It may here be remarked that the pronunciation of all these words is the
same as in German, with the following additions. Č = teh in English, or to ch
in church. C = ch in German as in Buch. J = azs, or the Englishj, in James; ñ,
as in Spanish, or nj in German, while sh and y are pronounced as in English.
Á is like ah. The literal translation is
"Oh Fire, oh Fire, burn!
Burn!
And from the child (do) thou drive away
Drive away!
Pçuvuse and Nivashi
And drive away thy smoke (pl.)
(Let) good fairies come (and)
Give luck to the child,
Here it is lucky (or fortunate)
In the world fortunate
Brooms and twigs (fuel)
Arid then more twigs,
And then yet more twigs
I put (give) to the fire.
Oh fire, oh fire--burn!
The child weeps: listen!"In South Hungary the gypsy women on similar occasions sing the
following charm:--
"Eitrá Pçuvushá, efta Niváshá
André mal avená
Pçabuven, pçabuven, oh yákhá!
Dáyákri punro dindálen,
Te gule čaves mudáren
Pçabuven, pçabuven, oh yákhá;
Ferinen o čaves te daya!"
"Seven Pçuvushe, seven Nivasi
Come into the field,
Burn, burn, oh fire
They bite the mother's foot,
They destroy the sweet child;
Fire, fire, oh burn!
Protect the child and the mother!"When the birth is very difficult, the mother's relations come to help, and
one of them lets an egg fall, zwischen den Beinen derselben. On this occasion
the gypsy women in Southern Hungary sing:--