stand) before Pharaoh.’

Akhikar lele beddaya. jam- muyyol kulle koshun imanet a-ktava kabulule, jammuyol koshun. a-yba-khinada furun bitayele. ka-malka marele adiyya hammunet? furun dule tile lakhkha hamla vada u-Akhikarda koshun jummele.

Axiqar does not know. He musters all the army when he receives this letter. He musters the army. On the other side Pharaoh approaches. He (Natan) says to the king ‘Now do you believe? Pharaoh has come here to make an attack and Axiqar has mustered the army.’

malka narahat vayele. ka-Natan marele kat … mele kesli mara la letlukh shula biyyu. halle p-idet diyyi ana ki-yatten mu-pt-oden b-rishu. khzi ha akhuna, bruna. malka ka-Natan marele kat … mele khazzen … ka-muile atkha vida.

The king becomes unhappy. He says to Natan ‘Bring him to me.’ He says ‘No, you have no business with him. Give him into my hands. I know what I shall do to him.’ ‘But, brother, son’—the king says to Natan—‘bring him so that I can see why he has done this.’

Akhikar mayuna kes-malka. malka katu marele Akhikar ana mut-kherbayuta katukh videnva kat-aten a-shula vedlukh b-rishi? koshun jummevet al-gani, furun m-a-yba khina bitayele al-gani? atra bayyet yavvetle azel?

They bring Axiqar into the presence of the king. The king says to him ‘Axiqar, what evil had I done to you that you did this against me? You have gathered the army against me. Pharaoh is approaching from the other side against me. You want to let the country be ruined?’

Akhikar lishanu bedvakele. narahat vayele, lishanu bedvakele, lele bashure hamzem. (interruption)

Axiqar is tongue-tied. He is embarrassed and tongue-tied, he is unable to talk. [interruption]

mtilan al-de-dukta kat malka marele katu kat … Akhikar aha mut shula vedlukh kati? ana mu viden ka-diyyukh kat-aha atkha vedlukh. b-shenne viyyet gu-beti.

We reached the place where the king says to him ‘Axiqar, what have you done to me? What have I done to you that you have done this? You have been in my house for years.’

ina Akhikar ukhcha narahat vayele kat-hech kha-khabra letle pishele uldiyya. lishanu bedvakele lele masa hamzem. kmat …byayele ate hamzem lele bashure.

But Axiqar becomes so embarrassed that he has nothing to say, he has been insulted. He kept quiet. He is unable to talk. However much he wants to talk, he cannot do so.

yavule al-idet kha-nasha mara lablun Akhikar ktulunle. lablun ktulunle. mayuna kat-katlile. khabra yavele ka-bakhtu. shemmet bakhtu munshitun, kha-shemma-etla. ka-bakhtu khabra yavele kat-ana bitayen beta. mhader kha-ramsha shteta, kul-mendi.

He (the king) gives him to a man and says ‘Take Axiqar and kill him. Take him and kill him.’ They bring him to kill him. He sends word to his wife—I have forgotten the name of his wife, she has a name. He sends word to his wife (saying) ‘I am coming home. Prepare dinner and drink, everything.’

bakhta beddayela muila kessat. mara raba honanteva, raba. beddayela kessat muila. bitayena beta makhulela mashtuyela.

The wife knows what is happening. It is said that she was very clever. She knows what is happening. They come home and she offers food and drink.

o-katulada khina vayele beshtaya katu mara, etle shemma bas-shemma ukhcha munshitun, o-katula etle shemma, marele katu Akhikar ka-dav marele, marele ana gna letli. la ktulli.

(As) the executioner is drinking, he (Axiqar) says to him—he has a name but I have forgotten the name, the executioner has a name—he says to him, Axiqar says to him, he says ‘I am not guilty. Do not kill me.

kha dana babet diyyukhze bayyiva katlivale ina ana la ktelli. malka pshemle pshemle kat-ka-mu ktellun ina ana lenva ktilu. lubelli yuvvelli ka-malka. malka raba khdile. kam-yavvelli pashkashe, aname. ana letli gna, la ktulli.

Once they wanted to kill your father, but I did not kill him. The king became sad, he became sad (and wondered) why they killed him, but I had not killed him. I took him away and gave him to the king. The king was very glad. He gave me gifts, rewards. I am not guilty, do not kill me.’

mara bas mu oden? malka merre rishukh lablenne tama. merre kha-nasha etten gu-dussak bedmayele alli. u kulleda an-sarbaze t-iva mennu kulle shetyena ruyena. anne hech-kha-menne lena beddaya. avun ktul-labelle.

