a Polish Romani tale, from Izydor Kopernicki, Textes tsiganes (1930)

A tale collected by Izydor Kopernicki among the Romani of southern Poland in 1875–77, and printed in Kraków in 1930 with his French translation. Two poor brothers, one clever and one a fool, cheat a rich peasant with their dead mother; then the clever one takes out the fool's eyes in exchange for bread and leaves him under a gallows, where the fool overhears three devils, gets back his eyes and two wagons of money by what they say, and marries a lord's daughter, while the clever brother who goes to the gallows in his turn is torn apart.

Translation

There was a peasant woman, very poor; the woman had two lads, one clever and one a fool. They had nothing to live on. Whatever they stole here and there, on that they lived. Once there was a rich peasant. He had terribly much money.

Then their mother fell ill, so ill that she died. Now the foolish brother says: "Why should we bury our mother? We have no money now for a coffin. But listen, my brother: they steal terribly much cabbage from this rich peasant, out over the fields. Let us take our mother, prop her up with sticks, and cut her a łeketa full of cabbage. And that rich peasant will get up, he will see that somebody is gathering his cabbage and stealing it, and he will shoot our mother. In the morning we will get up, go to the judge, and give it out that he has killed our mother on us." — "You speak well, my brother."

They took their mother and set the dead mother in the cabbage, propped up with sticks on the four sides, so that she would not fall down. Good: they cut cabbage for her and put it into the łeketa. The peasant got up, found out that a thief was cutting his cabbage, took the gun, and shot the two thieves' mother.

Good: now the two brothers got up, and there was their mother, killed in the cabbage. "What have you done, that you have killed our mother?" — "Hush, my two lads, I will keep you till death, only do not tell it out to anyone!" The peasant took her; he made a fine coffin for the dead woman and buried her finely.

Now the clever brother and the fool were with that peasant. They were there ten years. Once a dream fell upon the fool, that he should go into the world. He gets up in the morning and says to his brother: "My dear brother! I had a dream that I should go into the world." — "And I too, my brother, had a dream that I should go into the world."

Now the fool says to that rich peasant: "Bake us a sack of bread apiece." So they took themselves off and went into the world, the fool and the clever one. They had gone far into the world already; the clever one says to the fool: "Listen, my brother, let us eat the bread from your sack first, and afterwards we will eat from my sack, you and I together." "Good, my brother!"

The fool gave his bread to be eaten, to the clever one. Well, the fool has eaten it now, and he has nothing. They had gone far into the world by now. Then the fool asks: "Give me a piece of bread!" And the clever one says to him: "You will let your eye be taken out onto a knife, and then I will give you bread."

Now the fool says to him: "Why, you ate all the bread out of my sack, and I did not take your eye out onto a knife; and now you want to take my eye out onto a knife?" Well, they took themselves off and went on, with my God. But the fool wanted to eat. "Well, my dear brother, take my eye out onto the knife." The clever brother took his eye out onto the knife. Now the fool was blind in one eye. They went on again a good piece of the road.

The fool asks him for bread. "Will you let the other eye be taken out onto the knife?" — "Well, I am blind in one eye; let me be blind in both eyes." So he took out his eye. Now the fool begs his cleverer brother to lead him to the foot of some wayside shrine. "People will be going along the road, and they will give me at least a little bread."

The clever brother led the fool away into the middle of the forest, and brought him under a gallows. Well and good: the clever one took himself off from him and went, and the fool stayed. Now in the night three devils made themselves into three birds, and sat themselves up on the gallows.

Now the older devil to the younger devil: "What, have you heard anything?" — "I have heard that in a certain town there has been no water these ten years. But if someone were found to go into that town and find that water for them, he would get terribly great money. But listen: there, in a field, there is a fine stone, and that stone is terribly big. On that stone grows a very fine pear tree. If someone dug that stone out and cut the pear tree down, water would burst out of that stone so terribly that the whole town would all but be flooded."

