APPENDIX

The following is a comparison of words in the three languages:—

HungarianGypsy.[330]

SpanishGitáno.

MoorishArabic.

Bone

Cokalos

Cocal

Adorn

City

Forjus

Foros

Beled

Day

Dives

Chibes

Youm

Drink (to)

Piava

Piyar

Yeschrab

Ear

Kan

Can

Oothin

Eye

Jakh

Aquia

Ein

Feather

Por

Porumia

Risch

Fire

Vag

Yaque

Afia

Fish

Maczo

Macho

Hutz

Foot

Pir

Piro, pindro

Rjil

Gold

Sonkai

Sonacai

Dahab

Great

Baro

Quibír

Hair

Bala

Bal

Schar

He, pron.

Wow

Head

Tschero

Jero

Ras

House

Ker

Quer

Dar

Husband

Rom

Ron

Zooje

Lightning

Molnija

Malunó

Brak

Love (to)

Camaba

Camelar

Yehib

Man

Manusch

Manu

Rajil

Milk

Tud

Chuti

Helib

Mountain

Bar

Bur

Djibil

Mouth

Mui

Fum

Name

Nao

Ism

Night

Rat

Rachi

Lila

Nose

Nakh

Naqui

Munghár

Old

Puro

Shaive

Red

Lal

Lalo

Hamr

Salt

Lon

Mela

Sing

Gjuwawa

Gilyabar

Iganni

Sun

Cam

Can

Schems

Thief

Tschor

Choro

Harám

Thou

Tucue

Antsin

Tongue

Tschib

Chipe

Lsán

Tooth

Dant

Dani

Sinn

Tree

Karscht

Caste

Schizara

Water

Pani

Wind

Barbar

Barban

Ruhk

We shall offer no further observations respecting the affinity of the Spanish Gitáno to the other dialects, as we conceive we have already afforded sufficient proof of its original identity with them, and consequently shaken to the ground the absurd opinion that the Gitános of Spain are the descendants of the Arabs and Moriscos. We shall now conclude with a few remarks on the present state of the Gitáno language in Spain, where, perhaps, within the course of a few years, it will have perished, without leaving a vestige of its having once existed; and where, perhaps, the singular people who speak it are likewise doomed to disappear, becoming sooner or later engulfed and absorbed in the great body of the nation, amongst whom they have so long existed a separate and peculiar class.

Though the words or a part of the words of the original tongue still remain, preserved by memory amongst the Gitános, its grammatical peculiarities have disappeared, the entire language having been modified and subjected to the rules of Spanish grammar, with which it now coincides in syntax, in the conjugation of verbs, and in the declension of its nouns. Were it possible or necessary to collect all the relics of this speech, they would probably amount to four or five thousand words; but to effect such an achievement, it would be necessary to hold close and long intercourse with almost every Gitáno in Spain, and to extract, by various means, the peculiar information which he might be capable of affording; for it is necessary to state here, that though such an amount of words may still exist amongst the Gitános in general, no single individual of their sect is in possession of one-third part thereof, nor indeed, we may add, those of any single city or province of Spain; nevertheless all are in possession, more or less, of the language, so that, though of different provinces, they are enabled to understand each other tolerably well, when discoursing in this their characteristic speech. Those who travel most are of course best versed in it, as, independent of the words of their own village or town, they acquire others by intermingling with their race in various places. Perhaps there is no part of Spain where it is spoken better than in Madrid, which is easily accounted for by the fact, that Madrid, as the capital, has always been the point of union of the Gitános, from all those provinces of Spain where they are to be found. It is least of all preserved in Seville, notwithstanding that its Gitáno population is very considerable, consisting, however, almost entirely of natives of the place. As may well be supposed, it is in all places best preserved amongst the old people, their children being comparatively ignorant of it, as perhaps they themselves are in comparison with their own parents. We are persuaded that the Gitáno language of Spain is nearly at its last stage of existence, which persuasion has been our main instigator to the present attempt to collect its scanty remains, and by the assistance of the press, rescue it in some degree from destruction. It will not be amiss to state here, that it is only by listening attentively to the speech of the Gitános, whilst discoursing amongst themselves, that an acquaintance with their dialect can be formed, and by seizing upon all unknown words as they fall in succession from their lips. Nothing can be more useless and hopeless than the attempt to obtain possession of their vocabulary by inquiring of them how particular objects and ideas are styled; for with the exception of the names of the most common things, they are totally incapable, as a Spanish writer has observed, of yielding the required information, owing to their great ignorance, the shortness of their memories, or rather the state of bewilderment to which their minds are brought by any question which tends to bring their reasoning faculties into action, though not unfrequently the very words which have been in vain required of them will, a minute subsequently, proceed inadvertently from their mouths.

We now take leave of their language. When wishing to praise the proficiency of any individual in their tongue, they are in the habit of saying, ‘He understands the seven jargons.’ In the Gospel which we have printed in this language, and in the dictionary which we have compiled, we have endeavoured, to the utmost of our ability, to deserve that compliment; and at all times it will afford us sincere and heartfelt pleasure to be informed that any Gitáno, capable of appreciating the said little works, has observed, whilst reading them or hearing them read: It is clear that the writer of these books understood

The Seven Jargons.

‘So I went with them to a music booth, where they made me almost drunk with gin, and began to talk theirFlash Language, which I did not understand.’—Narrative of the Exploits of Henry Simms, executed at Tyburn, 1746.‘Hablaronse los dos en Germania, de lo qual resultó darme un abraço, y ofrecerseme.’—Quevedo. Vida dal gran Tacaño.

‘Hablaronse los dos en Germania, de lo qual resultó darme un abraço, y ofrecerseme.’—Quevedo. Vida dal gran Tacaño.

Havingin the preceding article endeavoured to afford all necessary information concerning the Rommany, or language used by the Gypsies amongst themselves, we now propose to turn our attention to a subject of no less interest, but which has hitherto never been treated in a manner calculated to lead to any satisfactory result or conclusion; on the contrary, though philosophic minds have been engaged in its consideration, and learned pens have not disdained to occupy themselves with its details, it still remains a singular proof of the errors into which the most acute and laborious writers are apt to fall, when they take upon themselves the task of writing on matters which cannot be studied in the closet, and on which no information can be received by mixing in the society of the wise, the lettered, and the respectable, but which must be investigated in the fields, and on the borders of the highways, in prisons, and amongst the dregs of society. Had the latter system been pursued in the matter now before us, much clearer, more rational, and more just ideas would long since have been entertained respecting the Germania, or language of thieves.

