ÀÄÛÃÝ
ÕÚÓÝÕÚÓÕÝÐ
Circassian Toasts &
Toast-Making
Amjad Jaimoukha
Çûòõàð: Æýìûõúóý Àìäæýäù
Äý äè ïàñýðåé õúóýõúóõýð äàõýù, áåéù, ãúóýçýäæýù,
åçû õúóýõúóõýì ìûõüýíýøõóý ÿõýëúàù. Ïàñýðåé àäûãýëIõýìðý àäûãý öIûõóáçõýìðý
õúóýõúó çûìûùIý êúàõýêIûó çýðûùûìûòà äýíý êúýíà, àáûõýì ÿ íýõúûáàïIýõýì åçûõýì
õúóàõúóý ãóðûõóýó óýð-ñýðó ÿóñûôó ùûòàõýò. [Circassian toasts are beautiful, rich,
fascinating and replete with meaning]
ËIýóæüûãúóý êóýä ìýõúó àäûãý õúóýõúóõýð. Ïñîì
õóýìûäýó êóýä äûäý õóýóíýòIàù ãóàùIýäýêIûìðý õüýãúóýëIûãúóý, ãóôIýãúóý,
ÒõüýëúýIó Iýíýõýìðý. Äè ïàñýðåé õúóýõúóõýì ïû÷ûãúóý çûïëIûòõó ùàïõúýì ùõüýêIý
êúýòõüûíóù.
Ñûò õóýäý Ióýõó ÿóáëýìè, ìû êúýêIóýíó õúóýõúóð
æàIýòè êúûùIàäçýò:
The following is a generic toast said to inaugurate
any kind of work or endeavour:
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Ióýõó
Ïýóáëý Õúóýõúó Äè Òõüý, Òõüýøõóý! ÏñûíùIý òåIóý, ÔIû òåIóàòý! Iý èæüûì åãúýóáëý, Iý ñýìýãóì åãúýóõ! |
Work
Inaugurating Toast Our God, Supreme Lord! Will it to be finished
quickly, Will it to be done well! Let it start with the right
hand, Let it end with the left! |
Íûñàøý õúóýõúóõýì äàõýó, êIûõüýó, óáãúóàóý çàóêúóýäèé.
Ìû ÿïý åäçûãúóý «Äè Íûñý ôî» àäûãýõýì æàIýó ùûòàõýò íûñàøý
êúûùûðàãúýêIóàì äåæò. Àð õóýôàùýó íûñàùIý äàõýì õóàãúýçàò. À ìû õúóýõúó
êIûõüëIûõüûì çû ïû÷ûãúóý õýçûõàóý ñIóýòýíóù:
The elaborate and very popular toast ‘Diy Nise Fo’
(‘Our Sweet Daughter-in-law’) was pronounced during the Nisashe
ceremony. Part of the toast is reproduced here:
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Íûñàøý
Õúóýõúóõýð: Äè
íûñý ôî! Íûñý öIûêIó êúàòøýð: Ôàäýì õóýäýó Ióùàùýó, Ìýëûì õóýäýó Ióùàáýó, Äæýäûì õóýäýó áûíûôIýó, ÕüýôIûì
õóýäýó Ióìàõóýó, ØûôIûì õóýäýó
öIýðûIóýó, Æûõàïõúýð èëúýôó, Óíàôýì åäàIóýó, ÃóàùýêIý Iýñýó, ÏùûêúóýêIý
ãóìàùIýó, Óíýð èãóó, ËIûð è
ïñýó, Äè íûñýìðý äè ùàóýìðý Ôîìðý öûìðý õóýäýó çýêIýðûãúàïùIý, ß ëúàêúóý çýõýãúóàùýì, ÏõúýèäçýêIý
ÿãóýøûæó, Äóíåéì ôIûãúóýêIý òåãúýò! |
‘Nisashe’ Toasts: ‘Our Sweet
Daughter-in-law!’ The young daughter-in-law
we are escorting: May she whisper like smooth
liquor, Be soft-spoken as an ewe, Have many offspring like a
hen, Be velvet-mouthed like a
pedigree hound, Be as famous as a
thoroughbred, Dragging the besom through
the floor, Obeying instructions, Be on good terms with her
mother-in-law, Be kind-hearted to her
brother-in-law,[1]
The homestead her heart, Her husband her soul, May our bride and
bridegroom Be glued together like hair
in honey, If their feet should lose
their bearing, They are re-allotted by
drawing lots, May they find prosperity in
this world! |
«Óíýèøý Õúóýõúóð» àäûãýõýì æàIýó ùûòàõýò
íûñàùIýð áæýùõüýIóì êúåáýêúóà ùIûêIýù. Åçû íûñýð ëúàêúóý èæüûìêIý áæýùõüýIóì éîáàêúóý.
