Fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe
(R. Khiplling)
The White Man's Burden (R. Kipling)

Irehhae'edh Rhihaenenai Translator's Comment

It is a difficult task in itself to translate from one language to another, and even more difficult to translate poetry in such a way as to keep meaning, rhyme and meter intact. Even more difficult yet is to translate poetry between languages whose cultures are so vastly different as are Rihan and English.

In translating "The White Man's Burden", there were several points where the references made in Kipling's original make references that are so culturally unique as to defy any meaning to a Rihanha unschooled in Terran history. Right from the start there is the title: The closest way to translate the exact meaning of the title would involve some form of division of the Rihanh such as faint-ridged Rihannsu versus those with pronounced ridges; obviously, such a division of our peoples would seem an absurdity to Rihannsu, without any meaning. But, such divisions of the human race - based on skin pigmentation - existed in Terra's past, therefore the title fits - for a Terran audience. I chose to render the title as "Mnhei'sahe's Burden", because the concept espoused by the English title is sufficiently similar that any Rihanha would understand at once what is meant by "the burden of mnhei'sahe" in such a way as to allow the Rihanha to understand quite well the meaning intended by Kipling. As background: those Terrans of lightest skin pigmentation - referred to as 'white' by Terrans - in the past considered themselves to hold the same position and duties (as far as Earth is concerned) as the Rihannsu were given by the Elements: to act as the caretakers of the world, to guide the lesser peoples.

The second major point of difficulty is found in the last two lines of the fifth stanza: "Why brought ye us from bondage, // Our loved Egyptian night?" Once again the reference here is to something very specific to Terran history, namely the leading of the Jews from their slavery in Egypt to freedom in their "promised land" of Canaan. This sentence, like the title, could be easily rendered directly into Rihan, but the result would likewise be meaningless to a Rihanha. Thus, I chose to change the reference to something from our own history that any Rihanha would easily understand: the Journey from Vulcan to Eisn. In the poem, the quote is attributed to those "lesser" peoples that are being helped by the White Man named in the title, those peoples who hate and resent those others who come in to build roads, ports, and otherwise improve their quality of life, and ask why they are taking away their "loved Egyptian night," that is to say, their backward ignorance; such sentiments have been encountered often enough by Rihannsu as we expanded outwards into the galaxy, bringing civilisation and an improvement in quality of life for those others. Despite their incessant protests and uprisings, we continue to build them their roads and ports - our mnhei'sahe demands this. It would be a similar thing, in my opinion, if a Rihanha were to ask "Why brought ye us to planetfall, // To end our loved Journey?", thus this is what I used in the Rihan translation to bring Kipling's point across in a manner comprehensible easily to Rihannsu.

I chose to translate this poem first out of the entire archive of Terran poetry, as it comes closest to showing that the Terrans do have at least a general understanding of mnhei'sahe, if in a vague sense. However, as history has often shown, understanding mnhei'sahe and acting in accord with it are two rather separate things.

Irhihae'edh Aethldohht Interlinear Translation

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe --
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe--

Hfaeiu daelftha hwaiae hrian --
send-IMP best-NA breed-PrII you-2pl-NA
Send the best ye breed--

Urru, tactauu faelirhir hraen
go-IMP exile-IMP son-Pl-NA yours-2pl-G
Go, exile your sons

Aihrreier hnaifvir na ikhauhai'n;
serve-InfI need-Pl-NA the captive-Pl-G
To serve your captives' needs;

Etrheier hrrau nhei'ssa diadaenevha
serve-InfI in harness-NA heavy-D
To serve in heavy harness

Daedoeri rhadai'vnu --
flutter-PtPsA person-Pl+wild-NA
fluttered wild people--

H'traein aaithir hlaefveri mollaisev,
race-Pl-NA wretched-Pl-NA caught-PtPsA newly
Your new-caught wretched races,

Rhed' iathaa, rhede kuoku.
half-NA devil-NA half-NA child-NA
Half devil, half child.

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe --
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe--

Rrhta'er sa'aehuus'len,
abide-InfI with+patience-G
To abide with patience,

Kilhra'er na temmnuei ifirai
cloak-InfI the threat-NA terror-G
To cloak the threat of terror

U'khoier temchaerh feallan'len;
and+stop-InfI showing-NA pride-G
And to stop the show of pride;

Sa'enudhai abrain u'ethaen,
with+speech-G open-G and+simple-G
With open and speech,

U'moseri caehh'khu ojmhi,
and+make-PtPsA times+100 plain
And hundred times made plain,

Khallia'er shiifv koemaen
seek-InfI profit-NA another-G
To seek another's profit

U'dhraeuer isaeham nanaey.
and+work-InfI "someone else"-G gain-NA
And work another's gain.

