A text in Tat language: Bahlul and beggar

An example of the language of Muslim Tats who live in the north of the Shirvan
region (in the contemporary Republic of Azerbaijan). It would be difficult to say how
much persons still speak the language, but perhaps not more than 10,000-20,000
persons. The Tat language belongs to the South-Western Iranian languages, together
with the Persian Dialectal Continuum, Lori-Bakhtiari languages, the dialects of the
Fars province(the Tajiksof Fars) and Lari(Larestani).

Tat text(taken from the Tatskiye Etyudy of Vsevolod Miller, printed in 1907)

Ye ruz btan Bhll imo ye fgir-i. Bhll-e ye blnd- xune-yi b ormrtb.

Hmi ba bun anun xuna vrmorn-i ve `aziat-i marmo[mivrmo]. Un ruzi vori
vorst-b va xunei ta b-soxtam-b. vrmor-b i bun xuna-ra bi-ir. Fgir bine
duvor giye z bhll- yr inj biyo, ye sxan mni ve t. Yaz-a bhlli hinin
dunust, i mdirn xlvt- sxan-i, firmo a bun ge ve `azob-i, imo btan fgir v un
gft-i b ti-Xudo, ye gpi ti be man, hi n bo, nun-pli, pl mn nisti i nun
bustunum, xorum v xtan-man-i gsneyum. Bhll hi javob ndo, voyt, avoz
vrmo ba bun, ds- da-no ba is yuy bxostan pl ti b, ya`ni man bxostnum pl
tu-m beti. v giye z fgir- i vr ba bun. Fgir-i ge ve `azob-i oxir-i vrmo btan
bhll, raft nzi voyt t bfni? hi, Xudo ti. n sxan-a hmini ini, fgir
voyt ghrin brn-brn, gft-i b bhll Xudo-ti-ro na mudunusti gftirn
man bxori bbirn, yre mn- ozrd soxti. Bhll javob do b mn ba bun
bbirn-i yre mn- firorunda soxti bziro? Na inire un timsol-a i hri ori,
r mu-duruni, vnjire ti bi gaug t miyo? Fgir xjlt irn-irn raft b or
xitan

Translation to Persian(in Latin script)

Yek ruz b nzd-e Bhlul fqir-i amd. Bhlul yek xane-ye bolnd-e harmrtb-yi
dat. Hmie b bam-e xane ke rft tnha b dovari midanest ke bala bervd. An
ruz baran mibarid v ab z bam trave mikrd ba tu-ye xane. U bala rft ke xak-ra
dr bam-e xane xub bekubd(paymal kond). Faqir z zir-e divar fryad zd b su-ye
Bhlul yekbar inja biya ke mn iz-i darm b to beguym. Bhlul-e biare enin
fekr krde bud ke ayd in raz-e mohemm-i bad ke faqir mixahd b u goft v u z
bam foru rft, amd b nzd-e faqir v an(faqir) b u goft b nam-e Xoda, yek
sekke-yi b mn bedeh, iz-e digr-i gr hm nbad, pul bra-ye nan bedeh ke pul
nedarm ke nan bexrm ve boxorm v mn xod-m gorosne-m. Bhlul hi cvab
nedad, dr ca rxid v dobare bala rft b bam v dst-e xod--ra tu-ye kise krd,
guya mixost pul b u bedehd(ya`ni mn mixahm pul b to bedehm) v fryad zd
b fqir ke be-ay inja bala b bam. Fqir ba dovari-ye ziyad bel-axere b Bhlul
rsid, nzdik rft v b u porsid to che miguyi? (Bhlul pasox dad) hi, ke Xoda
b to bedehd(y`ni enkar krd ke pul ba u bedehd). Hmin lhze-yi ke fqir on
soxnra enid u zbnak gt v goft b Bhlul ke gr netvanesti soxnan-e ke
Xoda bedehd-ra dr an vqt beguyi ke mn br xak budm vli to mra yek bar-e
digr azorde saxti. Bhlul cvab dad b u mn b bam ke budm, to niz mra vanemude-yi ke mn foru mirvm. gr neenidi an temsal-ra ke hr e mikari, anra
midervi? Ya ke boride-yi to dr qaoq-e to foru mirizd? Fqir xjalt keide b kare xitn rft.

