#bal des pendus

Somebody asked me what my favorite poem was, and if I would translate it into Vulcan. One of my all-time favorite writers is Arthur Rimbaud, and the first poem of his I ever read was Bal des pendus (Dance of the Hanged Men/Hanged Men, Dancing). I don’t speak french or latin, so I have had to rely on the translations to read his work. Unfortunately, every translation seems to be different and the meaning often gets lost or altered. 

To translate this poem into Vulcan, I referenced a literal translation, and two published English translations from my books.

Tam t’Geldaik Sasular

Fi’nesh-kur geld-stau-nentu - t’hai’la k’wuh kar -
nam-tor skilamular taman - taman –
wonil - skilamular t’e'shua –
hinek-terayalar t’Saladinlar.

Seshau osu Beelzebuhb k’talu-pla'dor
Pi’nesh-kur su-leitrilar ik wa'limatau na’igen -
heh k’kwul fi’patam spo’ash'ya-kwul -
tor n’au tam-tor - tam-tor - bi’os gad-muf ralash-tanaf..

Heh kuvor-tor su-leitrilar - k’hutaun -
wonil karlar t’au – tuflar k’tilaun ha’gel -
spo'nesh-kur organ-mevlar – ik vesht ish-tor tehnat sha’tuflar wuh’wak -
rukau teretuhr vohrising k’watosh ashaya.

Ha - mak.. Kunli tamsular - du k’tadek-adir nehglar..
Maut wu skaf na’spenan heh taman..
Spen’uh.. Ri fai-tor etek kuv nam-tor n’puk il tam..
K’so-resh - mavau Beelzebuhb wi..

Ri bolau va’prah aifa lerash ash’ellar..
Sav'ellar t’wadi tevan-tor s’tuf t’au –
Ri hafau fan-vel mesh-bosh tra’gla-tor.
Nam-tor taiklar t’izh fi’gratlar t’au.

Raven spo’kid fi’patamlar k’shayalar –
geldau moguhsh t’kahm fi’tik wonil ahs.
Lau tar-tor du ta saudau au - padayan svi’mu'gel'es -
spo’skilamular pukan svi’dun fo-wein.

Weht mak.. Salur salan lo’uk tam-gad-muf t’hinek-terayalar..
Nau nesh-kur geld-stau-nentu spo’mevlar t’shek-tukh..
Dungi ragel-tor wolflar mu'gahv-kur laptralar –
heh fi’ir-zehl - nam-tor igen yon-kur spo’bogozh —

Dom - ertau nash mem-lu til-kum t’aifa khart-lanlar -
ashan - ritrau - k’pushau suk’ozhlar -
man-elakh t’ashaya fi’spoh plat t’au –
Ri nam-tor nash eglus la.. Tevanu..

Ah.. La - svi’tevakh-kahk tam -
Rukau wuh lo’uk riyeht-kashik hinek-teraya vi’yon-kur igen -
lesh dvunelinak ish-veh - spo’ash'ya-kwulan hors –
heh yi wufkau man-elakh va’ashiv pa’talu -

Pulau ish-veh ozhlar pa’abru-mal-hinek k’treshayalar
k’naun maflar t’kha'walan -
heh spo’svi-tor kravausu wurzel -
nem-tor skaf va’ashiv k’ralash t’hineklar.

Fi’nesh-kur geld-stau-nentu - t’hai’la k’wuh kar -
nam-tor skilamular taman - taman –
wonil - skilamular t’e'shua –
hinek-terayalar t’Saladinlar.

- T'Laina