Woltu Falla/Texts

Tsinakan text

This is translated from an inscription on a stele erected near Mūbaz by Sīnčen, the greatest of the Edak kings.

Sīnčen, čašum lu-jaga emblu-laš en-Kažžad ōa lu-mekat emblung-üdol ōa emblung-īb, siš-abi sip:

Isa sižrūm i na-lung-epela em-až-badö habben-ape, yega hel lu-llyaš čwoš īm wodud. Suš hel lu-llyaš sišen-abik sip: “Aga-badö graš edu-jaga wodud. A čwoš edu-zlaš sišen-upis. Siša a edu-naga habben-wodu. Dada jaja rōm na-lung-epela em-aga-badö siš-ape edu-fizzud wodu.”

Sižrum i, lu-mekat emblung-üdol ōa emblung-īb, na-lung-epela em-až-badö habben-ape, isa sižrūm i hel isa-lu-zlaš rōm čwoš īm wodud sišen-non, i isa-lu-žžamaš emblung-Ubaz petan-non. Išas sišen-sekkečem, ōa i aš-ton gatwol isa-lung-umu sišen-ūl. I sišen-abi sip:

“Až-daz, lu-twol emblu-zzö, suš lu-llyaš rōm ību edu-fizzud sišen-šekak ību sišen-jepak. Weša, až-daz, ga lu-ššallya kuin em-agā-laš habba-līpūk! Lu-zapūnim masupis!”

V-Ubaz lu-zlyega em-až-maba sišend-ratu. Ai sišen-ūl, ōa aš-idwa kūn ūmen-wodu. I žžaja rōm ību sišeñ-ñök sišen-upis ete ro zled. Išas petañ-eš. I edu-mačud ōa edu-bos edu-žžešša sišen-jöta, ōa išas isa-lu-laš en-Kažžad sišem-pila.

Thus speaks Tsinakan, the great king, king of the land of Kasadgad, brother to the sun and moon:

Before I sat on the throne of my father, all the foreign countries were hostile against me. The neighboring foreign countries spoke thus: "his father was a valiant king. He had conquered enemy countries. Then he became a god. But the one who now sits on the throne of his father is a child."

When I, brother to the sun and moon, sat on the throne of my father, even before I went to the foreign countries who were hostile against me, I went to the feasts of the mother goddess. I celebrated them and I lifted my hand toward the shining mother. I spoke thus:

"O my mistress, light of the stars, the neighboring countries who called me 'a child' have belittled me. Then, they have started to attack the borders of your holy land, my mistress! Strike the heathen down!"

The mother goddess heard the words of my mouth. She rose me up and strengthened my arm. I defeated those who rose against me in ten years. I have destroyed them. I captured prisoners, oxes and sheep, and I sent them back to the land of Kasadgad.

Gloss

Sīnčen,

Sīnčen

Sīnčen

čašum

čašum

mighty

lu-jaga

lu-jaga

the-Ndak.king

emblu-laš

emblu-laš

of.the-land

en-Kažžad

em-Kažžad

of-Kažžad

ōa

ōa

and

lu-mekat

lu-mekat

the-younger.brother

emblung-üdol

emblung-üdol

of.the-sun

ōa

ōa

and

emblung-īb,

emblung-īb

of.the-moon

siš-abi

siš-abi

NULL.AUX-speak

sip:

sip

thus

Thus speaks Tsinakan, the great king of the land of Kasadgad and brother to the sun and the moon:

Isa

isa

before

sižrūm

sižrūm

when.REL

i

i

1SG.NOM

na-lung-epela

na-lung-epela

on-the-throne

em-až-badö

em-aš-badö

of-my-father

habben-ape,

habben-ape

start.PST-sit

yega

yega

all

hel

hel

foreign

lu-llyaš

lu-llyaš

the-country.PL.NOM

čwoš

čwoš

hostile

īm

īm

1SG.DAT

wodud.

wodud

be.IMPERF

Before I first sat on the throne of my father, all the foreign countries were hostile to me.

