A Revised Discussion of the Kilrathi Language

So after impressing my son with the translation of the previous song that-shall-not-be-named-again-in-his-Highness's-presence-on-pain-of-disembowelment, he challenged me to do yet another translation. Thrakhath was quite reluctant at first but brightened when he saw that I had given him a song about hunting something. He credited the subjects - both hunters and prey - with having zaga, though the found the person supplying the crew somewhat contemptible (specifically he wondered why they didn't supply additional watercraft since they seemed to be crucial to the hunt itself).

(I'm also quite aware of the difference between what we could consider "tea" here on Earth" versus what it was on Kilrah, but it made for an easier translation, as did "wine" instead of "rum". We're still working on words for specific food and drink, after all.)

Anyway...

AKJAQLANSHIRA
[WATER-COME FROM-HOLE]-PERSON
THE WELLERMAN

gathleshki'lanshikthrak aqlan nisss Kirtha'lanshikthrak
song-(of)-sea from-place originally, New-land-(of)-sea
a sea ballad originally from New Zealand

===

♫ Hu'ha'kshint du'esh uni mas nisk dulanshikthrak ♫
there-was-ship at-time one that went to-sea
There once was a ship that put to sea

♫ Hus'shint ha'kgar, Vidyaljirak ♫
name-(of)-ship was-it, [tool-hold-[thing that does]-tea]
The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea

♫ Niskarhi'danisdaq maks nis'nisk talan ergshint ♫
winds-blew and begin-went down about-ship
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down

♫ Yeleshki thraks, ni'takhari (hagai!) ♫
Sing greatly, my-brothers (yes!)
O blow, my bully boys, blow (Huh!)

===

[HUKUTAV ADU'AL]
SECTION REPEAT-(THING THAT DOES)
CHORUS

♫ Gar'h'injaq, eshma'in, Akjaqlanshira ♫
it-may-come soon, [water-come from-hole]-person
Soon may the Wellerman come

♫ Maks dyakai karhshi'iraknavjirakmaksakrah ♫
And bring-us [crystals-(of)-plant-sweet]-tea-and-wine
To bring us sugar and tea and rum

♫ Ja'lesh orakthrak'haku'k duhukutavi eshmang ♫
when [creature-water-(ultimate)]-is-ripped to-pieces someday
One day, when the tonguin' is done

♫ Ek'h'in nistalanmaksnis. ♫
we-will depart-and-go
We'll take our leave and go

===

♫ Shint'hakavha'k aqtha tagi'i de ♫
ship-was-not-been from-land for-weeks two
She'd not been two weeks from shore

♫ Ja'lesh gar'iskuk, orakthrak ♫
When it-found-prey, [creature-water-(ultimate)]
When down on her, a right whale bore

♫ Shintahr dalyai'elkgako'a'imakskir'khak ♫
Captain called-all-crew-and-swore
The captain called all hands and swore

♫ Gar'h'askgumasorakthrak tagar'akhudyaga (hagai!) ♫
He-would-[kill but not eat]-that-[creature-water-(ultimate)] for-its-[liquid-fat] (yes!)
He'd take that whale in tow (Huh!)

====

[HUKUTAV ADU'AL]

[HUKUTAV HULE]
SECTION THING-WORD
VOCABLE SECTION

====

♫ Eshchur antak'jaqdukak ♫
before [craft-water]-entered-water
Before the boat had hit the water

♫ Pakga'orakthrak chaqmaksr'agar ♫
Tail-(of)-[creature-water-(ultimate)] struck-and-destroyed-it
The whale's tail came up and caught her

♫ Gako'a'i'nisk duchutraga'shint, daqmakstugar ♫
All-crew-went-to-waist-(of)-ship, struck-and-fought-it
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her

♫ Ja'lesh orakthrak'nisk talanak, hagai! ♫
When [creature-water-(ultimate)]-went below-water, yes!
When she dived down low (Huh!)

