tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 28 03:56:15 2010

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Re: A request for assistance

R Fenwick ([email protected]) 

Hol jatlhlaHbe'ba'bogh mu'tlhegh ghItlhmoH qatlh neH? jISovbe'. jIyajlaHbe'.
Huj. porghwIj'e' 'oHbe'ba', vaj qay'be'chu', 'ach reH mumer ghu'meyvam. Hol
QIn tetlhmey law' vIlaDtaH 'ej pIj nargh tlhobbogh nuvvam. porghchajDaq
ghItlhmey ru'Ha'qu' ghItlh neH 'ej Holmey yajbe'qu'bogh lo' neH. taQlaw'...

Anyway, I don't see that this request is that tough. In "Sarek", the Klingon
Karg, in romancing the Klingon woman Valdyr, says: 

"When you are my wife, your beauty will blossom like *chal* flowers in
spring." (p. 58)

Admittedly, {chal} here may simply to be interpreted as "sky" (as English
"buttercup", say), but it's as close as we've got, and clearly the Klingon
flower is also associated with beauty. With that the case, I'd translate
"*chal* flower" as {chal tI}. And for "thorn", I'm surprised that no-one's
mentioned {DuQwI'} "spike", which is the best and to my mind only genuine
candidate. So for "Without Thorn The Rose" I would say {DuQwI' Hutlhbogh
chal tI} "the *chal* plant that lacks thorn(s)", with the caveat that {chal
tI} has only very shaky canon support.

Less literally, {chal tI pup} "perfect *chal* plant" would also work fine.

Comments? FWIW, I agree that "smooth" is absolutely inappropriate in this
context, though I'm not a fan of {roweS} as a transliteration of "rose".

QeS 'utlh

 
On Oct 27, 2010, at 3:14 PM, Krenath wrote:
 
> I received this email directly just now.  While I hunt down whatever
> assistance I can give, I thought I'd forward it on to the list and see if
> I can get the ball rolling.
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Kate Oscarson <[email protected]>
>> Date: October 27, 2010 2:57:11 PM EDT
>> To: [email protected]
>> Subject: A request for assistance
>>
>
>>
>>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I am writing to you today in hopes of assistance in a Klingon translation
>> project.  I retrieved your email address off of the Klingon Language
>> Institute Discussion Board, and am hopeful that you might be able to help
>> me, or at least point me in the right direction.  I have already had emails
>> bounce back as "undeliverable" for all administrator addresses at the KLI
>> website.  I am hoping to translate "Without Thorn the Rose" (Milton,
>> Paradise Lost).  I have done the research and checked many resources,
>> however I am unable to find the words "rose" and "thorn" defined either at
>> the KLI or at other Klingon translation websites.  Would you be able to assist?
>>
>> To add a personal note, in the hopes that it may help my cause, I am in the
>> process of having a large rose-vine tattooed across my back as a way of paying
>> respect to my family's honor (I am the 13th rose in a family of strong, proud,
>> honorable women.)  I would like to add this phrase to my tattoo.  I think that
>> the Klingon Gods would have approved, had they not all been slain by their
>> creations.
>>
>> Thank you for your time,
>>
>> Katherine Rose Oscarson

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