Re: constructed romance languages

In message <36A847F4.3BDC@...>, vardi <vardi@...>
writes
>John Fisher wrote:
>> I have a book here, "Cants de Noces dels Jueus Catalans (Marriage Songs
>> of the Catalan Jews)", Jaume Riera i Sans, Curial, Barcelona 1974.  It's
>> a transcription with notes of five marriage songs written basically in
>> Catalan with many Hebrew words and phrases, in Hebrew script.  They date
>> from the mid 1400's, that's about fifty years before the expulsion of
>> the Jews from Catalonia in 1492...  Their publication, says Riera, is "a
>> duty of justice".  Fascinating.
>>
>
>Wow! That sounds great. I don't know a lot about Catalan, but I love the
>sound of it. words like "Jueus" - the softening out of consonants. Cute.
Just for interest, here is the start of the first song.  The words I put
in caps here Riera has in italics.  He prints the Hebrew script version
too, which is without pointing.

PIYYUT. NAEH   - Festive verse

AL TEH.ALLEL passa` qui primer dona`
sa filla al ZAQE'N, qui la.n fe'u ZONA`

El ZAQE'N se'n va a colgar al ROS^ HA-MIT.A`
La NE?ARA` lo desperta am gran GEBURA`
Lo ZAQE'N li.n diu: "Que n'e`s tu S^OTA`
S^E'ER WE-KESUT n'haura`s, mas no pas ?ONA` "
La NE?ARA` li.n diu: "Perdut n'haveu el MOAH.!
No n'haveu virtut ni punt de KOAH.!
Tot lo vostre feit e's un bel RUAH.!
Mas io prec en De'u que en breu ne sia ALMANA` "

According to Riera the translation seems to be something like this
(though I think it's full of Biblical references and saucy double
entendres, and my Catalan isn't very good)

He broke the precept "Don't defile your daughter (Lev. 19,29)"
who gave her to an old man, who prostituted her.
The old man went to cover himself at the head of the bed
The girl woke him with great boldness
The old man said to her, "What a fool you are!
You will have food and clothing, but no marriage portion"
The girl said to him, "You've lost your senses!
You have no 'virtue' nor a scrap of strength!
All you can do is a beautiful fart!
But I pray to God that I shall soon be a widow."

The other songs are much more serious.

--
John Fisher   john@drummond.demon.co.uk   johnf@epcc.ed.ac.uk
Elet Anta website: http://www.drummond.demon.co.uk/anta/
Drummond ro cleshfan merec; fanye litoc, inye litoc