Re: The Swallow Song

I have put together the Brithenig version, which turned out quite
nicely.  I was closer to the English translation than the original
because I liked the phrasing in that.

Ill irynnin, ys gwen,
gwen cu llo h-ur di lla feldad,
llo h-an di lla feldad,
subr sew wentr flanc,
subr sew dors n+ir.

Gwenith cu lla dorth ffruith,
di wstr gas pasced,
e-dd yn goff di'll gwin,
e-dd yn ysporth di'll cas.

E-dd ill irynnin nisdin rhen
di'n pan di dridig ne
di'n pan di bis, ne.

Gweddirewn-nu, o wenirewn-nu cu'n gos?
Se'w nu ddunath yn gos,
mai se'w ffageth rhen, affos nu'w laesaran rhen guid:
nu phortharan a fodd lla borth e'll cab-porth,
o wstr briwad sidden intr --
sa's muin; nu lla bortharan ffagilfent.
Mai se'w nu dunath yn gos,
siath lla yn gos ran,
ebrith, ebrith lla borth per ill irynnin,
perch nu sun rhen llo seneg, mai lla blant.

The breakdown:

Ill irynnin, ys gwen,
the.m swallow he come.pres.sg
The swallow, he comes,

gwen cu llo h-ur di lla feldad,
come.pres.sg with the.pl hour of the.f beauty
bringing the hour of beauty,

llo h-an di lla feldad,
the.pl year of the.f beauty
the year of beauty,

subr sew wentr flanc,
on pronoun.reflexive belly white
on his white belly,

subr sew dors n+ir.
on pronoun.reflexive back black
on his black back.

Gwenith cu lla dorth ffruith,
come.pres.2p with the.f cake fruit
Bring the fruitcake,

di wstr gas pasced,
of possessive.pronoun.2p house feed.pp
of your well-fed house,

e-dd yn goff di'll gwin,
and one cup of_the.f wine
and a cup of wine

e-dd yn ysporth di'll cas.
and one basket of_the.m cheese
and a basket of wine.

E-dd ill irynnin nisdin rhen
and the.m swallow not_disdain.pres.sg NEG
And the swallow does not disdain

di'n pan di dridig ne
of_one bread of wheat neither
wheat-bread nor

di'n pan di bis, ne.
of_one bread of peas neither
pulse-bread, neither.

Gweddirewn-nu, o wenirewn-nu cu'n gos?
Go.conditional.1p_we.nom or come.conditional.1p_we.nom with_one thing
Should we go, or bring something?

Se'w nu ddunath yn gos,
if_you.p we.obl give.pres.2p one thing,
If you give us something,

mai se'w ffageth rhen, affos nu'w laesaran rhen guid:
but if_you.p do.pres.2p NEG then we_you let.fut.1p NEG quiet
but if you do not, then we will not leave you alone

nu phortharan a fodd lla borth e'll cab-porth,
we carry.fut.1p to way the.fl door and_the.m head_door
we will carry away the door and the lintel,

o wstr briwad sidden intr --
or pronoun.posssessive.2p spouse sit.presp inside --
or your wife sitting inside --

sa's muin; nu lla bortharan ffagilfent.
she_is small we she.obj carry.fut.1p easily
she's small; we will carry her easily.

Mai se'w nu dunath yn gos,
but if_you we.obj give.pres.2p one thing
But if you give us something,

siath lla yn gos ran,
be.subj.2p her.obj one thing big
let it be something big

ebrith, ebrith lla borth per ill irynnin,
open.pres.2p open.pres.2p the.f door for the.m swallow
open, open the door for the swallow

perch nu sun rhen llo seneg, mai lla blant.
because we.nom be.pres.1p NEG the.p old_man but the.f children
because we are not the old men, but the children.


- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus                       hobbit@griffler.co.nz
alias Mungo Foxburr of Loamsdown
http://hobbit.griffler.co.nz/homepage.html