ÀäýêIý ìýëûôý öIûíý, è öûð êúûäýãúýçåÿóý, êúàóáãúóðè, àáû òðàãúýóâý. Àáû
ùûòåóâýêIý íûñàùIýì êúîõúóýõúó óíàãúóýì è ãóàùýðè àäðåé ôûçûæüõýðè, ìû
êúýêIóýíó õúóýõúó ïñàëúýõýð æàIýóðý:
In the ‘Wine-yishe’
ceremony, the bride would step with her right foot on a sheepskin mat spread on
the threshold of the house with the woolly side turned upwards. As she stood on
the mat, the lady of the house and other old ladies of the household would
toast her thus:
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Óíýèøý Õúóýõúó ß äè Òõüý, Ëúàïý ìàõóý êúûùIåãúýøèå,
óãúóðëûãúýêIý! Ìû çûòåóâýì öû íàëúýó òåòûì õóýäèç Íýìûñ, íàñûï óçûíøàãúý êúåò! ß äè Òõüý, Êúóýáûí-ùýáûíó òõóýãúýùàùý, Ëúýïêú òõóýùI! |
|
‘Wineyishe’ Toast Our Lord, Bless her step
and let it bode well! As much as the number
of filaments on the rug she stands on Bestow honour,
good fortune and health upon her! Our Lord, Strew upon us a
hundred male offspring, Make us a clan! |
«Ùàóýèøýæ õúóýõúóõýð» æàIýó ùûòàõýò ùàóýð åçû è
óíýì êúàøýæûì äåæò:
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Ùàóýèøýæ
Õúóýõúóð Óåé, äè øûíýõúûùIýó — ËIýùIûãúóýð çåé, Áàæý óåùýì — Ùûõü êúýáóêIûó, ÕúûêIý
óåùýì — Äûùý êúèõúóýó, Óè íûáæüûìðý Óè áæüûãúóýìðý êIûõü óõúó! Ìûð ëúýïêú ëúýóæüûì êúàäåæüà
ëúýãúóù, Óè æüû õúóãúóýì äàìýãúó äýãûçýù. |
‘Schaweyishezh’ Toasts Hey, our younger brother — Master of the centuries, When thou huntest foxes — Thou shootest
deer, When thou fishest with a net — Thou fetchest
gold, Long may thou live, And may thy good fortune
last forever! This is the path we have
paved for this clan, In thine
old age the nanny is thy ally. |
ÆûIýïõúýù ìûäåé ìû õúóýõúó òåóõóàóý àäûãýõýì ùàóýð
«ëúýïêú êúåæüàïIý» çýðûëúûòàóý ùûòàõýò, «ËIûð ëúýïêúù» æûIýãúóýì êúûõýêIûó.
In
Circassian folklore, and in accordance with the saying ‘ËIûð ëúýïêúù’, a (newly married) man was considered
(or hoped to be) the initiator of a new clan.
Òõüýãúýëýäæ
õóýãúýçà õúóýõúóõýð êóýäûIóýù. «Ãúóíýèëú Õúóýõúóð» âàêIóý Ióýõóãúóýõýð ÿùIûì ùûãúóý
æàIýó ùûòàõýò. Íýõú òýìýìó, ïõúýIýùýì âàáäçýð òðàëúõüàóý åçû ïõúýIýùý âûõýì
ùIàùIàì èóæüêIý ÿïý ãúóíýð ÿëúó ùûõúóêIý ìû òõüýëúýIóð Òõüýãúýëýäæûì
õóýóíýòIàóý æàIýðò.