Translation to English

One day a beggar came to the Bahluls place. Bahlul had a large four storey house
and always, when he had to climb up on the roof of the house he did it with great
difficulty. That day it rained and water started to ooze through the roof. He went on
the roof in order to trample with foot the earth that was on the roof. The beggar
shouted from below of the wall of the house please go down, I have a thing to say
to you. Poor Bahlul thought that perhaps the beggar has a secret to communicate to

him and went down from roof, approached the beggar and the beggar told him For
Gods sake, give a peny to me, if nothing more then at leasdt some money for bread,
for I have no money to by bread fo eating and I am myself hungry. Bahlul gave no
answer, only turned around and went again on the roof and put his hand in the purse
as if he intended to take some money from it and shouted towards the beggar come
here up on the roof. The beggar climbed with difficult, reached the place where
Bahlul was and asked him what do you say? Bahlul answred nothing, I just
wanted to say let God give you. The very moment that the beggar heard these
words he turned very angry and told Bahlul why couldnt you tell me this let
God give you when I stood on ground, but you disparaged me once more. Bahlul
answered and you, [why couldnt you tell] when I was on roof? But you made me
to go down. Havent you heard this proverb how you sow, so will reap, what you
have cut, will fall into your spoon. The beggar felt great shame and went away for his
own matters.

Grammatical analysis and literary translation

Ye ruz btan Bhll imo ye fgir-i

one day at(chez) Bahlul went-3sg one beggar-one

Bhll-e ye blnd- xune-yi b or-mrtb.

Bahlul-and one high-[connector] house-one was four storey

Hmi ba bun anun xuna vrmorn-i ve `aziat-i marmo[mivrmo].

Alwas on roof that house climbing-when with difficulty-one [tense marker]-climbs3sg

Un ruz-i vori vorst-b va xunei ta b-soxtam-b.

That day-and rain rained-was and house drop [past marker]-make-was

vrmor-b i bun xuna-ra bi-ir.

climbed-was that roof house-[accusative marker] [conjunctive marker]-tramples-3sg

fgir bine duvor giye z bhll-

beggar from down wall shout stroke-3sg bahlul-[dative marker]

y-r inj bi-yo, ye sxan mn-i ve t.

one-time(way) here [imperatyve marker]-come, one word me-is with you

Yaz-a bhlli hinin dunust, i mdirn xlvt- sxan-i,

wrteched-[connector] bahlul-and so knew(thought)-3sg that perhaps secret[connector] word is

firmo a bun ge ve `azob-i, imo btan fgir

descended from roof very with pain-one, came at beggar

v un gft-i b

and he said-is to-him

ti-Xudo, ye gpi ti be man,

give God, one penny-one give to me

hi n bo, nun-pli, pl mn nisti i nun bustunum, xorum v xtan-man-i

gsneyum.

nothing not be(conjunctive), bread-money, money me not-is that bread

{conjunctive.marker)-buy-1sg, eat-1sg and self-me-also hungry-am

Bhll hi javob n-do, voyt, avoz vrmo ba bun,

Bahlul no answer not-gave, turned, again climbed on roof

ds- da-no ba is yuy b-xostan pl ti b,

hand-[accusative marker] [prefix]-put in purse as-if [conjuctive marker]-wanted

money give to-him

ya`ni man b-xostn-um pl tu-m beti.

that-means I [conjunct-marker]-want money you-me[enclitic pronoun] [conjunctive

marker]-give

v giye z fgir- i vr ba bun.

and shout stroke beggar-[dative marker] that up-come(imperative) on roof

Fgir-i ge ve `azob-i oxir-i vrmo btan bhll,

beggar-and very with pain-one finally up-came at bahlul

raft nzi voyt t bfni? hi, Xudo ti.

went close turned you what say-2sg? nothing God give

n sxan-a hmini ini, fgir voyt ghrin brn-brn,

this word-[accusative marker] as-soon-as heard, beggar turned angry being-being

gft-i b bhll Xudo-ti-ro na mudunusti gftirn man bxori bbirn,

said-3sg to bahlul God give-[accusative marker] not-[tense marker]-knew-2sg tosay me on earth [gerund marker]-being

y-r-e mn- ozrd soxti. Bhll javob do b

one-time-more me-[accusative marker] disparaged made-2sg

- mn ba bun bbirn-i y-r-e mn- firorunda soxti bziro?

me on roof [gerund marker]-being-[gerund marker] one-time-more me-[accusative

marker] down-climbing made-2g to-below

Na inire un timsol-a i hri ori, r mu-duruni,

not heard-2sg this proverb-[accusative marker] that every-what sow-2sg, it[accusative marker] [tense marker]-reap-2sg

vnjire ti bi gaug t miyo?

cut(participle) you into spoon you [tense marker]-comes-3sg

Fgir xjlt irn-irn raft b or xitan

beggar shame dragging-dragging went to work oneself