SiST~Ni-PERSIAN FOLKLORE

by
JAN W. WERYHO
Montreal

Bar Shah-e lran hadis-e Sistfm pftshideh rn~nd

FarrukM Sfstani

The Iranian Sub-Province (Shahrest~n) of Zabul or Sisthn, a subdivision of the Province (Ust~n) of "BalQchest~n and Sistgn" is bordered on the North and East by the frontier of Afghfinistan, and on the West by Lake H~mOn. The only approach to Sistfm inside Persia is from the South across a salt desert where only Balfichi nomads know where to find shrubs for their camels. "By reason of its geographical situation, Seistan has always been isolated, to a great extent, from neighbouring countries~ and this has influenced its history and civilization" (G.P. Tate, Seistan, Calcutta, 1910, p. 110). Watered by the delta of the Helmand it is a strange land, not devoid of a melancholy beauty: a vast plain of cornfields and green pastures broken here and there by a row of willows lined along a canal or the clay domes of a village with several palm-trees swaying in the wind. The men who make their livelihood from cultivating the soil or keeping the large herds of cattle in the marshland are a proud, virile race. Yet there is about them an air of apathy, characteristic of the rest of Persia. In order to escape the monotony of their struggle for existence, the diseases ravaging among them, the exactions of landlords and corrupt Government officials, they seek refuge in dreams produced by the two means long recognised in Persia: opium and poetry. Upon my arrival in Sisffm I first found it very difficult to establish any contact with the natives. Shi'a bigots regard an Unbeliever as "najes" (unclean), any contact with whom produces a pollution. Also, association with a foreigner might mean trouble with the Police. It was then that I met Avdollfi ('Abdullfih) Bazi whose help was to become invaluable to me. The Bazis are an agriculturist tribe living in the Pushtab district North of Z~tbul. Tate believes them to be of Jat origin

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(Seistan, Part IV, Calcutta, 1912, pp. 302-3). They themselves have a
tradition of having been nomadic many generations ago and of having come to Sisffm from the East, which would support this theory. I came to live with Avdoll~ Bazi's family. Through them I came to know the Sist~ni people and was gradually accepted as one of them. As a Sistfmi, Avdollft became very interested in my research. His education consisted of the Dabestgn (the Tr~mian Primary School) which he augmented only by his avid reading, particularly history. He knew a wealth of local traditions and legends, which he firmly believed. He was an excellent guide in my wanderings round the villages where I came to know the generous hospitality of the Sist~ni peasants, who always shared with me their smoke-filled adobe huts however poor they might be.

THE SIST~NT DIALECT OF PERSIAN The Sisffmis had possessed a dialect of their own since remote times. Writing in the 10th century A.D. when describing Eastern Irfm and various languages spoken there, Maqdisi mentions the dialects of Nishftpgr, Tfis, Nesft, Sisffm, Balkh, Herfit, etc. (AOsanu't-Taqdsfm, Leiden, 1906, p. 335). Since, however, the Sisffmi dialect had never been a literary language no examples from that period have reached us. In 1904 and 1905, during the sojourn of the Indian Boundary Commission in Sist~n, G. P. Tate made a detailed study of the country and its people. In 1910 he published his work on the history, topography, archaeology and ethnology of Sistfm, which still remains the best book on the subject. However, he took no interest in the local dialect or poetry. The colloquial Sist~ni speech shows a greater difference from standard Persian than the language of the poems, which is under the influence of Classical Persian poetry. When I visited Sistfm for the first time I found I was hardly able to understand the speech of the natives. Soon, however, I found out that their dialect was a form of Persian, the main difference being the pronunciation and to a certain extent the vocabulary. The grammar is almost identical with standard Persian.

I. Pronunciation
it may not be out of place here to say something about my system of transliteration. The Sist~ni dialect is never written. Indeed whenever I asked a literate informant to write down his poem for me he would

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paraphrase it into literary Persian. I had taken down my notes in the Arabic script because i wanted to discuss my materials with Avdollg~ Bazi and other literate Sist~nis and hear their suggestions. However, the Latin alphabet will indicate the exact pronunciation much more clearly. I have adapted with necessary modifications the system of transliteration of the Royal Asiatic Society, as used for Persian. From the texts the reader will quickly see the difference in pronunciation between Sist~ni and standard Persian. The following are the general rules. The reader may assume any sounds not described here to be pronounced as in ordinary Persian. 1. The kasra, transliterated by the R.A.S. by (i) is always pronounced (e) both in Persian and in Sistgni. "E.sfahgn", not "I.sfahfm". Short (i) is in some cases written, as in "diny~", "qiyftmat", "diyar", but it is a variant of (e), not a separate phoneme. 2. The gamma, transliterated by the R.A.S. by (u) is always transliterated by (o) by the Persians. The actual sound is so short that it is something between the two. In Sistgni at any rate it is closer to (o) and so transliterated here. 3. Majhal vdv (6) and yd (~) which have disappeared in Modern Persian survive in Sistani. Examples: f6r6z, rSd, sh6r. 4. Final (-eh) is always pronounced (-a) as in Khurgsfmi Persian. Examples: khfina, rafta, gofta, etc. 5. The final dipththong (au) in monosyllabic words like "au" (~b), "chau" (chfib), "gau" (gftv), etc. has a slight (tJ) sound as in Cockney
"no", "go".

6. The aspirate (h) is always dropped in the beginning of a word (ammfil, azrat, am6sha) and often, but not always, in the middle. The preceding vowel is usually lengthened in compensation: "m~rb6 (mehrb~n), "k6na" (kohneh). A fat.ha adapts a .hamza: "fa'mida" (fahmidan). On the other hand (h) is often put where it should not be in Persian, esp. in place of ('ayn): "heghsh" ('eshq), "haks" ('aks), "mohallem" (mu'allem), etc. 7. Qdf is pronounced like gheyn in Persian (except in Khfizestgn and Shiraz where it retains its Arabic sound). Nevertheless a slight difference may be noticed at the beginning of words, e.g. "gharib" and "qarib". The same applies to Sist~ni and I have used the letters (q) and (gh) to represent that slight difference in sound. However, (q) is still closer to gheyn than to the Arabic q~f. 8. Zh (~), rare in Persian, does not exist in Sist~ni and always becomes (j). Ex. "jfmd~r" (_z_h~ndarm).

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9. The Persians cannot pronounce two consonants at the beginning of the word. This is not the case in Sist~mi where the first vowel is often dropped: "kli" (kelid), "sffi" (sefid), "stogh6" (ustukhwfn), etc. 10. Final consonants, esp. (-d) and (-n), are often dropped: "sffi" (sefid), "zami" (zamin), "r6shey" (raushan), etc. 11. The long (f) has the tendency to become (6) before nasals. Ex. "d6mfid", "sh6m", "sal6mat". Words ending in (-fn) turn their ending into (-6), the final (-n) being dropped. Ex. "zb6" (Zabfn), "stogh6" (ustukhwgm), "Sist6" (Sistfn), "T~r6" (Tehr~n), etc. 12. Loss of initial (y-) before a long (f). Ex. "fr" (yfr), " f d " (ygtd), "afta" (yfftan). 13. The apostrophe ' represents a .hamza. II. Grammatical Peculiarities Sistfni grammar is almost identical with Persian. The differences are as follows : 1. The plural endings, corresponding to Pers. (-h f) and (-gin): (-an) becomes (-6): Mosalm6n6, sardar6. Consequently the plural in (-gfn) becomes (-g6): bandag6 (bandegfn). It has however a wider use than in Persian and follows the yf-ye nesbat: Sist6nig6, Er6nig6, etc. This is clearly a survival of Midd. Pers. (-igfn), Phi. (-ikfn). Ex. Phi. "Erfnik~tn", Midd. Pets. "t~rfnigfn", Sist. "l~r6nig6". 2. The adjective follows the noun and qualifies directly. No ez.ffeh as in Persian. Ex. "chfdar sffi". 3. The accusative may be formed by adding a fat.ha to the noun. Motion towards is expressed by the acc. "Brafto kaval-zfr-a" (I went to the water-melon plantation), ex. 19. 4. The simple past. The verbal prefix (b-), Pers. (be-), is prefixed to the verb: b-rafto, b-gofto. This was common in C1. Pers. but in Mod. Pets. (be-) is confined to the imperative and the conditional. 5. The encl. (-am), standing either for the pronominal suffix 1 pets. sg. "my" or for the verbal ending of the 1 pers. sg., becomes (-o): dast-o (my hand), m~ro (I go). The form (-ore) exists in the Qf'enft: dfrom, miyfyom, etc. 6. The encl. (-na), or, following a vowel, (-ena) is the poss. surf. 3 pers. sg. in the ace. case: "Asp-ena bgir~" (catch his or her horse); g6sh na-kn~ gap-e khfli-na" (do not listen to his empty words). 7. The verbal ending of the 3 pers. pl., corresponding to Pets. (-and) is (-~): d ~ , (dfrand), mbin~ (mibinand).

