Re: TRANS: a lament under the rain

In a message dated 8/4/99 9:01:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time,=20
fflores@ARNET.COM.AR writes:

<<=20
 Tam=FCes i =E1kibv=FCr eilis,
 suek ar frar=E1r telim bais.
 Bram imil, abl=E1kt arek halth
 suek mi=E9nvelqusamp rrenm=FCndh.
 Be farful=FCl men al=F3st flihn,
 eh=E1v farn=E1iaqeik rrimth!
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 1. Tam=FCes   i =E1kibv=FCr      eilis,
    rice.GEN * terraces.LOC subtle.3s
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 2. suek ar    frar=E1r    telim bais.
    over be.3s NEG.be.3s sad   sun
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 'Over there above the rice terraces
  the sad sun is and is not, subtle, distant.'
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 (_eilis_ 'subtle, distant, difficult to grasp, insinuating'
 is a borrowing from Teonaht:
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         _elyihs_, /'eljIS/; adj. SLIPPERY, SMOOTH, WELL-GREASED,=20
         SEXUALLY EASY, ELOQUENT
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 with kind permission. :)
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 3. Bram    imil,   abl=E1kt arek  halth
    fall.3s drizzle soaked be.3p birds
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 4. suek mi=E9nvelqusamp rrenm=FCndh.
    over mercury-made  squares
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 'A drizzle falls, the birds are there, soaked
  over the squares of mercury.'
 _mien-velq(u)-sam(p)_ 'water-silver-made'
 _rren-m=FCnd_ 'four-corner, a square'
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 5. Be farf=FCl=FCl     men         al=F3st flihn,
    if NEG.stopping continue.3s cold  rain
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 6. eh=E1v  farn=E1iaqeik   rrimth!
    light NEG.see.3pFUT sprouts
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 'If the unstopping cold rain goes on,
  the sprouts will not see the light!'
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  >>

I have a feeling that the fact that i don't have a lot of time or patience i=
s=20
affecting the poetic style of my Nzva offspring, Nzvauxa.  nevertheless, her=
e=20
is my shot at it:

Pleloyket cus hwa kove,
Svoa, xmyj misaz x, reno kreleyz,
Hyvz fal' hal ra, fa'm smeyrin svoa.

PLU-plural
CON-conditional
STP-stop doing something
ADV-adverbializer
ADJ-adjectivizer

Pl-el-oyket   cus hwa kove,
Terrace-above sad sun avoid

Svoa, xmy-j     misa-z   x, reno     kr-el-ey-z,
Rain, water-ADJ bird-PLU be tin foil square-above-PLU

Hyv-z      fa-l'   hal   ra,  fa-'m   smeyr-in svoa.
sprout-PLU not-CON light see, not-STP cold-ADV rain

The sad sun above the terrace avoids (anything in general)
it rains, birds are above squares of tinfoil,
sprouts wouldn't see light, (if) it doesnt stop raining coldly

The text has been altered to fit the culture of the language's user [me],=20
thus the crop being terrace-farmed has been ambiguated and mercury (which i=20
rarely come in contact with) has become tin foil (which i come in contact=20
with every day.  can anyone guess where the word _reno_ for tin foil comes=20
from?).  also, _hyv_, which here means sprout, usually has the more general=20
meaning of anything young.  I have very little use for the word "sprout" in=20
my daily parole.

pp
Joe Mondello