Hello friends, I received a request from a student/linguist who asks for help for a linguistic project. He has written a short poem which, according to him, makes the structure of semantic elements easily visible and therefore seems to be good to compare languages. The original version is English, and he has about 100 translations available already. Klingon is missing, so maybe someone likes to do this, or we do it on this list as a group: The Blind Hermit I have no friends; my friends are my senses. I have no enemies; my enemy is absent-mindedness. I have no allies; the stick that guides my steps is my ally. I have no companions; the sea is my companion. I have no songs; I hear the birds in the wood. I know no tales; the wind and the rain whisper to me. I have no books; my memories are my books. I have no games; my game is life. I have no mother; my mother are the plants and the streams that sustain me. I have no father; the cave that shelters me is my father. I have neither master nor disciples; I am both myself. I have no quarrel with anyone; I rarely speak. I do not fall sick; the only true disease is doubt. I pray to none; my belief is that which I know. -- Lieven L. Litaer aka Quvar valer 'utlh Grammarian of the KLI http://www.facebook.com/Klingonteacher http://www.klingonwiki.net
On 3/16/2017 12:43 PM, Lieven wrote:
I received a request from a student/linguist who asks for help for a linguistic project.
He has written a short poem which, according to him, makes the structure of semantic elements easily visible and therefore seems to be good to compare languages.
I find this claim either dubious or misstated. Semantics are different in different languages; why would English semantics presented in a certain way lead to useful semantic comparisons in other languages?
The original version is English, and he has about 100 translations available already.
Klingon is missing, so maybe someone likes to do this, or we do it on this list as a group:
I tried to stick as closely to the English words and structure as possible, even if there is a better way to say this in Klingon. I kept personified things as non-speaking things.
The Blind Hermit
leghlaHbe'bogh mobwI'
I have no friends; my friends are my senses.
jup vIghajbe'; nochwIj bIH jupwIj'e'.
I have no enemies; my enemy is absent-mindedness.
jagh vIghajbe'; yab jeH 'oH jaghwIj'e'.
I have no allies; the stick that guides my steps is my ally.
boqwI' vIghajbe'; or muboq pagh; muDevbogh naQ jIyItDI' 'oH boqwI'wIj'e'. or muboq muDevbogh naQ jIyItDI'.
I have no companions; the sea is my companion.
tlhejwI' vIghajbe'; or mutlhej pagh; bIQ'a' 'oH tlhejwI'wIj'e'. or mutlhej bIQ'a'.
I have no songs; I hear the birds in the wood.
bom vIghajbe'; or jIbombe'; ngemDaq bo'Degh vIQoy. or ngem bo'Degh vIQoy.
I know no tales; the wind and the rain whisper to me.
lut vISovbe'; jIHvaD tlhup SuS SISbogh bIQ je
I have no books; my memories are my books.
paq vIghajbe'; Doch vIqawbogh bIH paqwIj'e'.
I have no games; my game is life.
Quj vIghajbe'; yIn 'oH QujwIj'e'.
I have no mother; my mother are the plants and the streams that sustain me.
SoS vIghajbe'; mutaHmoHbogh tI bIQtIqHom je bIH SoSwIj'e'.
I have no father; the cave that shelters me is my father.
vav vIghajbe'; muQanbogh DIS 'oH vavwIj'e'.
I have neither master nor disciples; I am both myself.
pIn ghojwI' ghap vIghajbe'; chang'eng jIH.
I have no quarrel with anyone; I rarely speak.
paghvaD jISol; pIjHa' jIjatlh.
I do not fall sick; the only true disease is doubt.
jIropchoHbe'; ropna' ghaj HonwI' neH.
I pray to none; my belief is that which I know.
paghvaD jIjIn; Doch vISovbogh vIHar. -- SuStel http://trimboli.name
I wrote:
He has written a short poem which, according to him, makes the structure of semantic elements easily visible and therefore seems to be good to compare languages.
Am 16.03.2017 um 19:14 schrieb SuStel:
I find this claim either dubious or misstated. Semantics are different in different languages; why would English semantics presented in a certain way lead to useful semantic comparisons in other languages?
I agree that it's confusing, that's why I said "according to him". I also do not see how these sentences can easily be compared, and we know from the Bing project that computers certainly cannot identify semantics easily.
I tried to stick as closely to the English words and structure as possible, even if there is a better way to say this in Klingon. I kept personified things as non-speaking things.
That went very quick! Can I forward it to him right away, or would you wish to wait until the community has given its suggestions? -- Lieven L. Litaer aka Quvar valer 'utlh Grammarian of the KLI http://www.facebook.com/Klingonteacher http://www.klingonwiki.net
On 3/16/2017 3:32 PM, Lieven wrote:
I wrote:
He has written a short poem which, according to him, makes the structure of semantic elements easily visible and therefore seems to be good to compare languages.
Am 16.03.2017 um 19:14 schrieb SuStel:
I find this claim either dubious or misstated. Semantics are different in different languages; why would English semantics presented in a certain way lead to useful semantic comparisons in other languages?
I agree that it's confusing, that's why I said "according to him". I also do not see how these sentences can easily be compared, and we know from the Bing project that computers certainly cannot identify semantics easily.
I tried to stick as closely to the English words and structure as possible, even if there is a better way to say this in Klingon. I kept personified things as non-speaking things.
That went very quick! Can I forward it to him right away, or would you wish to wait until the community has given its suggestions?
I encourage suggestions. The sentences weren't very difficult to translate, but someone might have a better turn of phase on some of them, or might better understand what this person is looking for. -- SuStel http://trimboli.name
participants (2)
-
Lieven -
SuStel