The Beliefs and Religious Superstitions of the Mordvins

"Friday, Pas Velen Pas.Sunday, Voltsi Pas ukoni.

Wednesday, Cham Pas.Tuesday, Ved Pas.Thursday, Nishki Pas.Saturday, Mastir Pas.Monday, Vam Pas, to ike.

"Parindyaits, we wish to drink,Ye seniors of the village chulkoni,Oh! thou most senior, we wish to eat.Tyavter muradon."

"Hail! thou white birch,Hail! thou great maple leaf,Hail! guardian of the lime,All hail! ye lovely girls,All hail! our mistress dear:To thee, mistress dear,Are coming lovely girlsTo gather yellow eggs,Omelets and also pies.

"Káti Káterka máterka,Káterka yakói shchogolsta.Kati shchogolsta, chuvansta,Vai Saratovskoi chyulkasi,Séri kochkeri báshmaksa,Kóta kválmasa palyasaKem kaftova rutsyasaVai, páli sarya shtofnoisa."

Little mistress, Kitty, Kate,Proudly Kitty clothed herself.Proud and stately is her gait,Oh! what stockings of Saràtof!Oh! the shoes so high of heel,Six the stripes upon her shirt,Flounces ten on her kaftán,Shirt adorned with rose of dawn."

"Tevtyars ionos Tatyanas.Mesdya paro son?Palininsa másinit,Oshanyansa, kúvakat,Selymi nànsa ràushat."

"A lovely girl is Tatyana.But wherefore is she beautiful?Most lovely are her linen clothes.Her shirtsleeves are voluminous.Her eyes are of the blackest hue."

"Ryasapan SófasShechk làsan péshaSófan rongonats,Ilyanas kotf krinksPilgen kartsifats,Vai leshmé lévkenPílgen shechafkes."

"Ryasapan Sophia!White as a peeléd limeSophia's body is,Round as a tuft of flaxHer stocking-legs appear,Oh! like a nimble foal'sHer movements seem to be."

"Bless us, o Trinity,Thou mother [too] of God,While going to the woodsTo plait together wreathsOf branches of the birch.Oi Did Lado!My wee birch tree!

"We'll to the forest go,We'll gather flowers there,We'll plait together wreaths.Oi Did Lado!My wee birch tree!

"We shall direct our stepsTo meadows—groves of birch.A birch branch we'll break off—Together plait a wreathAnd fling it in the stream.Oi Did Lado!My wee birch tree!

"The wreath—will it float,The wreath—will it sink,O little birch tree?O wreath, do thou float,O wreath, do not sink.Oi Did Lado!My wee birch tree."

"Godmother! we'll be godmothers, godmothers we shall be,We'll make godmother the Semìk birch tree.Oi Did Lado to worthy Semìk,Oi Did Lado to my wee birch tree,To godmother [and] to the dove.Godmothers we'll be,Godmothers we'll be,Don't wrangle, don't scold,Oi Did Lado! my little birch tree!"

Dear mother Trinity,The mother too of God,And hon'rable SemìkTo us both soap and candles give,Something to bleach [us] white,A little looking-glass,Of money a copek,Oi Did LadoWorthy Semìk's cake of eggs."

"Kyoly Kyolyada,Golden bearded.On his business we go.Kyolyada has come.Open the gate (ortà)Give to KyolyadaSausages, feet,And old women's pancakes.Kyol, KyolyadaGolden bearded."

Ho! Kyolyada![See] those red posts,

Ho! Kyolyada! [repeated after each line]That golden, solid gate,Like silver gleams the fence.Where, brother Vasyai, sleepest thou at night?It is hot on the stove,On the stove-bench—a smell.Near the stove-mouth—a smoke,On the bench—a tight fit,At the place in the nook,Old wives have been there,Aged women have drunk;Men too have been [there],Married women have drunk;Brother Vasyai is rich.With a spade gathers coin,Pancakes and sausages,Kyolyangemen pies."

"Dear old woman, give thy blessing,Bulaman Patyai.Dear old woman, come to meet [me],Dear old woman, come to meet [me],I am coming [now] to see thee,A great bundle I am bringing;Supplicate, O dear old woman, (bis)We are coming [now] to see thee,Much [it is] that we are bringingOf bread, of salt,Of pork, of beer,Of pies and cakes."

"Let us go [now], dear old woman,Let us go [now], dear old mother;Father has been brewing beer.Mother has been cooking groats;Make a visit, dear old woman,Make a visit, O dear mother."

"Taunsyai!Open, O earth,Let the crops grow,Round ears of corn,Grain like an awl,Let straw grow as well,Like the shaft of a cart.

"Taunsyai!Thrust out a seed,Bake thou a pie.Near the window put [it];A pigeon will fly.Will take up the grain,[But] we'll [take] the pie.

"Taunsyai!Go not to the door.To the windows they come,Pigs' trotters and cakesThat have sat in the stoveThat have looked down on us.Taunsyai!"

"Just give us a pie,If you don't give a pieWe'll break in the gate.If you give not a potful of groatsWe'll drive a dungfork through its side;Just give us a cake,A small pot of millet seed groats.Taunsyai!"

"Denyan Lasunyas'sDwelling house is bright.His windows white,An ornamented gate,Red painted posts.Taunsyai!

"Denyan LasnnyasIs a bright moon,His wife Masai (beautiful)A ruddy sun,[While] Denyan's bairnsAre very stars.Taunsyai!

"May Denyan's crops increaseTill doors won't hold them all,His sucking pigs increase,His calves, his lambs,His geese, his swans.And his grey ducks.Taunsyai!"

"We keep the maiden's feast (beer),We love the [blood] red cock,We give the bagpiperThe entrails and the crop."