He (the executioner) says ‘But what should I do? The king said that I should take your head to him there.’ He said ‘There is a man in prison who resembles me.’ All the soldiers who were with him are all drunk and inebriated. None of them knows about it. ‘Kill him and take him (to the king).’

beshkalule, o-nasha bektalule. labulule ka-malka kat-Akhikar ana ktelli. ka-Akhikar kam tarra, kam-tarret betu bekkarena kha-chale, tre metre tla metre amku amku. Akhikar mattuyuna tama kha-bezza beshvakena kat-napasu la-katta. mat-tuyena miyya, lakhma kul-mendi mattuyena katu.

He takes that man and kills him. He takes him to the king (saying) ‘I have killed Axiqar.’ For Axiqar outside … outside his house they dig a hole, two metres, three metres deep. They put Axiqar there. They leave a hole so that his breathing would not be cut off. They put there water, bread, they put there everything for him.

o-rishet do-nasha labulule ka Nukhadnasar kat-ana Akhikar ktelli yavule katu. a-Natan brunu malka ka-Natan brunu marele khush shkulle paghret babukh Akhikar tamerre. Natan bitayele hech-mendi lele vada ka-babu. har-atkha chamchumule.

He takes the head of the man to Nebuchadnezzar (saying) ‘I have killed Axiqar’ and gives it to him. Natan, his son—the king says to Natan his son ‘Go and take the body of your father, Axiqar, and bury him.’ Natan comes but does nothing to his father. He just throws him down.

bitayele gu-betet babu, bikhalele, beshtayele, bezmarele, berkadele, beshvarele. u-byayele men-de-yemmu kat-ila khumitu bakhtet Akhikar ave menno akh gora. ina Akhikar merran bekhzayele. kulle karavashu, rigavatu, kulle byayele makhe, mkhayele, ajjuzele. beddayet mu-maren? ajjuze raba kate.

He comes to the house of his father, he eats, he drinks, he sings, he dances, he leaps around. He wants to be with his mother, who has nurtured him, the wife of Axiqar, as a husband. But Axiqar, as we said, sees (everything). He (Natan) wants to beat all the housekeepers and servants. He beats them and harasses them. You know what I am saying. He harasses them a lot.

atkha vara berrekhshela. kha-yuma furun kha-ktava bektavele ka-Nukhadnaser marele, bed-dayele kat Akhikar metle, bar Akhikar myatele furun bektavele kha-ktava ka … Nukhadnaser marele kat … ana byayen men-nashukh lipe men-gu atret diyyukh arpa khamsha mendyane kati juvvab odi juvvab yavvili. PmoammaP PmoammaP, len-bedda kha … kha-mendile kha-ketrele sharile kati.

Time passes in this way. One day Pharaoh writes a letter to Nebuchadnezzar and says—he knows that Axiqar died—after Axiqar dies, Pharaoh writes a letter to Nebuchadnezzar saying ‘I want your learned men from your land, to give me a response to four or five things, to solve for me a puzzle, a puzzle, I don’t know, a thing, a problem.

en-shrilun nashet diyyukh ka-diyyi, tlay shenne men PdaramadP-et atri PdaramadP yane … mendi kat ate men-atri men-khette men … dava men-sima, men-kul-mendi ana yavven katukh tlay shenne, et tlay shenne, mendit atri kat-bitayele mendi men-kul-dukta ka-tlay shenne yavvenne katukh. dilukh mujjurra?

If your people solve it for me, I shall give you thirty years of the income of my land—income, that is what comes from my land, wheat, gold, silver, everything, thirty years, I shall give you the produce of my land from every place for thirty years.’

yane palattet mendi men-gav-atret diyyi tlay shenne ana katukh b-yavvenna. yane men-khettele, men-anvena, men-khamrele men-davele, men-simele men-kenyanena, men-gammeshyatena, men-kul-mendi, PdaramadP ayyela yane. palten men-gu-atri kul-mendi davelta palten, ka-tlay shenne ana b-yavvenna kakh. en-la aten kharjet tlay-shenne diyyi at gari yavvetla.

Do you understand? That is ‘I shall give you the produce from my land for thirty years.’ That is, wheat, grapes, wine, gold, silver, cattle, buffaloes, everything. This is what ‘income’ is. ‘I shall bring everything out of my land, I shall bring out wealth, and give it to you for thirty years. If not, you must give me my expenditure for thirty years.’

Nukhadnaser malka bekrayele raba nashe lipe vazzire, vakkile, kul-nashe PramaldareP kul-nashe bekrayele kat … a PmoammaP juvvab yavvelle a khabra, a mendi juvvab yavvelle ka-furun.