In most countries of Europe there exists, amongst those who obtain their existence by the breach of the law, and by preying upon the fruits of the labours of the quiet and orderly portion of society, a particular jargon or dialect, in which the former discuss their schemes and plans of plunder, without being in general understood by those to whom they are obnoxious. The name of this jargon varies with the country in which it is spoken. In Spain it is called ‘Germania’; in France, ‘Argot’; in Germany, ‘Rothwelsch,’ or Red Italian; in Italy, ‘Gergo’; whilst in England it is known by many names; for example, ‘cant, slang, thieves’ Latin,’ etc. The most remarkable circumstance connected with the history of this jargon is, that in all the countries in which it is spoken, it has invariably, by the authors who have treated of it, and who are numerous, been confounded with the Gypsy language, and asserted to be the speech of those wanderers who have so long infested Europe under the name of Gitános, etc. How far this belief is founded in justice we shall now endeavour to show, with the premise that whatever we advance is derived, not from the assertions or opinions of others, but from our own observation; the point in question being one which no person is capable of solving, save him who has mixed with Gitános and thieves,—not with the former merely or the latter, but with both.

We have already stated what is the Rommany or language of the Gypsies. We have proved that when properly spoken it is to all intents and purposes entitled to the appellation of a language, and that wherever it exists it is virtually the same; that its origin is illustrious, it being a daughter of the Sanscrit, and in consequence in close connection with some of the most celebrated languages of the East, although it at present is only used by the most unfortunate and degraded of beings, wanderers without home and almost without country, as wherever they are found they are considered in the light of foreigners and interlopers. We shall now state what the language of thieves is, as it is generally spoken in Europe; after which we shall proceed to analyse it according to the various countries in which it is used.

The dialect used for their own peculiar purposes amongst thieves is by no means entitled to the appellation of a language, but in every sense to that of a jargon or gibberish, it being for the most part composed of words of the native language of those who use it, according to the particular country, though invariably in a meaning differing more or less from the usual and received one, and for the most part in a metaphorical sense. Metaphor and allegory, indeed, seem to form the nucleus of this speech, notwithstanding that other elements are to be distinguished; for it is certain that in every country where it is spoken, it contains many words differing from the language of that country, and which may either be traced to foreign tongues, or are of an origin at which, in many instances, it is impossible to arrive. That which is most calculated to strike the philosophic mind when considering this dialect, is doubtless the fact of its being formed everywhere upon the same principle—that of metaphor, in which point all the branches agree, though in others they differ as much from each other as the languages on which they are founded; for example, as the English and German from the Spanish and Italian. This circumstance naturally leads to the conclusion that the robber language has not arisen fortuitously in the various countries where it is at present spoken, but that its origin is one and the same, it being probably invented by the outlaws of one particular country; by individuals of which it was, in course of time, carried to others, where its principles, if not its words, were adopted; for upon no other supposition can we account for its general metaphorical character in regions various and distant. It is, of course, impossible to state with certainty the country in which this jargon first arose, yet there is cogent reason for supposing that it may have been Italy. The Germans call it Rothwelsch, which signifies ‘Red Italian,’ a name which appears to point out Italy as its birthplace; and which, though by no means of sufficient importance to determine the question, is strongly corroborative of the supposition, when coupled with the following fact. We have already intimated, that wherever it is spoken, this speech, though composed for the most part of words of the language of the particular country, applied in a metaphorical sense, exhibits a considerable sprinkling of foreign words; now of these words no slight number are Italian or bastard Latin, whether in Germany, whether in Spain, or in other countries more or less remote from Italy. When we consider the ignorance of thieves in general, their total want of education, the slight knowledge which they possess even of their mother tongue, it is hardly reasonable to suppose that in any country they were ever capable of having recourse to foreign languages, for the purpose of enriching any peculiar vocabulary or phraseology which they might deem convenient to use among themselves; nevertheless, by associating with foreign thieves, who had either left their native country for their crimes, or from a hope of reaping a rich harvest of plunder in other lands, it would be easy for them to adopt a considerable number of words belonging to the languages of their foreign associates, from whom perhaps they derived an increase of knowledge in thievish arts of every description. At the commencement of the fifteenth century no nation in Europe was at all calculated to vie with the Italian in arts of any kind, whether those whose tendency was the benefit or improvement of society, or those the practice of which serves to injure and undermine it. The artists and artisans of Italy were to be found in all the countries of Europe, from Madrid to Moscow, and so were its charlatans, its jugglers, and multitudes of its children, who lived by fraud and cunning. Therefore, when a comprehensive view of the subject is taken, there appears to be little improbability in supposing, that not only were the Italians the originators of the metaphorical robber jargon, which has been termed ‘Red Italian,’ but that they were mainly instrumental in causing it to be adopted by the thievish race in various countries of Europe.

It is here, however, necessary to state, that in the robber jargon of Europe, elements of another language are to be discovered, and perhaps in greater number than the Italian words. The language which we allude to is the Rommany; this language has been, in general, confounded with the vocabulary used among thieves, which, however, is a gross error, so gross, indeed, that it is almost impossible to conceive the manner in which it originated: the speech of the Gypsies being a genuine language of Oriental origin, and the former little more than a phraseology of convenience, founded upon particular European tongues. It will be sufficient here to remark, that the Gypsies do not understand the jargon of the thieves, whilst the latter, with perhaps a few exceptions, are ignorant of the language of the former. Certain words, however, of the Rommany have found admission into the said jargon, which may be accounted for by the supposition that the Gypsies, being themselves by birth, education, and profession, thieves of the first water, have, on various occasions, formed alliances with the outlaws of the various countries in which they are at present to be found, which association may have produced the result above alluded to; but it will be as well here to state, that in no country of Europe have the Gypsies forsaken or forgotten their native tongue, and in its stead adopted the ‘Germania,’ ‘Red Italian,’ or robber jargon, although in some they preserve their native language in a state of less purity than in others. We are induced to make this statement from an assertion of the celebrated Lorenzo Hervas, who, in the third volume of hisCatalogo de las Lenguas, trat. 3, cap. vi., p. 311, expresses himself to the following effect:—‘The proper language of the Gitános neither is nor can be found amongst those who scattered themselves through the western kingdoms of Europe, but only amongst those who remained in the eastern, where they are still to be found. The former were notably divided and disunited, receiving into their body a great number of European outlaws, on which account the language in question was easily adulterated and soon perished. In Spain, and also in Italy, the Gitános have totally forgotten and lost their native language; yet still wishing to converse with each other in a language unknown to the Spaniards and Italians, they have invented some words, and have transformed many others by changing the signification which properly belongs to them in Spanish and Italian.’ In proof of which assertion he then exhibits a small number of words of the ‘Red Italian,’ or allegorical tongue of the thieves of Italy.

