Tao Te Ching; Chp. 44

["Agnieszka Solska" <agnpau1@hotmail.com>]

'op wen "Tao Te Ching" (Dao De Jing) vImughchoH. paQDI'norgh tIQ 'oH 
paqvam'e'. cha'SaD vaghvatlh ben qonlu' 'ach poH qar Sovbe'lu'. wa' Sep 
mojpa' China paqvam tu'lu'pu'bej.

'Iv ghaH qonwI'Daj'e'? Lao Tzu (Laozi) 'oH pongDaj'e' 'e' lumaq 'op tejpu'. 
Qoch latlhpu' 'ej nger pIm lumuch. law'bogh QubwI'pu' paQDI'norgh ngaS 
paqvam 'e' luqap. jISaHbe' jIH. 'ach paq vISaHbej. le' 'oH. Huj 'ach 'IH. 
pIj tlhochchuq qechmeyDaj 'ach valbej. toH, cha' qechmey tIqel, tlhIH:

      DuHbe' 'u' mIw DelmeH Qu' 'e' maq paqvam 'ach mIwvam Del.
      veS qIch 'ach QojmeH mIw nIvqu' qel.

['u' mIw = the way the universe works]

chaq tera'Daq paqvam luSov nuvpu' puS 'ach lumughta'bej mughwI'pu' law'qu'. 
tera' paqmey'e' lumughlu'ta'bogh, "The Bible" Qat law' Hoch Qat puS. 'ach 
vebbej "Tao Te Ching".

[lugh {-law'/puS} ngaSbogh mu'tlhegh 'e' vItul]

DaH vImughlI' jIH. vImughtaHvIS tlhIngan Hol, DIvI' Hol je vIlo'. chorghmaH 
wa' 'ay'mey (=chapters) ngaS "Tao Te Ching". DaH Hoch vImughta' 'ach wej rIn 
Qu'wIj. rIn mIw wa'DIch neH. DaH Hoch 'ay' vIlaDnISqa' 'ej vIlaDqa'DI' 
vIlaDnISqa'qu'. wej muyonmoH pab vIlo'ta'bogh. wej 'ey mu'tlheghmey 
vIqonta'bogh. wej qarlaw' Hoch mu'mey vIwuqta'bogh 'ej wej laDwI' luDuQlaH 
paq.

DaHjaj tlhIHvaD wa' 'ay' vImughta'bogh vImuch. mu'tlhegh pab, mu'mey 
vIwIvta'bogh, mughmeH mIw je chovchugh vay' vIbelbej. po'wI' vuD vISov 
vIneHqu'. DIvI' Hol chovnatlh chov vay' vIneH je. HolwIj wa'DIch 'oHbe' 
DIvI' Hol'e'.

'ISqu'


SKI:
I've recently translated "Tao Te Ching", a classical Chinese philosophical 
work, allegedly written by Lao Tzu (Laozi) between the 6th and 3rd century 
BCE. Though little known in the West, "Tao Te Ching" is the second (after 
the Bible) most often translated book of the world.

I'd greatly appreciate hearing your views on the grammar, vocabulary choice 
and style of the enclosed rough draft of my Klingon and English translation 
of Chapter 44 of the book.


44 Chinese (tones not marked, sorry)
ming yu shen shu qin?
shen yu huo shu duo?
de yu wang shu bing?
shen ai bi da fei,
duo cang bi hou wang.
gu zhi zu bu ru,
zhi zhi bu dai,
ke yi chang jiu.


44K
ponglIj yInlIj ghap: potlhlIj nIv yIngu'!
yInlIj mIplIj ghap: lo'laHghachna' yIngu'!
Qaplu' pagh lujlu': 'oy'na' mung yIngu'![*]
tlhoy SaHchugh vay' bechqu'bej.
mIp vI'chugh vay' chIlqu'bej.
yontaHchugh vay' not webchoH.
mevlaHchugh vay' Qob SIQbe'.
vaj reH taHlaH ghaH[**].

44E
Your name or your life: which do you hold dearer?
Your life or your riches: which truly has value?
Victory or loss: which truly gives pain?
Those who care to a fault will certainly suffer.
Those who pile up their wealth are bound to take a loss.
Those who are contented suffer no disgrace.
Those who are able to stop endure no peril.
Therefore they[**] can last forever.


*Lines 1, 2 and 3 of the Chinese text contain comparisons:
   Your name or your life: which do you hold dearer?
   Your life or your riches: which is of more value?
   To gain or to lose: which causes more pain?
I decided against using the {puS/law'} constructions here as they seemed 
unnecessarily cumbersome.

**Okay, {ghaH} is not "they". However, having decided to use the 
gender-neutral "those" in the English text, I had to be consistent in my use 
of pronouns and that meant using "they" in the last line.





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