tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jan 07 15:56:47 1998
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Re: KLBC Poetry
- From: "Robyn Stewart" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC Poetry
- Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 15:57:00 PST
- Organization: NLK Consultants, Inc.
- Priority: normal
edy dared write:
>There is a poem that I like very much and I translated it into
>klingon.
Edy, you were tricked by the poem you like so much, into doing
things that you should know better than to do with Klingon.
People: when you translate you have to think HARDER not less.
> nagh tu'lu'pu' He botlhDaq
> In the middle of the way there was a stone
There are two things wrong with this sentence. One is also wrong in
the sentence below. The other I leave for you to explain. It is to
do with word order and the answer is early in chapter six, I believe.
> He botlhDaq nagh tu'lu'pu'
> There was a stone in the middle of the way
This says "there HAD BEEN a stone in the middle of the way." That
is, at the time under consideration, the stone is no longer there.
Is that what you are trying to express, or do you want to talk about
the time when the stone was still there?
> nagh tu'lu'pu'
> There was a stone
Same aspect problem.
> not wanI' vIlIj
> I'll never forget about this happening
{not wanI'vam vlIIj} if you want to include the "this."
> yIntaHvIS Doy'qu' mInDu'wIj
> in the life of my eyes very tired
Correct Klingon for: "While they live, my eyes are very tired."
I don't actually understand the English here, so I don't know if
that's what you meant.
> nagh tu'lu'pu' He botlhDaq 'e'
> not vIlIj
> I'll never forget that in the middle of the way there was
> a stone
The first sentence is as problematic as it was the other times you
wrote it. Logically, an adverb modifying the second sentence of a
SAO should go before the pronoun {'e'} as in {not 'e' vIlIj} but the
only canon example I can think of has it after, as you have used it.
I prefer before.
> Off course there is pun of the words in the poem. How can it work
> in klingon? I should leave this way as in (I don't know the name)
> "poetry licence"?
It's called "poetic licence," and in order to get a licence to
distort Klingon for poetic purposes on this group, you must past a
rigourous licencing test, demonstrating that you know how
Klingon should be used correctly. Those writing and especially
translating poetry without such a licence are subject to ridicule and
harsh words from the grammarians. repeated offences lead to having
your posts ignored.
Translate, after you have figured out what was wrong with {*nagh
tu'lu' He botlhDaq}. If you aren't sure, ask before you
translate.
There was a child on the floor.
On the child was a bug.
The bug sat on the child's hand.
The child sat on the floor and yelled.
The child put his finger on the bug.
The bug on the hand died.
Now that the child has killed the bug, the child is happy.
- Qov