Wednesday, April 25, 2012

`Méugan "ba"'

Nearly done translating a song I started two days ago (or so).  This one's from "The Prince of Egypt", a movie my sister and I loved as children.  I still need to add two stanzas or so to the bottom of this.

Seriously, the most difficult thing (for me) is matching the words to the syllable numbers that the song requires.  Sandic word order being as free as it is does a lot of the work for me, but sometimes I have to really, really struggle with a thing to make it "fit".

That part about the shepherd and the sheep, for example, took me about half a day to fit.  I kept wanting to follow the original wording of the song

"and to one lost sheep a shepherd boy
is greater than the richest king"

I'll find the original way I worded it and add it here later.  For now, though, translation!

EDIT: added the missing stanzas.

Song here.
Lyrics here.

Méugan "ba"

Ialth tiami ba da tiaktai
jjiave ralëe wenai
frn kia baahl baneot sa
faé mée kriani ba da...

A piece of string in a weaving
despite its bright color
does not know what it is
in relation to the whole appearance of the thing (the weaving)

ta pelan pal toâ ta markan
ta jjujjan bal odéva
ân siaderinin oahl faé
ta pal uvén ta jjujjan?

the stones at the top of the faces
of the mountains- do they believe
that they are more important than
the stones at the bottom of the mountains?

wwhé baahl ân pésa ra
frn kia jjew pé baahl?
gator jjew pé biab pétesa,
balra pétjere ân...
raug jjewab pé méugan "ba"

How do you really know
what your life is?
You will never know this via your own life-
you must 
look at your life with the eyes of "ba"

réjil albai pa hijja baahl
neot faé lé kaevo
raugém erini kaahl faé mî
bren uxtofei

A sea of gold in the desert
is nothing compared to any water at all
a shepherd is important in the opinion
of a lost sheep

fî ân ivi kaket kémania
bal siad neot kaahl?
ú balnia ân ejj jewab
ka biab katema?

If a man loses everything
is he then nothing?
Or may he yet make
himself a life?

bal pésa fî ân erini kémâ kaahl
skra lëlét ú paelact?
skra lëlét frn dinú ú ma ân ora?
biab katesa
biab katesa ba kamai ân
raug jjewab ka méugan "ba"!

Do you know if a person is important
because of posessions or strength?
because of the money they have or their tendency to be generous?
he will know
he will know who
looks at his life with the eyes of "ba"


ynné awwtora ivi biab awwlëlét
jjiave ân erin baneot ahl
fî ân neotab pélëlét
noaglëti ba baahl ra


Behold, we give everything we have
though it is not much
if you have nothing
it is still enough


balra ân ototoka talëlan
mér fac ba jjew lëé
gator ba katokai pétesa
a jjewab opéma!


Truly, changes must happen
in the span of your life
you will never know what is to happen
and yet still you must make a life!


bal pésa ân erini kémâ kaahl
skra alé ú skra ma?
gator pétesa méugan pé,
pétjere ân...
"
raug jjewab méugan "ba"!


Can you tell if a man is important
because of what he buys or makes?
you will never know this via your own life
you must...
look at your life via the eyes of "ba"!

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