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8. With the dropping of the final consonant the endings of the 2 pers. sg., 1 pers. pl. and 2 pers. pl. often look alike. Thus "dgri" may also stand for "dgrim" or "d~rid". We have to guess the person and number from the context, unless the speaker actually says (-ira) or (-id) in order to make himself clear. 9. The verbal ending of the 2 pers. pl. imperative is (-6), distinct from the indicative (-i) mentioned above. Ex. bgir~, bokn~. There is however a vacillation between 2 pets. pl. (-i/-6). 10. The diminutive suffix (-ak) is very widely used and can be fixed to any noun or adjective following it: chgdar sorkhak (ex. 19). It does not necessarily imply that the object is small but is rather a term of affection. After a vowel (-ak) becomes (-ka): kenje-ka (little girl), amma-ka (auntie), jfill~-ka (a spider), dim. of "jOllg", a weaver. But its use extends even to verbs, namely the 2nd pets. sg. imperative and the 3rd pets. sg. simple past: bgirak, (begir - take), byumdak (biygmad - he came). In both cases the speaker expresses his friendly feeling to the person whom he asks to take something or to the person who came 1. III. The Sistdn7 Vocabulary The Sistfini vocabulary consists mostly of Persian words, often difficult to recognise owing to their pronunciation. There is, however, a number of words showing no similarity whatever to Persian. A few are loanwords from Balfichi, but this is not true of all. it is not proposed to discuss their etymology here, except in odd cases. As has been said above, the language of the poems is more influenced by Literary Persian than the colloquial speech. Consequently it is in the latter that we find a greater number of pure Sist~mi words. A Sist~ni vocabulary will be found at the end of this essay. To-day the Sist~mi dialect is slowly disappearing. The greatest danger to it is from the spread of education and a consequent use of Literary Persian. The Sist~mis themselves, although very proud of their race, see little value in their peasant dialect. With the dialect will probably disappear much of its oral poetry.

1 Reg. -ak with verbs, cf. Lazard, BSL, LII, 147 (Caract~res distinctifs de la langue tadjik) pres. "raft-ak", perf. "xond-ak-am". Cf. Farh~di, Le Persan parl~ en Afghanistan, Paris, 1955, w b).

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THE CHARACTER OF SIST/~NI POETRY As the Sist5ni dialect is never written, all its poetry is being handed down from mouth to mouth. Verses are composed and recited upon any suitable occasion. The poet's name is seldom known. The reciter is quite free to change any placenames or personal names in the poem to suit the circumstances. Thus I sometimes heard several versions of the same poem. This is especially true of the love-poems where the name of the Beloved can vary with the reciter's real or imaginary lady-love. Some of the poems are sung but this is by no means true of all. They are seldom accompanied by music except for wedding-songs (ex. 36). The most common form of verse in Sisffm is the quatrain, consisting of four me.sra's, usually of eleven syllables, rhyming A A B A, closely resembling in style the quatrains of B~tba T~her. I shaU not use the word "rub~t'i" to describe the Sisffmi quatrain because in the Sisffmi dialect the word "rob~ti" has the specific meaning "crying, wailing". Example: Shkam-e me ney mzana, rQda me robai, Del-e me goshna-ya. N6na, agjai? My stomach is playing on a pipe, my intestines are crying. My heart is hungry. Oh bread, where are you? The Sisffmis themselves use the word "beyt". The use of this word is most confusing for in Classical Arabic and Persian poetry a "beyt" is one line composed of two me.sra's where a Sistani quatrain has four and thus properly consists of two "beyts". I have therefore decided to use the English word "quatrain" which is an exact translation of the Arabic "rub~t'i". The metre, as in most of Persian folk poetry, is syllabic. A mesr~' usually contains eleven syllables and is divided into four stresses. Examples:

/
/ /

/
/

/
/

Salam o sad salam ve-jam-e azer (ex. 4) Bos6za molk-e Shiraz o Sepa5 (ex. 26) Line 3 is often partly a reprise of line 2. Ex. 7, 9, 14, 17, 20, 24, 32, 33. i have collected over 200 quatrains. In selecting the examples for this article I have been guided partly by my personal taste and the pleasure

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I have derived from them, partly by trying to choose those most original and most representative of the Sist~ni character. The quatrain has now become almost the only form of Sistani poetry, and the word "beyt" is almost synonymous with "she'r". I was surprised not to find any ballads, so popular among the Bahichis. The patriarch of the Bazi tribe, Mohammad Oseyn Breym (Ebrahim) occasionally remembered bits of ballads which he had learnt in his youth. The only ballad which he could remember whole was one describing the great famine in the Winter of 1902-3 when he was a young man. Obviously the ballad as a form of verse has lost its popularity and the old poems have been forgotten. There is, however, one example of a recent composition of a longer poem, namely "Amm~l", a satire on opium smoking and the Government's efforts to stamp it out.
I. Historical and Heroic Poems

By "historical" poems I mean those in which I can see a reference, however dim, to a historical personage or event. These are very few. The Sist~nis are proud of their past, but show little interest in it. (Avdolfft Bazi was one of the few exceptions). As Tate says: "The traditions of the past are in danger of being lost, as there were in 1905 only one or two very old men who knew anything at all of these matters or who cared to preserve the knowledge. The population of Seistan is largely composed of tribes, who have migrated at a comparatively recent date into the country. These persons know nothing of the past history of the country and their struggle for a livelihood has rendered them indifferent to all but the problems of their daily existence" (Preface). In view of this it is perhaps strange that I found a couple of verses which may date from the .Safavi period. (Nos. 1, 2, 3). What is surprising is the lack of modem heroic poems among a people as warlike as the Sisthnis. Blood-feuds between tribal Chiefs are still a characteristic feature of Sist~ni society and a constant topic of conversation. Yet no poems are being composed to describe them. Nor did I find any poem commemorating the Tribal Uprising of 1952, the anniversary of which, the 19th Bahman (8th February) is secretly celebrated as their national day by the Sisffmis. But perhaps the short quatrain, practically the only form of verse in Sistan nowadays, is not a suitable means for heroic poetry. Perhaps formerly there existed in Sistan long epic ballads, similar to those of the BalQchis, but that we shall never know.

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Oseyna! Gel avardan! To bogr6z! Panir-o shir faravan. To bogr6z! Do ta khanjar ve-zar alQda kard6! Beraye jan-e m6man, to bogr6z! Huseyn! They have brought a complaint! Flee ! Plenty of cheese and milk. Flee! They have dipped two daggers in poison! For the life of my guest, flee! Gel - geleh (complaint). Zar - not "gold" but "zahr" (poison). Oseynft (.Huseyn) is hiding from his enemies in a friend's house. He has been denounced and his host is urging him to flee. The poem vividly evokes the atmosphere of the continuous blood-feuds between Sist~ni tribal Chiefs, but the reference to the poisoned daggers suggests the antiquity of its composition. In the middle of the XV century Sisffm was conquered by the Afghan Amir Khalil Hendfaka. The defeated Malek of Sisffm, Mu'ezzu'd-Din H.useyn Key6ni known as .Huseyn the Martyr (Shahid) went into hiding in the reed-beds of the H~mOn. Perhaps he is the hero of this poem. He was eventually murdered by his own servant (G. P. Tate, Seistan, Calcutta 1910, p. 65). " F o r the life of my guest, flee!" It would be a great disgrace for the host if his guest is killed in his house. He begs .Huseyn to save him from the dishonour. 2. Araghchin-e sar-o naqqash naqqash. Na-m6fa'mo to Tork-i ya Qadel-Bash. Aga Tork-i ve-Torkest6n-e khod-at bash; Qadel-Bash-i, biya, mem6n-e me bash! The skull-cap upon my head is coloured, coloured. I do not know whether you are a Turk or a Kazll-Bas. If you are a Turk stay in your Turkestan; (If) you are a Kizil-Bas, come, be my guest! Araghchin - a very common, although irrelevant opening of quatrains. Cf. Iwanow, W. "Persian as spoken in Birjand", Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, N.S. 24 (1928), pp. 235-351, nos. 86, 195, 233, etc. Also Iwanow, "Rustic poems in the dialect of Khorfis~n," JASB, N.S., 21 (1925), pp. 233-313, nos. 24, 33 sqq. Naqq~sh (lit. Pets. "painter") here used for "coloured, painted". The Kazd-Bas ("Red Heads" in Turkish) was the name given to the Iranian soldiers during the .Safavi period on account of their red turbans.

