Birtalan Ágnes: Kalmyk Folklore and Folk Culture in the Mid-19th Century: Philological Studies on the Basis of Gábor Bálint of Szentkatolna’s Kalmyk Texts.
FOLKLORE GENRES
If thou doest not give my birds I will return and inform my king against (thee). " [Heil] "Inform as many times as thou wilt! 4 4'' should he be informed what imperts it me! Thy king whom thou wilt have informed, will have thy feet when returned made wry. " 44 7 Sixteenth song 44 8 Be zääsng 44 9 Muuchk 45 0 of the Bukhush clan 45 1 led by the wrong way. Let your 45 2 virtuous, blessed Udwl 45 j come back quickly. Be Muuchk having an upstanding moustache driven handcuffed by the soldiers. Let your Udwl who has been chosen 454 come back from the nearby place. May the black pockmarked Muuchk die by means of stabbing. 45 5 Let your Udwl, who has become the most friendly [maid] come back here. 44 6 Bálint medülkäsü mediilä the suggested translation: "Inform if you want to"; cf. Kalm. medülwäs (adv. concessive), medäl (imperative). 44 7 Bálint kölän dot'lyäd. Grammar-text kölän tot'Vghäd. Bálint's explanation totilgha- to make wry, to distort" (Grammar p 192); despite Bálint's remark this expression remains obscure and needs further investigation; in R. and Mun. deest. 44 8 Manuscript pp. 33-35. 44 9 Bálint zätsang. Kalm. zäsng "Die untere aristokratische Ebene der zajsan (zääsng ) setzte sich aus Erb- und Verdienstaristokratie zusammen. .. Dem zajsan oblag die administrative Verwaltung eines ajmak. der aus 150 bis 300 Kibitka bestehen konnte." Schorkowitz, Dittmar: Die soziale und politische Organisation bei den Kalmücken (Oiraten) und Prozesse der Akkulturation vom 17. Jahrhundert bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Frankfurt am Main - Bern - New York - Paris, Peter Lang 1992. pp 275-276. On the administrative system of Kalmyks cf. further: Maksimov, Konstantin N.: Kalmykia in Russia's Past and Present National Policies and Administrative System. Budapest - New York, CEU Press 2008. pp. 142-143, passim. The zäsng is a frequent figure in the songs and probably mostly appear as a result of improvisation or creating song according to the current situation, in details cf. below Bálint 's Songs in the Kalmyk Corpus. By Ramstedt the title of said "official, minister" also appears, but in a positive context: cf. aimeyaseni suldaqsan saidüdtgi asidani dedes örseteyai. "Den von ihrem Stamme getrennten Edelleuten mögen die Höchsten Geister ewig gnädig sein!" Nr. 28. stanza 6cd. Ramstedt - Balinov - Aalto: Kalmückische Lieder, pp. 64-65. 451 1 Bálint Müíka, Kalm. Müök male proper name, cf. the name of Bálint's informant: MuCk/MUik Baldr, Grammar p XIII. On the semantics of this name cf. Bitkejeva, G. C.: Social'nyje aspekty nekotoryh imjon u kalmykov. In: Onomastika Kalmykii. Ed. Bardajev, E. C. - Monrajev, M U. - OCir-Garjajev. B E. Elista, Kalmyckij NauCno-lssledovatel'skij Institut Istorii, Filologii i Ekonomiki 1983. pp. 85-95, on p. 88. 45 1 Bálint BuxuSa, Kalm. Bux§ an ethnic component (a clan) of the Bag-DOrwd left wing. 45 2 The expression cin' can be comprehended either as a possessive pronoun (Sg.2.) or as a demonstrative particle. In present translation the possessive meaning will be used. 4 5' Bálint Udbul, Kalm. Udwl from Skr. utpala "water lily" is a female proper name 45 4 Bálint sinjilzi [sic!] abuksan , Kalm. sinjilj awsn. lit. usually comprehended as "has been examined"; this expression refers probably on the "examination" of the maid whether she is appropriate to become a bride. Cf. chapter The Wedding of the Kalmyks (Oirats). 47 7 Bálint xadxalang gemär. cf. Kalm. xadxlng (?) gemär, read xadx + / (emphatic particle) n ' (emphatic particle) (?) lit. "through the sin of stabbing". Though Bálint, having a very sensitive ear to differentiate sounds would not misunderstand a velar n (ng) versus a palatal n '. Until an appropriate solution will be found, the lapsus calami can not be excluded, as well. Cf. Kalm. xadxa- 2. "festschlagen, einschlagen, (einen Nagel), einstecken, stecken" (R. 158), "pribivat", prikolaCivat", vbivat' " (Mun. 567). 70