Now the fool is listening. Now the older devil asks the other one: "What have you heard?" — "I have heard that in a certain big town the great lord's daughter is sick. When she went to church on a Sunday, to confession, then this: what the priest gave her and put into her little mouth — she came home after the holy communion, she had only just stood on the threshold when she fell to coughing, and so what the priest had given her fell out of her mouth. Then an old toad caught it up.

"But if someone were found who would go there where that toad sits, and break up that threshold, and make a big hole — and that toad sits in that big hole — and took it out, split it open, took the holy communion out of it and gave it to her to eat, then the great lord's daughter would be well, and he would get terribly great money." Now the fool knows two tales.

Now the two younger devils ask the older devil: "And the great lord, what has he heard?" — "I have heard this: under our gallows there is a beggar who has no eyes. There is such a dew that, if he rubs it on the very place where he has no eyes — let him rub with that dew up to three times — his eyes will grow."

The fool was glad; he looks for that dew, found it, rubbed himself up to three times, and now he has eyes. So he gave thanks to my God, and now he took himself off and went. He came into that very town where there was no water. He came into a big inn, and asks for kamòkeri water. Now the lady answers him: "Oh sir, sir! We have had no water these ten years!" — "And why is that?" "We do not know why it is."

— "And if someone were found who would find water for you?" "Oh sir! Why, he would carry terribly great money out of our town for it!" — "Well, go now and tell the great lord that I will find water for you." So she went off joyfully, came to the great lord, and says to the lord: "Someone has been found who will find water for us." The great lord was glad.

They drove up for him with a fine carriage and brought him to the great lord. The great lord gave him food and drink. Now he asks him whether he will find the water. "We will find it, sir!" — "Good! Let the lord give me four peasants." — "Good!" "And four axes." So they came with him, those four peasants.

He looks: in a field a terribly fine stone is growing, and on it a fine pear tree. So they dug that stone out and cut the pear tree down. Then terribly much water came pouring out of that stone. Well, now the whole town rejoiced, for now they have water. So now they gave him a wagon of money.

Where did he come now? Into the town where the great lord's daughter was sick. He came into a big inn and told them to give him food and drink. Now he asks the gentleman what he has heard here. "Oh, have you heard, sir, have you heard! Our great lord's daughter has been sick these ten years."

— "And why do you not take counsel over it, so that she may be well?" "Great lords go about here, they give her all sorts of medicines to drink. Oh, nothing helps." — "Well, and if someone were found, then perhaps she might be well." "Oh sir, sir! Why, he would get terrible riches, and he might perhaps marry her."

— "Well, good: go and tell the great lord that I will heal her." The gentleman went off joyfully and came to the great lord. The great lord asks him: "What do you want?" — "I beseech my God and the great lord: such a gentleman has been found, and he will heal the great lord's daughter." — "Good!"

That gentleman came, and says to the other: "A fine carriage will come here for you, so that you may go to the great lord." — "Good!" A fine carriage came, and fine horses. He sat in the carriage and drove up to the great lord. The great lord gave him food and drink, and now he asks him: "Will you heal my daughter?" — "I will heal her, sir!" "You shall take her for your wife, if you heal her." — "Good, sir!"

He gave word for her to be shown to him, where she slept. So he let him in there, into the room where she slept. He asks her: "Have you been sick long?" — "Long since, sir: I have been sick ten years." Good: he broke up that threshold, made a big hole, got that old toad out of the hole, took the toad, split it open, took the holy communion out of it, and gave it to the great lord's daughter to eat.

And now the girl is a little better. The next day she was better still; on the third day she was already walking about the room with him. She calls her father, to open up for them again. The father looked: the girl was well already. He was terribly glad. "Praise be to my God that my daughter has got well!"

