tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Dec 20 16:55:12 2003

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Tao Te Ching Chp. 4

Agnieszka Solska ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

4K
chIm mIw'a' 'ach lo'lu'DI' not natlhlu'chu'. [A]
wa'netlh Dol Hal vuSbe'lu'bogh 'oH! [B]
HeH jej jejHa'moH.
vay' baghlu'pu'bogh baghHa'moH.
bochqu'wI' bochHa'moH.
lanHom rurchoH.
So'eghchu' 'ach reH SaH.
mungDaj vISovbe'.
chenpa' chenmoHwI''e' taHlaw'pu'.

4E
Tao is empty yet when used, it is never used up.
The unbounded source of the myriad things!
It blunts the sharp edges.
Untangles the knots.
Dims the bright light.
Becomes like dust.
Perfectly hidden, yet ever present.
I do not know its origin.
It seems to have existed before the creator himself.

[A] This is one of those strange lines which can be understood in two 
totally different ways because the key word here - "ying" - can either mean 
"exhausted, drained, depleted, empty" or just the opposite: "full, filled, 
at its limit". Consequently, the alternative translation of the line could 
be

   chIm mIw'a' 'ej Dalo'DI' not buy'choH.
   Tao is empty and when used, it never fills up.

[B] I'm torn between this version of line and other options such as

   wa'netlh Dol Hal'e' vuSbogh pagh 'oH.

                              and

   wa'netlh Dol Hal'e' vuSbe'bogh vay' 'oH!

The latter version is based on the construction used in SkyBoxCard 8 
(Bat'telh Klingon Sword of Honor), where "Kahless the Unforgettable" is 
written as {qeylIS'e' lIjlaHbe'bogh vay'}. Any thoughts about what might 
work better?

'ISqu'
http://www.geocities.com/taoteching_klingon

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