BUJONI = RIDDLES, PROVERBS AND FABLES.
Reading edition
A. RIDDLES.
THE NAVEL.
1. Tishkóreya ushkúrey halól.
“The perpendicular mountain’s sparrow’s nest. The body’s sparrow’s hole.”
A STICK.
2. Méy my sazik sister heyn, is súreo at day peréyn, [she] walks, bás at night darre door pató; behind; búja.[15] listen!
“Now listen! My sister walks in the day-time and at night stands behind the door.” As “Sas” “Sazik” also means a stick, ordinarily called “Kunali” in Astori, the riddle means: “I have a stick which assists me in walking by day and which I put behind the door at night.”
3. The Gilgitis say “méy káke tré pay; dashtea” = my brother has three feet; explain now. This means a man’s two legs and a stick.
A RADISH.
4. Astóri mió dádo dimm dáwa-lók; dáyn sarpa-lók, buja.
My grandfather’s body [is] in Hades; his beard [is in] this world, [now] explain!
This riddle is explained by “radish” whose body is in the earth and whose sprouts, compared to a beard, are above the ground. Remarkable above all, however, is that the unknown future state, referred to in this riddle, should be called, whether blessed or cursed, “Dawalók” [the place of Gods] by these nominal Muhammadans. This world is called “Sarpalók,” = the world of serpents. “Sarpe” is also the name for man. “Lók” is “place,” but the name by itself is not at present understood by the Shins.
A HOOKA.
5. G. méy my dadi father’s mother shishédji on her head agár, fire lúpenu is burning.
The top of the Hooka is the dadi’s or grandmother’s head.
A SWORD.
6. Tutâng “Darkness gotéjo from the house rúi the female demon nikai is coming out,”
viz., “out of the dark sheath the beautiful, but destructive, steel issues.” It is remarkable that the female Yatsh should be called “Rûi.”
RED PEPPER.
7. Lólo bakuró shé tshá lá há—búja!
In the red sheep’s pen white young ones many are—attend!
This refers to the Redpepper husk in which there are many white seeds.
B. PROVERBS.
DOTAGE.
To an old man people say:
8. Tú thou djarro and old môto brains shûdung delivered,
“You are old and have got rid of your senses.”
Old women are very much dreaded and are accused of creating mischief wherever they go.
DUTIES TO THE AGED.
9. (G.[16]) Djuwanie In youth’s keneru time digasus, I gave, djarvelo in old age betshumus. I demand.
“When young I gave away, now that I am old you should support me.”
A BURNT CHILD, ETC., ETC.
10. Ek damm agáru dáddo dugúni shang thé!
Once in fire you have been burnt, a second time take care!
EVIL COMMUNICATIONS, ETC., ETC.
11. Ek khatsh látshek bilo búdo donate she.
One bad sheep if there be, to the whole flock is an insult = One rotten sheep spoils the whole flock.
12. Ek khatsho manújo budote sha = one bad man is to all an insult.
ADVICE TO KEEP GOOD COMPANY.
13. A. Mishto manújo—katshi béyto, to mishto sitshé Katsho manujo—katshi béyto, to katsho sitshe
When you [who are bad?] are sitting near a good man you learn good things.
When you [who are bad?] are sitting near a bad man you learn bad things.
This proverb is not very intelligible, if literally translated.
DIMMI CON CHI TU PRATTICHI, ETC., ETC.
14. Tús máte rá: mey shughulo ró hun, mas tute rám: tu ko hanu = “Tell me: my friend is such and such a one, I will tell you who you are.”
DISAPPOINTMENT.
15. Sháharè kéru gé shing shém thé—konn tshiní tey tshiní téyanú.
“Into the city he went horns to place (acquire), but ears he cut thus he did. He went to acquire horns and got his ears cut off.”
HOW TO TREAT AN ENEMY.