It is much to be lamented that a man like Hervas, so learned, of such knowledge, and upon the whole well-earned celebrity, should have helped to propagate three such flagrant errors as are contained in the passages above quoted: 1st. That the Gypsy language, within a very short period after the arrival of those who spoke it in the western kingdoms of Europe, became corrupted, and perished by the admission of outlaws into the Gypsy fraternity. 2ndly. That the Gypsies, in order to supply the loss of their native tongue, invented some words, and modified others, from the Spanish and Italian. 3rdly. That the Gypsies of the present day in Spain and Italy speak the allegorical robber dialect. Concerning the first assertion, namely, that the Gypsies of the west lost their language shortly after their arrival, by mixing with the outlaws of those parts, we believe that its erroneousness will be sufficiently established by the publication of the present volume, which contains a dictionary of the Spanish Gitáno, which we have proved to be the same language in most points as that spoken by the eastern tribes. There can be no doubt that the Gypsies have at various times formed alliances with the robbers of particular countries, but that they ever received them in considerable numbers into their fraternity, as Hervas has stated, so as to become confounded with them, the evidence of our eyesight precludes the possibility of believing. If such were the fact, why do the Italian and Spanish Gypsies of the present day still present themselves as a distinct race, differing from the other inhabitants of the west of Europe in feature, colour, and constitution? Why are they, in whatever situation and under whatever circumstances, to be distinguished, like Jews, from the other children of the Creator? But it is scarcely necessary to ask such a question, or indeed to state that the Gypsies of Spain and Italy have kept themselves as much apart as, or at least have as little mingled their blood with the Spaniards and Italians as their brethren in Hungaria and Transylvania with the inhabitants of those countries, on which account they still strikingly resemble them in manners, customs, and appearance. The most extraordinary assertion of Hervas is perhaps his second, namely, that the Gypsies have invented particular words to supply the place of others which they had lost. The absurdity of this supposition nearly induces us to believe that Hervas, who has written so much and so laboriously on language, was totally ignorant of the philosophy of his subject. There can be no doubt, as we have before admitted, that in the robber jargon, whether spoken in Spain, Italy, or England, there are many words at whose etymology it is very difficult to arrive; yet such a fact is no excuse for the adoption of the opinion that these words are of pure invention. A knowledge of the Rommany proves satisfactorily that many have been borrowed from that language, whilst many others may be traced to foreign tongues, especially the Latin and Italian. Perhaps one of the strongest grounds for concluding that the origin of language was divine is the fact that no instance can be adduced of the invention, we will not say of a language, but even of a single word that is in use in society of any kind. Although new dialects are continually being formed, it is only by a system of modification, by which roots almost coeval with time itself are continually being reproduced under a fresh appearance, and under new circumstances. The third assertion of Hervas, as to the Gitános speaking the allegorical language of which he exhibits specimens, is entitled to about equal credence as the two former. The truth is, that the entire store of erudition of the learned Jesuit, and he doubtless was learned to a remarkable degree, was derived from books, either printed or manuscript. He compared the Gypsy words in the publication of Grellmann with various vocabularies, which had long been in existence, of the robber jargons of Spain and Italy, which jargons by a strange fatuity had ever been considered as belonging to the Gypsies. Finding that the Gypsy words of Grellmann did not at all correspond with the thieves’ slang, he concluded that the Gypsies of Spain and Italy had forgotten their own language, and to supply its place had invented the jargons aforesaid, but he never gave himself the trouble to try whether the Gypsies really understood the contents of his slang vocabularies; had he done so, he would have found that the slang was about as unintelligible to the Gypsies as he would have found the specimens of Grellmann unintelligible to the thieves had he quoted those specimens to them. The Gypsies of Spain, it will be sufficient to observe, speak the language of which a vocabulary is given in the present work, and those of Italy who are generally to be found existing in a half-savage state in the various ruined castles, relics of the feudal times, with which Italy abounds, a dialect very similar, and about as much corrupted. There are, however, to be continually found in Italy roving bands of Rommany, not natives of the country, who make excursions from Moldavia and Hungaria to France and Italy, for the purpose of plunder; and who, if they escape the hand of justice, return at the expiration of two or three years to their native regions, with the booty they have amassed by the practice of those thievish arts, perhaps at one period peculiar to their race, but at present, for the most part, known and practised by thieves in general. These bands, however, speak the pure Gypsy language, with all its grammatical peculiarities. It is evident, however, that amongst neither of these classes had Hervas pushed his researches, which had he done, it is probable that his investigations would have resulted in a work of a far different character from the confused, unsatisfactory, and incorrect details of which is formed his essay on the language of the Gypsies.

Having said thus much concerning the robber language in general, we shall now proceed to offer some specimens of it, in order that our readers may be better able to understand its principles. We shall commence with the Italian dialect, which there is reason for supposing to be the prototype of the rest. To show what it is, we avail ourselves of some of the words adduced by Hervas, as specimens of the language of the Gitános of Italy. ‘I place them,’ he observes, ‘with the signification which the greater number properly have in Italian.’

Robber jargon of Italy.

Proper signification of the words.

Arm

Ale / Barbacane

Wings / Barbican

Belly

Fagiana

Pheasant

Devil

Rabuino

PerhapsRabbin, which, in Hebrew, is Master

Earth

Calcosa

Street, road

Eye

Balco

Balcony

Father

Grimo

Old, wrinkled

Fire

Presto

Quick

God

Anticrotto

Probably Antichrist

Hair

Prusa[346a]

Head

Elmo / Borella[346b]/ Chiurla[346c]

Helmet

Heart

Salsa

Sauce

Man

Osmo

From the Italianuomo, which is man

Moon

Mocoloso di Sant’ Alto

Wick of the firmament

Night

Brunamaterna

Mother-brown

Nose

Gambaro

Crab

Sun

Ruffo di Sant’ Alto

Red one of the firmament

Tongue

Serpentina / Danosa

Serpent-like / Hurtful

Water

Lenza / Vetta[346d]

Fishing-net / Top, bud

The Germania of Spain may be said to divide itself into two dialects, the ancient and modern. Of the former there exists a vocabulary, published first by Juan Hidalgo, in the year 1609, at Barcelona, and reprinted in Madrid, 1773. Before noticing this work, it will perhaps be advisable to endeavour to ascertain the true etymology of the word Germania, which signifies the slang vocabulary, or robber language of Spain. We have no intention to embarrass our readers by offering various conjectures respecting its origin; its sound, coupled with its signification, affording sufficient evidence that it is but a corruption of Rommany, which properly denotes the speech of the Roma or Gitános. The thieves who from time to time associated with this wandering people, and acquired more or less of their language, doubtless adopted this term amongst others, and, after modifying it, applied it to the peculiar phraseology which, in the course of time, became prevalent amongst them. The dictionary of Hidalgo is appended to six ballads, or romances, by the same author, written in the Germanian dialect, in which he describes the robber life at Seville at the period in which he lived. All of these romances possess their peculiar merit, and will doubtless always be considered valuable, and be read as faithful pictures of scenes and habits which now no longer exist. In the prologue, the author states that his principal motive for publishing a work written in so strange a language was his observing the damage which resulted from an ignorance of the Germania, especially to the judges and ministers of justice, whose charge it is to cleanse the public from the pernicious gentry who use it. By far the greatest part of the vocabulary consists of Spanish words used allegorically, which are, however, intermingled with many others, most of which may be traced to the Latin and Italian, others to the Sanscrit or Gitáno, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and German languages.[348]The circumstances of words belonging to some of the languages last enumerated being found in the Gitáno, which at first may strike the reader as singular, and almost incredible, will afford but slight surprise, when he takes into consideration the peculiar circumstances of Spain during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Spain was at that period the most powerful monarchy in Europe; her foot reposed upon the Low Countries, whilst her gigantic arms embraced a considerable portion of Italy. Maintaining always a standing army in Flanders and in Italy, it followed as a natural consequence, that her Miquelets and soldiers became tolerably conversant with the languages of those countries; and, in course of time, returning to their native land, not a few, especially of the former class, a brave and intrepid, but always a lawless and dissolute species of soldiery, either fell in or returned to evil society, and introduced words which they had learnt abroad into the robber phraseology; whilst returned galley-slaves from Algiers, Tunis, and Tetuan, added to its motley variety of words from the relics of the broken Arabic and Turkish, which they had acquired during their captivity. The greater part of the Germania, however, remained strictly metaphorical, and we are aware of no better means of conveying an idea of the principle on which it is formed, than by quoting from the first romance of Hidalgo, where particular mention is made of this jargon:—

