[tlhIngan Hol] Hatlh tawmey, juHDaq HIDev

[Daniel Dadap]

I wrote the line in the subject of this email as a joke, then couldn’t stop myself from attempting to translate the rest of the song.

I’m fairly certain that the “she” referred to in various places is supposed to be West Virginia, which should probably be translated as “'oH” instead of “ghaH”, but I’ve chosen to translate it as “ghaH” for poetic reasons and just in case “she” was intended to be a person in the English version.

tlhoS Suto'vo'qor, vIrjInya' 'ev
SuDbogh Su'nIm HuDmey, bIqtIq Sen'anDowa'
pa' yIn ngo' law' pa' Sormey ngo' puS
yIn chu' law' HuD chu' puS; SuStaHvIS 'oH rur SuS

Almost Sto-Vo-Kor, area northwest of Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah river
Life there is older than the trees there
Life is newer than the mountains; while it is blowing a breeze resembles it

mu' bomqa'lu'bogh:
Hatlh tawmey, juHDaq HIDev
DaqwIj 'oHbe'mo' naDev
vIrjInya' 'ev, HuD'a' SoSoy
juHDaq HIDev, Hatlh tawmey

Chorus;
Country roads, lead me home
Because here is not my place
Area northwest of Virginia, mountain mama
Lead me home, country roads

ghaH boptaH wov'onmeywIj Hoch
tlhIlwI' be' ghaH, 'ej not bIQ SuD SovchoH
Hurgh 'ej lam, chalDaq mIllogh chenmoHlu'
wovtaHbogh maS wejwa', SaQtaHbogh mInDu'

All of my memories are about her
She is a miner’s woman, and she never began to know blue water
Dark and dirty, in the sky a picture is made
The flavor of the shining moon, eyes that are crying

(mu' bomqa'lu'bogh tIbomqa')

(Repeat chorus)

ghoghDaj vIQoy; qaStaHvIS po murIttaH
jIHvaD juHwIj Hop qawmoHtaH wab HevwI'
tawDaq jISeDtaHvIS, pay' jItIw
'ej wa'Hu juH vIpawnIS 'e' vIHar, 'e' vIHar

I hear her voice; during the morning she is summoning me
The sound receiver is reminding me of my distant home
While I am driving on the road, suddenly I react emotionally
And I believe that should have arrived home yesterday, I believe it

(cha'logh mu' bomqa'lu'bogh tIbomqa')

(Repeat chorus two times)

juHDaq HIDev, Hatlh taw tIlo'
juHDaq HIDev, Hatlh taw tIlo'

Lead me home, use country roads
Lead me home, use country roads