tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Mar 08 07:56:40 2004

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RE: Welsh National Anthem (KLBC?)

avarQ, son of gharan ([email protected]) 

Ok great thanks!

The only real question I have with what you gave me (as the rest of it
makes perfect sense and once again explains why I shouldn't try this
when I'm overtired as I was last night) is:

>      puHwIjvaD vIvoqtaH.
>
>The last line means "I am trusting it for my land"
>Try dropping the {-vaD}:
>{puHwIj vIvoqtaH} "I'm trusting my land."

>Another suggestion: use {matlh} "to be loyal"), instead of {voq}:
{puHwIjvaD >jImatlh} "I am loyal to my land."

Would I not want to add -taH to the end of that to indicate that I
continue to be loyal?

And if someone could help me with the line I was having trouble with,
namely:

     While sea is a wall to the pure, dear country, (English)
       Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoff bau, (Welsh)

I'd appreciate it.  Also if anyone knows Welsh well enough to comment or
steer me where the English should be changed, please do so!

Thank you all,
Qapla'!

Perry



-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Scott Willis
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 10:01
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Welsh National Anthem (KLBC?)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "avarQ, son of gharan" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 8:05 PM
Subject: Welsh National Anthem (KLBC?)


> A friend has asked me to translate the Welsh national anthem. I have 
> struggled to get what I have here. Anyone interested in lending a 
> hand?  It would be nice if some of the 'poetry' could be maintained. 
> :)

While I can't help with the translation, I *can* look over the grammar,
and wish you the best of luck with your project. }}: )

> The land of my fathers is dear to me,
> puHDaj vavpu' potlh 'e' vIHar,

Object-Verb-Subject: {potlh puHDaj vavpu'} "The fathers of its land are
important." You need to drop the {-Daj}. The possessive is already
present in the noun-noun construct: {nuH pegh} "Secret of the weapon."
And you will need to flip the {vavpu'} and {puH}. If you want to get
across the idea of "My fathers", don't forget {-wI'} (N4, possessive,
indicating the thing possessed is capable of using language.) So all
together, {potlh vavpu'wI' puH 'e' vIHar} "I believe the land of my
fathers is important."

> Land of bards and singers, famous men of renown,
> puHDaj lut ja'wI'pu' bompu' je, loD noy,

Not bad, but drop the {-Daj}, and put {puH} at the end (see above), and
{bom}, as a noun, means "song", not "singer". "Singer" is {bomwI'} "One
who sings". I would also probably put the {loD noy} in with the rest of
the nouns. All together, {lut ja'wI'pu', bomwI'pu', loDpu' noy je puH.}
"Land of storytellers, singers, and famous men."

> It's brave warriors, so good patriots,
> SuvwI'pu' yoHDaj puH, nuvpu' matlh,

Only type 5 noun suffixes go onto a verb acting adjectivially:
{SuvwI'pu'Daj yoHmo'} "Because of its brave warriors." And there's no
mention of "land" in the English in this line. Unless it's called for by
the Welsh, you could probably drop the {puH}: {SuvwI'pu'Daj yoH, nuvpu'
matlh} "It's brave warriors, loyal people."

> For freedom they lost their blood.
> tlhabvaD 'IwDaj chIlta' chaH.

"For freedom, they've misplaced his bloods."
I'd suggest changing {-Daj} to {-chaj} "their", and putting {lu-} on the
verb, to show a singular object. ("blood", not "bloods") So, corrected:
{tlhabvaD 'Iwchaj luchIlta' chaH} "They've misplaced their blood for
freedom."

And, just as a suggestion, try {regh} "to bleed", instead of {'Iw chIl}
"to misplace blood": {tlhabvaD regh chaH} "They bleed for freedom."

>      Land!    Land!
>      I am faithful to my land.
>      puH!     puH!
>      puHwIjvaD vIvoqtaH.

The last line means "I am trusting it for my land"
Try dropping the {-vaD}:
{puHwIj vIvoqtaH} "I'm trusting my land."

Another suggestion: use {matlh} "to be loyal"), instead of {voq}:
{puHwIjvaD jImatlh} "I am loyal to my land."

>      While sea is a wall
>      Surchem 'oH bIQ'a'

Don't forget the {-'e'}: {Surchem 'oH bIQ'a'*'e'*}
You could also try {tlhoy'} "territorial wall", instead of {Surchem}
"Force field"

>      O let the old language continue.
>      HoD jaq taHjaj.

This word order is appropriate only for toasts. Unless it's called for
by the Welsh, put the {taHjaj} at the beginning of the sentence. I will
assume that you meant {Hol} "language", not {HoD} "captain" So we have:
{taHjaj Hol jaq} "May the bold language continue" If you meant "old", as
in "not new", use {ngo'} instead of {jaq}

{pe'vIl mu'qaDmey tIbach!} Good luck!

--ngabwI'
Beginners' Grammarian,
Klingon Language Institute
http://kli.org/
HovpoH 701261.8

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