Relay: 22. Wenetaic to Teonaht

---------------------- Forwarded by Paul Bennett/Townsend/XNCorp on 12/10/99
10:07 AM ---------------------------


Sally Caves <scaves@...> on 11/18/99 06:02:44 AM

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Subject:  Relay: Wenetaic to Teonaht




Issytra, my translator and research assistant, says she
received this mysterious text from the author of Wenetaic
(Paul Bennett, last in line to complete the relay game).
She regrets that she cannot replicate the diacritical marks
over the vowels:

O theyas khenekhis! Poks'emayis pokep pokos'epengook ap:
Thuurop kaaretak rupirarek kenkap...
Othoriik kenkat.  Akar mahkmepayir powep.
Othoriit ap torup, phenitakne kenkat, othriikne kenkhatkhe.
Poks'emewem, "O khenimasos, othriimawes am phenim!"
Phomup thuurthopayip.  Othoriik kenkat.
Mamkotaar armepayirne nokep.  Phithiphek kenkat.
Khenimasot phithiphek suumatayim, ak kenkat.
Poks'emewem, O khenimasos, phithphemawes am phenim!

[Issytra says that "clearly, this poem in the beautiful
Wenetaic is about a conversation betwen a seer and his
god.  Marks of quotation have been supplied for lines
five and eight only, but Issytra has re-enclosed them: the
seer addresses the god, who has given him a prophetic word;
the god then replies that this word will be misinterpreted
by anxious men.  Visonary men, unlike children who fear the
dark, will understand that they and their creator are one."
Issytra was moved to ponder whether this is a kind of Mithraic
or Christian avatar, Christ as Word: offering living water,
a growing tree, married to his creation, but doubted
and feared by his detractors.]

The Teonaht translation:

Le vahdva ebra:
"Ha Hteuim Htavejyvar!  Tool plebuaz syl plebuama imbe
        tsobplebuamarem."

Le teuim ebra:
"Airy panhtois ta nimra hdo hoja ai olan.
Imral mip oua, dho memwa winnyf ai vergo.
Bommouan rairy vemuis, on memdys olan,
        send lo timaartys omlo cosa.
Eton rendaruo, send on oua.
Esry ebra: 'Hal htavveja: syl ouarem ry dehsan
        nery airy benda!'
Hadole tamolin omdwa vryda, ma rinmal omon mip ke.
Al htavveja omai mip ke uontso cel ennopte, dam oljo.
Esry ebra: 'Hal htavveja: syl kerem ry dehsan
        nery airy benda!'"

And now in English:

The seer says:
"O god creator! You word me a word that is yet to be worded!"

The god says:
"A strong thing, it grows swift as the wind...
A soul begins to hear, as water gives sustenance.
Hearing a far-off thing, one is anxious,
    and closes up his ears.
A tree grows, one hears.
I will say: 'O my creation!  I want you to hear
        that I am a good thing!'
Children fear the dark, but an adult begins to see.
My creation will see that we are wedded, I and she.
I will say: 'O my creation!  I want you to see that
        I am a good thing!"

[Slight departures from the W:  "I ought to say" was deemed by
Issytra as belittling to a God, so she translated "I will say."

For some reason, Issytra has transposed lines 5 and 6.  Oh well.]

Okay, Issytra.  Very interesting.  Now we'll see the
poem that started it all, and has changed so much.  It
comes from the Gospel of Bastet, and this is what I sent
into the circle:"

IDBASTET LE VENDDEBRON

Kwe cel hoja ouanfy, fel ai wem sonnentma.
Kwe cel milika ouanfy, effel ai wem winnyfda.
Kew cel voy korept oua fy, fyl nemral ai wem vannentma.
Mareadaf!  Euil arttysin Bastedid mareadaf!

Kwe cel ydonar keinfy, fyl htinnel ai wem winnyfda.
Kwe hsop aippara keinfy, fyl tamolin wem ai drolma.
Kwe hyn elnaowet darnendward, fyl elvyna ai wem rohhontma.
Mareadaf!  Euil tindo Bastedid mareadaf!

English:

THE PROVERBS OF BASTET  (Egyptian goddess)*

What you hear in the wind may heal you.
What you hear in the stream may feed you.
What you hear at the keyhole may make you heartsick.
Praise!  Give praise to the ears of Bastet.

What you see in the woods may feed your family.
What you see under the bed may scare your children.
What you inspect through your neighbor's window
        may cool your wife [to you].
Praise!  Give praise to the vision of Bastet.

* While the Egyptian deity was the goddess of pleasure,
the Teonim have apparently made her the guardian of folk
wisdom and household power.

[Issytra would like to remark:  "Ah, from cynicism faith;
from Bastet the God of Love."  A good round!]

Thanks for playing!  Now I'd like to see how it got from
here to there!!!  <G>  I sent it to Josh Roth.  Do I need
to post the order of players?

Sally
============================================================
SALLY CAVES
scaves@frontiernet.net
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves (bragpage)
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/teonaht.html (T. homepage)
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/contents.html (all else)
=====================================================================
Niffodyr tweluenrem lis teuim an.
"The gods have retractible claws."
                                from _The Gospel of Bastet_
============================================================




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