tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jan 31 12:03:13 1997

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Stomp Box



>ghItlh Thornton Rose <[email protected]>
>
>> I think that my previous message on this subject may have gone to the 
>> bit bucket. So, I am posting it again. If my previous message did get 
>> to the list, then ignore this message.
>> 
>> Here is my attempt at a translation of the song "Stomp Box" (with
>> the original text and some corrections based on feedback from SuStel). 
>> Please critique.
>
>Just a couple of points
>
>> 
>> "Stomp Box"
>> by They Might Be Giants
>> 
>> *Stomp Box* qechwIj yIjatlh       | Stomp Box speak my thought
>> ramvo' ghoghmeyvetlh yIyIb        | Vent these voices from the dark
>
>TKD has *yIb* as a noun only.

bIlugh. I looked in TKD, and it lists {yIb} as a noun. I have been using 
_pojwI'_ to learn tlhIngan Hol, and it lists {yIb} as a verb. Oops.

How should I re-cast this line?

>> jach jach jach jach               | Shout Shout Shout Shout
>> 'oH yIjach                        | Scream it out
>> ghItlhlIj yIQaw'                  | Blast your missive
>> mu'mey ghajbe'bogh Qumghach yIja' | Tell the wordless message
>
>
>We're not supposed to use *ghach* on non-suffixed verbs, so*Qumghach* would
>be taboo.  You might try avoiding using a noun here all together.  For
>example:
>
>	 	bIQumDI' mu'mey tIlo'Qo'
>
>		"When you communicate don't use words."

I based my decision to use {-ghach} on the examples in TKD (p. 176):

lo'laHghach "value" (lo'laH "be valuable")
naDHa'ghach "discommendation"

Unfortunately, these examples are a little ambiguous to me, because 
both {lo'laH} and {naDHa'} are listed in the dictionary as standalone 
words, but they end in a verb suffix. Now that I have the time to
study tlhIngan Hol again, I supposed I should re-read my copies of
HolQeD.

Also, can you suggest a word for "message"?

>> *Stomp Box* mach                  | Little Stomp Box
>> tIqwIjvo' 'oH yIluH               | tear it from my heart
>> *Stomp Box* ghum ghogh            | Stomp Box, voice of fear
>> qoghwIjDaq tar yIchagh            | pour the poison in my ear
>> HoH HoH HoH HoH                   | Kill Kill Kill Kill
>> DaH HIHoH                         | Kill me now
>> veqlargh yItlhabmoH               | Free the demon
>> jachtaHghach mevbogh yIQoy        | Hear the ceaseless screaming
>
>
>	What you have written, in this last line actually means "Hear the
>screaming which stops.", the opposite of what you mean.  You should say:
>
>		jachtaHghach mevbe'bogh yIQoy

bIlughqa'. This was a typo; I forgot the {be'}. Also, since {jachtaHghach}
is the head noun, I think that the word order should be different, like 
this:

mevbe'bogh jachtaHghach yIQoy

>> *Stomp Box* mach                  | Little Stomp Box
>> tIqwIjvo' yIluH                   | tear it from my heart
>
>
>Dajbej bomvam.
>
> SuSvaj

HIja'. Dajbej bomvam. 

And, I don't really know what it's about. If you ever want to hear it, 
it's on the album "John Henry".

-- torroS




Back to archive top level