Re: _Sloth Poem_ Re: Yet another text for translation

On Wed, 02 Aug 2000, someone wrote:
> >The sheep bleats,
> >   hungry for food,
> >   hungry for warmth.
> >The sturdy mangrove,
> >   roots deep in the water,
> >   sways in the breeze.
> >And the sloth just watches.
> >
> >Great comforting leaves.
> >Warm distressed wool.
> >And the sloth just watches.
>
In Kélen:

é la ma háwre péltene
        pa ma kúñ to jílne
        pa ma kúñ to cállá
é la ma lúárle kíthiene
        pa ma ne jím sú hárá
        pa ma rá ánen úraniñ
í sema róuñ mo ma árná tóshene

é la ne mal kelúwen ón
é la íljú wakelúwen cállene
í sema róuñ mo ma árná tóshene

-----
Complete noun phrases are in brackets.
LA [NP] translates to '[NP] is' or 'there is [NP]'
SE [NP] denotes a transaction in which [NP] is the thing transacted. Source and
goal are not always named.
PA [NP-1] [NP-2] translates to '[NP-1] has [NP-2]'
This whole poem is in present generic tense, as appropriate for something timeless.
Normally, the sheep, mangrove, and slow-bear would have inanimate articles
(because animate ones are reserved for people), but the poet here chose to
elevate the status of these for her own purposes, or she is from clan
Ñúnnale.

é     la [ma      háwre  péltene]
and-1 LA  SG-anim sheep* bleating(adj)
*not really a sheep, but close enough.

pa [ma]      [kúñ  to            jílne]
PA  3p-anim   want SOURCE_inanim food

pa [ma]      [kúñ  to            cállá]
PA  3p-anim   want SOURCE_inanim warmth

é     la [ma      lúárle    kíthiene]
and-2 LA  SG-anim mangrove* sturdy
*again, not really a mangrove, but close enough.

pa [ma] [ne jím  sú hárá]
PA  3p   PL root at water

pa [ma] [rá   ánen úraniñ]
PA  3p   move with wind-diminutive

í        sema      [róuñ] mo  [ma      árná tóshene]
and-with SE+3p goal sight GOAL SG-anim bear* slow
The slow-bear is the closest animal to an Earth sloth.

é     la [ne mal  kelúwen    ón]
and-1 LA  PL leaf comforting great-big

é     la [íljú wakelúwen      cállene]
and-2 LA  wool not-comforted* warm
*distressed?

í        sema      [róuñ] mo  [ma      árná tóshene]
and-with SE+3p goal sight GOAL SG-anim bear* slow

--
Sylvia Sotomayor
sylvia1@ix.netcom.com
http://home.netcom.com/~sylvia1/
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