Suš

suš

nearby

hel

hel

foreign

lu-llyaš

lu-llyaš

the-country.PL.NOM

sišen-abik

sišen-abik

NULL.AUX.PST-speak.PL

sip:

sip

thus

The nearby foreign countries spoke thus:

Aga-badö

aga-badö

3SG.GEN-father

graš

graš

brave

edu-jaga

edu-jaga

a-Ndak.king

wodud.

wodud

be.IMPERF

His father was a brave king.

A

a

3SG.NOM

čwoš

čwoš

hostile

edu-zlaš

edu-zlaš

INDEF-country.PL.ACC

sišen-upis.

sišen-hupis

NULL.AUX.PST-conquer

He conquered enemy countries.

Siša

siša

then

a

a

3SG.NOM

edu-naga

edu-naga

INDEF-god

habben-wodu.

habben-wodu

start.PST-be

Then he became a god.

Dada

dada

but

jaja

jaja

that.person

rōm

rōm

that

na-lung-epela

na-lung-epela

on-the-throne

em-aga-badö

em-aga-badö

of-3SG.GEN-father

siš-ape

siš-ape

NULL.AUX-sit

edu-fizzud

edu-fizzud

INDEF-child

wodu.

wodu

be

But the person who sits on the throne of his father is a child.

Sižrum

sižrum

when

i,

i

1SG.NOM

lu-mekat

lu-mekat

the-younger.brother

emblung-üdol

emblung-üdol

of.the-sun

ōa

ōa

and

emblung-īb,

emblung-īb

of.the-moon

na-lung-epela

na-lung-epela

on-the-throne

em-až-badö

em-aš-badö

of-my-father

habben-ape,

habben-ape

start.PST-sit

When I, brother to the sun and moon, sat on the throne of my father,

isa

isa

before

sižrūm

sižrūm

when

i

i

1SG.NOM

hel

hel

foreign

isa-lu-zlaš

isa-lu-zlaš

to-the-country.PL.ACC

rōm

rōm

that

čwoš

čwoš

hostile

īm

īm

1SG.DAT

wodud

wodud

be.IMPERF

sišen-non,

sišen-non

NULL.AUX.PST-go

i

i

1SG.NOM

isa-lu-žžamaš

isa-lu-žžamaš

to-the-feast.PL.ACC

emblung-Ubaz

emblung-Ubaz

of.the-mother.goddess

petan-non

petan-non

EMPH.AUX.PST-go

before I went to the foreign countries who were hostile to me, I went to the feasts of the mother goddess.

Išas

išas

1.SG.NOM>3.PL.ACC

sišen-sekkečem,

sišen-sekkečem

NULL.AUX.PST-celebrate

ōa

ōa

and

i

i

1SG.NOM

aš-ton

aš-ton

1SG.GEN-hand

gatwol

gatwol

shining

isa-lung-umu

isa-lung-umu

to-the-mother

sišen-ūl.

sišen-ūl

NULL.AUX.PST-lift

I celebrated them, and I lifted my hand to the shining mother.

I

i

1SG.NOM

sišen-abi

sišen-abi

NULL.AUX.PST-speak

sip:

sip

thus

I spoke thus:

Až-daz,

aš-daz

1SG.GEN-goddess

lu-twol

lu-twol

the-light

emblu-zzö,

emblu-zzö

of.the-star.PL.ACC

suš

suš

nearby

lu-llyaš

lu-llyaš

the-country.PL.NOM

rōm

rōm

that

ību

ību

1SG.ACC

edu-fizzud

edu-fizzud

INDEF-child

sišen-šekak

sišen-šekak

NULL.AUX.PST-call.PL

ību

ību

1SG.ACC

sišen-jepak.

sišen-jepak

NULL.AUX.PST-insult.PL

My goddess, the light of the stars, the neighboring countries who called me a child have insulted me.

