luzula: a Luzula pilosa, or hairy wood-rush (Default)
luzula ([personal profile] luzula) wrote2012-12-16 07:42 pm

"Nyárë yondo atacárala", translated into Quenya

Er, this is possibly the geekiest thing I have ever done.

A while ago I posted a snippet with the due South pilot told in the style of Tolkien's Silmarillion. And now I have translated it to Quenya. Yes, I actually spent a summer about ten years ago learning Quenya, although I had to look up most of the vocabulary and grammar again to do this. Thanks to fellow geek [profile] bghost for taking a look at the translation!

Hmm, I wonder why there is no fic in Quenya on the AO3 already? I sent a support request asking them to add it as a language so I could list this as a translation, which they said they'd do. But I'd have expected someone who actually writes in Tolkien fandom to have done it before this. Also, I'm totally going to podfic this just so that the audiofic archive can have a tag for Quenya. *g*

I learned Quenya from the course on this site, which is ugly but informative. I translated the names in the snippet into Quenya, since they contain sound combinations which don't work for that language. Name translations are from this site, except for Chicago. I googled that as potentially meaning something like "stinky-place" (heh) and translated it as Holwenomë (holwë=stink, nomë=place).

Robert = Alcarcalimo
Benton (= Benjamin) = Hyarion
Ray = Alcon
Elizabeth = Eruvandë

***

Lúmissë Eruvandë Attëo ulki neri hastaner Formenorë. Oloiyanentë parca nór ar sahtanentë lië marentallon, pan i neri milci ar merner laurë. Er ner mahtanet, Alcarcalimo arnë tirnaron, ar meldorya cítaina vartanes ar nwalcavë nahtanes va cana.

Mal i nahtanë arna tirnava ná atacarna illumë, ar yondorya Hyarion vandanë hirë i nehtari, ananta lelyuvas palan. I nehtari úmer maisi sé lelyalë rávassë, ar Hyarion as ráca otornoryë roitanes ú taryassëo.

Linauressen ar lillomessen hilyanentet hyarmenna, tenna tullente minassë Holwenomessë, ya ná hyarmen lá marenta.

Írë Hyarion tullë Holwenomessë colles carnë vacco arnë tirnaron, ya úmë senwa i nossin nomëo tana, pan núror tario umir tulë rimbavë tar. Né minassë alta ar ettelëa, ar Hyarion né har avánië estelerya. Mal i ettelëa nóresse neri mani er enger, ar Hyarion omentanë ner minassë tirnaron, estanë Alcon, ya manyas.

Alcon maiti Holwenomessë sívë Hyarion rávassë, ar hirnentë i nehtar rato. Mal nés er carma hyëon, ar Hyarion parnë as nyérë sa engë neri raicar yando arnë tirnaron.

Hyarion umë quildë ar quentë palan neri raicaron, ar arnë tirnar paimetanes. Nés etelenda ar lemyane minassë hyarmenyassë tana, vahaia mareryallo Formenoressë.

***

Here's a literal word-for-word translation to English. I indicated the case endings by just sticking the prepositions on the end, and the pronoun suffixes by just sticking the pronoun on the end.

Time-in Elizabeth Second-of evil men marred North-lands. Flooded-they dry land and forced-they people homes-their-from, for the men greedy and wanted gold. One man fought-them, Robert royal guard-of, and friend-his supposed betrayed-him and cruelly slew-him from behind.

But the slaying royal guard-of is avenged always, and son-his Benton pledged to find the slayers, although travel-would-he far. The slayers were-not skilled at traveling wilderness-in, and Benton with wolf sworn-brother-his hunted-them without difficulty.

Many-days-in and many-nights-in followed-they-them south-towards, until came-they stronghold Chicago-in, which is south beyond home-their.

When Benton came Chicago-in wore-he red coat royal guard-of, which was-not usual the people-to place-of that, because servants queen-of did-not come often thither. Was stronghold great and strange, and Benton was near losing hope-his. But the strange land-in men good still existed, and Benton met man city guard-of, named Ray, who helped him.

Ray skilled Chicago-in as Benton wilderness-in, and found-they killer soon. But was-he only tool other-person-of, and Benton learned with sorrow that existed men crooked also royal guard-of.

Benton was-not quiet and told far-and-wide men crooked-of, and royal guard punished-him. Was-he exiled and remained stronghold southern-in that, far-away home-his-from North-land-in.
petra: Barbara Gordon smiling knowingly (Default)

[personal profile] petra 2012-12-16 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I love that you did this. It made me hoot with absolute glee.
calvinahobbes: Calvin holding a cardboard tv-shape up in front of himself (calvinfeedback)

[personal profile] calvinahobbes 2012-12-16 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
This is SO COOL *__* Although I have to scold you a little for linking to that course -- I almost didn't backbutton in time D:

WHEN ARE YOU POSTING THE PODFIC WHEN WHEN WHEN?

PS: I'm sure there's fic in Quenya out there somewhere? I'm less surprised there's none on AO3; I suspect it's too young an archive yet.
calvinahobbes: Calvin holding a cardboard tv-shape up in front of himself (calvinfacepalm)

[personal profile] calvinahobbes 2012-12-17 09:25 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, yeah, because I almost decided that learning Quenya was the appropriate life choice for me right now :D

I'm definitely looking forward to the podfic.