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Many of the Klzll-Bas soldiers were iranian Shi'a Turks. Here however the Turk is definitely opposed to the Kazll-Bas and an alien must be meant. In 1596 Sistan was invaded by the Uzbek Turks from Turkestan. The Malek of Sisffm, Jalfilu'd-Din Khan Key6ni appealed for help to the Shah of iran, 'Abbas the Great who defeated the Uzbeks and liberated Khur~san and Sistgn, the latter becoming a vassal state of Irfm. (Tate, pp. 77-8). This verse is interesting as an early expression of Persian nationalism, the poet welcoming the Kazfl-Ba~ not as fellow-Shi'as, liberators from Sunni domination, but as fellow-Persians, liberators from Turkish rule. 3. Tamm~k keshte-ye Sheyffm asta; Ar kas bokasha, Kfifar-e b6 imfin asta. Mft b0kashi yfi na-kashi, Shfi Abbfis bokasha, Ke Sarbar-e l~rfin asta. Tobacco is sown by Satan; Whoever smokes is a faithless Unbeliever. (Whether) we smoke or do not smoke, let Shah 'Abb~s smoke Who is the Chief of Irfin. The interest of this verse, defective in metre, is its historical accuracy: It was in the reign of Shgh 'Abb~s the Great (1586-1628) that tobacco was brought into irfin by the Portuguese. 'Abbas the Great, however, forbade smoking. So did his successor, Shah .Safi. But 'Abbfts II (1641-68) was a smoker himself and actually was the first Shah of iran to smoke tobacco. (See Prof. EbrS~him P ~ - e Da'tad, Hormazdndmeh, Tehran 1953, chapter on "Tobacco" pp. 190-219.) It may be of interest to add that I took down this verse from Oseyna (.Huseyn) Kam~li, a reformed opium-addict.
4.

Salam o sad salem ve-jam-e fizer, Ve-Khgn o Brk o Solt~n o Nider! Me d~gSy-e sar-e Sarkfir asto. Ve-Darj~n-e Sanadgol dfide-y-o del. Salgtm and a hundred salfims to all present, To Khfm and Brk and Sult.~n and N~der! I pray for Your Excellencies' safety. I have given my heart to Darjgn-e Sanadgol. Dfigry - du'fi-gQy(saying prayers).

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In 1730 Nader Shah freed Sistan from Afghan domination and was hailed by the people as their liberator. In 1737 he passed through Sistan on his way to conquer India. Sistani troops under Malek Fat.h 'All Khan KeySni distinguished themselves in the Indian campaign as well as in the conquest of Bukhara in 1740. In his later years however Nader Shah's rule became very tyrannical and the taxes levied by him from Sistan as well as from other parts of Iran became so exorbitant that in 1747 the people of Sistan, led by their Malek, Fat.h 'Ali Khhn, rebelled. The rebellion was crushed but N~tder Shah was murdered soon afterwards (Tate, pp. 89-91). To-day the tyranny of Nader Shah's later years has been forgotten in Sistan and he is remembered as a great Shah who had led his Sistani warriors to glorious conquests in India. The title B~k is no longer used in Sistan. "Kh~m" is often used, mainly, but not exclusively for tribal Chiefs. Sultan - probably the KeySni Malek of Sistan, Nader's vassal, Lu~f 'Ati Khan (1730-37) or his brother and successor Fat.h 'Ali Khan (173747). Darjan-e Sanadgol. The Sanadgols are a noble tribe inhabiting the Sha'raki-N~fi'i administrative district ("bakhsh"). Tate (Seistan, Part IV, Calcutta, 1912, pp. 303-3) thinks they may be of Jat origin. A tribe called Shangol (?) is mentioned in the "Ta'rikh-e Sistan" (ed. Maleku'shShu'ara Bahar, Tehffm 1935, pp. 325, 364, 365, 367). Darjan, a famous beauty of the tribe is often mentioned in their poems which however give us little information about her. " r " and "1" may rhyme in Sist~ni verse (azer, N~tder, del). 5. Bobi gerdesh-e charkh-e nil ftfari: Na Nftder bmQnd-at, na Ngtderi. Bobi gerdesh-e charkh-e f6r6z-a Parir6z o dir6z o emr6z-a. See the rotation of the wheel created blue: Neither Ngder has remained for you nor the dynasty of Nader. See the rotation of the turquoise wheel The day before yesterday, yesterday and to-day. Another reference to Nftder Shah.
6.

Qiygs~t sar-e kQ sha chfd6na, TOfang sar-e ketf, kisa dar-e my6na. "Az a tarso ke nft-mard6 gor~zG Nang var gerdan-e sh~r-e na'r6nal"

286

JAN w. WERYI-IO Qiyfisfi went on top of the hill, A gun on his shoulder, a bag at his waist. "I am afraid lest cowards should flee, A shame upon a roaring lion!"

Qiy~sfi - Ghiy~su'd-Din. 7. Namak shfir-a ve-zakhm-e t~za byandfiz. Mara koshti. Ve-shar fiv~za byandfiz. Mara koshti, ve-khfl p~tym~l kardi. Na'sh-e mna dam-e darvfiza byandfiz. Rub brackish salt in my fresh wound. You have killed me. Inform the town. You have killed me, smeared me with blood. Throw my body by the gate. II. Lyrical and Romantic Poems If it is true to say that poetry is not the reflection of a society's way of looking at things but is rather an expression of revolt against it then Sistfmi poetry is a typical case. Sist~ni society is extremely puritanical. It is hardly possible for a man and a girl to speak to each other and any romance is unthinkable. A marriage is arranged by the two families, the bridegroom's family buying his bride for him for a certain sum of money (or sometimes in the villages for a certain number of cows). Yet for all this business-like attitude the Sist~nis do possess a romantic imagination, By far the majority of their poems deal with love. The sentiment expressed is tender, often melancholy, but expressed in a simple and forceful language. The poet may be dreaming but his dream is quite realistic. His love is not the Divine Beloved of the .Sfffis, out of this world, but a real woman, a Sist~ni maiden with a pair of black curls escaping from under her red veil, going gleaning corn in the fields. But the imagery is often drawn not from the fertile delta but from the desert. There is the picture of the girl riding the litter on a camel's back, of the lover hurrying by caravan to the far-away city of Qft'en to see his beloved, or scorning to drink the putrid water of a water-hole, having tasted the "pearly water" from her lips. The Sisffmi is not a desert-dweller but the desert is never far and he is not a stranger to it. And since the time of Majnfm the desert has always been a friend of the lover. In the desert he can find the peace of mind he had lost, or, if in a desperate attempt he has tried to capture his beloved and shoot it out with her relatives (as occasionally happens) the desert will always give him a refuge.

SiST.~NI-PERSlANFOLKLORE 8. Brafti b6-bafa o fid-o na-kardi: Ve kfighaz n~me'i sh~td-o na-kardi. Ve maktab-khQne-ye heghsh-e to bQdo. Sav~tt d~tdi o-Ostad-o na-kardi.

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You are gone, faithless one, and have not remembered me; You have not cheered me by a letter. I have been to your school of love. You have taught me to read but have not made me a Master. Heghsh - 'eshq (love). 9. Qalam-5 sar bokn6 az ostoghSn-o, Morakkab gir5 az rag~-ye j6n-o. Morakkab gir6 o n~tma benvis5 Ber~ye Delvar-e n~t-mSrbSn-o. Make a pen from my bones, Take ink from the veins of my soul. Take ink and write a letter To my unkind Beloved. 10. Do t~t sabr-e boland bQdim vat-e-am. Jod~ gashtim o a r do m6khirim gham. Na dast-o m6rasa ke gol bechino, Na i sabr-e boland sar m6zana kham. We were two tall cypresses together. We separated and are both grieving. Neither does my hand reach out to pick up a flower Nor does this tall cypress bow its head. 11. Sar-e cheshma brasido. Au-e ganda. Lav-o az teshnegi by0ma ve-khanda. Lav-6 ke au-e jau'ar-dgtr kh~rda Ke au-e ganda-ra key m~pasanda? I came to a waterhole. Putrid water. My lip from thirst came to a grin. A lip which had drunk pearly water, When will it like putrid water? Au-e jau'ar-dhr - gtb-ejauhar-d~r (pearly water) refers to the lips of his beloved.

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12. Ney-e chilim ve-me karda setamh~: Lav-e ~tr-e mara bSsida tanhL El~na ldaOne-ye chilimak bsSza! Mara m6bardi ve-majles-e zanh~. The tube of the hookah has done tyranny to me: It has kissed the lips of my Beloved alone. My God! May the house of the hookah burn down! (I wish) you had taken me to the gathering of women! The p u r i t a n i s m o f the Sist~ni Moslems prevents a n y social relations between m e n a n d women. There are accordingly separate e n t e r t a i n m e n t parties for m e n a n d women. Here the poet is jealous o f the h o o k a h which his beloved had smoked at a w o m e n ' s p a r t y a n d which had the privilege of kissing her lips. Chilim - the usual word for a hookah in Afgh~nist~'a, Bal~chisffm and Sisthn, corresponding to Mod. Lit. Pers. "qaly~n". In Mod. Lit. Pets. the word "chelim" is rare but does exist, signifying the tobacco compartment on top of a hookah. In Sisffm however "chi~m" stands for the hookah as a whole. 13. i del-e sh~d-o ve domm~l-e nam byoft~, Joda'ik~ ze ~tr-e amdam byoft~. Ve-saar~ zar~at ka Bagher. Na b~r6 byOma, na shaunam boyoftR. This joyful heart of mine fell on the trail of moisture; There fell (upon me) a separation from my sympathetic friend. B~tqer had been farming in the desert; Neither rain came, nor dew fell. 14. Qalam-a sar kono az chau-e chinL Seyl ~d-o bokni, mna na-bini. Seyl ~d-o bokni shau-e charraghfi: Maga rnesl-e mara dar-e khau bird. I am making a pen of cinnamon wood. If you try to see me in your mind you will not see me. Try to see me in your mind during the night of the lamps: Perhaps you will see one like me in your dream. Chini - d~rchin (cinnamon). Shau-e charr~gh6 - shab-e cher~gh~n (night of the lamps) signifies an evening party when more than one lamp is being used. D a r - prep. "in" takes the e2~feh.

