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Verimak

From:Andrew Smith <hobbit@...>
Date:Friday, May 14, 1999, 11:25
I hope I get this in before Sally announces it.  It's been interesting
reading her replies to various translations.  I imagine she replies to
essays handed into her 'similar' to this

Alch mai
Any more

Calf difer alch mai calltyr ill sul
Cease to_fear any more (the) heat (of) the sun
o reif despeith ill ifern
or (the) rage (of the) anger (of) the winter.
Ty a addimplid tew sedd munal,
You have accomplished your worldly office,
es gwenid a lla gas,
have (lit. are) come home (lit. to the house)
es gwenid cun nhew bagfent.
have brought (lit. come with) your payment.
Llo fab e llo ferch h-orew,
The golden boys and girls,
si llo funadur di llo chemine,
as the cleaners of chimneys,
ys wenent di'll pylweir.
they become dust.

I resorted to the 'Celtic' genitive, which is used primarily in poetry.
It cannot be used when the construct noun is plural.  As Brithenig uses
the verb calfar, to cease, with negative plurals, the title changes from
Verimak, No more, to Alch mai, Any more.

Calf difer alch mai ffroen llo dd+on;
Cease to_fear any more (the) frown (of) the lords;
ty es ulltr crudduiltad llo rhui fal;
you are beyond (the) cruelty (of) the evil kings;
cease to care about (lit. of) the time of food and clothing
perch ty dy es sifil ill ceisin e lla laserfin.
because you yourself are like the oak and the blade_of_grass.
Ill rhui, ill doethur, e'll meddig,
The king, the scholar, and the doctor_of_medicine
tud defent segher dibos yst,
all must follow after this,
e wenent di'll pylweir.
and become dust.

Calf difer alch mai lla ffulyer,
Cease to_fear any more the bolt_of_lightning,
o rhufur Taran tifebl.
or (the) noise (of) fearful Thunder.
Calf difer ill maldith o llo chreth di'll disdin.
Cease to_fear the curse or the scars of scorn.
Ty a ffinid tew rhis e blath.
You have finished your laughter and weeping.
Llo phredenent h-iewen, llo fenafad, llo h-afent:
The young suitors, the beloved ones, the lovers:
ddefent gedder a h-yst,
must yield to this,
e wenent di'll pylweir.
and become dust.

The Comro have a word for lightning bolt, but not one for thunder, so I
concluded that they know about Taran, the personification of thunder, but
differ from the Kerno in not recognising Lucet as the personification of
lightning.  Perhaps they see thunder and lightning as attributes of Taran;
another point of difference to south of the border.

I don't recognise the poem, although I found it quite elegiac.  I may be
wrong but Sally seems to have hinted that it's from an orginal latin
version.

I have got way behind in my translations due to a revival of interest in
role-playing.  A lot of catching up to do.

- andrew.

Andrew Smith, Intheologus                       hobbit@earthlight.co.nz

"Break someone's leg."
                        - Old Orc Saying.