Lilith Mazikina: "The Years Flow By..." (From Romani)

"The years flow by..."
By Lilith Mazikina
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

The years flow by like water through hands, 
From the girl I was to the woman I am.
Now I'm the one with her own girls, see!
What thief filched all my youth from me? 
Whoever it was...I hope he has fun. 
There at my window — the dark birds come. 
I open the window — shoo them away.
How far ahead is the bone-cold rain?
It's all without you! "Forget him" they insisted.
What sister forgets her brother existed?

The Original:
For reasons explained on this page, all Cyrillic Romani texts I translate are accompanied by transcription in Roman characters. 
Бэрша прастан - вастэндыр паны.
Мэ сомас чяй - мэ ячьём ромны;
кокорьятэ, дыкх, акана чяя.
Тэрныпэ миро со за чёр чёрдя?
Саво чёрдя - мэк лэнца кхэлэл...
Пал окностэ - калэ чириклэ;
откэрава фэнштра, криго традав.
Кицык ангил шудрэ брышында? -
сарэ битыро! "Забистэр", пхэнэн.
Нэ сыр пшалэс забистрэла - пхэн?     

Berša prastan — vasténdîr panî.
Me sómas čaj — me jačom romnî
Kokorjáte, dîkh, akana čaja.
Ternîpé miro so za čor čordja?
Savo čordja — mek lénca khelel...
Pal oknóste — kale čirikle;
Otkeráva fénštra, krígo tradav.
Kícîk angil šudre brîšîndá?
Sare bitîró! Zabister, phenen.
Ne sîr pšales zabistréla — phen?

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