Gipsy blessing

I dare to share with you, almost immediately after its pubishing online, an interesting bit of a gipsy blessing, translated from German by Dr. Georgi Mishev, the author of "Thracian magic - past & present". He has translated the text from Wlislocki's version (Wlislocki, H. Volksglaube und religiöser Brauch der Zigeuner. Münster 1891, 68-69). According to the author, this custom has been performed by Bulgarian and Turkish gipsies in the end of winter time, before commencing their summer trips.

"Bulgarian and Turkish gipsies have a bizarre custom, which they perform in spring, when they leave their winter dwellings for a first time and commence the summer journey. In the night before the day of leaving of the group all young and old gather around a big fire, set outside. One of the priestess gives to each present a small cake. One half is eaten by the person, and the other half is put into the live coals by the priestess, and every time she says the following pray:

Coripena tu araka                                               Protect us from suffering and misfortune

Amen taysa, e jivesa!                                          in all our earth days!

Devla de amenge baҫta,                                      God from the heavens, give us your blessing

De amenge upre droma!                                      and give us luck on the road!

Trada, gule, tu miseҫen,                                       Protect us from the evil spirits,

Sastyar tu, amen coren!                                       your poor children!

Amare save pedeuge,                                          All our poor creatures,

Ke hin mosht amenge,                                         that we bring along with us,

Na de dukha, na de dukha,                                 always preserve from pain and suffering,

De tu lenge bare cara!                                         give them abundant pasture!

Menge acen sapa laces,                                       Let the snakes be benevolent

Sam amen may but cores!                                    to our group, of the poor,

Sapa amen th´ araken,                                         let the snakes protect us,

Andro nascipen the sastyaren!                             and help us in illness!

Andro cero, gule devla,                                       Dear God, from the heavens up there,

Amen taisa tut arakaha!                                       we praise you every day!

Andre pҫuv, tu kale sap                                       Black snake into the ground, you,

Sascaripen menge ac!                                          happiness and health be ours!

She then takes a small bowl full of remains of thornapple infusion and ash from snake, and throws the bowl together with its contents into the fire. They believe that through this sacrifice they will protect themselves from diseases."