‘A la cama llama BlandaDonde Sornan en pobladoA la Fresada Vellosa,Que mucho vello ha criado.Dice á la sabana AlbaPorque es alba en sumo grado,A la camisa Carona,Al jubon llama apretado:Dice al Sayo TapadorPorque le lleva tapado.Llama á los zapatos Duros,Que las piedras van pisando.A la capa llama nuve,Dice al Sombrero Texado.Respeto llama á la Espada,Que por ella es respetado,’ etc. etc.Hidalgo, p. 22–3.

Hidalgo, p. 22–3.

After these few remarks on the ancient Germania of Spain, we now proceed to the modern, which differs considerably from the former. The principal cause of this difference is to be attributed to the adoption by the Spanish outlaws, in latter years, of a considerable number of words belonging to, or modified from, the Rommany, or language of the Gitános. The Gitános of Spain, during the last half-century, having, in a great degree, abandoned the wandering habit of life which once constituted one of their most remarkable peculiarities, and residing, at present, more in the cities than in the fields, have come into closer contact with the great body of the Spanish nation than was in former days their practice. From their living thus in towns, their language has not only undergone much corruption, but has become, to a slight degree, known to the dregs of society, amongst whom they reside. The thieves’ dialect of the present day exhibits, therefore, less of the allegorical language preserved in the pages of Hidalgo than of the Gypsy tongue. It must be remarked, however, that it is very scanty, and that the whole robber phraseology at present used in Spain barely amounts to two hundred words, which are utterly insufficient to express the very limited ideas of the outcasts who avail themselves of it.

Concerning the Germania of France, or ‘Argot,’ as it is called, it is unnecessary to make many observations, as what has been said of the language of Hidalgo and the Red Italian is almost in every respect applicable to it. As early as the middle of the sixteenth century a vocabulary of this jargon was published under the title ofLangue des Escrocs, at Paris. Those who wish to study it as it at present exists can do no better than consultLes Mémoires de Vidocq, where a multitude of words in Argot are to be found, and also several songs, the subjects of which are thievish adventures.

The first vocabulary of the ‘Cant Language,’ or English Germania, appeared in the year 1680, appended to the life ofThe English Rogue, a work which, in many respects, resembles theHistory of Guzman d’Alfaráche, though it is written with considerably more genius than the Spanish novel, every chapter abounding with remarkable adventures of the robber whose life it pretends to narrate, and which are described with a kind of ferocious energy, which, if it do not charm the attention of the reader, at least enslaves it, holding it captive with a chain of iron. Amongst his other adventures, the hero falls in with a Gypsy encampment, is enrolled amongst the fraternity, and is allotted a ‘mort,’ or concubine; a barbarous festival ensues, at the conclusion of which an epithalamium is sung in the Gypsy language, as it is called in the work in question. Neither the epithalamium, however, nor the vocabulary, are written in the language of the English Gypsies, but in the ‘Cant,’ or allegorical robber dialect, which is sufficient proof that the writer, however well acquainted with thieves in general, their customs and manners of life, was in respect to the Gypsies profoundly ignorant. His vocabulary, however, has been always accepted as the speech of the English Gypsies, whereas it is at most entitled to be considered as the peculiar speech of the thieves and vagabonds of his time. The cant of the present day, which, though it differs in some respects from the vocabulary already mentioned, is radically the same, is used not only by the thieves in town and country, but by the jockeys of the racecourse and the pugilists of the ‘ring.’ As a specimen of the cant of England, we shall take the liberty of quoting the epithalamium to which we have above alluded:—

‘Bing out, bien morts, and tour and tourBing out, bien morts and tour;For all your duds are bing’d awast,The bien cove hath the loure.[351]‘I met a dell, I viewed her well,She was benship to my watch:So she and I did stall and cloyWhatever we could catch.‘This doxy dell can cut ben whids,And wap well for a win,And prig and cloy so benshiply,All daisy-ville within.‘The hoyle was up, we had good luck,In frost for and in snow;Men they did seek, then we did creepAnd plant the roughman’s low.’

‘Bing out, bien morts, and tour and tourBing out, bien morts and tour;For all your duds are bing’d awast,The bien cove hath the loure.[351]

‘I met a dell, I viewed her well,She was benship to my watch:So she and I did stall and cloyWhatever we could catch.

‘This doxy dell can cut ben whids,And wap well for a win,And prig and cloy so benshiply,All daisy-ville within.

‘The hoyle was up, we had good luck,In frost for and in snow;Men they did seek, then we did creepAnd plant the roughman’s low.’

It is scarcely necessary to say anything more upon the Germania in general or in particular; we believe that we have achieved the task which we marked out for ourselves, and have conveyed to our readers a clear and distinct idea of what it is. We have shown that it has been erroneously confounded with the Rommany, or Gitáno language, with which it has nevertheless some points of similarity. The two languages are, at the present day, used for the same purpose, namely, to enable habitual breakers of the law to carry on their consultations with more secrecy and privacy than by the ordinary means. Yet it must not be forgotten that the thieves’ jargon was invented for that purpose, whilst the Rommany, originally the proper and only speech of a particular nation, has been preserved from falling into entire disuse and oblivion, because adapted to answer the same end. It was impossible to treat of the Rommany in a manner calculated to exhaust the subject, and to leave no ground for future cavilling, without devoting a considerable space to the consideration of the robber dialect, on which account we hope we shall be excused many of the dry details which we have introduced into the present essay. There is a link of connection between the history of the Roma, or wanderers from Hindustan, who first made their appearance in Europe at the commencement of the fifteenth century, and that of modern roguery. Many of the arts which the Gypsies proudly call their own, and which were perhaps at one period peculiar to them, have become divulged, and are now practised by the thievish gentry who infest the various European states, a result which, we may assert with confidence, was brought about by the alliance of the Gypsies being eagerly sought on their first arrival by the thieves, who, at one period, were less skilful than the former in the ways of deceit and plunder; which kind of association continued and held good until the thieves had acquired all they wished to learn, when they left the Gypsies in the fields and plains, so dear to them from their vagabond and nomad habits, and returned to the towns and cities. Yet from this temporary association were produced two results; European fraud became sharpened by coming into contact with Asiatic craft, whilst European tongues, by imperceptible degrees, became recruited with various words (some of them wonderfully expressive), many of which have long been stumbling-stocks to the philologist, who, whilst stigmatising them as words of mere vulgar invention, or of unknown origin, has been far from dreaming that by a little more research he might have traced them to the Sclavonic, Persian, or Romaic, or perhaps to the mysterious object of his veneration, the Sanscrit,the sacred tongue of the palm-covered regions of Ind; words originally introduced into Europe by objects too miserable to occupy for a moment his lettered attention—the despised denizens of the tents of Roma.

Those who have done me the honour to peruse this strange wandering book of mine, must frequently have noticed the word ‘Busno,’ a term bestowed by the Spanish Gypsy on his good friend the Spaniard. As the present will probably be the last occasion which I shall have to speak of the Gitános or anything relating to them, it will perhaps be advisable to explain the meaning of this word. In the vocabulary appended to former editions I have translated Busno by such words as Gentile, savage, person who is not a Gypsy, and have stated that it is probably connected with a certain Sanscrit noun signifying an impure person. It is, however, derived immediately from a Hungarian term, exceedingly common amongst the lower orders of the Magyars, to their disgrace be it spoken. The Hungarian Gypsies themselves not unfrequently style the Hungarians Busnoes, in ridicule of their unceasing use of the word in question. The first Gypsies who entered Spain doubtless brought with them the term from Hungary, the language of which country they probably understood to a certain extent. That it was not ill applied by them in Spain no one will be disposed to deny when told that it exactly corresponds with the Shibboleth of the Spaniards, ‘Carajo,’ an oath equally common in Spain as its equivalent in Hungary. Busno, therefore, in Spanish meansEl del carajo, or he who has that term continually in his mouth. The Hungarian words in Spanish Gypsy may amount to ten or twelve, a very inconsiderable number; but the Hungarian Gypsy tongue itself, as spoken at the present day, exhibits only a slight sprinkling of Hungarian words, whilst it contains many words borrowed from the Wallachian, some of which have found their way into Spain, and are in common use amongst the Gitános.

‘Tachipenif I jaw ’doi, I can lel a bit of tan to hatch: N’etist I shan’t puch kekomi wafu gorgies.’

The above sentence, dear reader, I heard from the mouth of Mr. Petulengro, the last time that he did me the honour to visit me at my poor house, which was the day after Mol-divvus[359], 1842: he stayed with me during the greater part of the morning, discoursing on the affairs of Egypt, the aspect of which, he assured me, was becoming daily worse and worse. ‘There is no living for the poor people, brother,’ said he, ‘the chokengres (police) pursue us from place to place, and the gorgios are become either so poor or miserly, that they grudge our cattle a bite of grass by the wayside, and ourselves a yard of ground to light a fire upon. Unless times alter, brother, and of that I see no probability, unless you are made either poknees or mecralliskoe geiro (justice of the peace or prime minister), I am afraid the poor persons will have to give up wandering altogether, and then what will become of them?’

‘However, brother,’ he continued, in a more cheerful tone, ‘I am no hindity mush,[360a]as you well know. I suppose you have not forgot how, fifteen years ago, when you made horseshoes in the little dingle by the side of the great north road, I lent you fifty cottors[360b]to purchase the wonderful trotting cob of the innkeeper with the green Newmarket coat, which three days after you sold for two hundred.

‘Well, brother, if you had wanted the two hundred instead of the fifty, I could have lent them to you, and would have done so, for I knew you would not be long pazorrhus to me. I am no hindity mush, brother, no Irishman; I laid out the other day twenty pounds in buying ruponoe peamengries;[360c]and in the Chonggav,[360d]have a house of my own with a yard behind it.

‘And,forsooth,if I go thither,I can choose a place to light afire upon,and shall have no necessity to ask leave of these here Gentiles.’

Well, dear reader, this last is the translation of the Gypsy sentence which heads the chapter, and which is a very characteristic specimen of the general way of speaking of the English Gypsies.

The language, as they generally speak it, is a broken jargon, in which few of the grammatical peculiarities of the Rommany are to be distinguished. In fact, what has been said of the Spanish Gypsy dialect holds good with respect to the English as commonly spoken: yet the English dialect has in reality suffered much less than the Spanish, and still retains its original syntax to a certain extent, its peculiar manner of conjugating verbs, and declining nouns and pronouns.

ENGLISH DIALECT

Moro Dad, savo djives oteh drey o charos, te caumen Gorgio ta Romany Chal tiro nav, te awel tiro tem, te kairen tiro lav aukko prey puv, sar kairdios oteh drey o charos. Dey men to-divvus moro divvuskoe moro, ta for-dey men pazorrhus tukey sar men for-denna len pazorrhus amande; ma muk te petrenna drey caik temptacionos; ley men abri sor doschder. Tiro se o tem, Mi-duvel, tiro o zoozlu vast, tiro sor koskopen drey sor cheros. Avali. Ta-chipen.

SPANISH DIALECT

Batu monro sos socabas oté enré ye char, que camele Gacho ta Romani Cha tiro nao, qu’abillele tiro chim, querese tiro lao acoi opré ye puve sarta se querela oté enré ye char. Diñanos sejonia monro manro de cata chibes, ta estormenanos monrias bisauras sasta mu estormenamos a monrias bisabadores; na nos meques petrar enré cayque pajandia, lillanos abri de saro chungalipen. Persos tiro sinela o chim, Undevel, tiro ye silna bast, tiro saro lachipen enré saro chiros. Unga. Chachipé.

English Translation of the above

Our Father who dwellest there in heaven, may Gentile and Gypsy love thy name, thy kingdom come, may they do thy word here on earth as it is done there in heaven. Give us to-day our daily bread,[361a]and forgive us indebted to thee as we forgive them indebted to us,[361b]suffer not that we fall intonotemptation, take us out from all evil.[361c]Thine[361d]is the kingdom my God, thine the strong hand, thine all goodness in all time. Aye. Truth.

The following short sentences in Hungarian Gypsy, in addition to the prayer to the Virgin given in the Introduction, will perhaps not prove unacceptable to the reader. In no part of the world is the Gypsy tongue at the present day spoken with more purity than in Hungary,[362]where it is used by the Gypsies not only when they wish to be unintelligible to the Hungarians, but in their common conversation amongst themselves.

From these sentences the reader, by the help of the translations which accompany them, may form a tolerable idea not only of what the Gypsy tongue is, but of the manner in which the Hungarian Gypsies think and express themselves. They are specimens of genuine Gypsy talk—sentences which I have myself heard proceed from the mouths of the Czigany; they are not Busno thoughts done into gentle Rommany. Some of them are given here as they were written down by me at the time, others as I have preserved them in my memory up to the present moment. It is not improbable that at some future time I may return to the subject of the Hungarian Gypsies.

Varé tava soskei me puchelas cai soskei avillara catári.

Much I ponder why you ask me (questions), and why you should come hither.

Mango le gulo Devlas vas o erai, hodj o erai te pirel misto, te n’avel pascotia l’eras, ta na avel o erai nasvalo.

I pray the sweet Goddess for the gentleman, that the gentleman may journey well, that misfortune come not to the gentleman, and that the gentleman fall not sick.

Cana cames aves pale.

When you please come back.

Ki’som dhes keral avel o rai catari?[363a]

How many days did the gentleman take to come hither?

Kit somu berschengro hal tu?[363b]

How many years old are you?

Cadé abri mai lachi e mol sar ando foro.

Here out better (is) the wine than in the city.

Sin o mas balichano, ta i gorkhe garasheskri;[363c]sin o manro parno, cai te felo do garashangro.

The meat is of pig, and the gherkins cost a grosh—the bread is white, and the lard costs two groshen.

Yeck quartalli mol ando lende.

One quart of wine amongst us.

Andé mol oté mestchibo.

In wine there (is) happiness.

Khava piava—dui shel, tri shel predinava.

I will eat, I will drink—two hundred, three hundred I will place before.

Damen Devla saschipo ando mure cocala.

Give us Goddess health in our bones.

Te rosarow labio tarraco le Mujeskey miro pralesco, ta vela mi anao tukey le Mujeskey miro pralesky.

I will seek a waistcoat, which I have, for Moses my brother, and I will change names with Moses my brother.[363d]

Llundun baro foro, bishwar mai baro sar Cosvaro.

London (is) a big city, twenty times more big than Colosvar.

Nani yag, mullas.

There is no fire, it is dead.

Nasiliom cai purdiom but; besh te pansch bersch mi homas slugadhis pa Baron Splini regimentos.

I have suffered and toiled much: twenty and five years I was serving in Baron Splini’s regiment.

Saro chiro cado Del; cavo o puro diñas o Del.

Every time (cometh) from God; that old (age) God gave.

Me camov te jav ando Buka-resti—cado Bukaresti lachico tem dur drom jin keri.

I wish to go unto Bukarest—from Bukarest, the good country, (it is) a far way unto (my) house.

Mi hom nasvallo.

I am sick.

Soskei nai jas ke baro ful-cheri?

Why do you not go to the great physician

Wei mangue ke nani man lové nastis jav.

Because I have no money I can’t go

Belgra sho mille pu cado Cosvarri; hin oter miro chabo.

Belgrade (is) six miles of land from Colosvar; there is my son.

Te vas Del l’erangue ke meclan man abri ando a pan-dibo.

May God help the gentlemen that they let me out (from) in the prison.

Opré rukh sarkhi ye chiriclo, ca kerel anre e chiricli.

On the tree (is) the nest of the bird, where makes eggs the female bird.

Ca hin tiro ker?

Where is your house?

Ando calo berkho, oter bin miro ker, av prala mensar; jas mengue keri.

In the black mountain, there is my house; come brother with me; let us go to my house.

Ando bersch dui chiro, ye ven, ta nilei.

In the year (are) two seasons, the winter and summer.

O felhegos del o breschino, te purdel o barbal.

The cloud gives the rain, and puffs (forth) the wind.

Hir mi Devlis camo but cavo erai—lacho manus o, Anglus, tama rakarel Ungarica; avel catari ando urdon le trin gras-tensas—beshel cate abri po buklo tan; le poivasis ando bas irinel ando lel. Bo zedun stadji ta bari barba.

By my God I love much that gentleman—a good man he, an Englishman, but he speaks Hungarian; he came[364a]hither in a waggon with three horses, he sits here out in the wilderness;[364b]with a pencil in his hand he writes in a book. He has a green hat and a big beard.

This section of the book could not be transcribed in 1997 as it contained many non-european languages and Gutenberg didn’t support Unicode then. It will be transcribed at some future point.—DP, August 2019.

Itis with the view of preserving as many as possible of the monuments of the Spanish Gypsy tongue that the author inserts the following pieces; they are for the most part, whether original or translated, the productions of the ‘Aficion’ of Seville, of whom something has been said in the Preface to the Spurious Gypsy Poetry of Andalusia; not the least remarkable, however, of these pieces is a genuine Gypsy composition, the translation of the Apostles’ Creed by the Gypsies of Cordova, made under the circumstances detailed in the second part of the first volume. To all have been affixed translations, more or less literal, to assist those who may wish to form some acquaintance with the Gitáno language.

BatoNonrro sos socabas on o tarpe, manjirificádo quejésa tute acnao; abillános or tute sichén, y querese tute orependola andial on la chen sata on o tarpe; or manrro nonrro de cata chibel diñanoslo sejoñía, y estormenanos nonrrias bisauras andial sata gabéres estormenamos á nonrros bisaraores; y nasti nes muques petrar on la bajanbó, bus listrabanos de chorre.—Anarania.

FatherOur, who dwellest in the heaven, sanctified become thy name; come-to-us the thy kingdom, and be-done thy will so in the earth as in the heaven; the bread our of every day give-us-it to-day, and pardon-us our debts so as we-others pardon (to) our debtors; and not let us fall in the temptation, but deliver-us from wickedness.—Amen.

Panchabo on Ostebe Bato saro-asisiláble, Perbaraor de o tarpe y la chen, y on Gresoné desquero Beyio Chabal nonrrio Eraño, sos guilló sar-trujatapucherído per troecane y sardaña de or Chanispero Manjaro, y pureló de Manjari ostelinda debla; Bricholó ostelé de or asislar de Brono Alieñicato; guilló trejuficao, mule y cabañao; y sundiló á los casinobés,[416]y á or brodeló chibél repureló de enrre los mulés, y encalomó á los otarpes, y soscabela bestíque á la tabastorre de Ostebe Bato saro-asisilable, ende aotér á de abillar á sarplar á los Apucheris y mulés. Panchabo on or Chanispero Manjaró, la Manjari Cangari Pebuldórica y Rebuldórica, la Erunon de los Manjarós, or Estormén de los crejétes, la repureló de la mansenquere y la chibibén verable.—Anarania, Tebléque.

I believe in God, Father all-powerful, creator of the heaven and the earth, and in Christ his only Son our Lord, who went conceived by deed and favour of the Spirit Holy, and born of blessed goddess divine; suffered under (of) the might of Bronos Alienicatos;[417a]went crucified, dead and buried; and descended to the conflagrations, and on the third day revived[417b]from among the dead, and ascended to the heavens, and dwells seated at the right-hand of God, Father all-powerful, from there he-has to come to impeach (to) the living and dead. I believe in the Spirit Holy, the Holy Church Catholic and Apostolic, the communion of the saints, the remission of the sins, the re-birth of the flesh, and the life everlasting.—Amen, Jesus.