====

[HUKUTAV ADU'AL]

====

♫ Dymgai'hakavshuk, orakthrak'hakavbadyavk ♫
Ropes-were not-cut, [creature-water-(ultimate)]-was not-released
No line was cut, no whale was freed

♫ Shintahr'hakav erghakgagathi ♫
Captain-be not about-greed
The Captain's mind was not of greed

♫ Qu Shintahr'ha'qir'khak KIR'KHA'BAKA'HA ♫
But Captain-had-sworn OATH-OF-HUNTER
But he belonged to the whaleman's creed

♫ Takhjaqgu, orakthrak'dyakmasshint (hagai!) ♫
Therefore, [creature-water-(ultimate)]-carried-that-ship, yes!
She took that ship in tow (Huh!)

====

[HUKUTAV ADU'AL]

[HUKUTAV HULE]

====

♫ Ta gara esh'gai p'ntok ♫
For [greater than] days [five eights]
For forty days, or even more

♫ Dymga'jaqknorg jhavanorg du ♫
Rope-became-loose then-tight again
The line went slack, then tight once more

♫ Ganti'ak'ha'kr'ak kes ♫
All-[craft-[plural]-water]-were-destroyed four
All boats were lost, there were only four

♫ Qu masorakthrak'asktu (hagai!) ♫
But that-[creature-water-(ultimate)]-continued-fight, yes!
But still that whale did go (Huh!)

====

[HUKUTAV ADU'AL]

====

♫ Du ni'ik, tra'as ♫
To-my-knowledge, battle-continues
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on

♫ Dymga'havshu maks orakthrak'havgu eshma ♫
Rope-be not-cut and [creature-water-(ultimate)]-be not-[dead but not eaten] still
The line's not cut and the whale's not gone

♫ Gar'nisdushint, Akjaqlanshira ♫
It-visits-ship, [water-come from-hole]-person
The Wellerman makes his regular call

♫ Gathahagai du shintahrko'a'imaksga (hagai!) ♫
give-encourage to captain-crew-and-all, yes!
To encourage the Captain, crew, and all (Huh!)

====

[HUKUTAV ADU'AL, ADU'K]
(chorus, repeated)​
 
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And then there's this. Y'all need not stand unless you really feel like it.

HORKRAKH'DADIYAIKIK RABU'I
[THING-MODEL-HONOR]-DECORATED WITH-STARS
THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

LE'I LEDEK RAS
WORDS-WRITTEN BY
LYRICS BY

K'DYMGA'QITH THAMER AKTHANIN TERRAN'HRA
FREE-PERSON LAND-GLOOM ISLAND-SMALL TERRAN
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY

DU MAGATHLESHKI
to this-song
TO THE TUNE OF

DUGAR VUDUFA'KA'TRA, ANACREON KO LEDEGATHLESHKI'AKRAH TERRAN'HRA
TO-HIM LIFE-IN-AFTERLIFE, ANACREON JOB [WRITE-SONGS-[OF]-WINE] TERRAN
TO ANACREON IN HEAVEN

RAS LEDELESHKI'A
BY COMPOSER
to a tune composed by

DAKUTGAKRASAHRTHRAK THAMA'INTHRAKAKDU KOQITHA TERRAN'HRA
BLESSED-BY-GOD LAND-NEAR-WATER-ACROSS WORK-METAL-[ONE WHO DOES] TERRAN
JOHN STAFFORD SMITH

====

♫ Ri'le, ri'h'inaiy / raskarav'aichjeshav, ♫
Say, you-can-see / by-light-(of)-morning-early,
O say can you see / by the dawn's early light,

♫ Mas ek'gathkrakh rusga / du karav'jhaknav'nis, ♫
That we-[gave honor] proudly-very / at light-(of)-[after sunset],
What so proudly we hailed / at the twilight's last gleaming,

♫ Kai jhalek'korhudyagamaksknavbu'i / du tr'ags, ♫
its [colors-straight]-wide-and-[bright stars] through battle-danger,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars / through the perilous fight,

♫ Gara br'hubrawi mas ek'aiyduk / ha'kdanis rarakh? ♫
over-wall-defense that we-watched / were-move with-honor?
O'er the ramparts we watched / were so gallantly streaming?