Sowing and harvest festivals and rituals, such as
‘Start of Ploughing Campaign’ (Vak’wedech’),
‘Attaching the Ploughshare’ (Vabdze Teilhhe), ‘Drawing the First Furrow’ (Ghwne-yilh), ‘End of Ploughing Campaign’ (Vak’weqiyhezh), were initiated by pronouncing toasts
supplicating Theghelej, god of the crops, for abundance. For example, before
drawing the first furrow, Theghelej was invoked thus:
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Ãúóíýèëú Õúóýõúó ß äý äè òõüý, Òõüýãúýëýäæ, Åäãúýæüà Ióýõóð ãúýáàãúóý! È ãóãúóð
ÿõóýìûIóàòýó, Ìàòý ùIýäçàóý äûïñýóóý, Ïñàïýð õýòùIûêIûó, ÊIûùûð äãúýãóôIýó, Äè ôIûãúóý òIýêIóð Ãúýáàãúóý!
Ãúóíýì è ìàõóýð èòëúàóý, ÙIûëúýì è õóàáýð õûõüàóý, Áýâûì è êIûïIýì äûòåõüàóý, ß äý
äè òõüý, êúûùIýãúýêI!] |
Toast of the
First Furrow Our god, Theghelej, Lord of wonder, We pray thee: Multiply our
harvest! Nill our work to be
toilsome, May we live in clover, May we be able to do
charity, May our forge give us joy, Our small fortunes Will them to multiply! |
Iýíý ïýðûòIûñõüàóý åðûñêúû ÿ æüý æüýäàëúõüýòýêúûì
åðûñêúûì, àð êúýçûëýæüàõýì, çûãúýõüýçûðàõýì åìûõúóýõúóó, êúûçûõóàIýòàìè
ùõüýõóýó õóýìûõúóàõúóýó. «Iýíýãó Õúóýõúóì» ùûù çû ïû÷ûãúóý æûñIýíù:
A section of a famous traditional table-toast is
presented:
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Iýíýãó Õúóýõúó Óý äè òõüý, Òõüýøõóý, Àíýäîëý, Äûùý êúóýëàäæý, Ìû óíàãúóýð — Óàðäý óíýæüó, Âûæü óêIûïIýó, Íàðò åôàïIýó, ÓíàïIý ìàõóýó, Ïõúýì è ìàõóýð ÿ áæàáëýó, ß áëàíýëðè çýòåòó, Ãóôý çýòåòõýðè êúûäàøýó, Ïõúýõüý-ïñûõüýðè ùàóèáãúóó, Ôûçèáãúóì êIàäýð çýIàùIýó, ÔûçèïùIûì äæýä ÿãúýõúóó, Çýïûìû÷ûæûð ÿ õúóýõúóó, Êúûçýãóýçû÷ðè ÿ ôàäýó, Ãúý ìèí ãúàùIýêIý ãúýïñýó! Âû íûøûð ÿóêIûó, Óýðýä æûçûIýð ÿ õúûäæýáçó, Ìûçó êúýçûêIóõüûð ÿ íûñàùIýó, ß IóñûùIûð äàðèé êIýïõûíó, Òåïùý÷õýð çýðûòó ñûðýì êúûäàõûó, Êúóì àõúøýð ïõúóàíòýì äýçó, Óýçèé óñàëúý ùûìûùIýó, Ãúý
ìèí ãúàùIýêIý ãúýïñýó! |
Table-Toast Our God, The Supreme Lord, Anadola,[2] Golden ravine, This household — Majestic and grandiose
abode, Where great oxen are
sacrificed, The drinking place of the
Narts, Manorial seat of happiness, The door-posts of
propitious wood, The venison multi-layered, The crops brought in in cartloadfuls, The wood and water carried
by nine lads, The vat stirred by nine
women, The hens herded by ten
women, Their toast-making never
ending, Their beverage filled to
bursting, May it remain intact for a
thousand years! Oxen slaughtered in honour
of guests, The daughters singing the
airs, The bride going round not
on her own, The cooks donning satin
aprons, The plate stacks drawn from
the sideboard, The chest brimful with
money, You whose quiver of verses
never go short, May it keep safe for a
thousand years! |
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[1] A Circassian woman
never called her parents-in-law, husband, or her brothers-in-law by their
names. In the last case, she used pet names (pschiqwets’e)
to refer to them, for example ‘Dighets’ik’w’ (‘Little
Sun’). It was a secretive appellation that she never divulged outside the
family circle. A saying prevalent in the olden times was ‘Pschiqwets’e
mix’wame, qidzhei’e schexwr!’—‘Tell us your secret, if it isn’t the pet
name of your brother-in-law!’ Among the upper classes, it was considered a mark
of courtesy that when the names of a woman’s husband, father, or elder brothers
were mentioned, she stood up.
[2] Epithet of the
Supreme God?