SISTAN[-PERSIANFOLKLORE 15. Aga had-e to-ra eshkasta basho Ve-dard-e del am6sha khasta basho! Kal~mo'lla bogarda khasm-e j6n-o Aga jft-ye dige del basta basho! If I should break my pledge to you, May I ever be wearied by a heart-ache[ May the Word of G o d become poison to my soul If in some other place I should bind my heart! Had - 'ahd (pledge). 16. Bedey b6s-~ fit ze b6m p6y ftyo. Ze gd-e to tft shar-e Qa'en ~yo. DevS.zde manzel-a tft shar-e QS?en. Dev~zde manzel-a yek manzel ftyo[ Give me a kiss and I will come down from the roof. F o r your sake I will go to the city of Qg'en. There are twelve caravan stages to the city of Qft'en. I will make the twelve stages in one stage!

289

Qft'en - a city in Khurfts~n on the main road to Mashhad, about 627 km. from Zftbul. 17. Ajab m~t'i boland, est~ra besy~tr! Ra'is-e q~fela, key m6koni bfir? Ra'is-e q~ffela, yek shau na-mCmi Ke sa'b~ m6ro me var didan-e gr. Strange high moon, many stars! Caravan leader, when are you moving? Caravan leader, do not tarry for a single night! Because to-morrow I am going to see my Beloved. Sa'b~ - sab~.h (morning), to-morrow. 18. Negara p~nar-6 shau-rang d~ra, Lav-e ghonche, de'~n-e tang d~ra. Ber~tye koshtan-e b6ch~tra ~tshegh Zera p6shida, meyl-e jang-d~ra! Neg~tra has a night-coloured dress; She has lips like a rose-bud, a tight mouth. In order to slay her unhappy lover She is wearing armour, she wants war! P6nar - pir~han (a woman's dress, reaching the knees).

290

JAN W. WERYI-IO 19. Sar-e tepe bfido, reshta chaghal ka. Del-e n~zOk-e me meyl-e kaval ka. Brafto k a v a l - z ~ - a kaval bochino. Chhdar-sorkhak mara dar-e baghal ka. I was on top of a hill, the threshing machine was turning. My tender heart desired a water-melon. I went to the water-melon plantation to pick up a water-melon. A red-veiled one took me in her arms.

Reshta - It is a most primitive threshing machine, consisting of a team of oxen walking in circles and pulling a wooden sledge which threshes the grain. Kaval - water-melon. Kaval-zar-a - to the water-melon plantation. Ace. surf. "-a" may signify motion towards. Ch~dar-sorkhak - ch~tdur-e surkh (red veil). No e.zafeh between noun & adj. Diminutive surf. "-ak" may be stuck to the adj. following the noun instead of the noun itself. Here a bahuvr~i compound.

20~
Avval (o) m~h ke kOh~ bahhr-a Kej~va baste-ya, Leyli savfir-a. Kejava baste-ya dar-e pasht-e 161<; Moh~r-e abr~shom var dast-e ~r-a. D u r i n g the first m o n t h when the hills are in Spring The litter is tied up, Leyli is riding. The litter is tied to a camel's back; The silken cord is in the h a n d of a friend. Avval (o) mah - first month. Farvardin (21 March - 20 April), the first month of the Persian calendar. The short vowel "o" is inserted only for the sake of the metre. 21. Shau-e m a ' t a u ke gorg6 m~bam m6sh Kajakfi-ya hamfi'el ko, biy~t p6sh. Aga hams~'ag6 fa'm6 befa'm~! BogO: "Kheyr-e Khodfi dfido ve-darv6sh." O n a moon-lit night when wolves carry away sheep Tie your side-curls up, come forward. If the neighbours know let them know! Say: "I have given charity (for the sake) of G o d to a dfirvish." Kajakh - pl. of "kajak", side-cuffs worn by Sistani women. Cf. Iwanow, "Rustic poems in the dialect of Khor~s~an," no. 6: Shabe m~ihthw gurgun miber/in mish...

SISTANI-PERSIANFOLKLORE 22. Ve-pasht-e N~tser~b~d o Ad~mi Ke S~bj~n m~rava var khosha-chir~, El~na! N6naka zar-e to garda! Ke dasakeh sQr-e SSbj~n gashta khfmL

291

Beyond N~serabad and Adimi Where S~bjgm goes corn gleaning, My God! May its bread turn poison for you! Because S~bj~n's pale little hand has become blood-stained. N~serftb~d - There are two villages of that name, founded by Mo.hammad Nil.set Khgn, semi-independent Malek of Sist~n (1781-93) (see G. P. Tate, Seistan, Calcutta 1910, pp. 92-3), one in Shib~b, the other N~ser~bftd-e-Vfdft(N~.serftbftd North) in Pushtftb district. The latter, lying nearer to Adirni, must be meant here. It lies 9 kin. W. of Z~bul, 4 km. E. of Lake Hamfm. Adimi - a village in Pushtftb district, 12 km. NW of Zftbul, 3 km. E. of Lake H~mfm, 7 km. N. of Nft.serftb~d. S~bjan - .Sft.heb-J~n,Possessor of (my) Soul, a common fern. prop. name. SQr surkh (red). When describing the colour of the skin, means "pale", opp. of "sabza". Also used to describe blond hair. The poem is addressed to Sftbj~n's employer.
-

23. AI~ Ammfi! Na-d~di dokhtar-at-ra. B~r~ bardi maga gap-e zan-at-ra? Sar-e pol-e Serat rfz-e Ma'shar Bgira das-e B~gher d6man-at-ra! Oh Uncle! You did not give me your daughter. Did you pay attention to the chatter of your wife? On the bridge of .Ser~t on the day of the Last Judgment Baqer's hand will seize the edge of your garment! 'Amm~ (Uncle) - Isl~tmallows marriage between cousins, even first cousins. In Persia it has actually become the usual practice. However "Uncle" may be just a friendly (in this case ironical) nick-name. Bftrfi barda - b~l~ burdan (lit. "to carry up"), to pay attention.

4, Ve-qorb6n-e kajak-band-e to, Delvar! Bornira shO-ye bad-rang-e to, Delvar! Bomira shQ-ye to, to giva gardit Biy~ o var sar-e jang-e to, Delvar!
By the sacrifice of your "kajak-band", Beloved! May your evil-coloured husband die, Beloved! May your husband die, may you become a widow! Come and let this war over you end, Beloved!

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JAN W. WERYI-IO

Kajak-band - The "kajaks" are side-curls worn by Sist~ni women (cf. ex. 21). A "kajak-band" is a black scarf tightly tied round the temples and worn under the "qadifa" or head-scarf proper. Swearing by his beloved's "kajak-band" the poet implies how precious it is to him. Iii. Ghar~b~ Suleyman .Hayim's Persian-English Dictionary (Tehr~n, 1953) defines "gharibi" as "sad verse sungby, or on behalf of a lonely stranger". Among the Sistanis this kind of verse is so popular as to form a class by itself. It is usually sung in a monotonous hum. There is a n o m a d strain in the Sistani character and they have always been great travellers. A great many make the pilgrimage to Karbal~ or even to Mekka. Some go on smuggling expeditions (chiefly guns and opium) to Afgh~nist~n and P~kist~n. Finally, a great number go in search of work in Khur~s~m or in Gurg~n East of the Caspian Sea. Nowadays all travelling (with the exception of the smuggling expeditions) is by bus, but forty years ago all travel had to be by camel-caravan and a journey may have taken up to two months. But wherever they might have been the Sist~nis have always expressed a strong nostalgia for their native land. Indeed their attachment to it is quite unique among the Persians, perhaps the more strange when we bear in mind that Sistan is one of the poorest and most backward parts of Ir~tn. I have met Sist~mis who had been to Tehr~n, which to the provincial Persian is Paradise on earth. My Sisffmi acquaintances were impressed by the Capital but they would not have liked to live there. The water-melons of Tehr~m did not taste like the water-melons of Sist~n! Thus the "gharibi" verses are perhaps the most representative of the Sistani spirit. As .Hayim says "gharibi" may be sung not only by, but also on behalf of a lonely stranger. Accordingly m a n y of my informants gave me verses expressing their sympathy for me. I was the only European in Sisffm, and in spite of the friendship of Avdoll~t Bazi and the hospitality of the peasants i often felt very lonely. My Sist~mi friends understood me. To them loneliness in a strange land would have been the most terrible punishment. Consequently they often sung to me "gharibi" verses in order to cheer me up. 25. Se s~tl asta ve-i Maur-e kharab-o Ve-my6n-e ~tesh o dary~-ye hhb-o. Na n6n-e khosh kh~tro, na hhb-e shiri. Khod~t md6na ke me var shm~ kab~tb-o!

