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From Our Everyday Lives
Satire

by Uzeyir Hajibeyov

"Hello, Karbalayi Mammadjafar!" [Karbalayi is a title given to people who have made a pilgrimage to Karbala, a city in Iraq that is sacred to Muslims.]
"Hello!"
"Where are you rushing to?"
"Nowhere, I have some urgent work to do!"

"OK!"
"OK!"

"Nice to see you!"
"Nice to see you." (To himself: I just told you: I'm in a hurry).

"Are you OK?"
"Praise be to God, I'm fine, but they're waiting for me over there!"

"How's life?"
"Thanks for asking." (To himself: He won't leave me alone!)

"Are you feeling fine?"
"Thank you very much." (Hey, you jerk, people are waiting for me).

"Are you feeling OK?"
"Thank God!" (What a stupid guy!)

"How's everything?"
"Thank you. Long life to you. But I have some urgent work, I need to rush."

"Don't' worry, it's OK, everybody is in the same situation. How are you feeling?"
"Fine, thanks!" (Hey you, son of a bitch).

"I haven't seen you much lately. Why?"
"Honest to God, I always have urgent work, and look, even now I have something to do, and I can't be late even for one second."

"Good luck to you!"
"God bless you" (The devil is saying 'smash his brains out!').

"How about a cigarette? Want to smoke?"
"Thank you!" (Scoundrel!). "Bye for now!"

"Are you leaving?
Bye!"

"Karbalayi Mammadjafar, where have you been?"
"God damn villain! Mashadi Safi wouldn't let me go!" ["Mashadi" is a title given to people who have made a pilgrimage to Mashad, a city in Iran sacred to Muslims.]

"Bravo! People waited and waited for you, you didn't show up and so they left."
"What?"
"I swear on my father's grave!"
"God damn you, Mashadi Safi! I don't know how I became so dear to this son of a gun!"

Proverb: If we spent half an hour with everyone we happened to greet, that would be the end of our lives.
__________

Uzeyir Hajibeyov. Selected Works (In Azeri Cyrillic). Pages 349-350. Baku: 1985.
Translated by Farida Sadikhova. Edited by Betty Blair

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