Asturian-American Migration Forum

Avelino yera un paisanu del mio pueblu. Nun baxaba nunca del valle, diba comu munchu a Posada de Llanes, al mercau los vienres. Tinia las vacas nel monte, diba tolos dias monte arriba col su perru, Pirulo.

Avelino was a countryman from my village. He never left the valley, but to attand the weekly market on Fridays in Posada de Llanes. He had his cattle in the mountains where he walked every day with his dog Pirulo.

Avelino tebo na guerra, nel bandu nacional. Joi camilleru, asina que tocoi tar na retaguardia. Nel exercitu habia marroquies abondu. Avelino cuntaba que un marroquín quiciaba vende-y unos 'cigarrillos que ti daban la risa, volviénti tochu' (¿hachis?) y nun habia quien lu apartara.

Avelino fought in the war in Franco's army. He was a stretcher bearer so he was mainly at the rear. There were lots of Marroquian soldiers in the army. Avelino used to tell the story of a Marroquian soldier who wanted to sell them 'cigarrettes that made you laugh, made you silly' (hachis?) and there was no way to get rid of him.

Un dia Avelino arremango-y al marroquín cola camilla en tol focicu, y ésti despeñose pel sucu abaxu. Cuandu baxaren a velu, el marroquín taba muertu.

Un day Avelino hit this Marroquian soldier with the stretcher in his mug, making him to roll down the hill. When they get to the bottom to check him, the Marroquian soldier was dead.

Cuando yeramos escolinos dibamos a la so casa (vivia cola so hermana) y pidiamos 'cúntanos cuandu matesti al moru'. Y Avelino cuntabanos la hestoria. Comu yera tan mentirosu, nun-y creiamos las historias, pero prestabanos.

When we were in school age we used to go to his house (used to live with his sister) and begged him 'tell us when you killed the moor'. Avelino used to tell us the story, over and over. He was a serial liar, we did not believe him but we enjoy it.

Un vranu, yera yo rapaz, vinieren pel pueblu unos marroquies vindiendo alfombras. Daben pelas casas picando nas puertas. Avelino andabe pel chigre, asina que diximos-y a Luisín (jiyu d'emigraos en Suiza, jablaba francés) que-yos preguntara que andaben jaciendo. Luisín jablo-yos y díxonos que yeren de Marruecos y Arxelia, y que vendien alfombras pelas casas.

When I was a teenager, some Marroquian men came to my village selling carpets on a summer. They were knocking on people's ouses. Avelino was in the local taverna, so we asked Luisín (son of migrants to Switzerland, spoke French fluently) to find out what they were doing. Luisín talked to them and said they were from Morroco and Algeria, and were selling carpets door to door.

Jomos onde Avelino, y preguntónos que bian dixo los moros. Luisín contestó-y 'Anden preguntando d'unu que mato-yos el so padre na guerra y que vive per iquí'

Avelino joi pal monte y nun baxó en tres dias.

We went to see Avelino who asked us what the moors had said. Luisín answered 'They are asking for someone who killed their father in the war, someone who lives in this valley'.

Avelino left to the mountains and did not return for three days.

Pasaren años pa damy cuenta del racismu d'esta hestoria y de lo villanu que la guerra jaz a los homes.
It was years later that I realized how racist this story was and how war makes men to become cruel.

Jose Luis Celorio

Cómo me gusta el habla del Oriente! Voy a ver si saco algún verso de mi bisabuelu, Amable González Abín, que son muy prestosos.
En cuanto a Avelino, seguro que era mentira lo de que había matado a un moro, ten en cuenta que eran mercenarios y además del bando ganador, o sea que la cuestión habría tenido consecuencias.
La broma que le gastásteis estuvo genial.
------------------------------------------------------------------

How I love the eastern Asturian language! I have to look for some of my great-grandfather's (Amable González Abín) poems, because they are just lovely.
As to Avelino, I'm sure he lied about killing the Moor, remember that they were mercenaries and besides they were on the winners side, so that would have had some consequences.
The joke you played on him, though, was great!

Thanks, José Luis

Con la guerra, hay a menudo las muertes por disparos emitidos por comilitones, peleas, etc. Además de eso, si Avelino fuera tres días, él debe haber considerado seriamente alguna parte de la historia. Tal vez hubiera alguna verdad que está detrás del cuento.

-----------

In war, there are often deaths by "friendly fire," fights, etc. Plus, if Avelino left for three days, he must have taken part of the story seriously. Maybe there was some truth behind the tale.

Avelino jablaba de Castiella qui yera cualesquier sitiu que nun jora Asturias, Galicia, Pais Vascu y Catalunia. Tolas provincias que jablaben castellanu. Nunca jomos de saber per onde andebo ta que topó con otru llugariegu per Catalunia.

Avelino mentioned Castilla as any territory that was not Asturias, Galicia, Basque Country and Catalonia; any Castellano-speaking province.

Tando na guerra, taben nun camín y pasaren oveyas. Yeran tantas que Avelino y la so compaña subiéronse a un arbol y las oveyas pasaren per baxu. Tardaren tres dias en pasar.

During the war, they were in a road and lots of sheep came. There were so many that Avelino and his gang climbed a tree while the sheep were passing underneath. It took three days for them to clear.

'¿comu jacisti pa comer?'

'Comiémos la fruta y llambímos el troncu de postre'

'¿y pa mexiar?'

'Aguantémos, qu'asina tengo yo la prostrata'

'How did you manage to feed yourselves?'

'We ate the fruit, and sucked the trund for dessert'

'¿and how did you pee?'

'We hold it, that's why I have the prostata as I have it'

Humor típico de la zona oriental, por desgracia en vías de desaparición.

Solo quedan los vieyos para contar cosas así y algún más joven que tenga memoria. (No como yo, que me olvido enseguida y soy incapaz de memorizar un cuento, ni tan siquiera una canción).

Cuentanos más de Avelino.

I love these stories! I read them to family members before dinner tonight.

--------

¡Me encanta esas historias! Las leí a la familia antes de comer hoy.