King Nebuchadnezzar summons many learned people, viziers, stewards, every kind of people, magicians, he summons every kind of people in order to give him a response concerning the puzzle, to give a response to Pharaoh regarding this matter.

kut-ile bitaya mara avakh khlapukh malka akhnan le-yattakh, magar Natan yatte, Natan gurvesle gu-idet Akhikar. ka-Natan bekrayena Natan mara ana len beddaya. ana la-msen anne juvvabe yavvennun.

Everybody who comes says ‘With respect, king, we do not know, perhaps Natan knows, Natan was brought up by Axiqar.’ They summon Natan. Natan says ‘I do not know. I cannot give you the answers.’

betlabele men Nukhadnaser furun, kat kha-dana-beta zarezle gu-hava. furun betlabele kha … men Nukhadnaser kat … kha-dana beta tundella gu-hava u raba mendyane khine. en msilun odile nashet diyyukh, ana kulle kharjet tlay shenne b-yavvenna katukh et-atri. en-la, aten kharjet tlay shenne gare madderretla kati.

Pharaoh asks Nebuchadnezzar to construct a house in the air. Pharaoh asks Nebuchadnezzar for … a house suspended in the air, and many other things. ‘If your men can do this, I shall give to you all the expenditure of my land for thirty years. If not, you must return to me the expenditure of thirty years.’

he nasha let kat-a-mendi avedle. Nukhadnaser gu-de-dana bekhyele. mkhayele gu-rishu, mara o Akhikar! o vardet beti! atetva, gu-kulle anne khabrane ki-yavvetvale juvvab. a mu vedli b-rish-gani? la bakure, la hamzume, la tanuye kha-mendi, ka-diyyukh muktelli. aten itva makhderranet atri.

Indeed, there is nobody who can do this. At that moment Nebuchadnezzar weeps. He beats his head, saying ‘Oh Axiqar! Oh flower of my house! If you could come, you could respond to all these requests. Oh what have I done to myself? Without asking, speaking or saying anything, I had you killed. You were the administrator of my land.’

bekhyele raba. brakele al-berkaku mara ya alaha! kha-ga khitaze Akhikar khazenvale, tapekva biyyi. akhchi pati ketava gu-patu, bassiva. atkha marele, raba hamzumele atkha mendyane.

He wept bitterly. He knelt down on his knees and says ‘Oh God, if only I could see Axiqar even just once again, if only he could meet me again. If only my face could touch his face, that would be enough.’ He says this, he constantly speaks in such a way.

o-katula shemmu beddayunva, munshili, raba chatun shemma etle, merre malka t-avet basima, bayyen kha-mendi tanennukh. mara muile? tani! bitayele o-katula, o-rigu, riget malka, katula.

The executioner—I used to know his name but have forgotten, he has a very difficult name—said ‘King, be well, I want to tell you something.’ He says ‘What is it? Speak!’ The executioner comes, the servant, the servant of the king, the executioner.

mara katu kat malka t-avet basima, ana ki-bayyen khtiti tanenna, modenna katukh. o-nashet kat … al-malket ganu PkhayanatP aved, khelta aved al-alahaze vadele khelta. fark lela vada, al-malka yan-al-alaha. ana khelta viden. en-shuk men-da-khelti, kha-mendi khina khazet biyyi, ktulli. ina aha mendi ana bayyen tanenne katukh.

He says to him ‘King, be well, I want to tell my sin, to confess it to you. A man who does treachery against his own king, who commits a fault, he commits the fault also against God. There is no difference, against the king or against God. I have committed a fault. If apart from this fault of mine, you find something else against me, kill me. But I want to tell you this thing.’

mara muile? hamzem! mara Akhikar khayele. ana len ktilu. malka lishanu bedvakele dugle maret? hamzem! hamzem! hamzem! mara he. malka t-avet basima, ana Akhikar len ktilu.

He says ‘What is it? Speak!’ He says ‘Axiqar is alive. I have not killed him.’ The king is tongue-tied ‘Are you telling lies? Speak! Speak! Speak!’ He says ‘Yes, oh king, be well, I have not killed Axiqar.’

ikele? merre khayele pellan duktele. ana tumrun kam-tarret betu, ina khayele. ita bayyet katletleda, ktulle. mara dakh katlenne? en-ave khaya, palget malkuyti b-yavvenna katukh. akhchi Akhikar pati keta gu-patu.

