Circassian Wedding Toast
‘Our Sweet Daughter-in-law!’
Нысашэ хъуэхъу
«ДИ НЫСЭ ФО!»
The elaborate and very popular toast ‘Diy Nise Fo!’ (‘Our Sweet Daughter-in-law!’) was pronounced during the нысашэ (Nisashe) ceremony. Watch a short video clip, 'Wedding Toast', of part of the long toast. The clip was produced by Sanjalay Jaimoukha. The words of the salutary pronouncement and an English translation are reproduced here, and are available in the attached pdf file.
НЫСАШЭ ХЪУЭХЪУХЭР:
«ДИ НЫСЭ ФО!»
Нысэ цIыкIу къатшэр:
Фадэм хуэдэу Iущащэу,
Мэлым хуэдэу Iущабэу,
Джэдым хуэдэу быныфIэу,
ХьэфIым хуэдэу Iумахуэу,
ШыфIым хуэдэу цIэрыIуэу,
Жыхапхъэр илъэфу,
Унафэм едаIуэу,
ГуащэкIэ Iэсэу,
ПщыкъуэкIэ гумащIэу,
Унэр игуу,
ЛIыр и псэу,
Ди нысэмрэ ди щауэмрэ
Фомрэ цымрэ хуэдэу зэкIэрыгъапщIэ,
Я лъакъуэ зэхэгъуащэм,
ПхъэидзэкIэ ягуэшыжу,
Дунейм фIыгъуэкIэ тегъэт!
‘NISASHE’ TOASTS:
‘OUR SWEET DAUGHTER-IN-LAW!’
The young daughter-in-law we are escorting:
May she whisper like smooth liquor,
Be soft-spoken as an ewe,
Have many offspring like a hen,
Be velvet-mouthed like a pedigree hound,
Be as famous as a thoroughbred,
Dragging the besom through the floor,
Obeying instructions,
Be on good terms with her mother-in-law,
Be kind-hearted to her brother-in-law,[1]
The homestead her heart,
Her husband her soul,
May our bride and bridegroom
Be glued together like hair in honey,
If their feet should lose their bearing,
They are re-allotted by drawing lots,
May they find prosperity in this world!
[1] A Circassian woman never called her parents-in-law, husband, or her brothers-in-law by their names. In the last case, she used pet names (пщыкъуэцIэ; pschiqwets’e) to refer to them, for example ‘ДыгъэцIыкIу’ (‘Dighets’ik’w’) [‘Little Sun’]. It was a secretive appellation that she never divulged outside the family circle. A saying prevalent in the olden times was ‘ПщыкъуэцIэ мыхъуамэ, къыджеIэ щэхур!’ (‘Pschiqwets’e mix’wame, qidzhei’e schexwr!’)—‘Tell us your secret, if it isn’t the pet name of your brother-in-law!’ Among the upper classes, it was considered a mark of courtesy that when the names of a woman’s husband, father, or elder brothers were mentioned, she stood up.
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Wedding Toast.mp4 Size : 9199 Kb Type : mp4 |
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WeddingToast.pdf Size : 257 Kb Type : pdf |
Адыгэ хьэгъуэлIыгъуэр лъэпкъым и гуфIэгъуэщ.
НысащIэм хуэфащэ хъуэхъухэр, щытхъу псалъэхэр,
уэрэд дахэхэр хужаIэ нысашэм щыгъуэ.
Circassian wedding.
The ancient ceremony of ‘removing the cover’
is symbolized for modern convenience.
The lips of the bride are then ceremoniously daubed
with ’writs’elh (IурыцIэлъ), a mixture of honey and butter used
as refreshment at weddings. (V. Vorokov, 1987, p192)
