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Re: Translation Exercise: Probable-Possible

From:Ray Brown <ray.brown@...>
Date:Sunday, October 3, 2004, 19:23
On Sunday, October 3, 2004, at 06:21 , John Cowan wrote:

> Here's a translation exercise. The English original is by Frederick > Winsor, and all were published in _The Space Child's Mother Goose_. > > Probable-Possible, my black hen, > She lays eggs in the Relative When. > She doesn't lay eggs in the Positive Now > Because she's unable to postulate how.
Sadly, no version of BrSc is in sufficient state for me to offer a translation. But, as some know, 'Dutton (World) Speedwords' was what prompted the slow development of the various 'briefscripts'. When I discovered that a direct Speedwords translation of "Probable-Possible" is _ibu-ib_ /'Ibu:Ib/, I couldn't resist attempting the whole thing :) Ibu-ib, ji wyx avis, je Ronl sh stax i l Abik Qe. I l Cer Nu sh ronlz n stax, zi qa e ib sh pn ax. Yes, it rhymes :) If you stress it as I show, it fits the English rhythm (I hope): /'Ibu: 'Ib Zi: 'wajkx avis 'Ze:/ /'rQnil sh@ 'staks i: li 'abIk 'kwe:/ /'i: l& tSEr 'nu: S@ 'rQnilz nQt 'staks/ /zi: 'kwa: e: 'Ib S@ 'p@nQt 'aks/ PS - working on a Latin version - not so easy if it's to be verse :=( Ray =============================================== http://home.freeuk.com/ray.brown ray.brown@freeuk.com =============================================== Anything is possible in the fabulous Celtic twilight, which is not so much a twilight of the gods as of the reason." [JRRT, "English and Welsh" ]