Re: A different strategy for conlang design

Gary Shannon wrote:

> Begin with a small book, perhaps even a children's
> book or a "young adult" novel like the Hardy Boys or
> Nancy Drew, (Or maybe Harry Potter!) and starting at
> page one, paragraph one, just write a translation into
> some previously non-existant conlang, right off the
> top of your head, inventing words and grammatical
> principles as you go along.  Don't back track, just
> keep forging ahead, straight through the whole book.
>
Ho ho ho.  That might work on my next project, a Gwr translation of
Brecht/Weill "Bilbao-Song". I have so little vocab. in Gwr, and it's
monosyllabic, and the tones won't matter, that it should be quite
interesting.  I've already got the first line--

Bills Ballhaus im Bilbao, Bilbao, Bilbao
Chang chih mang nr Ping-Baw....

War das schönste auf dem ganze Kontinent...etc. etc.

I think it should be Bal-, < French; but I'm following the text I have.

Ping-Baw (Kash Pimbawu) is/was a notorious port town in one of the Gwr
nations. The song must date from the olden days, as at one point it mentions
the patrons firing off their pistols, a no-no in present-day Cindu. (More
Kash borrowing: cifañ ['tSifaN] 'any low-class or disreputable dive')

The last verse is quite touching:

Bills Ballhaus im Bilbao....
heute ist es renoviert so auch dezent,
mit Palme und mit Ice-cream, ganz gewöhnlich (repeat)
wie jeder andere Etablissement....

The recorded version I have features ricky-tick piano playing 1920s-style
German version of jazz. "Joe, mach die Musik von damals nach"-- Joe, play
that old-time music....  Hilarious.