"Well, what do you want now?" — "Well, whatever the great lord will give." "I will give you all the riches now, and you settle down with my daughter." "Not I, sir; I will go into the world yet, to seek something." Well and good: he gave him a wagon of money. Now he has two wagons of money.

Now the fool came home, to his brother who had taken his eyes out onto a knife. Well, now that brother did not know him. He asks him: "Do you know me?" "Where would I know the gentleman from?" — "And do you remember how you took my eyes out onto a knife? Just look: I am your brother."

Now the clever brother grew faint. But his brother had by now grown terribly rich. So he asks the fool: "Where did you get so much money, my brother?" — "You fool! You took my eyes out, and my God gave it me that I have eyes. All sorts of people went by, and lords, and threw money to me, so that I bought myself four horses."

Now the elder brother (the fault was this: he was rich, and still he wanted to be richer): "Take out both my eyes for me." The fool took them out for him, and led him there, under that same gallows where he himself had put him. In the night the three devils came, took him and tore him apart. And now the fool married the daughter of a lord. Their luck ran well for them, and they live on, with my God.

Colophon

Translated from the Polish Romani of Textes tsiganes: contes et poésies avec traduction française, by Izydor Kopernicki (Kraków: Polska Akademja Umiejętności, 1930, fascicle 2), pp. 103–113, tale 11, headed Pał e duj phrała, goghiaver the dylino. The text was transcribed from the page images of the New York University copy digitized by Google; Kopernicki's French translation and notes were not consulted. Words were checked in F. Miklosich's comparative word-list (Über die Mundarten und die Wanderungen der Zigeuner Europa's VII, 1876), in R. von Sowa's Wörterbuch des Dialekts der deutschen Zigeuner (1898), whose second part covers an eastern dialect full of Polish loans, and in Smart and Crofton's The Dialect of the English Gypsies (1875). Miklosich gives godjaver as "clever" (s.v. godi) and dilino as "foolish" (s.v. dinilo), the two brothers' names here; jarmin, in the Carpathian Romani he cites, is cabbage (s.v. armi, "Sauerkraut, Kohl"); cibálo is a judge (s.v. čib), so čibało; the past džangl- belongs to džanel, "to know" (s.v. džan), so džangl'a is "found out"; gadžo is a man who is not a Rom, among the Hungarian Roma a peasant (s.v. gadžo), and is given here as "peasant", gadži as "peasant woman"; gono is a sack, kotor a piece, čuri a knife, koro blind, ambrolin a pear tree (s.v. ambrol), chev a hole, kangeri a church, kurke "on Sunday" (s.v. kurko), chas- to cough, chud- to catch hold of, drab a medicine, bacht luck, and barjovau, in Polish Romani, to grow (s.v. baro). Sowa gives mochto as a box or chest, here the coffin; dzamba as a toad, so žamba; paramisso as a tale; cirla as "long" (of time); murš as a man or young fellow, here "lads"; rati as "at night", answering to rakhi; vordin as a wagon, so verdan, given as "wagon" for the money and "carriage" for the lord's; and, in his eastern list, doš as harm, punishment or fault, so the elder brother's doš is read as his fault. Smart and Crofton's poorav, to bury, answers to pharunel, and their rashei, a parson, to rašaj, the priest. Many words are Polish, and a few Slovak or Hungarian, and were read from those languages: šybienica (szubienica) a gallows, trachtyjernia an inn, pokois a room, figura a wayside shrine, spoveda confession, svinta komunija holy communion, žebrokos a beggar, rosa dew (Sowa's eastern list has a rosa, "rose", which Kopernicki would spell with ž), Cyten, "hush", Polish cyt with a Romani plural ending, radzynen "take counsel", pomožinel to help, kopalinel to dig, buchynel to burst out, zatopinel to flood, treinel to rub, pametinel to remember, pryjechynel to drive up, zaprovadzynel to lead off, rozmaita all sorts of, ružna various, chvała praise, jaž until, oč at least, po for (Polish bo), čy whether, može perhaps, meg still (Hungarian még), livinel to shoot (Hungarian lő-), and oj or o', "that", like Slovak Romani hoj. Łas amen ... podperinas ... the čingeras is read as "let us take ... prop up ... and cut", first-person plural like chas, "let us eat". Jaž cino kaj cało foros na zatopinła is read as the Polish turn o mało nie, "the whole town would all but be flooded". These readings rest on context: tyšangos, "first"; serendar, "sides"; čorachano, "a thief", from čor, thief (Miklosich has a Hungarian Romani chorachano, "Turk", with another first sound, which is not followed); prahos, "threshold", like Slovak and Czech práh, since a threshold is broken up to reach the toad under it (not Romani praxo, dust); mala, "field"; dynia te chassał, "fell to coughing"; bar pes bareł, "a stone is growing"; radišagova, "joyfully"; odarik, "for it" (compare Sowa's adarik, "from this side"); Premangav, "I beseech" (Sowa's mangava, to beg, with a Slavic prefix); zakamel pes, "to marry"; somakos, "a little"; gran, "horses", taken as a form of gra, horse (Miklosich s.v. grast); goghiaveronestone, read as "to the clever one", a dative of goghiaver whose ending is not understood; chał'amen, "we will eat", whose form is not the plain future; and tu chaha manca, a plural verb with "you" and "with me", "you and I together". Two words are left in Romani: łeketa, something the cabbage is cut into and put in, perhaps a sheet or an apron; and kamòkeri, said of the water the fool asks for at the inn. Menglisail'as, "grew faint", is built on menglo, "faint, weak", which Sowa gives among the eastern words he marks as not fully secure, with the same ending as barvalisail'as, "grew rich". The teller's mro devel, "my God", is kept as "my God"; baroraj, literally "great lord", is kept as "great lord"; raja in "all sorts of people went by, raja" is read as "lords", though it could be the address "sir"; the younger devils' U-v-o baro raj is read as "And the great lord", their way of speaking to the older devil in the third person. The printed (sic) after čore, "poor", which stands where the feminine čori is expected, is not carried into the English.