‘Where is he?’ He said ‘He is alive in such-and-such a place. I have buried him outside his house, but he is alive. So, if you want to kill him, kill him.’ He says ‘Why should I kill him? If he is alive, I shall give you half of my kingdom. Only let my face touch the face of Axiqar.’

malka bitayele gu de henne, mutina tanuye? kat-malke betyavena gavo? mayule tama. bekhzayele Akhikar ina tama. palutule ina Akhikar deknu rikha, rangu ruppu zarda viyya, kiku kulle khrive.

The king sits down in the thing, what do they say, that kings sit in? They bring him there. He sees that Axiqar is there. He brings him out (and sees that) Axiqar’s beard is long, he has lost his colour, he has become yellow and all his teeth are ruined.

bekhpakule mara ay Akhikar! ay-khayyi! ganivet aten! ana mu tila b-rishi? ka-mu peshli uldiyya b-Natan brunukh? la bukerri mennukh hech-mendi. la kam-yavvennukh dana. aven khlapukh, pakhelli.

He embraces him and says ‘Oh Axiqar! Oh my life! You are my soul! What has come upon me? Why was I treated treacherously by Natan your son? I did not ask you anything. I did not give you time. Please, forgive me.’

palutule Akhikar, bedrayule a-betet malkuytu al-Akhikar. mara etli PehtiyajPallukh. besparen allukh, yane byayen khazennukh. Akhikar mara halli dana. yavole dana ka-Akhikar ka-arpi yumane. arpi yumane, mara khul, shti, khup. khachcha ta al-ganukh ku-talukh kesli ana bayyen hamzemmen mennukh.

He takes Axiqar out (of the hole) and makes his royal house available for Axiqar. He says ‘I need you (for a certain task). I am waiting for you, that is I want to see you (to talk to you about it).’ Axiqar says ‘Give me time.’ He gives the time to Axiqar, for forty days. He says ‘For forty days eat, drink, wash. Return to yourself a bit, then come to me. I want to talk to you.’

aha arpi yumane bar-daha berrekhshele kes-malka. betlabele pakhalta mennu. mara ay betet diyyivet. ay malkuytet diyyivet. ay khayyet diyyivet. mu tanen? mu amsen oden kat-at pakhletli? mara manshila! kul-viyya viyyele. merre mara Natan brunukh a-mendi vedle. mara beddayen.

After forty days he goes to the king. He (the king) asks forgiveness from him. He says ‘You are my home. You are my kingdom. You are my life. What should I say? What can I do so that you will forgive me?’ He says ‘Forget it! What has been has been.’ He said ‘Natan your son has done this.’ He said ‘I know.’

mara furun malka kha-khcha mendi shudranile. arpa khamsha mendyane menni tlibele. en-videlan, videlan. la videlan, tlay shennet PdaramadPet atret diyyi gare yavvenna ka … furun, en-la msili. en-msili, av bet-yavvella kati.

He says ‘Pharaoh the king has sent us such-and-such a task. He has demanded of me four or five things. If we do them, we do them (and that’s fine). If we do not do them, I have to give thirty years income of my land to Pharaoh, if I cannot (do them). If I can, he will give it to me.’

Akhikar marele la takhmen. akhchi halli arpi yumane dana. ana b-zarzennun. muina? mara kha-menne ila kat ana gari kha-dana … beta zarzen ka-furun gu-hava, ave kelya gu-hava. kha-khina etten kat men-sila geddale zarez. raba atkha mendyane.

Axiqar says ‘Do not think about it. Only give me forty days. I’ll deal with them. What are they?’ He says ‘One of them is that I must erect a house for Pharaoh in the air, which stands in the air.’ There is another one which requires him to make threads of sand. Many such things.

Akhikar ka-malka marele halli dana, la-avilukh shula. khabra yavele ka-bakhtu, merri, bakhtu raba honanteva, ka-bakhtu khabra yavele kat-ayya malpani … tre zayet neshre, bajralun, garvessalun, malpalun. akhchi malpalun kat … hallun lughne, lughne yane karpuyche, lughne, tina, miyya, hallun, jalde hallun, la-klimun!

Axiqar says to Pharaoh ‘Give me time, do not worry.’ He sends word to his wife—I have said that his wife was very clever—he sends word to his wife asking her to teach two young eagles, to nurture them, raise them and teach them, teach them thus ‘Give bricks, mud, water, give, quickly give, do not stop!’

u-yale sureda mattuyena gu-kha-kertala, anne neshre beshkalena massukena gu-hava. kulle anne belyapena. kul-mendi … vayele duz. bar-arpi yumane, Akhikar ka-malka marele ku-ta-khzi.