Dî dé, putsh kàh = “give the daughter and eat the son,” is a Gilgit proverb with regard to how one ought to treat an enemy. The recommendation given is: “marry your daughter to your foe and then kill him,” [by which you get a male’s head which is more valuable than that of a female.] The Dards have sometimes acted on this maxim in order to lull the suspicions of their Kashmir enemies.[17]
C. FABLES.
THE WOMAN AND THE HEN.
16. Eyk tshéekeyn kokói ek asílli; sése sóni thúl (hané) déli; setshéy-se kokóïte zanmá láo (food, grain) wîi; tulé dù eggs two déy thé; giving does; sè ékenu this one lang rid bilí; got; kokói the hen’s dêr stomach páy, bursting, múy. died.
Moral.—
Anésey maní aní haní = the meaning of this is this:
Láo Much arém thé to gain ápejo the little lang lost biló. becomes.
Translation.
A woman had a hen; it used to lay one golden egg; the woman thought that if she gave much food it would lay two eggs; but she lost even the one, for the hen died, its stomach bursting.
Moral.—People often lose the little they have by aspiring to more.
17. THE SPARROW AND THE MOUNTAIN.
“A sparrow who tried to kick the mountain himself toppled over.”
Shunútur-se The sparrow tshíshe—sáti with the mountain pájja dem thé kicked náre fall gó. went.
18. THE BAT SUPPORTING THE FIRMAMENT.
The bat is in the habit of sleeping on its back. It is believed to be very proud. It is supposed to say as it lies down and stretches its legs towards heaven, “This I do so that when the heavens fall down I may be able to support them.”
Tilteò A bat ráte at night súto—to sleeping pey its legs húnte upwards angái—warì heaven—ward theun; does; angái the heavens wáti—to when falling pêy—gì with my feet sanarem theun. uphold I will.
19. “NEVER WALK BEHIND A HORSE OR BEFORE A KING” as you will get kicked in either case.
ashpe horse pataní behind nè bó; not walk; rajó raja mutshanì in front nè bó. not walk.
20. UNION IS STRENGTH.
“A kettle cannot balance itself on one stone; on three, however, it does.”
Ey pûtsh! èk gutur-yá dêh nè quriyein; tré[18] gútúrey á dek quréyn.
Oh son! one stone on a kettle not stops; three stones on a kettle stop.
The Gilgitis instead of “ya” = “upon” say “dja.”
“Gutur” is, I believe, used for a stone [ordinarily “bàtt”] only in the above proverb.
21. THE FROG IN A DILEMMA.
“If I speak, the water will rush against my mouth, and if I keep silent I will die bursting with rage.”
This was said by a frog who was in the water and angry at something that occurred. If he croaked, he would be drowned by the water rushing down his throat, and if he did not croak he would burst with suppressed rage. This saying is often referred to by women when they are angry with their husbands, who may, perhaps, beat them if they say anything. A frog is called “manok.”
Tós Voice thèm—to I do—if áze—jya[19] mouth in wéy water bojé; will come; né them not do, to py then bursting muos. I will die.
22. THE FOX AND THE UNIVERSE.
When a man threatens a lot of people with impossible menaces, the reply often is “Don’t act like the fox ‘Lóyn’ who was carried away by the water.” A fox one day fell into a river: as he swept past the shore he cried out, “The water is carrying off the universe.” The people on the banks of the river said, “We can only see a fox whom the river is drifting down.”
23. THE FOX AND THE POMEGRANATE.
Lóyn The fox danù the pomegranate né utshàtte not reached somm on account tshàmm sour, thù: spitting, tshùrko sour hanú. it is.
“The fox wanted to eat pomegranates: as he could not reach them, he went to a distance and biting his lips [as “tshàmm” was explained by an Astori although Gilgitis call it “tshappé,”] spat on the ground, saying, they are too sour.” I venture to consider the conduct of this fox more cunning than the one of “sour grapes” memory. His biting his lips and, in consequence, spitting on the ground, would make his disappointed face really look as if he had tasted something sour.