No English translation of this tale is known to us.

© 2026 Tianmu Anglican Church. This English translation is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: you may share and adapt it for non-commercial use with credit to the Good Works Library, tianmu.org. The source text keeps its own terms. For other uses, see Rights and Reuse.

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Source Text: Pał e duj phrała, goghiaver the dylino

Polish Romani text as printed by Kopernicki (1930), pp. 103–113, tale 11, in his orthography; line-end hyphens are joined, and his footnote markers, whose notes stand with his French translation, are left out. Kopernicki prints the tale as one paragraph; it is divided here at the same places as the English.

Ehin jek gadži, igen čore (sic); ehin ła gadžia duj murša: jek goghiaver u jek dylino; nane łen sava te džighioł. So varekaj čornas, vaš oda džighionas. Jekvar ehin jek barvało gadžio. Strašnie bare łove łes esas.

— Avka e daj łenge zanasvalil'a, jaže mul'a. Akana o dylino phrał pheneł: „Vásoske 'men ła dà parunaha? Nan'amen akana łove pro mochto. Ale šun mro phrał: akałe barvałe gadžeske strašnie igen čoren pal'e mala e jarmin. Łas amen amara dà podperinas kaštenca, the čingeras łake jarmin pherdo łeketa. — T'oda gadžio ust'eła oda barvało, dîkheła kaj vareso łeske jarmin kideła the čorła; u jov amara dà livineła. Amen to surła ušt'aba, džaha k'o čibało, phenaha avri kaj amenge ła dà murdarghias“. — „Mište tu mro phrał vakeres“.

Iłe ła dà, thode andre jarmin ła mula dà łe kaštenca podperynde łe štare serendar, kaj te na tełe pereł. Mište: čingerde łake jarmin, thode andro łeketa. O gadžio uštil'a, džangl'a kaj łeske jek čorachano čingereł e jarmin, il'a e puška, livinghia ołe duje čorenge ła dà.

