Saturday, April 25, 2009

Sheli Poesy Translation

Sheli Poem
By David Peterson

Suf3 čü6 dyas6 ye6 dàm3
An2 šen3 dwos6 čav3 dol3
Khùm2 dat3 šé5lí3 zin1
Pa4 ğeš1 ta4 bul3 xey6
Án6 kwe6 thil3 pa4 des3.

Thick legs like trees
Slice slowly through the air,
A barge glides across the ocean
Into a rock, and the pirates take
The red tusks to the marketplace.

Thick tree-legs pass gracefully through the air
A barge glides through the ocean into a rock, the pirates taking
The red tusks to market.

David Peterson has created a website wherein he documents many remarkable languages which he has created. My favorite one is Kamakawi. On one page he has written a poem in Sheli and asked others to translate. I have created an homage to the Sheli Poem below, but it has shifted and mutated a little. I have tried to incorporate the word šé5lí3 into the translation, for in the original it means “the Sheli language” or “the ocean.” I have thus employed the words xhèli, to come, jhèli, be slow, and xhelilamaramaláma, be sweet, sweetest. Here is the homage as sung by the illustrious pirates Fhèrkifher and Xhnófho:

Tnójeje Khmewàyejikh Xhelilamaramaláma kae

Pleweyétyai tlhér jaêrs
Taê lrainèlpa!
Pleweyétyai pòyim
Xá khnàfha fhamluxamesìyaloi!
Sea Shanty of the Sweet Sky Pirates
Sail up, up,
me hearties!
Sail up,
ye brethren of the fractal seas!

Pàmlo qlaixha fhùxhung fhlaû fhlìpi
Qir xhloâ fhós xhroe yixorng
Teiwayáqixhlayèmlul tlheqùyepakh tlhukiyethyàyexorkh.
Fhwoê thyuiyiêqya fhyuîyutakh thyonángoyùpwar
Xhnoike khwunamayemlulalrakhòthwing
Xhmir fhwàtii khmewàyaxorn.
Hwæt! Thick and deceased limbs like unto creatures, trees,
Chanced to slice slow and mansuete and puissant
Throughout a thing, cold air.
The barge slips across the sea and unto stone,
And the persons, to wit pirates,
Take the rewel tushes, being deceased body parts, red,
Unto the zócalo for paltry things.

Xhilikheqhalùlokhi tèstar
Khufhekùpwar khrurfhtoyùtya
Xhmoînta xhmeîyepakh xhrìtsu
Xhnoe tyèkhreqa xhròlut
Xhlir khlàxat xhthopuryoyùtya
Qùnot pae khmejhiyùtya
Xhnoe xhthaê khùfhet kàrna tsikhímu pfhu
JheisarQamotwoyàswaor xhnèpai se
Kongai kexhleyanènwe.
With the grace of the feminine heavens
The trees’ thick legs pass through
Some of the gasses of the air tunnels,
And a junque glides
Through the waters of the pandimensional space ocean
And unto the solidity of enhydrous quartz,
And sky pirates are honored to take from their brethren
Natural canes of autumnal gold and red
For the friendly merchant caste in the ocean town.

Koe qetlhekhlayetwekhòjhwo
Xhméqupim qoesòjhwo tàru
Xhèli xhèli tèmla tèmla
Jhwákheso sae qaniitèthya xhmàka
Stopayeîlwai’ ásixhlayòlkha
Thukhpuyeîlwai fhupoyeuyòlkha
Khmayateîlwai’ uxhnixhleqhayeîlwai.
Pejor xhèlimet jhàmot ei’
èmleni xhorusiêqya
khlíjoyèmlening jhaûrquil.
Koaqe qyieyàxhwa khwunamayotyayaîlraikh
Tsenapfhoâyutakh xhmir Pentètyoimm
tèlpar xhnir tárl tqar xhrir Pojhòrthna
khmufhayeîlwai khmuwayeîlwai’
íxoiyeîlwai xhéyefhu.
As for it,
How it is coming, how it is cutting,
The beast’s legs, being a trunk, a tree
Through the dephlogisticated air like snow falling,
The legs being the stumps of limbs
Being the stumps of teeth
Being shipmast and treestump.
Winding and gliding
The coracle descents
Across the sea of noise and sacrifice and below a rock.
Candy corsairs, licensed by the loved Nobles of the Posqéje Caste, were importing of the crimson rewel-tushes
Unto the roadsteads and elegant sylvan priests,
The importing being momentum, being movement
Being farewell ending.