SiST.~Ni-PERSIANFOLKLORE It is three years that I am in this wretched Mary Between fire and a river of water. I eat neither good bread nor fresh water. God knows that I am roasting for your

293

Maur - M a r v (Merv). Av. Mouru, Phl. Maur. A city in Russian Turkistan (formerly Trans-Caspian Prov., now Turkmen SSR) on the river Murgh~b (Marv-RQd). Before the Russian Revolution many Sisffmis used to go to Turkistan in search of work. Dary~t - in Sisffmi as well as in C1. Pets. could mean a river, in this case the Murghab. But also it could simply be a figure of speech, a poetic image opposed to the "fire" of the poet's longing. H~tb - ~tb (water). This word is occasionally pronounced with the aspirate "h". It is seldom used in conversation, the usual word for water being "au, auke". In this case it is made use of to rhyme with "kharab" and "kabab". Hab-e shiri - ~tb-e shirin (fresh water). The Sist~nis proudly claim that their water is the best in the world. With all respect for their patriotism I must say that I never liked the muddy brown liquid which I had to drink during my stay in Sisffm. 26. BosSza molk-e Shiraz o Sep~5! Mohammad merava amr~-ye 15kG. Mohammad mega: "Amr~tz-e na-d~ro. Del-e kh~ va kono dar-e biy~bS." May the land of Shifftz and E.sfah~m burn down! Moh.ammad is going with the camels. Moh.ammad says: " I have no confident. I will open my heart in the desert." Sep~t6 - E.sfah~n (C1. Pers. form "Sep~h~m" exists). Kh~ - khwud (own).

27.
Gharibi sakht mara delgir karda; Felak ve-gerdan-e me zanjir karda. Felakt Az gerdan-e me zanjir var d~! Ke ghorbat kh~tk d6man-gir karda. Loneliness has firmly gripped my heart. The Heavens have put a chain round my neck Heavens! Take the chain off my neck! For the dust of a strange land has caught the edge of my garment. Cf. Iwanow, Birjand, no. 93 : Gharibi sakht m~iro dilgir k/irdti... 28. Nm~tz-e sh6m gharibi rQ ve-man ka. Del me jelfi bzad o ~d-e vatan ka. Na-rnefa'mo ba'bo bQ ya mauke. Sal6mat basha ar ke ~td-e man ka.

294

JAN W. WERYHO At the time of the evening prayer nostalgia has faced me. My heart beat and remembered my country. I do not know whether it was my father or my mother. Good health to everyone who remembers me! 29. Velfiyat dir-a o me dir az vel~yat. Dahfi'i m6kono bashi sal~nat. Dah~-ye sob o sh0m-e me amin-a: Ke didst na-mQna var QiyAmat. My country is far and I am far from my country. I pray that you might be in good health. My morning and evening prayer is the same: That our meeting should not be delayed until the Resurrection.

Dah~t - du'~ (prayer). Cf. Iwanow, Birjand, no. 49: Wiloy~it dttr-ii man dur iiz wiloy~it... 30. Shom~ ke mardomOn-e ar diyfir-i, Br~ az maukeh o ba'bey-me a'v~l by~ri. Az tanjfi ke ba'bo o maukeh me au k h ~ d a Ve-me yek qatre-ye au berasfini. You who are men of every land, Go, bring me news of my mother and father. F r o m the place where my father and mother have drunk water Send me a drop of water. Br5- beravid (go!) Ba'bey - "Ba'b.6 (b~b~t) becomes "ba'bey" in front of an e.z~feh or a pers. pron. A'v~l - ah.v~l, in Sisthn has the meaning of "khabar" (news). 31. Dar darv~ze-ye Sist6 m~geresto. Qalam dar-e das k~ghaz m6neveshto Qalam beshkast, k~ghaz b~d var dasht. Ar che dar del-o bet m6neveshto. In the gate of Sist~n I was weeping. A pen in my hand I was writing a letter. The pen broke, the wind carried off the letter. I was writing everything there was in my heart. Darv~tze-ye Sist6 - "The Gate of Sisffm" simply means the gate of the city of Zgbul, thus named by Rez~t Shhh after the ancient capital of Rustam. Before Rez~ Shah the town was officially called Na.srafftbSd or Na.sriya. The natives, however simply referred to it as "Shar-e-Sist6," the town of Sist~n, as it was (and still is) the only town in the province apart from the ruins of ancient cities. But the resurrected name, Zfibul, soon became popular among the proud sons of Rustam who always use it now.

SIST/kNI-PERSIANFOLKLORE IV. Religious and Mystical Poems

295

The most popular form of religious poetry among Shi'a Moslems is the "Rauzeh" or lamentation for the Martyrs of Karbal~t. In Sist~n it is usually chanted by the Mull~s who always recite it in the purest Classical Persian. It is not surprising therefore that I have found very little religious poetry in the dialect. Of the four poems quoted here the first is a popular song and deals with a pilgrimage. Pilgrimages to the shrines of Saints (Em~m-Z~deh) are a typical feature of the Shi'a religion. The other three poems I took down from Mohammad Oseyn Breym, the Old Man of the Bazi tribe. Their mystical character seems to show S.Ofi influence although .Sfifism is more prevalent among the Sunni BalQchis than among the Shia Persians of Sist~m. The mysticism of the last poem however, a vision of 'Ali has a distinctly Shi'a character. 32.
To ke fi-s~ m~r~ i-si neg~t ko.

Ziy~trat m6ravi, dard-o davit ko. Ziy~rat meravi pG-ye piy~tda, Biy~, p5 kha rek~b-e asp-e ma ko. You who go in that direction look in this direction. You go on a pilgrimage, cure my pain. You go on a pilgrimage on foot; Come, place your foot in the stirrup of my horse. O-s~, i-si - a rare case of vowel harmony (an s~, in s~). 33. Est~r~ dar av~ m6shom~tro emshau. Ve-pa'l~-yo ma-y-~d Tau d~ro emshau! Ve-pa'l~-yo ma-y-~ ey kharman-e gol! Ve taufigh-e Khoda istado emshau. I am counting the stars in the air to-night. Do not come to my side! I have fever to-night! Do not come to my side, oh Harvest of Roses! I have stood before the Grace of God to-night. Kharman-e gol - lit. harvest of roses (rose essence). 34. Oseynh bgo ke: "Az khauf-e El~ti Agar fightshavi az ja dar ~ti. Ze chashm~) dide-yo me 0 Saghar-a. Ve-p6-y~ Arsh p~tr ai, dar 5L"

296

JAN W. WERYHO Oseyn~ said: " O f the fear of God If you become aware you will come out of your place. With my eyes I have seen that H e l l If you come like a feather at the foot of the Throne you will escape it."

Az j~ dar fii - you will come out of your place (out of your mind). The meaning of the last line seems to be that a sinless soul will fly like a feather to the foot of the Throne of God and escape Hell. 35. Khe mfirb6ni-ye Eydar fishnfi sho. Do chash-e r6shey loft az Khod~ sho. Oseyn~ bgo: Ali-ra khau dido. Ve-khau dido, ve-b~d~i agj~ sho? Become acquainted with the kindness of .Haydar. My two bright eyes received a favour from God. Oseynft said: I saw 'Ali in my sleep. I saw him in my sleep. When I awoke where did he go? Khe - with. Eydar - Ar. I:/aydar, Lion (of God), Mohammed's son-in-law 'Ali particularly venerated by the Shi'as.

V. Miscellaneous Poems
36.

A Wedding Song
Mauke, m6go: Kenjeke-ye to-n-o. Mna n-elli ke bar~I SQzin-e dasake-ye to-n-o. Mna n-elli ke bar6! Az ra-ye B~ghak m6bar6. Mna n-elli ke bar6! Khe d61 o sftzak m~bar~. Mna n-elli ke baret Mother, I say: I am your little girl. Do not let them take me! I am the needle of your hand. D o not let them take me! They are taking me by way of B~ghak. Do not let them take reel They are taking me with drum and music. Do not let them take me! N-elli - na-hel (do not let), imp. neg. of "heshtan, helidan". B~ghak - a village in the Shibftb district 10 kin. S. of Z~bul by the main road to Z~.hedan. 37. Chfir, beza nala the margh-e sahar. M~ ke na-d~ri az i diny~ khabar. Golfila o chftshni ke kh~ra ve-jegar. Amadak-e z~r-zar gore shta dar-e neyz~r.

$ISTANI-PERSIAN FOLKLORE Water-fowl, raise a cry like the bird of the morning. We who have no news of this world. Bullet and percussion-cap which hits the liver. The wailing " a m a d a k " got lost in the reedland.

