Re: Alien Conlang

Interesting, and just goes to show why things get lost in the translation.

Joseph Fatula wrote:
> Dave Rutan wrote:
>> If you want to translate, say bits of the Bible into a conlang which
>> belongs to a non-human alien specie, how is it best to translate terms
>> such as 'earth', 'man', etc.
>>
>> I did one, not the one below, and I used a translation of 'world' for
>> 'earth'  For 'people' I used 'sentient beings'.  Is it best to
>> translate it as if it were their own, or as if a missionary showed up
>> on their world and gave them the Bible?
>>
>> Dave
> Tell me what you think of this:
>
>   "Father of us, the sons of men,
> You are in the high heavenly kingdom,
> Blessed be Your name in each word.
> May Your mighty kingdom come.
> May Your will be done over all this world-
> just the same on earth as it is up there
> in the high heavenly kingdom.
> Give us support each day, good Chieftain,
> Your holy help, and pardon us, Protector of Heaven,
> our many crimes, just as we do to other human beings.
> Do not let loathsome wights lead us off
> to do their will, as we deserve,
> but help us against all evil deeds."
>
> Or this:
>
>   "The Son of God became filled with compassion and spoke to the
> mother.  He told the widow to stop crying, to stop lamenting over the
> child. 'You will see power here, the work of the Ruler, a favor will be
> granted to you here, consolation, in front of these people.  There is no
> need for you to mourn over the life-spirit of your boy.'  Then He walked
> up to the stretcher, and the Chieftain's Son touched him with holy
> hands, and spoke to the hero, telling the young man to get up, to rise
> up from his resting place."
>
> They are from the Heliand, a reworking of the gospel done by a
> missionary among the Saxons during the ninth century.  The imagery is
> very much that of the Saxon world.  Rome and Jerusalem are hill-forts,
> the disciples are Jesus' twelve warrior-companions.  Even the word they
> used for the temple at Jerusalem is not the usual _tempal_ from Latin,
> but _wiha_, the Saxon word for a pagan Germanic temple.
>
> Hopefully that's some help to you.
>
>
>
--
Pu Poetor jai'her hi'nar dai Par bin Pard Groemark'muluin'mig, bah dai
nah boeke bahgarp'Par'ku moif'foi, hu mef'regreeg. (Jn 3:16 in Breehah)