For a key to the grammatical abbreviations and symbols used in this analysis, see the Abbreviations page.
Four Principles (Narrative text)
(1) ɑz=a dar borai wu qissa=i olim=da naql kən-in.
1SG.NOM=IND in about=LNK a story=LNK wise.man narration do.NPST-1SG.AGR
‘I will tell you a story about a wise man.’
(2) wu weχug=i χele bohikmat vad, weχug=i bosawod.
a man=LNK very wise COP.PST man=LNK scholarly
‘There was a very wise man, a scholarly man.’
(3) wu ʃaχs=i nodon=da ʒ=wai bɑt,
a person=LNK ignorant=IND ACC=3SG.DIST.M go.NPST.3SG.AGR
pis-t=a kʲe χi zindagi=at ʃtu tu bino kʲeg,
ask.NPST-3SG.AGR=IND that REFL=GEN1 life=2SG.AGR how 2SG.ERG building do.PST
t͡ʃigʲ qatai=jat tu χi zindagi bino kʲeg.
what with=2SG.AGR 2SG.ERG REFL=GEN1 life building do.PST
‘An ignorant person comes to him and asks, “How did you build your life? Upon what did you build your life?”’
(4) du olim=da wai=ra lef-t kʲe
the wise.man=IND 3SG.DIST.M=DAT say.NPST-3SG.AGR that
t͡ʃer asl qatai=əm bino χi zindagi kʲeg.
four principle with=1SG.AGR building REFL=GEN1 life do.PST
‘The wise man says to him, “I built my life on four principles.”’
(5) jakəm asl juk vad, kʲe vzant=əm kʲe
first principle this COP.PST that know.PST=1SG.AGR that
ni rəzq=ta digar-ɑθ na-χʷar-an.
1SG.GEN1 portion=IND other-PL NEG-eat.NPST-3PL.AGR
‘The first principle was this: I knew that others wouldn’t eat my daily bread.’
(6) bu=əm orom mad.
then=1SG.AGR peaceful become.PST
‘Then I became peaceful.’
(7) dəjəm asl juk vad, kʲe vzant=əm kʲe
second principle this COP.PST that know.PST=1SG.AGR that
xəðoj=da ʒ=mon win-t.
God=IND ACC=1SG see.NPST-3SG.AGR
‘The second principle was this: I knew that God sees me.’
(8) bu=əm ʃarm kʲeg.
then=1SG.AGR shame do.PST
‘Then I was ashamed.’
(9) sejəm asl juk vad, kʲe vzant=əm kʲe
third principle this COP.PST that know.PST=1SG.AGR that
ni kʲar=da digar tɑn na-kəxt.
1SG.GEN1 work=IND other person NEG-do.NPST.3SG.AGR
‘The third principle was this: I knew that nobody else will do my work.’
(10) bəxtu=əm taloʃ kʲeg.
better=1SG.AGR attempt do.PST
‘I tried harder.’
(11) t͡ʃorəm asl juk vad kʲe vzant=əm kʲe oχir=i kʲar=ai faqat marg.
fourth principle this COP.PST that know.PST=1SG.AGR that end=LNK work=3SG.PROX.M.AGR only death
‘The fourth principle was this: I knew that the end of work is only death.’
(12) baroi mər-ad͡ʒ=əm d͡ʒa hama=i t͡ʃigʲ tajor kʲeg.
for die.NPST-INF=1SG.AGR also all=LNK thing ready do.PST
‘I also prepared everything for dying.’
(13) tamom.
finished
‘The end.’
English 
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