They also put young children in a basket and the eagles pick them up and take them up into the air. They learn all these things. Everything is done correctly. After forty days Axiqar says to the king ‘Come and see.’

bitayele bekhzayele tama, bekhzayele a kertala sekla ullul, u-tama vena bedraya kale hallun kipe hallun lughne, anne kashiyye, karpuyche, u-tina, miyya. kam kelyetun? hallun! malka pyashele har-atkha matal lishanu bedvakele.

He comes and sees there, he sees that the basket has gone upwards, and there they are crying out ‘Give stones, give bricks, those tiles, bricks, mud and water. Why are you stopping? Give!’ The king is astonished. His is tongue-tied.

mara avenva khlapukh Akhikar. khabra yavele ka-furun kat-nashet diyyi bitayena. beshkalele Akhikar biyya bi … rigavatu koshun, berrekhshena.

He says ‘I am in your debt, Axiqar.’ He sends word to Pharaoh (saying) ‘My people are coming.’ Axiqar takes an army together with his servants and they march.

furun ka Akhikar zurzeva kha-EhotelE shariva gavo. ka Akhikar kamtet kulle marele marele kat en-ana aven sara, nashet khut-idet diyyi mudi vayena? mara at sarevet, baret lele yavevet anida palakhukhna.

Pharaoh has prepared a hotel for Axiqar in order for him to lodge there. He says first of all to Axiqar ‘If I were the moon, what would the people under my command be?’ He says ‘You are the moon and you give the light of the night. They are your workers.’

mara belvashele kha-lveshta al-ganu zarde mara a al-mu madmuyivet? mara madmuyukhven al-kha-shemsha yavvantet bara. a-sapar khita belvashele … khachcha julle khine. mara anne … ranget khvara, mara anne al-mu madmuyevet? mara madmuyeven al-kekhve avi gu-shmayya balbuse.

He says—he puts on a yellow garment— he says ‘What do you compare me to?’ He says ‘I compare you to the sun, the giver of light.’ The next time he wears other clothes. He says—these are white in colour—he says ‘What do you compare these to?’ He says ‘I compare them to stars that shine in the sky.’

bakurele mennu raba mendyane kharta marele mammennukh b-momita mara maret diyyukh al-mu bedmayele? marukh ka-Akhikar mara maret diyyukh al-mu bedmayele, al-mu madmuyut?

He asks him many things. Then he says ‘I pledge you with an oath saying “your master—what does he resemble? Your master.”’ He says to Axiqar ‘What does your master resemble? What do you compare him to?’

mara ku al-aklukh maret diyyi lele khshikha kat-ana atkha hamzemmen bazu. at ku-al-aklukh kli, ana hamzemmen bazu. e-dana hamzumele bazet maret ganuze et … Nenve, Nukhadnaser. marele kat-avun en-tane ka-shemsha kli, bet-kalya. en-tane mutra ri, bet-rayya. en-tane dunye kli bet-kalyani.

He says ‘Listen, my master does not need me to speak about him like this. Listen, I’ll speak about him.’ Then he speaks about his master, of Nineveh, Nebuchadnezzar. He says ‘If he says to the sun “stop”, it will stop. If he says “rain”, it will rain. If he says “Stop world”, it will stop.’

raba mendyane tanuyele bazet malku. marele mammuyukhven b-rishet do marukh tanili manivet. marele at-manivet kat-malka shudrukhle?

He says many things about his king. He says ‘I pledge you with an oath on the head of your master, tell me who you are.’ He says ‘Who are you whom the king has sent?’

mara ana kha-men-dan-shekvane, kha-men-dan-shekvaneven khut-aklet malka. tiyyen keslukh. raba mendyane hamzumena m-uydale. marele nashe khine letva kat ka-diyyukh kha-shekvana shudrele kes-kha-malket Messer.

He says ‘I am one of the ants, one of the ants under the foot of the king. I have come to you.’ They speak together about many things. He says ‘Were there no other people that he sent you, an ant, to a king of Egypt?’

kharta mam-muyule momita mara tani manivet? mammuyukhven momita b-rishet do marukh tanili at-manivet? mara ana iven Akhikar. e-dan t-ile shemmu beshmayu Akhikar furun brazele shopu. beddayele kul-mendi zrezle. kul-mendi spay-vile.

Then he pledges him with an oath, he says ‘Tell me, who are you? I pledge you with an oath on the head of your master. Tell me. Who are you?’ He says ‘I am Axiqar.’ When he hears his name Axiqar, Pharaoh dries up on the spot. He knows that he has arranged everything, that everything has turned out well.

mara akh bas-shemyenva ka-diyyukh ktellun. merre he kha-nashet alaha la basmale kha-mendi ave le-ave. en-kha-mendit … alaha basmale, k-ave.