Fheixhmafhtótlhes fheixhmàxhno
Fheiptòkhtitha fheixànte qhipìlike
Tlhipfhofhaisyáfhe tlhìkhyesoi tlhixipépo
Tlhistáma tlhìstáng tlhipfhopyákhafha.
Qthilreithàyatser xùthyoss sae
Xhmèfhi xhlèsi xhroe yusqruning
Xhmiekhentheyèpyer fhuijhùqra fhuîlrapa
Qhaôxeu qhaoqhóri qhiJekhnèntru
Qir xhmeîxoa tlhàpela xhroe tlhijhenófho.
Smooth and slow
And lordly the thick middle legs, being floating tree,
Being trees solid, being hindlegs
Cut the ice crystals in the air.
Glissading through the swanroads
The fulūka strikes the great cicatricising stone,
And the bucchaneers seize and grab
The cerise sabor fangs of the Leviathan
For the sake of mischief.

Tnaqnènatser stàqha’ itlhukiyòtya ker kàqre
Xhyòketlheun xhmoe lyàrtsa tniwiyòlkha
Tsùxhni’ éjhi pfho tlhaxhlayàxhmikh
Pfhikhyàpfha xultayòkhqol
Tìqya fhtáyùtya
Sqòqhi jèkhmi
qetsintìsqa tufenúqeyùtya
Jhwú xhmòxhi xhroe fhalinusèkhre pfhu
Sàlwa khethakhòkhta fhàlinu xhnoike’
Pejor èngii tsatsàpro qthixhingàntar
xhiêng xhólujhar khnáng.
Èpa xhùkhwe khwùnama xhroe
qhèsqo qlalaJekhnentruyèkhmo
sqèkhum ptaiyoyàswaor
jhèngputlham khmeilàrafhan
jhèngpu qléxhèyatser.
While the leg-arms of Traîkhiim, wooden, of beasts
Ankylotic and non-movement and of thickness
Nam the yerdes of some trees, crystalline limber
The rainbrella ship,
A crosser of the world ocean
Cleaving and smooth and slow
Slit the luminiferous æther.
The solar sails, silver-footed sails
Unyoke the sail-road lochs, and
As they dscend in the presence of a large rock,
They alight on top of the shore.
The wink-fain pirates,
Winking at callinymphs
Take and organize
The crimson rewel-teeth
Of the royal Liwyātān.

Tsolroyàjhwen ei. Fhím ei.
Qáwèlufhang ker khùnwo.
Khyefháxeiyàxhwa
Khnùpfhu’ usqanóli khlúti xhroe
Khwuwejhùyepakhh khmérn.
Pamlènthe’ ól ker xhnípe’
Eqìrxu xhroe’ ojoxója xhroa.
Ólya toxeûyixorng trokùyutakh.
Qhoayaîpoin khwunamayòtya
khmaitlhor xhrir Jekhnèntru
jhoqhímlumàtser pejor Oîkhan
qhaôm koaqe jhèkhlun khnálùtya.
It is denseness. They are trees.
There are eyestalks that are trees.
As for the strong things,
They are the slow alchemy of cold air
Using prudence.
The gyroscope vessel indeed
Is being upon the thalatta.
There is in fact a swimmer unto the scurrying rocks.
The sky pirates, munching on marbits,
Are fated to place the tushes
Of the respected Leviathan
On the rock fences that surround the market for the Candy Mafiosa.