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe --
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe--

Aishir bhaohhir saithai --
war-Pl-NA savage-Pl-NA peace-G
The savage wars of peace --

Moskhoiu na hiakh'mne,
make+cease-IMP the sickness-NA
Make the sickness cease,

Crycaeu eolh mh'fhekhai;
fill-IMP mouth-NA famine-G
Fill the mouth of Famine;

U'rhifv ahr'lerha delairus hraen
and+when "it is"+nearest goal-NA yours-1PlG
And when your goal is nearest

(Khallian ssiun koemaevha aei)
seek-PtII for another-D it-3sNA
(That for others sought)

Rehhaeu daeop'le u'daigno ih'ssouh
watch-InfI sloth-NA and+folly-NA alien(adj)-NA
Watch sloth and alien folly

Hhaemn i lliu qiu ecurai khaei.
bring-PrII to nothing-NA all-NA hope-NA yours-2sFSI
Bring all your hope to nought.

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe --
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe--

Emael mnheisam hwathechai,
not rule-NA king-G
No iron rule of kings,

Mrht hfeham u'khhenenai dhraeu --
but servant-G and+cleaner-G work-NA
But toil of servant and cleaner--

Fviudh krehen dhhokhai.
story thing-Pl-G common-pl-G
The story of common things.

Plherekhe'dhohh na hweifvir hwi,
enter-PrIN-FUT the port-Pl-NA you-2sN-NA
The ports ye shall not enter,

Havrakhe'dhohh eyhonir hrian,
travel-PrIN-FUT road-Pl-NA you-2pl-NA
The roads ye shall not tread,

Mosu aei sa'thiichenhen hraen
make-IMP it-3sN-NA with+living-Pl-G yours-2p-G
Go, make them with your living

U'rhsiiyu aei sa'yy'a'n.
and+sign-IMP it-3sN-NA with+dead-Pl-G
And sign them with the dead.

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe,
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe,

Ridaereu heihnehh aeim ira --
and+harvest-IMP reward-NA its-3sN-G old-NA
And reap its old reward --

Couvae'lh lloannen, mosdaelft hrian
blame-NA they-3plN-G better-PrII you-2pl-NA
The blame of those ye better

Mnahe lloannen, morairi hwi kla --
hate-NA they-3plN-G guard-NA you-2sN-NA act-PrII
The hate of those ye guard--

Chaetoi na aigre hje nodair' hwi udt
cry-PrII the many-NA (ap) lead-PrII you-2sN-NA (ap)
Cry the many you lead

(Ai, rawnev!) ssiun liorae: --
Ah slowly toward light-NA
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--

"Ssaer hhaemnar hrian mnevher i Eisn,
why bring-PtPI you-2pl-NA us-1plD to Eisn-NA
"Why brought ye us to Eisn,

Sahhae'er mnei joleri Havrae?"
end-InfI ours-2pl-G love-PtPsA Journey-NA
To end our loved Journey?"

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe --
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe--

Kushanakheu ssiun khiil hhaemn'--
dare-PrNI-IMP to less-NA bring-[InfI unmarked]
Ye dare not bring [yourself] to less --

Umael mehre'er na lleiset udh llaeuev
nor call-InfI the freedom-NA too loudly
Nor call too loud to Freedom

Kilhra'er ehraet'le hraen.
cloak-InfI tiredness-NA yours-2pl-G
To cloak your weariness.

Mh'qiuum aeu shhii hwi riud hrhae,
By+all-D that(rel) will-PrII you-2sN-NA or say-PrII
By all ye will or say,

Mh'qiuum aeu hisl riud irea,
By+all-D that(rel) allow-PrII or do-PrII
By all ye allow or do,

Na h'traer ih'iurret u'aaith
the race-Pl-NA silent-NA and+wretched-NA
The silent sullen races

Iaehj'dhohh Ajoi u'hrian.
burden-PrII-FUT Elements-NA and+you-2pl-NA
Shall burden the Elements and you.

Hwiuau fvhess'll s'Mnhei'sahe!
take-IMP burden-NA mnhei'sahe-Gpn
Take up the burden of Mnhei'sahe!

Mosfehill sa'shaden ih'kuoku ---
make+end-PrII with+day-Pl-G childish-NA
Have done with childish days --

Ahr'bonteri hlumirev heihnehh,
"it is"+give-PtPsA lightly reward-NA
The lightly-given reward,

Ahr'ssraienh ahr'awevh na qhau:
"it is"+eager-NA "it is"+easy-NA the praise-NA
The easy eager praise:

Mrei stev tae'er na draesma hraen
come-PrII now search-InfI the manhood-NA yours-2pl-G
Comes now, to search your manhood

Qiu fvheisnir llikhnaiin hsah,
all-NA year-Pl-NA thankless-Pl-NA through
Through all the thankless years,

Lhao, oik'ne'eri sa'choalen chouna,
cold-NA edge-PtPsA with+wisdom-G dear-NA
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,

Na vahhrer na hraen ch'dan.
the judgment-NA the yours-2pl-G equal-Gpn
The judgment of your peers.

Definitions of Abbreviations

Home | Project Overview | Common Words | Grammar | Alphabet | Dictionary | Culture | Links | News Admin | Dict Admin
© 2005 CSDR.