Pashto Song

Song - to the tune of "Frere Jacques" (or "Where is
Thumbkin")

Chopley kabobs are native to Peshawar and can be found
both at Ravi Kabob and at the Afghani kabob restuarant
behind the 711 at the ballston metro -for those
inspired by the song.

Cherta worzee, cherta worzee
nun sahar, nun sahar?
restoran ta worzim
restoran ta worzim
kor na rown shim
kor na rown shim

tse ba khoray, tse ba khoray?
xha doday, xha doday.
xha doday ba khorim
xha doday ba khorim
kela che, wrasegim.

kum kabab dey, der khwahegee
choplay, mey, der khwaxh day.
har uraz ba khorim
har uraz ba khorim
khwashalegim
khwashalegim.

(translation)
Where are you going, where are you going
this morning, this morning
I'm going to a restaurant
I'm going to a restaurant
I started out from my house
I started out from my house

What will you eat, what will you eat?
good food, good food
I will eat good food
I will eat good food
when I arrive

Which Kabob do you like best
I like chapley kabob best
I will eat it every day
i will eat it every day
I am becoming happy
I am becoming happy.

Pashto Hokey Pokey

It's what it's all about, at least in our language
class.

To the tune of Farmer in the Dell however, It's really
only the idea of hokey pokey and not the actual song.

Chap Laas p'ke krray
Chap Laas p'ke krray
chap laas taw shay
chap laas taw shay
kla chey p'ke day

xhee laas p'ke krray
xhee laas p'ke krray
xhee laas taw shay
xhee laas taw shay
kla chey p'ke day

sar ye p'ke krray
sar ye p'ke krray
mukhke larr shay
shata larr shay
kla chey p'ke day

(translation)
put the left hand in
put the left hand in
turn left
turn left
when it's in

put the right hand in
put the right hand in
turn right
turn right
when it's in

put your head in
put your head in
go forward
go backward
when it's in

Dead Spider

There was a dead bug in my coffee cup this morning and I felt like it was retribution for writing poetry in which bugs are portrayed negatively. So I'm responding by writing a really really negative poem about the dead bug.

For the uninitiated, La La is Justin's Pashto Name (when he isn't Mike) Roya is Ryia.

Marga ghanna

Nun marga ghanna pe pyaley key mey wa
La La maa ta waye zika che de halta dee
"xhayee waley che daa ta na karka larilee?
Aw li hishro mulgaro sara habarey kawee
che tsenga ba taa der parawol shewee?
Lmray fiker kawee chey zan wawazhawul shewee.
kho dwayem fiker wa chey tsenga ba kawee?
Dar pi ziryaaa ha wee, ya
topak pe ziryaa wee? amuman
tsenga ghoney zan wazhewol kirree?
Duiy xhayee khpul zan awr kirree
Ya bomuna pi ziryaa wee
Da kho pi kafey de pi pay ke
wowozhil shewee."
Der xha fikr lirilee
kho os roya khafa shewee.

Dead Spider

Today there was a dead spider in my cup
La La told me why it was there
"Maybe because it has an abhorrance of you
and with it's bug friend was saying
how will they provoke you?
First they think that he will commit suicide
so the second thought was how will they do it?
By means of a noose will be good or
by means of a gun will be? Usually
how do spiders commit suicide?
Maybe they light their bodies on fire
or use a bomb
But he, in the end, in coffee
committed suicide."
He had a good thought
For now Roya is sad.

Lordee

The following are traditional Afghan poems (um, they aren't traditional, I wrote them, but the form is traditional) . It's a Lorday, kind of like a haiku only 9 syllables in the first line and 13 in the second line and it has to be only one sentance and thought. I wrote one for each season.

SPRING

l'mar aw tawda hawa d ghato
masho kar k'wol lpara tayaree nastee dee

The sun and warm weather are standing
ready to cultivate large mosquitos

SUMMER

muchan tir d shagey shmeree
derree tofan ghondee mela bandi aregee

Greater in number than sand
Flies, like a storm, fall on a picnic.

FALL

kela che panney aredily
dee, woworree ghuney marr ta ye muntaziree dee

When the leaves fall
small spiders await their death.

WINTER

Zi toree megee lpara gorum
aw mnz gatee aw d waro landey hetz nshta

I am looking for black ants
and in the pebbles and under the snow there are none.

Penguin Haiku

D Penguin Haiku

Pi penguin baran
oregee, lika ghaney
ghondey pe sar ye

English Translation

Rain on a penguin
falling, like spiders
on his face

Sorry - I couldn't be true to the original Pashto and make the english translation a haiku.

Ajib Bob

This is our class mascot - Weird Bob. Today we learned.

Da Ajib Bob Day
Ajib Bob Loots day
Ajib Bob D loots jami hwaree

I'll leave the meaning to your imagination

Justin and his Camel

Di lichaspi shaar
Di Justin wa ookh ye pe bari keh

Paroon pe ookh ye wazilee
Li ookh sara pi sarak wee
Ookh ta justing wawayee
“yara, liga lig tugay ye?”

Day ni oopohegilee
Tsomra ookhuna woba tskee
Kho ookh ddeer woba ogharilee
Wa ookh ba woba tskee wa tskee.

Urusta, Justin nizhdeh prot
Pe chaman ookh ta muntizir
Wa ookh woba wotskil
Ddeer woba ookh wotskil

Noon, Justin patsegee
Tse Justin Goree?
Ookh har woba ddeer tskee
Har shpa, har shpa dah tskee.

Os Justin khapa shwee
Che ookh ddeer woba tskee
Ookh taw wo ye wahee, wali
Che ookh har shpa wotskee

Justin zharree, Justin khandee
Wali ceh ookh ddeer woba tskee
Wa ookh da ta wayee
“Rahmat! Ze ba woba ni tskee.”

Justin kor ta pe ookh zee
Na puxhtena ni wokrayee
Na os, na os ookh ta wayee
“te liga lig tugay ye?”

An Interesting Poem
About Justin and His Camel

Yesterday, Justin went on his camel
He was with the camel on the road
Justin said to the camel
“Friend, Are you a little thirsty?”

He didn’t understand
How much water camels drink
But the camel wanted lots of water
And the camel will really drink water.

Next, Justin lay down nearby
On grass waiting for the camel
And the camel drank water
The camel drank lots of water.

Today, Justin wakes up
What does Justin See?
The camel is drinking all the water
All night, all night it is drinking

Now Justin becomes sad
That the camel drinks so much water
He hit the camel
Because, the camel drank all night.

Justin cries, Justin laughs
Because the camel drinks so much water
And the camel says to him
“Mercy, I will not drink the water.”

Justin goes home on the camel
He does not ask the question
Not now, not now does he say to the camel
“Are you a little thirsty?”

"I'm Hungry and Thirsty" Poem

Not getting translated because some people can't keep their minds out of the gutter.


zi woogy, tugy, woogy, tugy,
woogy, tugy yem.
Bidrang Baadrang zi ghwarrem
bidrand baadrang khorem
zi woogy, tugy, woogy, tugy,
woogy, tugy yem

Baadrang khorrel kegee
khoraky mooad dai
khoond wora doday khorem
wo daa ba dehr khog wee

zi woogy, tugy, woogy, tugy,
woogy, tugy yem.
Bidrang Baadrang zi ghwarrem
bidrand baadrang khorem
zi woogy, tugy, woogy, tugy,
woogy, tugy yem