Mište: akana oła duj phrała uštiłe, e daj andre jarmin murdarghi. „So tu kerghiał, k'amara dà murdarghiał?“ — „Cyten, mindre duj čave, me tumen ikerava dži andro meriben, čia ma phenen avri nikaske!“ Il'a oda gadžio, ła mula gadžake šukar kerghia mochto, pharunghia ła šukar.

K'oda gadžio ehin akana oda goghiaver phrał, th' oda dylino. Ehin jon odoj deš berš. Jekvar ołe dylineske sune pel'a, kaj te džał andro svetos. Ušt'ieł to sarła, pheneł pèskere phrałeske: „Mro phrałoro! Sune mange sas, kaj te džav andro svetos“. — „The mange, mro phrał, suno sas kaj te džav andro svetos“.

Akana oda dylino pheneł ki'oda barvało gadžio: „Pek amenge po jek gono mandre“. Ano, iłe pen, gełe andro svetos, oda dylino th'o goghiaver. Ugełe imar dur svetos; o goghiaver pheneł ki'o dylino: „Šun, mro phrał, chas tyšangos andał tiro gono o mandro, u pali chał'amen andał miro gono, the tu chaha manca“. „Mište, mro phrał!“

Oda dylino dynia pèskero mandro te chał, ołe goghiaveronestone. Ano, imar chal'a o dylino, nane łes nič. Ugełe imar dur svetos. Avka mangeł o dylino: „De man je' kother mandro!“ U goghiaver łeske pheneł: — „Deja tuk'avri e jakh te łeł pre čuri, ta tud dava mandro“.

Akana łeske o dylino pheneł: „Ta tu chal'ał andał miro gono sàvoro mandro, u me tuke na il'om e jakh avri pre čuri; u tu akana mange kames avri te łeł pro čuri e jakh?“. Ano, iłe pen, gełe mredevłeja. Ale łe dylineske pes kameł te chał. „Ano, mindro phrałoro, łe mange avri e jakh pre čuri“. O goghiaver phrał il'a łeske pre čuri avri e jakh. Imar o dylino koro pre jek jakh. Ugełe pali kother łačio drom.

Mangeł oła dylino łestar mandro. „Deja aver jakh pre čuri avri te łeł?“ — „Ano, som pre jek jakh koro, mi javav pre so duj jakha koro“. Ano, il'a łeske avri e jakh. Akana o dylino mangeł pèskere goghiaverederes phrałes, kaj łes te lidžiał tełe varesa figurate. „Gadžie džana łe dromeja ta man oč somakos mandro deńa“.

Oda goghiaver phrał zaprovadzynghia ołe dylines maškar o veš, tełe šybienica łes preprovadzynghias. Ano, mište: o goghiaver pes il'a łestar gel'a, — oda dylino ačhil'a. Akana rakhi kerde pen trin benga trine čirikłenge, the bešde peske upre pre šybienica.

Akana, oda phureder beng ki'o terneder beng: „So tu vareso šunghiał?“ — „Me šunghiom, andre jek foros imar deš berš pani nane. Ale t'arakeł pes ajsodženo, k'andr' oda foros te džał, th'oda pani łenge avri t'arakheł, ta strašnie bare łove doresełas. Ale šun: ehin odoj andre jek mala šukar bar, oda bar strašnie baro. Pr'oda bar igen šukar ambrolin bareł. Avri te kopalineł oda bar, the ambrolin tełe te čineł, ta pani andał oda bar strašnie avri buchynła, jaž cino kaj cało foros na zatopinła“.