♫ Maks b'knav'a'chath / maks chathi'dakekrg dudak, ♫
And [red]-glare-of-missile / and torpedoes-explode in-air,
And the rocket's red glare / the bombs bursting in air,

♫ Gathkikheri dukna / mas ek'horkrakh'laneshk maks; ♫
gave-proof through-night / that our-[thing-model-honor]-remained also;
Gave proof through the night / that our flag was still there;

♫ Ri'le, mashorkrakh'dadiyaikik rabu'i / asdanis nisjhamakschur ♫
Say, that [thing-model-honor]-decorated with-stars / continue-move back-and-forth
O say does that star-spangled banner / yet wave

♫ Gara tha'k'dymga'qith'hra / maks rah'fa'hra? ♫
Over land-[of]-free-people / and home-[of]-brave-people?
O'er the land of the free / and the home of the brave?​
 
So, the meta of the music translations I occasionally do aside, I hesitate to put this one out there out of fear that it would be considered disrespectful both to the artist and to the people he commemorates in the song. The fiftieth anniversary of the original event - the mysterious loss of SS Edmund Fitzgerald in a freak storm on Lake Superior - was on Monday of last week, and the tune got stuck in my head after I reposted it to social media on the day (the tune is quite the earworm if you've never heard it before - be forewarned if you go from here to listen to it on YouTube, Spotify or whatever source from which you get your music). Ultimately, the toponymic and onomastic challenges it presented won out and I've been at this since, working through the recent spate of songs while this one was still in progress (and I promise this is it for the time being). No disrespect is intended with this post and I hope no one reading this finds it as such.

I've chosen to do a translation of the revised version that Gordon Lightfoot started to perform later in his life, when more data had come to light on the ultimate fate of the ship and some of the original lyrics proved troublesome to him. I firmly believe that he would've found this preferable, (assuming he would'ved approved of me doing this at all).

With all that said,
NISINRAKH'SHINT, K'TOTH NI'LINGA'KNAVRANIR'IN
[GO-BELOW-WATER]-[OF]-SHIP, SUCCESS SON-[OF]-BRIGHT-SPEAR
THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD

takh ledekmaksyeleshkik ras / as written-and-sung by
as written and sung by

THAGATHRAK AMEKHEKS TERRAN'HRA / GREAT-HILL RUNS-SWIFTLY TERRAN
GORDON LIGHTFOOT

====

♫ Lek'korchurga'as aq Dapakharg'hra nisss ♫ / Legend-continues from Make-foot-armor-people originally
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

♫ Erg lanshikga, garga'huskgai Lanshikthrakthrak ♫ / about lake-big, they-named-it Great-Sea
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee

♫ Gar'hale'k lanshi'badyav gar'k'vu vesh ♫ / It-is-said lake-gives its-dead never
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead

♫ Ja'lesh karh'Eshtha Var jaqmer ♫ / when sky-of-Month Ninth becomes-bitter
When the skies of November turn gloomy

====

♫ Ras gathvihu erg qithinoth, oktogrammai deokh'ksokkode'oktoh'ksokga ♫ / with freight about iron-rock, masses 62620
With a load of iron ore, twenty-six thousand tons

♫ Gara shint'gra'k ja'lesh shi, K'toth Ni'linga'knavranir'in ♫ / [more than] ship-weighed when empty, Success Son-Of-Bright-Spear
[more] Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty

♫ Masshint kimakshe ha'kyo hashuranagk ♫ / That-ship good-and-true was-bone be-chewed
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed

♫ Ja'lesh niskarhirg'Eshtha Var jaq jheshav ♫ / When [winds-strong]-of-Month Ninth came early
When the gales of November came early

====

♫ Shint'ha'kru erggar'lan, Tharag'nithjhak ♫ / Ship-was-satisfy about-its-side, [land-prince]
The ship was the pride of the American side