He says ‘But I had heard that they killed you.’ He said ‘Yes, a man—if it does not please God that something comes about, it does not come about. If something pleases God, it will be.

ina alaha bsemle ka-diyyi khumile sabab bruni Natan khayen pletle alli ka-diyyi bilun katli, ina alaha la-shvekle, kat-atenva lakhkha juvvab diyyukh yavvenvale.

It pleased God to protect me, since Natan my son turned out to be treacherous to me and they wanted to kill me, but God did not permit this, so that I could come here and give you your answer.’

mara khob khush dmukh gu-EhotelEukh, kudme atet. kudme bitayele medre. mara mu-byayet? mara bayyen kha-dana PsakhtumanP oya gu-hava. mara khob tani ka-nashukh tina kashiyye, karpuyche, miyya, kulle odilun hazer. ana kudme t-aten ka-diyyukh banen beta ullul.

He says ‘Good, go and sleep in your hotel and come tomorrow.’ The next day he comes again. He says ‘What do you want?’ He says ‘I want a building that is in the air.’ He says ‘Fine. Tell your people to prepare mud, tiles, bricks, water, everything. I shall come tomorrow and build a house above.’

kulle nashet dunyeda jmitela kat-aha beta bet-bane ullul gu-hava. khabra yavele ka-danne … ka-neshre marele kat … yavvi lakhma yal-sureda gu-de-kertala. besyakena ullul. besyakena ullul, hal kma-dana atkha-ullul besyakena balket alpa metre ullulina.

Everybody is gathered (saying) that ‘He will build a house above in the air.’ He gives the word to the eagles and says that they should put food and the children into the basket. They go up, until (when) they go up for some time, they are perhaps 1, metres above (the ground).

men-tama sharuyena bedra-kale anne yal-sure kat-hallun kipe, hallun miyya, hallun tina. Akhikarda beshkalele men-sarbazu ka-danne-mkhayele. mara ka-muitun kelye? hallun tina! hal-lun miyya hallun kipe. mara mujjur yavvakh akhnan?! mujjur yavvakh tamma akhnan tina, kipe, miyya? mujjur yavvakh? mara ba-mujjur aten byayet tamma beta zarzen katukh en-aten le-bashret yavvet kipe, miyya. beslayena bitayena. mara khush gu … EhotelEukh. kudme bayyen khazennukh.

From there the children begin to shout ‘Give stones, give water, give clay.’ Axiqar takes (things) from his soldiers and beats them. He says ‘Why have you stopped? Give clay, give water, give stones.’ They say ‘How can we give? How can we give here clay, stones, water? How can we give? How can we give here clay, stones, water? How can we give?’ ‘How do you want me to build here a house for you if you cannot give stones and water?’ They go down and they come (to him). He says ‘Go to your hotel. Tomorrow I want to see you.’

kudme medre bitayele mara ana byayen kha-dana khola khola atkha khlimele, khola zakretli, zakretli b-sila. takhmunele, takhmunele mu-aved, mu-la-aved. mat-tuyele kha-dana panjara kave u-shamashuyta shemsha bitayela men-tama ki-karila shamashuyta. shamashuyta mkhayela tama. avva sila bedrayele.

The next day he comes again and says ‘I want a rope, a rope that is this thick. (I want you) to weave for me a rope, weave it for me with sand.’ He thinks and thinks (wondering) what he should do. He makes a casement, a window, and a sun-ray, the sun, what they call a sun-ray comes from there. The sun-ray strikes there. He sprinkles sand.

sila bedrayele men-tama bezze bezze. avva sila atkha atkha partulele. mara tani nashukh zakrile. ana geddalu hazer videven, partule al-uydale. tay nashukh zakrile. kmat byayena lena bashure. berrekhshele Ehotel.E mara kudme khazennukh.

He sprinkles sand there in holes. He twists the sand like this. He says ‘Tell your people to weave it. I have prepared its threads, twisting (them) together. Tell your people to weave it.’ However much they wanted to, they could not. He goes to the hotel. He says ‘Tomorrow I shall see you.’

kudme bitayele marele katu kha-mendi bayyen tanet kati kat-hech nasha la-ave shemyu gu-dunye akhchi … taza ave. Akhikar bitayele gu … EhotelEu, takhmunele mu-aved, mu-la-aved.

