Meridonian. Babel Texts

Working on Meridonian for the relay also inspired me to complete these
Meridonian Babel texts, which I had been planning for some time.


Babel
Standard Low Meridonian
I did this one in my usual way, simply taking whatever Latin or Romance word
came to mind and runnng it through the Meridonian sound/spelling changes. It
is rather more Latinate than usual,because I am currently tutoring a student in
Latin and also I had been checking Latin roots for the relay. Even so it is
not entirely consistent, e.g.on whether to use a Latin-like genitive or the
Romance-like"de" form. I decided not to revise for consistency, because most Low
Meridonian texts are far more inconsistent than this.

1) Nunk doda derra habyd una lyngua ed pukaz pherbaz.
   Now all earth had   one language and few words.
2)Ed kum 'omynez ekz oryende phenyund, ylyz ynphenuynd
  And when men from east came, they found
un kampz yn derra Zynar, ed yn yll 'abydaphyund.
a field in land Shinar, and in it settled.
3) Ed ylz dykaphyund ynder ypzoz, "Phenyde,phaky'muz
   And they said among themselves, "Come, let us make
laderez ed kombramuz ylz omnyno. Ed ylz 'abephyund
bricks and burnt them altogether. And they had
lader pro lapyz ed bydumen pro mordar.
brick for stone and bitumen for mortar.
4)Ed ylz dykyund "Phenyde, edyphyeamuz nobyz kyphydad ed
And they said "Come, let us build for us city and
durryz kuyuz alda dangead ad kelum, ed
tower whose high(part) may touch to heaven, and
phak'amuz nobyz nomen, ne ezpargybundur zur
make for us name lest we be scattered over
phakyez dode derre.
face of all earth.
5) Dom'nuz zubphenyd phyd're kyphydad ed durryz koz
   Lord came down to see city and tower which
loz ynphandez de 'omynez edyphykyund.
the children of men built.
6) Ed Dom'nuz dykad:
And Lord said:
"Ekke pop'luz ezd unuz, ed ylz 'abend omnez un lyngua
Behold people is one, and they have all one language
ed 'unk ylz ynkyp're phak're, ed nunk nyl
and this they to begin to do, and now nothing
rezdrydybundur ekz ylz ke ylz 'ymagynaphybund phak're.
limited from them that they will imagine to do.
7)Phenyde, zubphen'amuz, ed yby lyngua d'ylz konphudemuz
  Come, let us go down, and there language of confuse
ud ylz non pozzeand yndellyg're uny ed aldery lyngua
and they not able to understand one and other's language
8) Ergo Dom'nuz ezpargaphyd ylz de yby zur phakyez dode
   Therefore Lord scattered them from there over face of all
derre, ed ylz phynyund edyphek're kyphydad.
earth, and they ended to build city.
9) Ergo nomen de ylly loky appelladur Babel, pro kuza
Therefore name of that place wascalled Babel, for cause
Dom'nuz yby konphondaphyd lyngua dode derre, ed ekz
Lord there confused language of all earth, and from
ylle Dom'nuz ezpargaphyd ylz zur phakyez dode derre.
that Lord scatterd them over face of all earth.

Revised and trans. 9.5.04


Babel
High Court Meridonian
This is adapted directly from the Vulgate text, taking each Latin word and
running it through the Meridonian changes. The Latin Vulgate is known in the
World of the Intercosmic Collapse where Meridonian is used,since some of the
population were medieval Catholic Eureopeanswho found themselves in an alternate
universe.


11.
1. Erad udem derra labyy unyuz ed zermonem e'rundum
   Was however earth of togue one and speech of them
2. Kumke prophyzkerendur de oryende ynphen'rund kampum
   When they came from east they found field
yn derra Zennaar ed 'abydaph'rund yn eo.
in land Shinar and dwelt in it.
3. Dykzyd alder ad prokz'mum zuum "Phenyde, phakyamuz
   Said other to neighbor his, "Come,let us make
laderez, ed kokamuz eoz ygny." Abu'rundke laderez
bricks, and cook them with fire." And they had bricks
pro zakzyz ed bydumen pro kemendo.
for stones and bitumen for mortar.
4. Ed dykzarund: "Phenyde, phakyamuz nobyz kyphydadem
And they said: "Come,let us make for us city
ed durrym kuyuz kulmen perdyngad ad ke'lum ed
and tower whose tip touches to heaven and
kelebremuz nomen nozdrum andekam dyphydamur yn
we will celebrate name our before we be divided in
unypherzaz derraz."
all lands."
5. Dezkendyd udem Dom'nuz ud phyderyd kyphydadem ed
   Came down however Lord in order he see city and
durrym,  kam edyphykaband phylyy Adam.
tower, that were building sons Adam.
6. Ed dykyd "Ekke, unuz ezd pop'luz, ed unum labyum
   And said, "Behold, one is people, and one tongue
omnybuz (or om'buz), co'perundke 'ok phak're, nek
to all, and they begin this to do, nor
dezyzdend a kogydadyonybuz zuyz, donek eaz op're
desist from their plans, till they work
kompleand.
will complete.
7. Phenyde yg'dur dezkend'muz, ed konfund'muz yby
   Come therefore let us go down, and confuse there
lynguam e'rm, ud non udyad unuzkyzky phokem
language of them, in order not understand each voice
prokz'my zuy.
of neighbor his.
8. Adke yda dyphyzyd e'z Dom'nuz ekz yllo loko yn
   And so divided them Lord from one place in
un'pherzaz derraz, ed kezzaph'rund ed'phyk're
all lands, and they ceased to build
kyphydadem.
the city.
9. Ed ydkyrko phokadum ezd nomen 'uz Babel,
   And about this called is name its Babel
kya yby konphuzum ezd labyum unypherze derre, ed ynde
because there confused is tongue of all earth, and thence
dyzperzyd e'z Dom'nuz zuper phakyem kunkd'rum regyonum.
scattered  them Lord over face of all regions.

Copied and translated 9.5.04

John Leland