Akana o dylino šuneł; phučieł akana avrestar oda phureder beng: „So tu šunghiał?“ — „Me šunghiom k'andre jek baro foros łe bareràskeri čaj nasvali. Sar gel'a kurke andre kangheri, andre spoveda, avka oda, s'oła rašaj dynias the andre mujoro łake thoghias, avil'a khere pał' o svinta komunija, čia terghil'a andr'o prahos, dynia te chassał, avka łake pel' andał'o muj so rašaj ła dynias. Avka chudl'a phuri žamba.

Ale, t'arakeł pes ajsodženo, kaj te džał odoj kaj oja žamba bešeł, kaj te pharaveł oda prahos, kaj te kereł bari chev, t'oja žamba andr'oja bari chev bešeł, ta il'a avri, pharaghia ła upre, il'a anda' łate svinta komunije, the dynia łate te chał, ta bareràskeri čaj sasti avła, ta jov strašnie bare łove doreseła“. Imar o dylino džaneł duj paramisa.

Akana, łestar ołe duj terneder benga phučien ołe phuredere bengestar: „U-v-o baro raj so šunghias?“ — „Me šunghiom: teł'amari šybienica ehin ajso žebrokos, kaj łes jakha nane. Ehin aisi rosa, kaj te treineł pr'oda samo than kaj łes o jakha nane, mi treineł oła rosaha dži trìtovar, ta łeske o jakha barona“

O dylino radisail'a, rodeł oja rosa, arakhl'as, treinghia peske dži trìtovar, imar łes jakha ehin. Ano, palikerghia mredevłeske, u jov pes akana il'a, gel'as. Avil'a andr'oda samo foros kaj pani na sas. Avil'a andre bari trachtyjernia, mangeł jov kamòkeri pani. Akana łeske o rani odpheneł: „Oj raja, raja! Amen imar deš berš pani nane!“ — „U soske avka?“ „Amen na džanas, soske avka“.

— „T'arakeł pes ajsodženo, kaj tumenge pani avri t'arakeł?“ „Oj raja! Ta jov odarik strašnie bare łove lidžiałas avri andał amaro foros!“ — „No, džan akana, phenen ki'o baro raj, oj me tumenge pani arakhava.“ Ano, joj gel'a radišagova, avil'a ki'o baroraj, the łe raske pheneł: „Arakla pes ajsodženo, o' jov amenge pani arakheła avri“. Oda baroraj radisail'as.

Pryjechynde vaš łeske šukare verdaneja, ande łes k'ioda baròraj. O baròraj łes dynia te chał, te pijeł. Akana łestar phučieł, čy jov arakheła avri pani. „Arakhaha raja!“ — „Mište! Mi deł man o raj štare gadžien“, — „Mište!“ „The thovera štar“. Ano avil'a łeja, oła štar gadžie.

Dîkheł, andre jek mala strašnie šukar bar pes bareł, u pr'oda šukar ambrolin. Ano, kopalinde oda bar avri, e ambrolin tełe činde. Akana strašno pani andał oda bar avri lidžiał. Ano, akana cało foros radisaiła, po łen imar pani ehin. Ano, akana łes dyne jek verdan łove.

Kaj jov akana avil'as? Andr'oda foros, kaj łe bareràskeri čaj nasvali sas. Avil'a andre jek bari trachtyjernia, phengia peske te deł te chał, te pijeł. Akana phučieł ołe rastar, so adaj šunghiał. „Oj šunghiał raja, šunghiał! Amare bareràskeri čaj imar deš berš nasvali“.

— „U soske pr'oda na radzynen kaj t'aveł sasti?“ „Adaj phiren bare raja, den ła te pijeł ružna draba. O, na pomožineł nič“ — „Ano, u t'arakheł pes ajsodženo, ta joj može avłas sasti“. „Oj raja, raja! Ta jov doresełas strašno barvalipen, the łaha pes može zakamełas“.