♫ Jaqdu aqdadawi dulan, Lan'bothin ♫ / Return from-refinery in-place, [Place-[of]-[red]-stone]
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin

♫ Matakh dushintigathvihu, shint'ha'k garatakavi ♫ / Compare to-ships-cargo, ship-was [more than]-others
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most

♫ Ras ko'a'imaksshintahrki, de ikgakga ♫ / With crew-and-captain-good, both experienced-much
With a crew and good captain well seasoned

====

♫ Gukir'khaimang ra langathviqith de ♫ / Finish-promises-some with businesses-steel two
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms

♫ Ja'lesh shint'nistalank deshasdadyak talan, Brajakh Thabr'hu ♫ / When ship-departed while-loaded fully for-place, [Fortress Land-wall]
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland

♫ Maks dujha masoch ja'lesh veshd'aiy'shint'knavel ♫ / and later that-evening when [tool-time-indicate]-[of]-ship-ring
And later that night when the ship's bell rang

♫ Gar'h'inhaniskarhtash mas garga'dyakha'kchodyapa? ♫/ It-could-be-wind-north that they-had-been-feel
Could it be the north wind they'd been feeling?

====

♫ Niskarh'da'k dubali el'lerodyapa ♫ / wind-made in-wires sound-[of]-warning
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound

♫ Maks dutalan'jaq garahulandrak'shint ♫ / And wave-came over-[thing-side-guard]-[of]-ship
And a wave broke over the railing

♫ Maks gako'a'i'iq maks shintahr'a'k maks ♫ / And all-crew-knew and captain-did also
And every man knew, as the captain did too

♫ Kilavzaxira ergEshtha Var dyakjaq ♫ / [female-spirit-evil-person] about-Month Ninth had-come
'Twas the witch of November come stealing

====

♫ Knav'jaq'jaq jhesh maks uk'aich hadrish ♫ / Sunrise-came late and food-[of]-morning must-wait
The dawn came late, and the breakfast had to wait

♫ Ja'lesh niskarhiga'Eshtha Var nisdakekh ♫ / When [winds-strong]-[of]-Month Ninth began-slash
When the gales of November came slashin'

♫ Ja'lesh ich'jaq gar'ha'kakoth ♫ / When afternoon-came, it-was-hail
When afternoon came, it was freezin' rain

♫ Maks niskarhargthrakumav ♫ / And [wind-strong-ultimate]-west
In the face of a hurricane west wind

====

♫ Ja'lesh esh'jaq ta ukoch ukjira'jaq dubr'hutalan maks lek ♫ / When time-come for food-evening, [food-fire-person]-come to-deck and said
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'

♫ "Takhari, ak'ha alkink gara dugathuk duraiga " ♫ / brothers, water-is-disturbed over to-give-food to-[all of you]
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"

♫ Du eshi h'p jhech, ga'jaqkna maks gar'lk jha ♫ / At hours seven after-midday, it-become-dark and he-said then
At seven p.m., it grew dark, it was then he said

♫ Takhari, gar'dyaha'qi ikraiga ♫ / brothers, it-has-been-good know-(you all)
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"

===

♫ Shintahr'dabhakilsik dudarg mas shint'ha'kba'ak ♫ / Captain-communicated to-base that ship-was-taking-water
The captain wired in he had water comin' in

♫ Maks shintkimaksko'a'i'ha'k du'ag ♫ / And ship-good-and-crew-was in-danger
And the good ship and crew was in peril

♫ Maks dujha maskn'esh ja'lesh karavi'shint'jaq k'aiy ♫ / And later that-night when lights-[of]-ship-came [[lack of]-visible]
And later that night when his lights went outta sight

♫ Jaq nisinrakh'shint, K'toth Ni'linga'knavranir'in ♫ / Came [go-below-water]-[of]-ship, Success Son-[of]-Bright-Spear
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

====

♫ G'hra'a'ik ja'lan gar'haknis, Ahrhtrak ♫ / any-person-do-know where its-love-go, God-[ultimate]
Does anyone know where the love of God goes

♫ Ja'lesh dutalani'daesh'in jaqeshi? ♫ / When waves-make-minutes become-hours?
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

♫ Gamstra'hra'lek mas garga'h'askdyakjaqklanma, Akhukork'knavwarak ♫ /
all-search-persons-said that they-would-have-arrived-there, [water-contained]-[of]-[white]-fish
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay

♫ Desh garga'dyaknisk oktomaki tre'ok uniga ♫ / If they-had-gone [eight-eights units-of-distance] three-eights another
If they'd put 15 more miles behind her.