Khoiqamàtatser kùxhyu tòntu
khmekelóngeyaîte khmèsyeqha qyeîm
oifhayan ókhoîyii
ke se sas xhmèfhirai selwònthe
khmóle khméliyùlkha’ ei.
Jhamlìyatser sqánamen
Akhasyayètatekh khwunamàyujhu qwìfhwin
Syijhipanaqaiyaôngi qaîsto
Swìxaye swìxaye sàqroye sàqroye
Tórkhèxhyeu jhpàrtsiye.
Using thick bone oars
The beast shall do its hornless plodding
Through the atmosphere
As soon as it will pull the quinquireme
Through the mansuetude of the seas.
Raming against the permanence of rock
The sea folk, smoking
Of clove cigar and tobacco pipe
Have graspt red oxide tusks
For bartering in the agora.


Xhthèptim xhwìthwo’ ur qoe fhàxhri
xhmoîntaxung khmànikhh khmín khmeûrtor
qusipentheyùjhwu fhlòfhu
lrieyiyapònya lrekhùyaloi tsitsiethayòjhwo
kupwurnwuyapònya xhnàlwajárs thiê se.
Kòtisi qhoqwayòjhwa
pòrma pafhwelùlkha
Khwunamayèkhmo
Ker khmàfhar ker kutúqa
Xàrsoran xhyòku xhamarnafhinùtya
Xhmoixhrejésiyèxhyeu qir khmàket xhmoe
Xhmilpènto Xhmantàyaloi
Khyèqhiir sqoiqéripèyuqei xú.
Four legs, ferocious, of a beast, assoiling,
Being a locust ironclad floating
Which yode within the darkness among the suns,
Being an insect whose wings protruded to the jagged cliffs
Alienated adagio the cold air.
Candy pirates, quaffing pink lemonade,
sset out and clasped the contraband candies,
being forms of a cadmium red medium hue,
formed of ivory tusks,
that were electrum, that were candy canes,
for to sell in the markets
in the Holy City
among the cloud-gathering Dragons.

Ás khmixeyéxho kongai Ptoteiyàswaor tepu!
Ás khnèfhtoe kongai’ Áterìyejikh
Qlakhafhórieyapònya’ Eilasaiyanorùlkha tepu!
Tsòlaqa khmaeyòntet jhwìnya’
Uxhnìxhleqha xhepoînxhe
Pèlqa jhefhìyepakh.
Thyèpta khnùyo qir uxhójo pelquîyutakh
Xhlir khèxhlo pwèkhti khmayatèlwil.
Fhìmetsu tqeûfhlo khlóngi pfhu
Khìpwuyan thurutèthya
Khnaxeliyèxhyeu qir Solúma
Jheirqtàlpa Khelèlkhonor Ausélinor Eilasaîyanor.
Let us sing praises unto our honored Ancestors!
Let us praise the honored Ancestors
Who revere Eilasaîyanor!
It chanced that the tree trunk, being a thigh
Flying in the air adagio
Impaled both bubbles of air and gentle cool rain.
By accident a vessel, a mastless container
Absorbed a rock upon the cærulea as it headed
Unto the candy cane forests.
The battle poachers as predators
Removed on purpose the auburn stolen candies
In the rainbow canalies, in Solúma
Jheirqtàlpa Khelèlkhonor Ausélinor Eilasaîyanor.