297

Amadak - a little bird living in the marshes. I was unable to identify it and none of my informants could tell me its name in Persian. Shta - shudeh (become). 38. Beshnido m6hi-i dar khoshk rQd-~ Ve-bat gofta ke " A z gham niya sQd-e. To-ra d~tm, mara qoll~b gira T~ ma'z-e ke jah6n-a ~b gira. Che sQd az mg ke dar diny~t na-bashi? Jab6 argest na-basha, m~ na-bashi." I heard a fish in a dry river-bed Say to a duck: "Worry is no use. The snare will be catching you, the hook will be catching me Until the time when water overfloods the world. What use is it to us when we are not in the world? The world will not remain for ever, we will not remain." Niya - nist (there is not). Ma'z - ma.h.z, in this case "time". Argest - hargez (ever).

Amrnal
Amm~l-o me, amm~d-o me, Ammal dar-e baz~r-o me. B6-k~tr-o me, bfi-kar-o me; Az mardom-e neyz~r-o me. 5. Vat parz-e poch o rakhmi Ve-Khod~ ke khQ kh~ro me. Bfifftri-yo b6 ~tl-o me, Q~ttel-e do se mekhs~tl-o me. Dar-e tobra pashti-ye kh~ 10. ,~nel-e af ash mekhs~tl-o me. Khom~r-o me, k~homar-o me, Khomar nami la-kerd~r-o me. Tery~tk d~tro, b~tfQr daro, Val6 asir-e Sark~r-o me. 15. Vakht-e tery~tk kashida Az tars dar-e gQdal-o me. Fer~ri-yo, fer~tri-yo Az das-e ma'mCtr-e B~'dgtri-yo. Dir6z jasto az B~'d~tri;

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JAN W. WERYHO 20. Az jastan-e khfi b~z~tri-yo. Al-ana z~r khazido Pas-e d~v~l-e Chfir-Khfiri-yo. Ma'mOr-e BUdfiri: Biyfi, biy~, jelau biyfi, Zfid bash, brau bS'dfiri to! Amm~l: 25. Bellak, .~ghfi, ammfili kono, Aga ve-me k~r n-d~ri to. Ma'mOr: K o m a k kon6 ve-ma'mfirin, Risha-kan kon~ teryfiki-ra. Biyfim6z6 ve-ejtem~ 30. A m resh~dat o b6-bfiki-ra. Ammfil: No! no! no! I chSz mSga? G6sh na-kn6 gap-e khfili-na! .Agh~, az Khodfi sharm kon6[ Teryak bak~r dar-e bfigh-a 35. Aga n'mSl16 b5 sat o sedfi Bray6 bakS.r dar-e tgtgh-a. Al-ana m6ja'oI No! M611o! Emj~ mSllo Agh~-ra.

The Porter
A porter am I, a porter am I A porter in the Bazaar am I. Unemployed am I, unemployed am I; A man from the Reedland am I. 5. F o r a little cheese and whey By God! I would drink blood! I am an opium-smoker, unconscious am I, A killer of two three mesq~ls (of opium) am I. In the bag on my back 10. A carrier of seven eight mesq~ls am I. Tipsy am I, tipsy am I, So tipsy, good-for-nothing am I. I have opium, I have the poppy juice, But a captive of the Sarkfir am I.

SISTANI-PERSIANFOLKLOKE 15. At the time of smoking opium I n depth of fear am I. I am a runaway, I am a runaway From the hands of the Public Health official. Yesterday I ran away from the Hospital; 20. I am weary of my escape. Now I have crawled underground Behind the wall of Ch~r-Khfiri. Public Health official: Come, come, come forward, Hurry up, go to Hospital, you! Porter: 25. Leave me, Sir. I am doing my work as a porter, If you have no business with me. Official: Help the officials, Destroy opium smoking. Teach society 30. Courage and intrepidity. Porter: Oh! oh! ohI What is he saying? Do not listen to his empty words! Sir, be ashamed before GodI Opium is useful in the garden. 35. If you do not leave me quietly Go to your work under that arch. Now I run! Oh! I leave, I have you here, Sir.

299

8. Mekhsgd - mesqhl (a unit of weight nearly equal to :5 grammes), 14. Sark~r - probably his employer. 16. Ch~r-Kh~ri (Fours Sisters), the Southern part of the town of Zftbul, adjoining Oseynftb~d. 25. Bellak - behel, imp. of vb. "heshtan, helidan". 31. Nol - exclamation denoting fear and surprise. Ch6z - chiz is equiv, to "che" in Sist~ni. 35. N'm611~- na-miheli. 2 pets. sg. pres. indic, neg. of vb. "heshtan, helidan". 37. M~llo - mihelam. 1 pets. sg. pres. indic, of vb. "heshtan, helidan". This is a m o d e r n satire in the style of a Persian ta.snif o n o p i u m s m o k i n g a n d the efforts of the M i n i s t r y of Public Health to stamp it out.

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JAN W. WERYHO

Vafti
1. A w a l a margi-ye gau byQma padid; AmchQ margi argcst kas na-did. 2. Nerkh~ dar-e pasti byama kam ve-kam, Vafti-ye n6 p6sh 0ma dam ve-dam. 3. Tg ke yek man ghala vaj'-e shesh q~r6n. Dar my6 gardid "V~veyl~! n6n!" 4. Nerkh-e nima pQnzdeh ester sha, Ghala am dar das-e Ta'vild~r sha. 5. "V~vcylg!" sha my6n-e mardom6n, Jomlegi eyr5 sha dar Q zam6n. 6. Ar ke dgra chan tom6 ve-dast Ar de-~ o a r maalla dar m~gzasht. 7. S~'eb-e zar m6khara ghala b~zgr, B~-zar6 gashtan jomla dar ve-dar. 8. Yeg zam6n-e ra'mat ~h gasht kam, Gasht peydg mausem-e ranj o alam. 9. R6dg khoshk/d dary~hg tamg, Mardom6 gashtan sar-gerd6n-e ~b. 10. Ar maalla ch~t zadi gardid s h ~ , G~tb o m6sh az bar-e ~b kQr. 11. M6ig6 mardan, margh6 sha fer~r, Mardom6 gashtan ve-kh~ri moftelL 12. Jomla ashkh~s-e Sayygd o Gaudgr, Mardom6n-e B~diya az ar ken~r, 13. Z~re'in b6chgra v~ mQnda ze k~r Das bogsh~dan area az kesht o k~r 14. Khezmat-e Sarkgr raftan mardom6n, Sg'ebg az khauf o jtihi alham6n. 15. Maramat az j~neb-e Sark~r sha, Vat ra'iygt maramat besy~tr sha. 16. Okm-e Sark~r v~l~t sha chinin: Chart kas ma'mQr sha vat z~re'in. 17. Ar agjg b/nan gandom vat zam/n Bgyad qesmat kon6 vat z~re'in. 18. Eshmato'1 -Molk-a Amir-e nQmd~r. Nim man-ash d~d vat yek qergn.

SIST.~NI-PERSIANFOLKLORE 19. TS~ ke Qmad abr-e ra'mat dar sami~, Pas bob6rid mausem-e jall-e kalL 20. Pas bob6rid o zamin gardid s6r, Lik vat mardom bas-6 bogzasht d~r. 21. Easl-e Nau-R6z byOmad o sha jau derau, .~d o atffd-e mardom sha gerau. 22. Bishtar-~ mardan az akl-e alaf; Mardom6 gashtan ve-ar jfineb talaf.
Famine 1. At first cattle-pest appeared, Such a pest as no one had ever seen.

301

2. Low prices rose little by little, The scarcity of bread became greater every moment. 3. Until one " m a n " of grain came to cost six qerfms. The cry rose "Woe! bread!" 4. The price of half (a "man"?) became fifteen "stars", The grain also went into the Tax Collector's hands. 5. "Woe!" was heard among the people; All became bewildered at that time. 6. Everyone who had several tftmgns in his hand Went through every village and every district. 7. The possessor of money buys grain in the bazaar, The moneyless went all from door to door. 8. A t a time of mercy sighs became few; There came a time of pain and grief. 9. All rivers and streams dried up, People became crazy about water. 10. Wherever you dug a well it became salty, Cows and sheep became blind because of lack of water. 11. The fishes died, the birds fled; People became immersed in misery. 12. All .Savy~td and Gaud~r folk, People of the Desert from every side, 13. Poor farms exhausted by work Withdrew their hand from farming and work. 14. To the Sark~r's service went the ]people, The owners (of cattle?) crazy from fear and hunger.

302

JAN W. WERYHO

15. There was mercy on the part of the Sarkar, There was much mercy for his subjects. 16. The Sark~tr's order was such: Some men were appointed over the farmers. 17. Wherever they see wheat on the land They must divide it among the farmers. 18. Heshmatu-l-Mulk is that famous Amir; He gave half a " m a n " for one qeran. 19. Until the merciful cloud came in the sky, Then it rained, the season of tilling the fields. 20. Then it rained and the land became full, But for many people it came late. 21. New Year came and grain was reaped; The condition and the children of the people were safe. 22. (But) the majority had died from eating grass; People had become dispersed in every direction. 4. Est~tr - set~reh (star), a coin not used now. Ta'vildar - Tah.vild~, the collector of the "Ta.hvil" tax. For a description of the "Tah.vil" see Tate, Part IV, p. 326. 12..Sayy~d - lit. "hunter, fisherman". The .Sayyads are a primitive tribe of hunters and fishermen living in the Harnfin marshes. Owing to their isolation they speak the Sistfini dialect in its purest form. Gaud~tr - G~tvd~tr(herdsman). The Gaud~rs are a group of cattle-raising tribes living like the Sayy~ds in the H~mfm marshes. Of course they were the ones to whom the cattle disease would have been the most disastrous. Like the .Sayy~ds the Gaud~s speak a very pure Sist~ni and understand Persian with difficulty. Tate expresses a regret at his inability to communicate with them freely. Although living in similar conditions they are ethnically quite distinct from the .Sayy~ds. (SeeTate, Part IV, pp. 303-9.) 14. JOhi- j ~ (hunger). Alhamrn - crazy, in an uproar. 16. Vala - bala (up).