— „Ano, mište, džan, phenen łe bareraske, oj me ła avri sast'arava“. O raj gel'a radišagova, avil'a ki'oda baroraj. Phučie' łestar o baroraj: „So kames?“ — „Premangav mredevłes the łe bare ras, arakhl'a pes ajso raj, ła bareràskera ča jov avri sast'arła“. — „Mište!“

Avil'a oda raj, pheneł ołe raske: „Oj vaš tumenge adaj aveła šukar verdan, kaj te džas ki'o baroraj“. — „Mište!“ Avil'a šukar verdan, šukar graja. Bešd'a pro verdan, pryjechynghia ki'o baroraj. Dynia łes te chał, te pijeł, akana łestar phučieł: „Čy tu sast'areja mindra ča?“ — „Sast'arava raja!“ „Łeja tuke ła romniake, sar ła avri sast'areja“. — „Mište raja!“

Phenghia ła te sîkaveł, kaj joj soveł. Ano, mukl'a łes odoj andr'oda pokois, kaj joj sovełas. Phučieł łatar: „Cirła tu sał nasvali?“ — „Imar raja, som nasvali deš berš“. Mište, pharaghia jov oda prahos, kerghia bari chev, doresdžia oła phura žamba andał e chev, il'a oła žamba, pharaghias, il'a avri łatar o svinta komunia, dynia ołe baroráskere čake te chał.

Ano, imar e čaj somakos sasti. Pr'aver ghives sasteder, pre trite ghives imar phirłas łeja pał o pokois. Pro dad vičineł, kaj łenge pałe te phutereł. O dad dîkhl'as: oja čaj imar sasti. Strašnie radisail'as. „Chvała mredevłeske kaj mindri čaj sastil'as“.

„Ano, so tu akana kames?“ — „Ano, so baroraj deła“. „Me tuke akana dava cało barvalipen, the beš tuke mindra čaha“. „Me na raja, me meg džava andro svetos vareso te rodeł“. Ano, mište: dynia łes jek verdan łove. Imar łes akana ehin duj verdana łove.

Akana jov avil'a khere oda dylino, kia pèskero phrał, kaj łeske pre čuri avri jakha kidl'a. Ano, akana łes oda phrał na pringhiarghias. Phučie' łestar: „Pringhiarghiał tu man?“ „Kathar me łe ras pringhiarghiavas?“ — „U pametines tu, sar mange pre čuri o jakha kidl'ał avri? Dîkh čia, me som tiro phrał“.

Akana oda goghiaver phrał menglisail'as. Ale imar oda phrał łèskero strašnie barvalisail'as. Ano, phučieł ołe dylinestar: „Kaj tu, mro phrał, ajci il'ał łove?“ — „Tu dylino! Tu mange kídl'ał avri o jakha, u man mrodeł dynias, oj man jakha ehin. Rozmaita gadžie džanas, raja, th'o łove mange čivłas, k'e štare gran mange cinghiom“.

Akana oda phureder phrał (doš sas barvało, meg kamełas barvałedereske t'aveł): „Kide man avri mindre duj jakha“. O dylino łeske kidl' avri, ligenghia łes odoj, teł oja samo šybienica, kaj łes jov korkoro thoghia. Aviłe rakhi oła trin benga, iłe pharade łes upre. U akana o dylino zakamaghia pes jekhe raskera čaha. Šukar łenge bach' džałas the džighian penge mredevłeja.

Source Colophon

Izydor Kopernicki, Textes tsiganes: contes et poésies avec traduction française (Kraków: Polska Akademja Umiejętności, 1930), fascicle 2, pp. 103–113, tale 11. Public domain. Transcribed from the page images of the New York University copy digitized by Google (Google Books drESAAAAIAAJ); Kopernicki's French translation, printed below each page's Romani, is not reproduced. Kopernicki's letters are kept as printed, including ł, č, š, ž, ń, the apostrophe of l'a and t'a, and the accents of dà, pèskero, sàvoro, trìtovar, kamòkeri and dîkheł.

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