The next day he comes and says to him ‘I want you to tell me something that nobody in the world has heard but is new.’ Axiqar goes back to his hotel and thinks what he could do.

bektavele gu-ktava kat-aten furun denanet ka … malka duzila? mara byayele denukh shakelle mennukh. shemyutun aha mendi? mara la lekh shemyu. mara aten denanet ka … Nukh-adnaser malka ka … malket Nenve. mara la. mara bas-aha mendi tazele aten … beshmayovet.

He writes in a book ‘You, Pharaoh, are in debt to the king. Is that true?’ He says ‘He wants to collect your debt from you. Have you heard this?’ He says ‘No, I have not heard.’ He says ‘You are in debt to king Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Nineveh.’ He says ‘No.’ He says ‘But this is new. You are hearing it (now).’

medre tamada bekramele, ina khachcha bush shaperta marole, beddayevet? kharta bitayele … medre gu-EhotelEu mara si-dmukh.

Again also in that he wins, but he tells it rather more elegantly, do you understand? Then he returns to his hotel. He (Pharaoh) says ‘Go and sleep.’

ka-kedamta bitayele ka … Akhikar marele ka-mudi suysavatet diyyokhun gavet Nenve hurhemlun? susyatet diyyan lakhkha murkheshlun yane yale munpellun. Akhikar plata berrekhshele ka-dan-nashet mennu mara kha-dana katu dukun.

He comes the next day. He says to Axiqar ‘Why did your horses in Nineveh neigh? Our horses here aborted, that is they aborted their young.’ Axiqar goes out. He says to the people with him ‘Take a cat.’

katu bedvakona. ka-daha katu ukhcha mkhayele, ukhcha mkhayele gu-khiyavand ajjuzole, charchurela. beddayet katu mujjur charchurela? wa! wa charchurela. bitayena nashe ka-malka ka-furun marena kat … Akhikar vele gekhka biyyan. dvikele kha-katu gu-khiyavand, mkhaya.

They take the cat. He beats the cat hard and harries it in the street, and it whines. Do you know how a cat whines? People come to the king, they say to Pharaoh ‘Axiqar is laughing at us. He has caught a cat in the street and is beating it.’

shadurele baru. bitayele varele. mara a-katu heyvan kakh mu vettela? mu vettela ka-diyyukh kat-kha-khcha mkhayot? mara aha maret gnayela. muila gnayo?

He sends for him. He comes and enters. He says ‘What has this cat, this animal, done to you? What has it done to you that you beat it so much?’ He said ‘This is a criminal.’ ‘What is its crime?’

mara aha malka kati iva kha karuvva kat ukhcha shapira kala etvale. e-danet zamerva, ana shammenva. yattenva malka etle shula menni, k-azenva keslu. ina a katun-tet diyyukh m-akhkha kemla, kheshla ad-lele kdalu kchitula, titela. bas-garek ana makhenna aha.

He says ‘This king was a rooster to me, who had such a beautiful voice. When he sang, I used to listen. I knew that the king had work for me. I used to go to him. But this cat of yours, he got up from here and went this night and has snapped his neck, then has come back. So I must beat it.’

furun mara ka … Akhikar a mu maret? shuddennet? tuppennet? muivet? a mujjurra kheshla katu biyyet … arpamma khamshamma kilometre urkha, kheshla tama kha-lele kdalet karuvvet diyyukh kchila u-tila, derra tila?

Pharaoh says to Axiqar ‘What are you saying? Have you gone mad? Have you gone crazy? What are you? How is it that the cat went there on a journey of four hundred or five hundred kilometres in one night, snapped off the neck of your rooster and came back, returned and came back?’

merre bas-en-khamshamma eshtamma kilometrena ba-mujjurra susavatet maret diyyi tama hehehe hurhemlun, susavatet diyyukh lakhkha murkheshlun? furun dile. juvvab yuvvelle katu. juvvab avveva yuvvelle katu.

He said ‘But if (the distance) is five hundred or six hundred kilometres, how is it that the horses of my master neighed there and your horses here aborted?’ Pharaoh understood. He (Axiqar) gave him the (necessary) answer. The answer was that. He gave (the answer) to him.

merre khush alaha barekhlukh kat-kha-akhcha hona karkepta katukh alaha yuvvele. muyyile katu raba dava, sima, julle, kulle yuvvele katu. u-tlay shennet PdaramadP-et atra kulle yuvvele ka-Akhikar, muttile al-susavate shuderre ka … malka Nenve.