I t o o k d o w n this ballad in the village of Bazi (Pushfftb district) from M o h a m m a d Oseyn Breym ( M u h a m m a d .Huseyn Ebr~him), the oldest m a n of the Bazi tribe. The reference to H e s h m u t ' l - M u l k , G o v e r n o r of Sistfin from 1896 until 1904 ( G . P . T a t e , Seistan, Calcutta, 1910, p. 97) enables us to date the poem. It certainly describes the cattle disease a n d famine i n the winter of 1902-3 m e n t i o n e d by Tate (Seistan, Part IV, Calcutta, 1912, p. 305). T h e economic structure a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of the Sistfini villages at that time has also been described b y Tate (Ibid., Part IV, Ch. VI: "The Village C o m m u n i t i e s a n d P o p u l a t i o n i n Seistan").

STST.~NI-I~ERSIANFOLKLORE A SiSTANI VOCABULARY. Nfez: blind. Prs. Ar. h.~ffe_z, one who remembers. Blind people often know the Qur'fin by heart. Agj~t: where. Bal. guj~t, Prs. kuj~t. Ai: yes. Ajghfi: a herb, the grain of which is eaten to cure stomach ache. Ajv~t: change (norm). Alesh: transaction, bargain, dealing. Alghertak: the kicking of animals. Alham6: crazy, in an uproar. Alp~zak: a bridle. Amadak: a little bird living in the marshland. Am-bfigh: one husband's several wives; ham-b~tgh (same garden). Anjak: a small fat fish. Ashar: forced labour, performed instead of tithes; Ar.'ashar, ten. Cf. Ottoman Turk, ~t.sar, tithes. .~sis: a burning pain. AsOka: a story; Prs. afsoneh & dim. surf. -ka? Aula: a hole. Avali: home, abode; Khurfisgni havali. Ba'b6 father; Prs. Briber. Before nouns and personalpronouns becomes ba'bey, e.g. ba'bey Abbfis (father of 'Abbfis), ba'bey me (my father). Ba'bey Abb~s (or whatever is the name of one's oldest son) is a polite form of address. Cf. Ar. Abfi 'Abb~s. If the oldest child is a daughter, the father may be addressed by her name (thus Avdoll~t Bazi was called Ba'bey Farrokh, after his daughter Farrokh), but only by close friends. Bachfish: a big lizard which sucks goats' milk; buz-chfish. Baf~: fidelity; At. Prs. vaffi. For v into b. cf. Iwanow, W. "Persian as spoken in Birjand", JASB, N.S., 24 (1928), p. 249: d/ibid, ran; bib/i, widow. Bfiffir: opium; Prs. vfifRr. See note on Bafft. Baj : a shoulder. B~I: polite compliments (ta'~uf). B~lfi: North. Bal6: but (stress on 1st syllable); Ar. Prs. vali. See note on Baffi.

303

Balghi: a green water-fowl. B~,lin: an aeroplane. Ba'pfir: grandfather; ba'b6-pir. Barak: a coat; At. burqa'? Barot: a moustache. Best6ni: a stork. Bijl~tgh: a soup of yoghurt, oil and curry. Blakh: a bright light. Boj: an old shawl. Bolak: the blossom of the reed; Prs. gul, a flower? BOll6: a fat clumsy man. Bfirak: a pie; cf. Turk. b6rek. Chaghak: a kind of thorn. Chaghal: tmnaing, revolving; cf. Dari (Kermoni) ~aqal kartmun, to throw. (Sur~hiy~n, J. S., Farhang-e Behdindn, Tehrftn, Farhang-e Irfm-Zamin, 1956). Ch~ghasti: a hand-shake. Ch~kh: a hole. Chalaupatki: a fight between two individuals. Chalg: a mouse. Chfd6, ch~16na: walking, going. Chalvak: a roll of bread fried in oil. Chftp: dance (noun). Bal. LW. Chapat, chapli: a shoe, Hind. chapli. Chfirqad: a woman's head-scarf. Chattak o 16sak: licking the bottom of a dish. Chau: wood, a stick. Prs. chfib. Chovy6: a mortar. Chaugha: a cloak. Daft ~uqa (Sur~hi-

yOn, ibid.).
Chelchela: a swallow. Chelli: a tribe of Gypsy minstrels of Indian origin. China: a big shapeless brick of dry clay. Choghok: a sparrow. Dari Kerm~ni ~oquk (Surfishiy~n, ibid.). Chok: little (adv.). Chollok: a little fish. Chong61: a finger. Chfil~tgh: a withered arm. Chfi.ng: a deep water-hole. ChRr: a water-fowl. Cf. Daft Kermani ~uri, a hen (Sur~hiyan, ibid.). Chfirlk: a bird living in the desert. Chfiri: a silver bracelet.

304 ChQrmet: misfortune.

JAN W. WERYHO G6belak: a species of edible mushroom. Goche: a child. Prs. bachcheh. See note on GMta. A popular etymology: gay, hero & dim. surf. -che. G6j, g~j: a wasp. Gor, gorr~tta: the throat. G6ring: a small wound. G6sh-khazak: a centipede. G6sh-reshk6: a pillow. Gfidar: a height. GQgazau: a frog. GQrna: a comb. GQzal: a white sheep. Halhal: exhaustion and thirst. Harimi: accursed. At. haram, unlawful, or Prs. ahrimani, diabolical? Jaghd6nak: a chicken's crop. Jak: barley. Jal: opposition, disagreement. Syn. laj. J~tla: a piece of cloth tied under the udder of a sheep to prevent her lamb from sucking. Jalg: a sparrow. Jail: farming. Ja'ling: a melon bush. Jamalg: a whirlwind. J~tvand: a woman's veil. J~za: a height. Jeylfi: a stroke. Jig6: the yoke of an ox. Jlk: bent. Jl-l~f: beautiful. Jill: clothing. Jfillfika: a spider. Prs. jfillfth, a weaver & dim. surf. -ka. Jflng: a baby camel. Kach: pelvis. Kachfil: pottery. Kafl~z: a large spoon. Kajak: side-curls worn by Sisffmi women. Cf. Iwanow, "Persian as spoken in Birjand", ibid., p. 340; "Rustic poems in the dialect of Khorasan", J A S B , N.S., 21 (1925), p. 257 (kachak). Kajakband: a black scarf tightly tied round the temples and worn under the "sarfik" or head-scarf proper. Kaj6bandak: the smallest of household utensils. Kaka: aunt.

Daba: a pot for oil. Dada: a sister. Dajg: a knot. D a m : a swollen spot on the human body. Dambast: unfortunate. Literally "closed breath". Damd~r: an opium pipe. Literally "suffocating". Dan: a door. Prs. dehan, mouth. Dang: big. Dar dada: to light (a lamp). Dau: an insult. Dovdoki: swearing, cursing (noun). D6bi: a washerman (or woman). Hind. dh6bL Drang: the ringing of a bell. Dfidni: wild rue, the smoke of which is used for exorcisms. Prs. dfid, smoke. Elfma!: my God! From Ar. II~hngt, our God? Emj~: here. Prs. inja. A survival of Ir. im-? Emley: this time. See note on Emj~. Eshk~na: egg soup. Eshta: a four-proned winnowing implement (Prs. ch~tr-sh~kh). Falla: a cow's first milk. Farfar: fast (adv.). For gi: put pressure (used only in the imperative). Gi (Prs. gir) is the imperative of vb. grafta (Prs. gereftan). Forsfil: a sieve. Gfffta: to weave. Prs. b ~ t a n . An indication of original Sist~_ni v- into g(as in Khuri, etc.). Gal6, gal~: a melon. Garg: bald. Gastar: a cow expecting a calf. Gaz: firewood. Gharrak: a jug. Ghaura: grape. Prs. a n g ~ ? Ghauza: cotton. Ghlif: a pot. Ghlfir: flour boilt in water. Ghorau: sleep (noun). Gba-fit: dried whey. Giva: a widow. Prs. biveh. See note on Ghfta.

