chirikli:

guillemelgat:

This is my first attempt at translating a song from Romani so I hope it goes okay! I think this song is in the Lovara dialect, which is a bit different from Kalderash (which I’m learning), but I could understand it pretty easily. I think there are some lines which might not be exactly right, but I was surprised that with only a month of Romani under my belt I could get so much of it. It’s also one of the first songs I listened to in Romani and so it’s very dear to me.

Korkore žav ande kalyi ratyi,
Alone I go into the dark night
me gindjinav pe muri dejori,
I think about my dear mother
Lingrav lake luludja šukara,
I am bringing her beautiful flowers
e dajake, žanav voj lošala.
to my mother, I know she will be happy.

Soske, soske, Devla, si le but gindura?
Why, why, does God have so many troubles?
Soske si nasvalyi amari dejori?
Why is our dear mother sick?
Pe la dikhav, muro dji rovela,
Looking at her, my soul weeps
o Deloro hajkam sastyarel la.
Perhaps the Almighty will cure her.

Pe felyastra kanak dikhav avri,
Through the window I now look out,
kathar o jiv e luma si parnyi,
the world is white from the snow,
šil si aba, naj amenge mišto,
it is already cold, there is no good in it for us,
adi luma xala o čorripo.
this world destroys the poor.

Soske, soske, Devla, si le but gindura?
Why, why, does God have so many troubles?
Sam amen vi čorre taj vi bibaxtale.
We are not just poor but also unlucky.
Si pe luma but manuša laše,
In this world there are many good people,
aj Devlale, žutisar pe lende!
oh God, bring help to them!

Just two small corrections: it’s why, why, God, do I have so many troubles. And: we are poor and unlucky. But otherwise great job!