====

♫ Shint'h'in'halr'in h'in'hal qu jaqkorkgara ♫ / Ship-did-break possible or become-turned-over
They might have split up or they might have capsized

♫ Dutalanga'h'indyada'kshint nistalanak ♫ / [Wave-big]-might-have-made-ship go-below-water
They may have broke deep and took water

♫ Qu ga mas'lanesh ha yinimakshusi ♫ / But all that-remain is faces-and-names
And all that remains is the faces and the names

♫ Ergvrashini'lingaimaksni'lavingai ♫ / About mates-sons-and-daughters
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters

====

♫ Gar'kor, Lanshik Vuduakthanohra, deshas gar'yeleshki, Lanshik Garathrak ♫ /
It-roll, Lake-[of]-[Live-on-island]-people, while it-sing, Lake Upper-[ultimate]
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings

♫ Dugar'dai hukutavi erggar'daithrakakakoth ♫ / In-its-rooms about-its-[great hall]-water-ice
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion

♫ Gar'daakdak, Churgalanshik, takh aiydudapai'kirkil♫ / It-make-steam, Old-Large-Lake, as dreams-[of]-[young]-man
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams

♫ Akthanoimaksakihukork'ha ta lekik'tothmoergchokutshra ♫ / Islands-and-[waters-contained] be for-[game-physical-people]
The islands and bays are for sportsmen

====

♫ Maks inragar maks, Lanshik's'aiyki'ak ♫ / And below-it also, Lake-[of]-Beautiful-Water
And farther below Lake Ontario

♫ Gar'ba ja'lhu gar'h'insnagar, Lanshik Pakgama'ga ♫ / It-takes what it-can-send-it, Lake Tail-Long
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her

♫ Maks antakqithin'nis takh galanshikthrakhra'ik ♫ / And craft-water-iron-go as all-sea-persons-know
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know

♫ Daldapu niskarhirg'Eshtha Var ♫ / Remember winds-great-[of]-Month Ninth
With the gales of November remembered

====

♫ Garga'rathk'rakhk duchurdabrajakhav dulanma, Brajakh Inraihudya'in ♫ /
They-prayed in-old-hall-[fortress-not] in-there, [Fortress Canal-Narrow]
In a rustic old hall in Detroit, they prayed

♫ Dulan, Daukutga'nisvarghra'lanshikthrak ♫ / In-place, Church-great-[of]-[sail-people]-[of]-ocean
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral

♫ Veshd'aiy'daikutga'knavell ma'i p'nttre'ok ♫ / [Tool-time-indicate]-[of]-church-rang measures [five-[and]-three-eights]
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times

♫ Ta gakili dushint, K'toth Ni'linga'knavranir'in ♫ / For-all-men on-ship, Success Son-[of]-Bright-Spear
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

====

♫ Lek'korchurga'as aq Dapakharg'hra nisss ♫ / Legend-continues from make-foot-armor-people originally
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

♫ Erg lanshikga, garga'huskgai Lanshikthrakthrak ♫ / of lake-big, they-named-it Great-Sea
Of the big lake, they call Gitche Gumee

♫ Garga'lek gar'gath gar'gu vesh, Lanshik Garathrak ♫ / They-said it-gives its-dead never, Lake Upper-[ultimate]
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead

♫ Ja'lesh niskarhirg'Eshtha Var jaqmer ♫ / when [winds-strong]-[of]-Month Ninth becomes-bitter
When the gales of November come early

====

-(gu)-
-(end)-​
 
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