Ás khmixeyéxho kongai Ptoteiyàswaor tepu!
Ás khnèfhtoe kongai’ Áterìyejikh
Xhuxorlapònya qlalaXhelkhajakhtàyejikh
sòlra Pwéru kae tepu!
Pejor koe’ eûkh fhàpta
Pejor koe’ áqìxhla tòlwe lrèxhe
Jhèli wthókhùmpul qòtwi pfháràswaor
Stèngu jhyefhìyepakh
Thaképa xhamayimàxhmikh
àkhwen khyesoiyèthya
xhnir xhnefhoîtlha’ úlaxheiyòlkha.
Twalánaôthe’ ól ker sàlwu
Pfhartafhènaqi twáneqhèyatser.
Thothàtlhamet qir xhmoâ kùfhyo xhroe
Yontet khlakhpóna pelquiyàntar awènta.
Pejor plèwe tlhér jaêrs tyiruyèthya
Jhèli qleîpa khwunamayòlkha
Wthepèstu thoxhèrso pfhu
Xhnípeyapònya khrùqhakh
Xhnípeyapònya xhnáxher
khmèwa qwanengèlratha
Koaqe jhèxhlun qwanangòlkha
Tsenastánàyutakh tsíyangèpwo
Xhnoe’ aôjoi xhnoe khàkhte
Xhmilpènto Xhmantàyaloi.
Let us sing praises unto our honored Ancestors!
Let us praise the honored Ancestors
Who revere the solar Divine house,
The Pwéru!
A mammoth’s sabor tooth,
The four legs of a crystalbeast
Slow it passes, heavy and lumbering unto the worlds
With heavy foot steps
It butchers the welkin of dance,
As thick
As the pillars of trees.
The glass and hot air balloon indeed draws a furrow
Within the prismatic world ocean.
It arrives unto a cove
And ghyll near the candy cane forests.
Like bounty hunters, sailing up, up
The peach-fain pirates
Munching on peaches
Slowly grasp the defending rewel tushes
That are candies, blushing,
Reddened,
And head untowards the space port
of crystalline jasper
And turquoise and jade
In the Holy City.

Ás khmixeyéxho kongai Ptoteiyàswaor tepu!
Ás khnèfhtoe khmaitlhorXhmèrpa xhroe’
Aqhus ainorXhmàkhpi’ aqhus
XauSaiqírent pelquixhethàrlro kae!
Kho pló khmèwa prárlo
Fherkifheròntet Xhnófho.
Jhèli jhiqrípa fhósùpwar
Fhorthayáqìxhla tlhèqu ser khmèkhikh xhroe
Xiraîku pfhe tekhyakhmekhiqta xhroe’ ó
Xhipànta pfhe ker khmìxhexa xhemauntàyatser ó.
Jhèli jhàmot xhorusiêqya xàfhar
Xhmir xopúrtsàntu xaîrot
Qir xhelilamaramaláma
Xhyòxhungo Piifharúkekhèpyer
Pejor paîqe tnójeyùtya kúxhrejor
Fhoxheyénxha kutúqayùlkha xhlúl pfhu khmèwa
Xhmir Qírenat sàja sunáleiyàswaor
Xhmir Qírenat Puîyos
Xhróra thoxhersoxhetharlrúwu.

Pleweyétyai tlhér jaêrs
Taê lrainèlpa!
Pleweyétyai pòyim
Xá khnàfha fhamluxamesìyaloi!
Let us sing praises unto our honored Ancestors!
Let us praise the respected Crystalline Throne,
And blessed Starburst Crown, and
Beloved Cælestial Crown Prince who is candy-cane tressed!
Thus sing the illustrious pirates,
Fhèrkifher and Xhnófho.
The four thick limbs of the prey
Slowly sift the cold air,
Just as one disembowels one’s enemies,
Just as one performs a ritual sacrifice and leaves drops of blood.
The cadlong slowly glides across the sea
Towards the petrescent eyot
Within the sweetest
Ocean of Stars, the Sea of Music, and
Singing their mallemaroking
The pirates bring bloody candy canes
Unto the holy Emperor of tomorrow
Unto Emperor Puîyos,
Chryselephantelectrum and candy-cane tressed.

Sail up, up,
me hearties!
Sail up,
ye brethren of the fractal seas!

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