O Débla quirindía, Day de sarós los Bordeles on coin panchabo: per los duquipénes sos naquelástes á or pindré de la trejúl de tute Chaborró majarolísimo te manguélo, Débla, me alcorabíses de tute chaborró or estormén de sares las dojis y crejétes sos menda udicáre aquerao on andoba surdéte.—Anarania, Tebléque.

Ostebé te berarbe Ostelinda! perdoripe sirles de sardañá; or Erañó sin sartute; bresban tute sirles enrré sares las rumiles, y bresban sin or frujero de tute po.—Tebléque.

Manjari Ostelinda, day de Ostebé, brichardila per gabéres crejetaóres aocaná y on la ocana de nonrra beribén!—Anarania, Tebléque.

Chimuclani or Bato, or Chabal, or Chanispero manjaró; sata sia on or presimelo, aocana, y gajeres: on los sicles de los sicles.—Anarania.

O most holy Virgin, Mother of all the Christians in whom I believe; for the agony which thou didst endure at the foot of the cross of thy most blessed Son, I entreat thee, Virgin, that thou wilt obtain for me, from thy Son, the remission of all the crimes and sins which I may have committed in this world.—Amen, Jesus.

God save thee, Maria! full art thou of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst all women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.—Jesus.

Holy Maria, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death!—Amen, Jesus.

Glory (to) the Father, the Son, (and) the Holy Ghost; as was in the beginning, now, and for ever: in the ages of the ages.—Amen.

Pachabélo en Un-debel batu tosaro-baro, que ha querdi el char y la chiqué; y en Un-debél chinoró su unico chaboró eraño de amangue, que chaló en el trupo de la Majarí por el Duquende Majoró, y abió del veo de la Majarí; guilló curádo debájo de la sila de Pontio Piláto el chínobaró; guilló mulo y garabado; se chalé á las jacháris; al trin chibé se ha sicobádo de los mulés al char; sinéla bejádo á las baste de Un-debél barreá; y de oté abiará á juzgar á los mulés y á los que no lo sinélan; pachabélo en el Majaró; la Cangrí Majarí bareá; el jalar de los Majaries; lo mecó de los grécos; la resureccion de la maas, y la ochi que no maréla.

I believe in God the Father all-great, who has made the heaven and the earth; and in God the young, his only Son, the Lord of us, who went into the body of the blessed (maid) by (means of) the Holy Ghost, and came out of the womb of the blessed; he was tormented beneath the power of Pontius Pilate, the great Alguazil; was dead and buried; he went (down) to the fires; on the third day he raised himself from the dead unto the heaven; he is seated at the major hand of God; and from thence he shall come to judge the dead and those who are not (dead). I believe in the blessed one; in the church holy and great; the banquet of the saints; the remission of sins; the resurrection of the flesh, and the life which does not die.

Or soscabela juco y teráble garipé no le sin perfiné anelar relichi.

Bus yes manupe cha machagarno le pendan chuchipon los brochabos.

Sacais sos ne dicobélan calochin ne bridaquélan.

Coin terelare trasardos e dinastes nasti le buchare berrandáñas á desquero contiqué.

On sares las cachimanes de Sersen abillen rechés.

Bus mola yes chirriclo on la ba sos grés balogando.

A Ostebé brichardilando y sar or mochique diñelando.

Bus mola quesar jero de gabuño sos manporí de bombardo.

Dicár y panchabár, sata penda Manjaró Lillar.

Or esorjié de or narsichislé sin chismar lachinguél.

Las queles mistos grobelás: per macara chibel la pirí y de rachi la operisa.

Aunsos me dicas vriardao de jorpoy ne sirlo braco.

Chachipé con jujána—Calzones de buchí y medias de lana.

Chuquel sos piréla cocal teréla.

Len sos sonsi bela pani ó reblandani teréla.

He who is lean and has scabs needs not carry a net.[419a]

When a man goes drunk the boys say to him ‘suet.’[419b]

Eyes which see not break no heart.

He who has a roof of glass let him not fling stones at his neighbour.

Into all the taverns of Spain may reeds come.

A bird in the hand is worth more than a hundred flying.

To God (be) praying and with the flail plying.

It is worth more to be the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion.

To see and to believe, as Saint Thomas says.

The extreme[421a]of a dwarf is to spit largely.

Houses well managed:—at mid-day the stew-pan,[421b]and at night salad.

Although thou seest me dressed in wool I am no sheep.

Truth with falsehood-Breeches of silk and stockings of Wool.[421c]

The dog who walks finds a bone.

The river which makes a noise[421d]has either water or stones.

Dica Callí sos linastes terelas, plasarandote misto men calochin desquiñao de trinchas puñís y canrrias, sata anjella terelaba dicando on los chorres naquelos sos me tesumiaste, y andial reutilá á men Jelí, diñela gao á sos menda orobibele; men puñi sin trincha per la quimbíla nevel de yes manu barbaló; sos saro se muca per or jandorro. Lo sos bus prejeno Callí de los Bengorros sin sos nu muqueis per yes manú barbalo. . . . On tute orchíri nu chismo, tramistó on coin te araquera, sos menda terela men nostus pa avel sos me caméla bus sos túte.

Reflect, O Callee![421e]what motives hast thou (now that my heart is doting on thee, having rested awhile from so many cares and griefs which formerly it endured, beholding the evil passages which thou preparedst for me;) to recede thus from my love, giving occasion to me to weep. My agony is great on account of thy recent acquaintance with a rich man; for every thing is abandoned for money’s sake. What I most feel, O Callee, of the devils is, that thou abandonest me for a rich man . . . I spit upon thy beauty, and also upon him who converses with thee, for I keep my money for another who loves me more than thou.

Gajeres sin corbó rifian soscabar yes manu persibaraó, per sos saro se linbidían odoros y besllí, y per esegritón apuchelan on sardañá de saros los Benjes, techescándo grejos y olajais—de sustíri sos lo resaronomó niquilla murmo; y andial lo fendi sos terelamos de querar sin techescarle yes sulibári á or Jelí, y ne panchabar on caute manusardí, persos trutan á yesque lilí.

It is always a strange danger for a man to live in concubinage, because all turns to jealousy and quarrelling, and at last they live in the favour of all the devils, voiding oaths and curses: so that what is cheap turns out dear. So the best we can do, is to cast a bridle on love, and trust to no woman, for they[423a]make a man mad.