Geeky question: the verbs don't have personal endings? I'm just curious because I initially took the ë to mean 'they', but I see it all over in what I take to be the verbs. Then you put "he fought-them", which must be mahtanet? So -t would 3rd person singular? But them is object. And part of the verb...? GDI someone take this post away from me /o\
calvinahobbes: Calvin holding a cardboard tv-shape up in front of himself (Default)

[personal profile] calvinahobbes 2012-12-17 10:07 am (UTC)(link)
O.O

Subject AND object endings! So [stem + tense + subject + object] unless explicit subject in noun/ proprium in which case... plural marker. That last bit seems a bit excessive, hum... (There's a dual but not a singular? Are there not first person singular personal pronouns so you only mark it as a subject suffix/infix? Or were you just trying to scare me by emphasizing the dual? *g*)

Gyyyaaah! I maintain that learning new languages is healthy and good for the brain! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
calvinahobbes: Calvin holding a cardboard tv-shape up in front of himself (Default)

[personal profile] calvinahobbes 2012-12-17 02:39 pm (UTC)(link)
*chinhands*

Yes, I caught the minor mistake :o)

Singular = no mark makes total sense. (I wouldn't be surprised if Tolkien had included a dual verb form; it certainly seems to fit with the overall style of the language.)

It's all so interesting! The polite/familiar distinction is so useful, I think, and I like the thought of how such a form would change the meaning and connotations of "I love you" -- now I'm curious to know whether he had any specific thoughts wrt semantics for this language, because of course this example reminded me of agape/eros/storge.

I'm sorry! But I think it's entirely fair to say that you started it! ;o)

PS: I just came by this post on tumblr, which amused me greatly.
calvinahobbes: Calvin holding a cardboard tv-shape up in front of himself (Default)

[personal profile] calvinahobbes 2012-12-17 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
That's probably the danger of toying with language geekery in this place -- people won't be able to stop again *g*

I'm delighted there's at least that separation in meanings -- so cool!

You are so awesome! You know I think tumblr is the poorer for not yet knowing that? You don't have a tumblr so you could add that bit...? *g*
calvinahobbes: Calvin holding a cardboard tv-shape up in front of himself (Default)

[personal profile] calvinahobbes 2012-12-17 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I just keep being far too amused by all of this!

I added it to the post. tumblr being tumblr it now remains to be seen whether that was a good idea :oP
omens: sun shining through leaves (Default)

[personal profile] omens 2012-12-16 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
ALL OF THIS WAS WONDERFUL! I am so enthralled right now, wow.
isis: (Default)

[personal profile] isis 2012-12-16 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I am delighted by this entire idea.
mergatrude: a skein, a ball and a swatch of home spun and dyed blue yarn (Default)

[personal profile] mergatrude 2012-12-16 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
This is awesome!!

I kind of fail at languages because why can't people have the same rules for grammar everywhere?! So that you did this (in a totally made up language, just like Esperanto!) just amazes and delights me.
butterflyghost: (Default)

[personal profile] butterflyghost 2012-12-17 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
Oh I am so THRILLED this finally got posted, and I'm looking forward to the podfic so much. My son wandered past at one point while I was mooching over this, and said, "Mum, you sound like Galadriel,what is that mumbo jumbo you're jumbling?" Okay, so... insulting, but at least he has a good ear for languages. And Luzula, you have a lovely reading voice, I'm sure the podfic will be awesome.
butterflyghost: (Default)

[personal profile] butterflyghost 2012-12-17 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I like Galadriel... My son was being facetious. And yes, he does have a good ear for languages, though not much patience when it comes to studying them. When we went to Africa he was chatting away in Zulu and Xhosa withing a few weeks, without having studied them, though he's since forgotten it all. He's forgotten all his Gaelic too, though I suppose it would come back if we visited the Gaeltacht together.
seascribble: the view of boba fett's codpiece and smoking blaster from if you were on the ground (Default)

[personal profile] seascribble 2012-12-17 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my gosh, this is the best. I am not cool enough to be able to read it, but it's pretty much the best thing ever, even so. All of the grammar! The English gloss is so much fun.
Edited 2012-12-17 01:34 (UTC)
sineala: Fraser (dS) doing buddy breathing with Ray Kowalski; the text reads "that thing you were doing with your mouth" (Due South: Buddy Breathing)

[personal profile] sineala 2012-12-17 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
Awesome! :)
amoama: (Trombley charms)

[personal profile] amoama 2012-12-17 07:06 am (UTC)(link)
Reading this aloud is the best thing ever - and I love the word for word translation, it really helps to understand what I'm actually reading. I can't wait for the podfic! <33
majoline: picture of Majoline, mother of Bon Mucho in Loco Roco 2 (Default)

[personal profile] majoline 2013-01-13 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
This is so freaking spectacular. (I'm reading along with the podfic right now.)

Thank you for sharing! ♥
busaikko: Snoopy listening to Woodstock (* Snoopy and Woodstock)

[personal profile] busaikko 2013-01-14 10:31 am (UTC)(link)
*_________________*

This is *amazing*.
butterflyghost: (Default)

[personal profile] butterflyghost 2013-01-15 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
Oooh, GLEE!!!You've got the podfic up!

Any chance you'll be able to get these up on AO3?
kasihya: Ned from Pushing Daisies, wearing a straw hat and obviously fake moustache (ned)

[personal profile] kasihya 2013-02-08 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
This is super-cool, and I absolutely love the podfic!