The Man who Wanted to Complain to God

etva letva kha nasha o arpa yal sur etvale. ku-dakh vadeva, leva myasa risha khamiva. mara kemen ka-azen ka-marya alaha khaltana shekkayat oden. he. a azen shekkayat oden, merre. khachcha berreshshele, raba berreshshele. ata-baba mirena iket yuma begnayele, tama push, la khush. morisha b-kemet, t-azet.

Once upon a time there was a man who had four children. Whatever he did, he was not able to make ends meet. He says ‘I shall set off to go and make a complaint to the Lord God Almighty. Yes, I shall go and complain,’ he said. He goes a little, he goes a lot. The ancestors have said ‘Where the sun sets, stay there, do not go further. You should get up in the morning and go.’

berreshshele, gashukele kha dana nasha jens julle etle, ruppele rishet karavat. tamma lakhma pyayena. har mara havar, alaha, metli. kpinen, pnili. amma bezdayel lakhma idu makhila al-lakhma akhel. men dan perkake jammuye bikhalele. merre a nasha atkha marra viyyule, m-akhkha. merre akhuni ika berreshshet? merre berreshshen ka-alaha shekkayat oden. len myasa khayyen.

He goes and sees a man. He has fine clothes. He threw them onto a bed. They are baking bread there. He keeps saying ‘Help, God, I am dying. I am hungry. I am finished.’ But he is afraid to lay his hand on the bread to eat it. He gathers the crumbs and eats. He says ‘This man has such an illness (far be it from here).’ He (the ill man) said ‘My brother, where are you going?’ He said ‘I am going to make a complaint to God. I cannot live.’

khachcha berreshshele, raba berreshshele, mtayele kes kha ilana. avun vayele ilanet perdesa. kut-yal sur lel vayu, gabuyele mennu bikhala, vayule yal sure. kutda vayele merya, men-do khabusha gabuyule, bikhalele, marru, berreshshel, parpusel. men-alaha ita. a sapar men-tama berreshshele.

He goes a little, he goes a lot and arrives at a tree. It is a tree of paradise. Whoever does not have children picks (fruit) from it and eats, then he has children. Also whoever is ill, he picks from the apple tree and eats, then his illness goes away and is eliminated—it is from God. Then he goes from there.

amma a ilana kha dana allu le pashva amma tinel pilel al-arra, kha dana khabusha m-allu lel npala. mennu kala platele, mara ha bar-nasha, iket berreshsha? ana berreshshen ka-alaha shekkayat vada. bas-diyyida haki. bas-diyyida haki. kma shenne k-ativa gabiva kha dana alli le pashva. adiyya ana dun mumrella, mayra viyyen khina.

But not one (apple) was remaining on the tree. He lifted it up and it fell on the ground, but not one apple falls from it. A voice comes from it saying ‘Hey, man, where are you going?’ ‘I am going to complain to God.’ ‘Tell about me also. Tell about me also. For so many years people came and picked (fruit) and not one remained. Now I have become bitter, I have become bitter.’

a sapar men-tama khachcha berreshshele, raba berreshshele, betpakele bi-kha dana diva. diva. amma kulle garmu m-allu plitena. dmikhele. men-alaha ita kala bitayele, hamzumele diva, mara bar-nasha, iket berreshsha? merre ka-alaha shekkayat vada. bas-diyyida tani ka-alaha.

Then from there he goes a little, he goes a lot and meets a wolf, a wolf, but all of his bones are sticking out. He is asleep. Then a voice comes from God and the wolf speaks, saying ‘Man, where are you going?’ He said ‘To God in order to complain to him.’ ‘Tell God also about me.’

men-tama plata berreshshele. khachchada berreshshele. l-o-yba berreshshele gashukel kha dana yala, ukhcha shapirele. hal lakhkhu pishele gu-kipa. bekhyele, sosuyele alaha, marya, ya shkulli ya shkulli meten, yan atkha la janjerren parekli. ika berreshshet? kes-alaha. bas diyyida haket.