SISTANI-PERSIAN FOLKLORE
Kftkft: uncle. Kfikhar: a red horse. Kaki: corn threshing. Birjandi chaki. Kal: a cultivated field. Kfdak: a cotton bush. Kaldar: a 2-riyal coin (now obsolete). Kalla: head. Kal6: big. KamNak: a little bird resembling a swallow. Kang: a hill. Common in place-names, e.g. Miyfm-Kangi, one of the 4 administrative districts (bakhsh) of Sist~n, N.E. of Zabol; Kang-Moll~Avdoll~t, a village in that district. See Farhang-e jughr~fiyft'i-e IrOn, Tehran, Enteshftrfit-e Dft'ere-ye jughrfffiyft'i-e Set~d-e Artesh, 1332 A.H., Vol. 8. Karra: a wooden fence. Karrak: a wild fowl. Cf. Dari Yazdi kark, a hen (Surfishiy~n, ibid.) Kftta: talkative. Katk: a spark. Katrftk: a wooden shoe. Kaval: a water-melon. Kavarg: a desert shrub. Kem: foundation (under a house). Kenja: a girl, daughter. Related to, but not synonymous with "kaniz" which in Sisffmi, as in modern standard Persian, possesses the specific meaning of "maid-servant". Kl-d. kanishk, Av. kainik~, Skt. kanyfi. Kerka-khari: a poisonous mushroom. Kermek: a wild bush. Khalau: clay. Khanjak: a pea-nut. Kh~rm: warm ashes. Khasar: a neighbaur. Khwud-sar. Khasi: a bull. Khasida: to sleep. Kite: with. Khing: weary, helpless. Khl~s: present (adj.) Khosh: mother-in-law. Khosh-lilcha: sister-in-law. Khosh-tovi: joking. Khrfis: conversation. Khftrldafirak: throat. Kfi: bent. Klach: old. Kler: a lizard.

305

Klgche: a small cake. Kokhldaa: cough (noun). Kokolak: a small green bush. K61ak: a ventilator. Kopak: a tiny locust. Korgh: depth. K6rk, kftrk: a brick. K6ta: big, Kilch~kh: a hole. Kilchk: caviar. Kfila: a hunter's hide-out in the reeds. Kilt: deaf. Kiltrft: a puppy. Labftr, lavftr: summer. Lad: a walking-stick. Lagar6: hanging, swinging. Lagh-lagh: the movement of the fire; exhaustion and thirst. LagaS: a stork. Turk. Prs. laglag. Laj: disagreement, opposition. Syn. jal. Lakand: worn out. Lakat6: hanging, swinging. L~t-kerd~r: good-for-nothing. Ar. lft & Prs. kerdftr. Lah~ta: an old shoe. Lak~: a chicken without a tail. Lala: a brother; sleep (noun). Lanchfi: a lean ass. Lap: palm of the hand. Lash: body. Latak: a washerman's stick. Latta: old (of things). Laukhor: a jaw. Leng: a foot. L6tti, litti: flour, boilt with oil. Lich, lfich: naked; Prs. lfikht? Lisk: naked. L6bandak, 16vandak: a wooden board for bread making. Lof: pressure. L6k: a camel. Bal. LW. L616kfich13ca: a walk. Longota: a turban. Bal. lengota. L6sh: skin. Lfilak: a butterfly. L~I~: a calf. Lfind: a hen-coop. Lfirg: a height. Lfish: parched clay. Mftgas: a young cow. M~k: beans.

306

JAN W. WERYHO P6ka!, p~k!: an exclamation expressing surprise or sorrow. P6r: a partridge. Porsa: a mourning assembly. Dari porsa (Surfishiy~n, ibid.). Potok: a frog. Prat: stomach. Pratak: dirt covering the surface of water in a pool in summer. Psey: a boy, son. Prs. pesar. Pfilg: fine dust. Pallak: a button. Cf. Gilaki pfillak. Pfir: half-baked bread fallen into the
oven.

Mamiz, mayiz: raisins. Maska: butter. Mauka" mother. Md. Prs. m~.d- & dim. surf. -ka. Mojfil: the knee-cap of a sheep. Mozdftr: a workman. Cf. Dari Kerm~ni mozdfir (Surfishiy~n, ibid.). Mozd-var. Mftra: a bead. Mfirch: red pepper, paprika. Hind. mirch. Nami: such {as this). Prs. hamin. Stress falls on 1st syllable. Nam6: such (as that). Prs. hamO.n. Stress falls on 1st syllable. Nastfik: a spinning-wheel. N~tak: a performer, actor. Hindi na~ak. Naubar: a stream. Ar. Prs. nahr. Nauch: a young bull. Ngva: a mason's bucket for clay or lime. N~nald: here. Nesvar: tobacco mixed with lime for sucking. Nesvftr Kgboli: snuff. 0 : yes. Olos: a tribe. Turk. ulus. Or6s: Russian. Ortina: a woman. Ar. Urdfi 'aurat? Pacha, pachin: a stream, canal. Pa'chau: a punting pole. Padagi: a stick for self-defence. Pgl~, p~l~sa: a tent. Pallok: the bunch of threads at the end of a Moslem rosary. Bal. pollok. Pap: a lung. Pand6na: a cotton grain. Prs. panbehdfineh. Parz: little (adv.). Pashmak: a small unripe melon. Patir: unfermented dough. Patk: baldness. P6nar: a shirt, frock. Prs. piffthan. Penchok: rotten (fruit). Penj61: a finger. P6sh: a date-palm. Cf. Dari Kerm~ni pig, the branches of a date-palm (Surfishiy~in, ibid.). Pinak: forehead. Pinaki: thinking, dreaming. Pishak: a cat. Bal. p6shshek. Plot-plot: boiling. Poch: sour cheese.

P~tak: a suckling. Qeychaq: a violin-like instrument (resembling the Bal~chi "sarind~,") played by the Chellis. Rad: a foot-print. Ra-d~r: gallop (noun). R~h-d~tr. Rakhmi: whey. Rakht: a ploughshare. Rasfi: a rat. Rau: deep. Reshta: a primitive threshing machine, consisting of a team of oxen walking in circles and pulling a wooden sledge which threshes the grain. Rikhtik: scratching. R6: earth. Rob~t'i: lament, wailing. ROgez: a large sieve. Rfiy6: the bridgegroom's ceremonious bath before the wedding. Ra-ye ab. Sabr: a cypress. Pushtfi sabr, Prs. sarv. Sadmani: arable land. Sang6: a silver bracelet. Sarchak: hand-clapping. Sareng: a desert shrub eaten by camels. Sarrak: a street. Hind. sarak. Sar0k: a woman's head-scarf. Prs. sar, head. Cf. Trk. sank, a turban. Satt~: barley bread. Seytak: poetry. At. Prs..saut, sound & dim. surf. -ak. Sf~gar: a zinc-worker. Sefid-gar. Shal: tired. Shalida: to slide. Shall: lame. Shatal: a kick.

SIST.~NI-PERSIAN FOLKLORE Shft-tgr: the main string in a musical instrument. Shah-tilt, royal string. Shib: South. Shkandfik: a sling (for throwing missiles). Shlfit: the sound of throwing. Sh6k: a calf. Shill: a basket. Sh~rtftk: a rotten melon. Shvatki: a basket. Prs. sabad? Sinak: a match (kebrit). Bal. sinfik. Soklok: trot (noun). Sfirch~l: a red cow with white spots. Sftrkand: an axe. Silrk~: a mortar; idiomatic: a short fat
man.

307

Tormogh: an egg. Prs. tukhm-e murgh. Trakh: a breach. Tfirtfirak: music. Tilt: a reed. Tfita, tfitan, tilti, tQtin: a punt made of reeds, propelled by means of a long pole. Tilttak: a beetle. Ills6: far. Vafti: famine. Popular etymology: At. Prs. qah.~i. Reg. this word Professor G. Morgenstierne writes: "Vafti 'famine' = qaOti?? Scarcely possible, but I do not know the origin of this word. - * Vashti might be a possible form, with ~t < ~n, as often in Ir. dialects, cf. Gilaki vigta 'hungry' (Gabri vagna). But ~t < ft would be without parallel, as far as I know." Vajg: something tied in a piece of cloth. V~tlft: North. Prs. b~tl~, up. Vazzad: firm, strong. Yeglfih: one side of a tent. Yegley: once. Stress falls on 1st syllable. -z~tl: a woman. Bal. LW. In Sist. used only as a compound pfir-zfil, oldwoman, Zalir: a leafless tree. Zardak: carrot. Zardche: a leafless tree. Zella: tired. Zir, zira: a thorny shrub put on walls. Zorak: a boil, abscess. Zfing: gleanings left over in the field.

Sfirsftr: whisper (noun). Tftba: a pot for boiling corn. Tfikft: a grape bush. Takhtak: an artificial mound in the marshland where the Gaudftr herdsmen build their shelters. Takka: a he-goat. Turk. teke. Takshftd: a he-goat. Tal dada: to tear apart. Tap: a wound. Tarak: an unripe melon. Tashnak: forehead. Tfiv6: a burden, responsibility. Tftzanak: spleen. Teyghftl: a reed. Ting: a wooden waU. Tisk: a very smaU sparrow. Tnfak: scattered. Tomm6: wide baggy trousers. Dari tonbun (Surfishiy~n, ibid.).