On grejelo chiro begoreó yesque berbanilla de chores á la burda de yes mostipelo a oleba rachí—Andial sos la prejenáron los cambraís presimeláron a cobadrar; sar andoba linaste changanó or lanbró, se sustiñó de la charipé de lapa, utiló la pusca, y niquilló platanando per or platesqueró de or mostipelo á la burda sos socabelába pandí, y per or jobi de la clichí chibeló or jundró de la pusca, le diñó pesquibo á or languté, y le sumuqueló yes bruchasnó on la tesquéra á or Jojerián de los ostilaóres y lo techescó de or gráte á ostelé. Andial sos los debus quimbilos dicobeláron á desquero Jojerian on chen sar las canrriáles de la Beriben, lo chibeláron espusifias á los grastes, y niquilláron chapescando, trutando la romuy apála, per bausalé de las machas ó almedálles de liripió.

On a certain time arrived a band of thieves at the gate of a farm-house at midnight. So soon as the dogs heard them they began to bark, which causing[423b]the labourer to awake, he raised himself from his bed with a start, took his musket, and went running to the court-yard of the farm-house to the gate, which was shut, placed the barrel of his musket to the keyhole, gave his finger its desire,[423c]and sent a bullet into the forehead of the captain of the robbers, casting him down from his horse. Soon as the other fellows saw their captain on the ground in the agonies of death, they clapped spurs to their horses, and galloped off fleeing, turning their faces back on account of the flies[423d]or almonds of lead.

Y soscabando dicando dicó los Barbalós sos techescában desqueros mansis on or Gazofilacio; y dicó tramisto yesque pispiricha chorrorita, sos techescába duis chinorris sarabállis, y peneló: en chachipé os peneló, sos caba chorrorri pispiricha á techescao bus sos sares los avéles: persos saros ondobas han techescao per los mansis de Ostebé, de lo sos les costuña; bus caba e desquero chorrorri á techescao saro or susalo sos terelaba. Y pendó á cormuñís, sos pendában del cangaripé, soscabelaba uriardao de orchíris berrandáñas, y de dénes: Cabas buchis sos dicais, abillarán chibeles, bus ne muquelará berrandáña costuñé berrandáña, sos ne quesesa demarabeá. Y le prucháron y pendáron: Docurdó, bus quesa ondoba? Y sos simachi abicará bus ondoba presimáre? Ondole pencló: Dicad, sos nasti queseis jonjabaos; persos butes abillarán on men acnao, pendando: man sirlo, y or chiro soscabéla pajes: Garabaos de guillelar apalà, de ondoláyos: y bus junureis bargañas y sustiñés, ne os espajuéis; persos sin perfiné sos ondoba chundée brotobó, bus nasti quesa escotriá or egresitón. Oclinde les pendaba: se sustinará suéste sartra suéste, y sichén sartra sichén, y abicará bareles dajirós de chénes per los gaos, y retréques y bocátas, y abicará buchengerés espajuis, y bareles simachis de otárpe: bus anjella de saro ondoba os sinastrarán y preguillarán, enregandoós á la Socretería, y los ostardós, y os legerarán á los Ocláyes, y á los Baquedunis, per men acnao: y ondoba os chundeará on chachipé. Terelad pus seraji on bros garlochínes de ne orobrár anjella sata abicáis de brudilar, persos man os diñaré rotuñí y chanár, la sos ne asislarán resistír ne sartra pendar satos bros enormes. Y quesaréis enregaos de bros bátos, y oprános, y sastris, y monrrores, y querarán merar á cormuñí de avéres; y os cangelarán saros per men acnao; bus ne carjibará ies bal de bros jerós. Sar bras opachirimá avelaréis bras orchis: pus bus dicaréis á Jerusalén relli, oclinde chanad sos, desqueró petra soscabela pajés; oclinde los soscabelan on la Chutéa, chapésguen á los tober-jélis; y los que on macara de ondolaya, niquillense; y lo sos on los oltariqués, nasti enrren on ondoláya; persos ondoba sen chibéles de Abilláza, pa sos chundéen sares las buchís soscabélan libanás; bus isna de las ararís, y de las sos diñan de oropielar on asirios chibéles; persos abicará bare quichartúra costuñe la chen, e guillará pa andoba Gao; y petrarán á surabi de janrró; y quesan legeraos sinastros á sarés las chénes, y Jerusalén quesá omaná de los suestíles, sasta sos quejesen los chirós de las sichenes; y abicara simachés on or orcán, y on la chimutiá, y on las uchurgañis; y on la chen chalabeó on la suéte per or dán sos bausalará la loria y des-querós gulas; muquelándo los romáres bifaos per dajiraló de las buchís sos costuñe abillarán á saro or surdéte; persos los soláres de los otarpes quesan sar-chalabeaos; y oclinde dicarán á or Chaboró e Manú abillar costuñe yesque minrriclá sar baro asislar y Chimusolano: bus presimelaren á chundear caba buchis, dicád, y sustiñád bros jerós, persos pajes soscabela bras redención.

And whilst looking he saw the rich who cast their treasures into the treasury; and he saw also a poor widow, who cast two small coins, and he said: In truth I tell you, that this poor widow has cast more than all the others; because all those have cast, as offerings to God, from that which to them abounded; but she from her poverty has cast all the substance which she had. And he said to some, who said of the temple, that it was adorned with fair stones, and with gifts: These things which ye see, days shall come, when stone shall not remain upon stone, which shall not be demolished. And they asked him and said: Master, when shall this be? and what sign shall there be when this begins? He said: See, that ye be not deceived, because many shall come in my name, saying: I am (he), and the time is near: beware ye of going after them: and when ye shall hear (of) wars and revolts do not fear, because it is needful that this happen first, for the end shall not be immediately. Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and country against country, and there shall be great tremblings of earth among the towns, and pestilences and famines; and there shall be frightful things, and great signs in the heaven: but before all this they shall make ye captive, and shall persecute, delivering ye over to the synagogue, and prisons; and they shall carry ye to the kings, and the governors, on account of my name: and this shall happen to you for truth. Keep then firm in your hearts, not to think before how ye have to answer, for I will give you mouth and wisdom, which all your enemies shall not be able to resist, or contradict. And ye shall be delivered over by your fathers, and brothers, and relations, and friends, and they shall put to death some of you; and all shall hate you for my name; but not one hair of your heads shall perish. With your patience ye shall possess your souls: but when ye shall see Jerusalem surrounded, then know that its fall is near; then those who are in Judea, let them escape to the mountains; and those who are in the midst of her, let them go out; and those who are in the fields, let them not enter into her; because those are days of vengeance, that all the things which are written may happen; but alas to the pregnant and those who give suck in those days, for there shall be great distress upon the earth, and it shall move onward against this people; and they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and they shall be carried captive to all the countries, and Jerusalem shall be trodden by the nations, until are accomplished the times of the nations; and there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and in the earth trouble of nations from the fear which the sea and its billows shall cause; leaving men frozen with terror of the things which shall come upon all the world; because the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then they shall see the Son of Man coming upon a cloud with great power and glory: when these things begin to happen, look ye, and raise your heads, for your redemption is near.

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