tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 27 14:38:16 1996

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RE: KLBC: may'Day -1st attempt

November 27, 1996 3:27 PM, jatlh Andrea Benton:

> This time I do something diffrent. Here goes:

Okay, it's poetry, but I'll correct the grammar with the assumption that you 
aren't trying to play with "poetic license" -- whether by skimping on grammar, 
or by using clipped Klingon.

> ---------
> SuvwI' !!
> 
> 'IwlIj yIQoy,
> jach ghogh may'

The full sentence is "Listen to your blood as the voice of battle cries out."  
This is set up as a relative clause, (TKD section 6.2.3) so you should use 
one:

'IwlIj yIQoy,
jatlhDI' may' ghogh.

Note also that I have reordered your phrase for "voice of battle."  In 
Klingon, the first noun is the possessor, and the second noun is the possessed 
(er . . . so to speak . . .).

You could use {jatlhtaHvIS} instead of {jatlhDI'}, depending on whether this 
is something that happens once, or something that happens continuously.

> Suv joq Hegh!

Okrand commonly uses these "this or that" commands in the following format:

bISuvbe'chugh vaj bIHegh.
If you do not fight, you will die.

We're not sure whether you can combine conjunctions with commands like this.  
Still, there's no rule against it, and I absolutely LOVE the idea of joining 
these with the "either/or" conjunction (Fight and/or die -- if you don't 
fight, you will die, but if you do fight, you may still die).  Let's see how 
that would go:

yISuv qoj yIHegh!

Note that I have used the imperative prefixes here.  Also, the conjunction for 
sentences is {qoj}, while the conjunction for nouns is {joq}.  (I find it easy 
to remember it this way: we all know {'ej" and {je}, and the "and/or" sentence 
conjunction ends in a {j}, just like {'ej}.  Then, the reverse of {qoj} must 
be {joq}, for nouns.  See?)

I'm still not convinced that Klingon treats commands this way though.

> tuj get, 'IwlIj ghorgh, may tagh

"When battle begins, your blood runs hot."  Blood "running" is an English 
idiom which I doubt translates into Klingon this way.  (You meant {qet}, 
right?)  As far as I can tell, it is simply a way to say "Your blood becomes 
hot."

tujchoH 'IwlIj  taghDI' may'.
When battle begins, your blood becomes hot.

Notice also that I have added the relative clause "when battle begins."

> bIr 'Iwchj moj, porghchaj law', jaghlI' pum

"The enemy falls, bodies piled high, their blood grows cold."

This is really three sentences:

pum jagh.
The enemy falls.
("Falling" is somewhat metaphorical or idiomatic, but it still works, I think. 
 Besides, you're describing piled bodies, so "falling" is still the thing to 
say.  At another time, I might suggest the sentence {jagh jeylu'}.  Also, be 
sure to put the subject *after* the verb!)

Dat porghchaj tu'lu'.
Their bodies are everywhere.
(This is my best alternative to "Their bodies are piled high."  If you really 
wanted to, you could talk about their bodies forming a hill {HuD}.  Again, the 
statement is not literally true, but what can I say, I'm no poet!  :)

bIrchoH 'Iwchaj.
Their blood becomes cold.
(Perhaps you should read the section in chapter 4 about the verb suffix 
{-choH}.  You should find it informative!  And again, remember sentence 
order.)

> may'Day jaHDI' SuvwI' juppu'Day' lonbe'

Hmmm . . . you seem to have an aversion to {Da-anything}!  Better see a 
doctor!

may'Daq jaHDI' SuvwI' juppu'Daj lonbe'.

> toH! yItIv may!

"Battle" has a glottal stop at the end: {may'}.

Also, you've got the sentence backwards again.

may' yItIv!
Enjoy the battle!

> loDnIpu'ra' may' Datlhej

I see, you're saying "Enjoy the battle while you accompany your brothers of 
war."  This has a relative clause again:

may' yItIv, veS loDnI'pu'lI' DatlhejtaHvIS.

Note that the correct spelling of "brother" is {loDnI'} with a glottal stop.  
Also, when using possessive suffixes, the choice of singular or plural depends 
on the possessor, not the possessed.  Whether you choose the 
capable-of-using-language suffix depends on the possessed.  That's confusing.  
Reread TKD p. 25.  "Your brothers" is {loDnI'pu'lI'}.

Oh, the word for "war" is {veS}.

If you have any questions, just ask!

'ej majQa'!  bomvam vIparHa'.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 96908.8

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