He said ‘Go, God bless you, for God has given you such an intelligence and such a mind.’ He brought to him large amounts of gold, silver, clothes and gave everything to him. He gave to Axiqar the income of the land for thirty years, he loaded it on horses and sent it to the king in Nineveh.

khabra yuvvellun kat … bitayele … Akhikar. pletlun kamaytu. malka pletle kamaytu. khurdile b-kdalu. nshekle. raba khdile biyyu kat-kul-mendit bayyet b-yavvennukh.

They gave word that Axiqar was coming. They came out to meet him. The king came out to meet him. He hugged him round his neck. He kissed him. He was very pleased with him (saying) ‘I shall give you everything you want.’

merre ana hech-mendi le-bayyen kulle mendi etli kul-mendi etli. anneze tlay shennet PdaramadP-et … men-atret furun Messer muyyon katukh u-anne julle, a-dava, a-mendi, kulle katukhna.

He said ‘I do not want anything. I have everything. I have everything. I have brought you the income of the land of Pharaoh of Egypt for thirty years. These clothes, this gold, this thing (i.e. silver), everything is for you.’

merre mu bayyet ana kakh yavven? merre hech mendi mennukh len byaya. akhchi Natan bruni, Natan bruni halle al-idi. e-darset yuvvonva katu kamta lele lipo bekhshaven spay. halle al-idi. ana yavvenne kha-dars khita.

He said ‘Whatever you want I shall give you.’ ‘I do not want anything from you, but hand over my son Natan into my hands. I don’t think he has learnt well the lesson that I gave him some time ago. Hand him over into my hands. I shall give him another lesson.’

mara shkulle a-Natan p-idukh, kullet bayyet odet b-rishu vud. hech-nasha le-hamzem. Natan bekhzayele kat-babu khayele, lebbu pkayele. bezdayele bekhzayele khaya. he. beshkalule Natan, mayule beta.

He says ‘Take this Natan into your hands. Do whatever you like to him. Nobody will speak.’ Natan sees that his father is alive and his heart splits (with fear). He is afraid, he sees he is alive. Yes. He takes Natan and brings him home.

an mendyanet kat-kamta mireva katu kat-spay-vi, khubbana-vi, gakhkana-vi atkha-vi, atkha gurvessuva raba zuyze khurjeva allu. raba mulpuva, biyyuva akh-kha-baba kha-bruna, a-sapar katu merre

The things that he had previously told him ‘Be good, be loving, be merry, be like this’—he had brought him up like this and spent a lot of money on him—he had taught him a lot, he had loved him, as a father (loves) a son—this time he said to him

kat-ana ka-diyyukh mulepli avet spay, vilukh kati kherba. ana katukh vedli nasha, aten ka-diyyi dushdeshlukh. ana ka-diyyukh muttili gu-bet-malkuyta, aten ka-diyyi muttilukh gu-arra.

‘I taught you to be good, but you were bad to me. I made you a man, but you trampled on me. I put you in the royal household, but you put me in the ground.

ana ka-diyyukh mumtili al-zuyza al PmokamatP yane al-kha-dargha, dargha kat-atet bet-malkuyta, ina aten ka-diyyi muttilukh al-kha-dargha … ketla, motana. yemmet diyyukh ka-diyyukh tuyberra ina at bilukh menno avetva akh-kha-gora. rigavate kulle mekhyelukh.

I brought you into money, into a position, that is a (high) rank, a rank whereby you came into the royal household, but you put me in the rank of execution, of death. Your mother brought you up, but you wanted to be with her like a husband. You beat all the servants.’

raba raba mendyane marule. yane darkul do-mendit kamta tunyuva marule. Natan marele katu kat-aven khlapukh. aten rakhmanet. at khubbanet. at viyyet baba kati. medre har-o-baba vi-kati.

He says many, many things to him. That is, he says to him (that he did) the opposite of what he had said to him previously. Natan says to him ‘Please, you are merciful, you are loving, you have been a father to me. Be the same father to me again.’

mara la khina. o-baba kheshle. adi kha-baba khina tiyyele kat-at akh-brunuvet. bel-diyyi bel-diyyukh alaha t-aved divan, divan. beddayet divan muila?

He says ‘Not again. That father has gone. Now another father has come, whose son you are like. God will hold a court (and judge) between me and you.’ A court. Do you know what a court is?

bedvakule Natan, besyarule. b-khezhbuyna yavule lakhma u-miyya. tla yumane lela vaya, Natan bezyarele, bezyarele, bezyarele, bum! pkayele. myatele Natan. ayyada Akhikarila.

He seizes Natan and binds him. He gives him bread and water in rations. Hardly had three days past, when Natan begins to swell, he swells, he swells boom! He explodes. Natan dies. That is (the story) of Axiqar.