Šlomo Surayt

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Culture 19

Where are you from?

In the West, the questions mayko aṯat? ܡܰܝܟܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ؟ or mayko hat? ܡܰܝܟܐ ܗܰܬ؟ „Where are you from?“ are the first questions which Syriacs ask each other when they meet the first time. People try to learn from which village in Turabdin they are. Traditionally, people in the villages had close and often family relationships with each other. These relationships continue to be maintained in the West through registered village associations. Almost each village in Turabdin has a village association.  These village associations serve to strengthen the identity and a sense of belonging in the diaspora, while providing support to the development of the villages in Turabdin.

The family roots connected with a village or town in Turabdin and identification with these places have established the social organisation of Syriacs.  The question about one’s historical origin also serves to develop social networks and to express a longing for one's historical home or place of birth. The well-known song Mayko aṯat ܡܰܝܟܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ „Where are you from?“ written by Marawge Aydin and sung by Indravus Bagandi (1999) illustrates well how this question is used among Syriacs:
Mayko aṯat ܡܰܝܟܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ

Dcarto:

Mayko aṯat, mayko aṯat?

Marli m ayna aṯro aṯat.

Me Beṯnahrin, me Ṭurcabdin?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܕܥܰܪܬܐ:

ܡܰܝܟܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ، ܡܰܝܟܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܪܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ.

ܡܶܐ ܒܶܝܬ݂ܢܰܗܪܝܢ، ܡܶܐ ܛܘܪܥܰܒܕܝܢ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܰܬ.

1. Me Badëbbe, me Marbobo?

Me Gremira, mi Gundëke?

Mu Sedäri, m Xärabe-Mëška?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܐ. ܡܶܐ ܒܰܕܷܒܒܶܐ، ܡܶܐ ܡܰܪܒܳܒܐ؟

ܡܶܐ ܓܪܶܡܝܪܰܐ، ܡܝ ܓܘܕܷܟܶܐ؟

ܡܘ ܣܶܕܱܪܝ، ܡܟ݂ܱܪܰܒܶܐ ܡܷܫܟܰܐ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܬ.

2. Me Arkaḥ, hat Ḥuwayto hat?

Nëḥlayto hat, Kafrayto hat?

Mi Rayëte, Arbayto hat?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܒ. ܡܶܐ ܐܰܪܟܰܚ، ܗܰܬ ܚܘܘܰܝܬܐ ܗܰܬ؟

ܢܷܚܠܰܝܬܐ ܗܰܬ، ܟܰܦܪܰܝܬܐ ܗܰܬ؟

ܡܝ ܪܰܝܷܬܶܐ، ܐܰܪܒܰܝܬܐ ܗܰܬ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܬ.

3. Curnës w Midën w Bëssorino?

Kafro, Aḥlaḥ w Boqësyone?

Dayro du Ṣlibo, Derqubbe?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܓ. ܥܘܪܢܷܤ ܘܡܝܕܷܢ ܘܒܷܣܣܳܪܝܢܐ؟

ܟܰܦܪܐ، ܐܰܚܠܰܚ ܘܒܳܩܷܣܝܳܢܶܐ؟

ܕܰܝܪܐ ܕܘ ܨܠܝܒܐ، ܕܶܪܩܘܒܒܶܐ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܬ.

4. Me Bote w Ḥaḥ, Ḥapsës, Yardo?

Me Ṣalëḥ, Zaz, me Ciwardo?

Me Mëḏyaḏ w Carbaye, Mzizaḥ?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܕ. ܡܶܐ ܒܳܬܶܐ ܘܚܰܐܚ، ܚܰܦ݁ܣܷܤ، ܝܰܪܕܐ؟

ܡܶܐ ܨܰܠܷܚ، ܙܰܐܙ، ܡܶܐ ܥܝܘܰܪܕܐ؟

ܡܶܐ ܡܷܕ݂ܝܰܕ݂ ܘܥܰܪܒܰܝܶܐ، ܡܙܝܙܰܚ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܬ.

5. Me Karboran, m Sare w Tammarz?

Me Beṯ-Mancëm, Mcare w Qanaq?

Me Azëx, me Birguriya?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܗ. ܡܶܐ ܟܰܪܒܳܪܰܐܢ، ܡܣܰܪܶܐ ܘܬܰܡܡܰܪܙ؟

ܡܶܐ ܒܶܝܬ݂ܡܰܢܥܷܡ، ܡܥܰܪܶܐ ܘܩܰܢܰܩ؟

ܡܶܐ ܐܰܙܷܟ݂، ܡܶܐ ܒܝܪܓܘܪܝـܝܰܐ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܬ.

6. Me Ëštrako, Kafarbiye?

Mi Qamëšlo w Qaḥṭaniye?

Mi Gozarto w mu Xabur?

Marli m ayna qriṯo aṯat.

ܘ. ܡܶܐ ܐܷܫܬܪܰܟܐ، ܟܰܦܰܪܒܝـܝܶܐ؟

ܡܝ ܩܰܡܷܫܠܐ ܘܩܰܚܛܰܢܝـܝܶܐ؟

ܡܝ ܓܳܙܰܪܬܐ ܘܡܘ ܟ݂ܰܒܘܪ؟

ܡܰܪܠܝ ܡܐܰܝܢܰܐ ܩܪܝܬ݂ܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܬ.