khlahl er gwayffy er jahw maza er gsrirj bflnqoh er gzawsq
oeh bghoh u dthohddhe sgen
u kkhahgsro jysq jahw bfyssy u kehsse e thkahka e kakkhjzuh khlncla thnjahr lu oeh ncryh dzohwsq kaymbre
dloehj zoh oj punqgaa vehrvor
eh zolljmmw zehw er dzowsq
khnqyhvva jy e toehddha osqror
I've given you a parse, followed by an explanation of each word (in alphabetical order). I've kept remarks on the grammar to the absolute minimum.1[NULL-EVERY .__2[khlahl .__.__3[er .__.__.__4[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__5[NULL-VARIABLE]5 .__.__.__.__6[gwayffy]6 ]4 ]3 .__.__7[er .__.__.__8[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__9[NULL-VARIABLE]9 .__.__.__.__10[jahw .__.__.__.__.__11[maza]11 ]10 ]8 ]7 .__.__12[er .__.__.__13[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__14[NULL-VARIABLE]14 .__.__.__.__15[gsrirj]15 ]13 ]12 ]2 .__16[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__17[NULL-VARIABLE]17 .__.__18[bflnqoh .__.__.__19[NULL1 .__.__.__.__20[er .__.__.__.__.__21[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__.__.__22[NULL-VARIABLE]22 .__.__.__.__.__.__23[gzawsq]23 ]21 ]20 .__.__.__.__24[oeh .__.__.__.__.__25[bghoh .__.__.__.__.__.__26[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__.__.__.__27[NULL-VARIABLE]27 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__28[u .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__29[dthohddhe .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__30[sgen]30 ]29 ]28 ]26 ]25 .__.__.__.__.__31[u .__.__.__.__.__.__32[kkhahgsro .__.__.__.__.__.__.__33[jys .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__34[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__35[NULL-VARIABLE]30 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__36[NULL-AND2 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__37[jahw .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__38[bfyssy]38 ]37 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__39[u .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__40[kehsse .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__41[e .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__42[thkahka .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__43[e .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__44[kakkhj]44 ]43 ]42 ]41 ]40 ]39 ]36 ]34 ]33 ]32 ]31 ]24 ]19 ]18 ]16 ]1 41[zuh .__42[khlncla]42 .__43[thnjahr .__.__44[NULL1 .__.__.__45[lu]45 .__.__.__46[oeh .__.__.__.__47[ncryh .__.__.__.__.__48[dzohwsq .__.__.__.__.__.__49[kaymbre]49 ]48 ]47 .__.__.__.__50[dloehj .__.__.__.__.__51[zoh .__.__.__.__.__.__52[oj .__.__.__.__.__.__.__53[punqgaa]53 ]52 .__.__.__.__.__.__54[vehrvor .__.__.__.__.__.__.__55[eh .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__56[zolljmmw]56 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__57[zehw .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__58[er .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__59[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__60[NULL-VARIABLE]60 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__61[dzowsq]61 ]59 ]58 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__62[khnqyhvva .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__63[jy .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__64[NULL-PROPERTY .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__65[NULL-VARIABLE]65 .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__66[e .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__67[toehddha .__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__68[osqror]68 ]67 ]66 ]64 ]63 ]62 ]57 ]55 ]54 ]51 ]50 ]46 ]44 ]41
NULL-. In names of words = 'unpronounced'. NULL-EVERY. Has two complements, the second of which is NULL- PROPERTY. NULL-EVERY expresses a universal quantifier that quantifies over the members of the set expressed by the first complement. "Every member of the set expressed by the first complement has the property expressed by the second complement." NULL-PROPERTY. Has two complements. The first is a Raisee, NULL-VARIABLE. The second complement contains elements that bind the NULL-VARIABLE. E.g. "[NULL-PROPERTY [NULL-VARIABLE] [anda]]", where "anda", = "person", has one argument which is bound by the NULL-VARIABLE Raisee, means "(the property of) being a person". NULL-VARIABLE. Expresses a variable. Has no complements. NULL1. NULL1 has two complements. The first is a Raisee. NULL1 copies the meaning of its second complement; i.e. NULL1 refers to whatever its second complement refers to. bflnqoh. "G is the case in the world as experienced by F". Has one complement. The G argument is bound by the complement. The F argument is bound by the nearest Raisee. bfyssy. "has compunction, inhibition, scruples, restraint, decorum, superego". Has one argument, which is bound by the nearest Raisee. bghoh. "F has properties it would have if it it had property G". Has one complement. The G argument is bound by the complement, which is NULL-PROPERTY. The F argument is bound by the nearest Raisee. dloehj. "occurs now". Has one complement and one argument, which is expressed by the complement. dthohddhe. "F is moss, or dense short-trimmed lawn, or velvet, or pile carpet, or cilia, or short-cropped hair, (etc.) at/on G; and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. dzohwsq. "is (during) Spring, is part of the events that constitute springtime". Has one complement and one argument, which is expressed by the complement. dzowsq. "is (during) Spring, is part of the events that constitute springtime". Has one argument, which is expressed by the nearest Raisee. e. Valency indicator. Has one complement, which expresses a predicate. 'e' indicates that the predicate has an F argument and a G argument, that the F argument is expressed by the nearest Raisee, and that the G argument is expressed by the second-nearest Raisee. eh. Valency indicator. Has two complements. Indicates that the predicate has a G argument, bound by the nearest Raisee, plus an F argument, bound by the second complement. The first complement expresses the predicate. er. Has one complement: NULL-PROPERTY. "er" expresses a Kind (as in 'mankind', 'womankind') and the kind is defined by the property expressed by its complement. E.g. "er [NULL- PROPERTY [NULL-VARIABLE] [anda]]" = "the Kind corresponding to the property of being x such that x is a person" = "personkind". gsrirj. "is a child". Has one argument, which is bound by the nearest Raisee. gwayffy. "is elderly and infirm". Has one argument, which is bound by the nearest Raisee. gzawsq. "is (during) winter, is part of the events that constitute wintertime". Has one argument, which is bound by the nearest Raisee. jahw. "is very much not the case". Has one complement. Has one argument, which is bound by the complement. jy. = jysq. jysq. Existential quantifier. Has one complement, NULL- PROPERTY. "There is something/someone that has the property expressed by the complement". kakkhj. "F is claw of G". kaymbre. "be clement/lenient, show clemency/leniency, soften a hard line". Has one argument, bound by the nearest Raisee. kehsse. "G cuts/gashes F with sharp blade (cutting instrument); and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. khlahl. Has three complements. Lists the members of a set. khlncla. Pronoun. "a certain X; I and you can identify which; the referent's file is open/active in your mind (discourse- old) -- definite, discourse-old". khnqyhvva. "G is a dryad, naiad, nereid, sprite, a spirit/personality animating inanimate entity F; and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. kkhahgsro. "Predatory beast G stalks, hunts, preys upon F; and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. lu. "thee/you (collective)". maza. "is in good health". Has one argument, which is bound by nearest Raisee. ncryh Has one complement. Means "Is [complement] true?" NULL-AND2. Has two complements. The meaning is that each of the complements is true. oeh. "and". Has two complements. The meaning is that each of the complements is true. oj. Nominal valency indicator. Has one complement, which expresses the predicate. Indicates that the predicate has a G argument, which is bound by the nearest Raisee, plus an F argument, which is bound by "oj" itself; that is, "oj" refers to the F argument. osqror. "is green". Has one argument, which is expressed by the nearest Raisee. punqgaa. "G rules over sociogeographical domain F". sgen. "is a rock not covered by vegetation that protrudes from vegetation-covered ground". Has one argument, which is bound by the nearest Raisee. thkahka. "F is tooth of G; and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. thnjahr. Direct speech introducer. Indicates that the speech is quoted verbatim and without misleading ellipses. As a predicate, it means "F says [quoted speech] to G". toehddha. "F is footprint/indentation/track/symptom/effect/impression of G; and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. u. Valency indicator. Has one complement, which expresses a predicate. 'u' indicates that the predicate has an F argument and a G argument, that the F argument is unexpressed, and that the G argument is expressed by the nearest Raisee. vehrvor. "F roams about place G; and X is the case". Has one complement, which expresses the X argument. zehw. Nominal valency indicator. Has two complements. Indicates that the predicate has an F argument, which is bound by the first complement, plus a G argument, which is bound by "zehw" itself; that is, "zehw" refers to the G argument. The second complement expresses the predicate. zoh. Valency indicator. Has two complements. Indicates that the predicate has an F argument, bound by the nearest Raisee, plus a G argument, bound by the first complement. The second complement expresses the predicate. zolljmmw. "G clasps hand/arm of F in friendly greeting". zuh. Valency indicator. Has two complements. Indicates that the predicate has an F argument, which is unexpressed, and a G argument, which is expressed by the first complement. The second complement expresses the predicate.
Terminological note. A RAISEE is a complement that is not assigned a semantic role by its head. English examples: "He is likely to come" = "It is likely that he will come": "he" is not an argument of "likely". "She seems to have gone" = "It seems that she has gone": "she" is not an argument of "seems". "She believes him to be mad" = "She believes that he is mad": "him" is not an argument of "believes".When an argument of word W is BOUND BY THE NEAREST RAISEE, this means it is bound by the Raisee complement of the superordinate word that is hierarchically nearest to W and that has a Raisee complement. I.e. binding is by the Raisee sister/aunt/greataunt/greatgreat aunt that is as few 'generations' removed as possible. To find the nearest Raisee, then, you climb up the tree until you find a word with a Raisee complement; that complement is the nearest Raisee. To find the second nearest Raisee, you climb up again till you find the next word with a Raisee complement; and so forth.
For the elderly, for the sick and for children, winter
is as if it were a mossy rock, half buried in the grass,
a predatory beast, with ruthless incisive teeth and claws.To it is said "In spring, are you clement?Notes on the translation.
And you now about your realm are roaming
And warmly clasp in greeting the hand of the Spring
sprite who makes green footprints."1. I forget why I mentioned the rock before the beast. If I had had the time, I might have change the translation here.
2. Mossy. The source has "on which moss can grow". Presumably the relevance of "can grow" is that it is so still for so long a time that moss can grow. But I decided not to be too finicky here about translating "can grow", since it is in the nature of rocks that they are still for a long time, especially if it is a "sgen", half buried in the ground. I considered rendering "moss(y)" literally, with "ddhenqgwor", which, if placed at the end of the line, would provide a further sound echo with "vehrvor" and "osqror". But I settled on "dthoddhe", because it could describe not only moss on a rock but bristly hair on the hide of a beast; I take the rock to be what the beast is like - still, waiting, half-hidden.
3. I took "big hunting cat" to mean felix panthera, so initially rendered it as "ghaaghgha", which has that meaning. But it didn't seem that the felinity was crucial: what was crucial is that it is a predatory beast. So I used the more general term "kkhadsro", whose meaning also explicitly has an element of predatoriness.
6. I took the "we" of the source text ("we ask") to be a generic "we", so left it implicit in the translation.
7. "it": I added the explicit "it" ("To it is said") in order to help the next translator. But in an ordinary text I'd have left it implicit.
8. "warmly clasp the hand in greeting". The word in the source text means "greeting, handshake". I went for the less bland and more particular option in translating it.
9. "sprite": "khnqyvva" means a naiad/dryad/nereid-like being, rather than a god; a khnqyvva is the spirit or soul of a thing, not a god that controls it and is external to it. "khnqyvva" fits the context much better than god, since in the text one is implicitly greeting the Spring, not only the god of Spring. Furthermore, the version with "khnqyvva" would make perfect sense to a Livagian weltanschauung, whereas a version with a more exact translation of "god" would immediately transpose the text into some alien mythology, rather than reflecting a universal experience of winter.
11. I forgot to translate "dear" in the source text ("dear god"), but perhaps the "warmly clasp the hand" gets across the dearness of the greetee.
10. The brevity of the Livagian and the alterations to word order made it hard to preserve with fidelity the lineation pattern of the original.
Winter is the same to the old, to the sick and to children,
Like a big cat hunting,
Like a rock on which moss can grow,
And like shameless teeth,
And like sharp claws brought to the hunt.So we ask it:Notes on the text received.
"Art thou clement in Spring?
Thou art wandering in thy kingdom.
Thou art greeting the dear god of Spring,
which is leaving green footprints behind."I couldn't work out the syntax of the first sentence, viz the relationships between "winter", "the old, the sick, and children", "a big cat hunting", "a rock on which moss can grow", "shameless teeth" and "sharp claws brought to the hunt". Or rather, my best guess at the syntax didn't yield a very plausible meaning. So I decided to go for the plausible meaning.