He sets off from there. He goes a little. He goes to one side and sees a boy, who is so beautiful. He is (stuck) in a stone up to here on him. He is weeping. He is begging ‘Lord God, either take me, take me to die, or save me so I do not suffer torment like this. Where are you going?’ ‘To God’ ‘Tell him also about me.’

aha berreshshele. marya alaha khaltana men-tama talmidu shadurule mirele katu mu p-tanet ka-da nasha. talmidu shadurule. bitayel, mara ana alaheven. mu maret? atkha len myasa khayyen atkha. merre aten m-akhkha pt-azet. kha-dana kusarta dava khut do khabush perdesa tama etten. gnavta vitela mumrelle o-khabusha. aten ay paltetta b-lablet khayyet diyyu.

He goes off. Lord God Almighty sends his disciple from there and told him what he should say to this man. He sends his disciple. He comes and says ‘I am God. What do you say?’ ‘I cannot live like this.’ ‘You should go from here. Under the apple-tree of paradise there is a pot of gold. There has been a theft and the apple-tree has become bitter. You should take it out and take away its life.

ka-do nasha kat-gu-kipele tanet avun hal-dunye oya nukhama av garek pash gu-kipa. gu-pat baba yemma raba kimele. hada kimele gu-pat baba yemma khina le-oya tanuye. av atkha pashni.

To the man who is in the stone you should say that until the world reaches Judgement Day he must stay in the stone. He has very much disrespected his father and mother. He has disrespected his father and mother in such a way that it cannot be spoken about. He will remain like that.

m-akhkha pt-azet merre ka-do nashet kat jullu shulkhele, lakhma lel myasa idu pashetla, lakhma. avun shul satanele, kha dana chapula la yatten makhet men gu-pummu, o-lam satana men gu-pummu palet. kam jullu b-laveshlun, lakhma pt-akhel. parek o-nasha.

You will go from here,’ he said ‘to the man who has stripped off his clothes and is unable to stretch out his hand to bread. This is the work of the devil. Give him a slap, I don’t know what, on his mouth, the accursed devil will come out of his mouth. He will get up and put on his clothes, he will eat bread. That man will be saved.’

bitayel mtayele kes-diva. mara hala dave beshkalel, palutel, mattuyel lab-do nasha mara azen ka-diva juvvab lablen. ay babam kam ka-diva juvvab lablet? av divele. kul kha-nasha honu tayyar lele.

He comes and reaches the wolf. Then he takes the gold coins, he takes them out and places them by the man. He says ‘I am going to give an answer to the wolf.’ ‘Oh, my dear, why will you give an answer to the wolf? He is a wolf.’ ‘The mind of every man is not perfect.’

a sapar men-tama bitayele kes-diva. mara akhuni mu merre marya alaha khaltana ka-diyyi? mara ta-khachcha kurba. len beshmaya. khina mara khlapukh k-aven, mu mirele? mara ta-kurba, len beshma. berreshshele kurba, idu rappuyol men-gu-kisu. marya alaha khaltana mirele aten t-azet ka-diva p-tanet kha-dana akhmak nasha p-tapek al-idukh. t-akhlette, p-kemet av t-odet.

Then he comes from there to the wolf. It says ‘My brother, what did the Lord God Almighty say regarding me?’ He says ‘Come a little closer, I do not hear.’ He then says ‘I am your substitute, what has he said?’ He says ‘Come closer, I do not hear.’ It goes closer. He releases his hand from his stomach. ‘The Lord God Almighty has said “You should go and say to the wolf: a stupid man will meet you. You should eat him. You should get up and do that.”’

men-kepnu lel myasa kam men-tama. a sapar a nasha k-ate. tunile katu, a kheshle ka-diva tanuye ta kurba, ta kurba. idu ruppale men-kisu pritale. o nasha khelle. merre mennukhda akhmak nasha letva. rast titeva al-idukh, shvika khisha beta nafarukh khumyu. ba-ka-diva juvvab ki-mayyi? kisu tupkhale katu khelle. an-daveda peshlun ka-do nashet kat lam satana men-gu-pummu pletle. aha atkha masala. a kha.

On account of his hunger he is unable to rise from there. Then the man comes. He said to him, he went to the wolf and says ‘Come closer, come closer.’ He released his hand from his stomach and he (the wolf) tore it open. He ate the man. He said ‘There was never a man more stupid than you. Good fortune had come into your hands. You should have left well alone and gone home to look after your family. But does one bring an answer to a wolf?’ He attacked his belly and ate him. The gold coins remained for the man from whose mouth the accursed devil came out. This is a story. This is one.