Weša,

weša

now

až-daz,

aš-daz

1SG.GEN-goddess

ga

ga

3PL.NOM

lu-ššallya

lu-ššallya

the-border.PL.ACC

kuin

kuin

holy

em-agā-laš

em-agā-laš

of-2F.GEN-land

habba-līpūk!

habba-līpūk

start-attack.PL

Now, my goddess, they start to attack the borders of your holy land!

Lu-zapūnim

lu-zapūnim

the-infidel.PL.ACC

masupis!

masupis

defeat.IMP

Strike the infidel down!

V-Ubaz

v-Ubaz

the-mother.goddess

lu-zlyega

lu-zlyega

the-word.PL

em-až-maba

em-aš-maba

of-1SG.GEN-mouth

sišend-ratu.

sišen-ratu

NULL.AUX.PST-hear

The mother goddess heard the words of my mouth.

Ai

ai

3SG.NOM>1SG.ACC

sišen-ūl,

sišen-ūl

NULL.AUX.PST-lift

ōa

ōa

and

a

a

3S.NOM

aš-idwa

aš-idwa

1SG.GEN-arm

kūn

kūn

strong

ūmen-wodu

ūmen-wodu

cause.PST-be

She lifted me up, and she made my arm strong.

I

i

1SG.NOM

žžaja

žžaja

that.person.PL.ACC

rōm

rōm

that

īm

īm

1SG.DAT

sišeñ-ñök

sišen-ñök

NULL.AUX.PST-rebel.PL

sišen-upis

sišen-hupis

NULL.AUX.PST-destroy

ete

ete

with

ro

ro

ten

zled

zled

year.PL.ACC

I defeated those people who rebelled against me in ten years.

Išas

išas

1SG.NOM>3PL.ACC

petañ-eš

petan-yeš

EMPH.AUX.PST-destroy

I utterly destroyed them.

I

i

1SG.NOM

edu-mačud

edu-mačud

INDEF-slave.PL.ACC

ōa

ōa

and

edu-bos

edu-bos

INDEF-ox.PL.ACC

ōa

ōa

and

edu-žžešša

edu-žžešša

INDEF-sheep.PL.ACC

sišen-jöta,

sišen-jöta

NULL.AUX.PST-capture

ōa

ōa

and

išas

išas

1SG.NOM>3PL.ACC

isa-lu-laš

isa-lu-laš

to-the-land

en-Kažžad

em-Kažžad

of-Kažžad

sišem-pila

sišen-pila

NULL.AUX.PST-send

I captured slaves, oxes and sheep, and I sent them back to the land of Kasadgad.

The Outlandish Knight

“Honlin edu-beras sišen-wodu uga-lung-ibal,
Ōa sišen-wodu īm;
A sišen-abi rōm ai hel isa-edu-llyaš noneñ-ezul
Ōa ai nonen-čin.”

Lu-swossa sišen-non daba isa-aga-navor
Lu-beraš aga-lu-pišil;
Ga sišen-ižnon gerit ümu ōa tetu v-o,
Wos llyaršoša isa-v-öti.

“Modu, Üzal, modu, uga daba agā-navor;
Masap jaja ege īm;
Apo i eš ümu sswossa wol ūmen-gōmi, ōa
Ak lu-mamin non-wodu.

“Mapeša, Üzal, mapeša agā-vvodu en-šülo;
Masap gaja ege īm;
Ga galer lanē ōa galer twolin siš-idrak
Waba v-üwa na-v-üdūng.”

“Nīn i yega a-vvodu en-šülo ada-peša
Nīn makazil uga-īm;
Jaja hūmu wodu, rōm edw-attisa gamakel
Edu-swossa ussiš-īan.”

A sišen-em, aga-boga ümu isa-lu-swossa,
A anal sišen-tešši;
Lu-swossa abu sišen-abūwa na-lu-morda
Ōa sišen-ček na-lung-öa.

“Medu sirul, medu sirul, mardu ego em-mada,
Medu, sirul – i nom-masiš!
Apo lyöku eš ümu sswossa wol ūmen-gōmi, ōa
Lu-mamin lyökung ūmen-gōmi.”

Notes

This is a traditional folk song from the middle Woltu valley. There are many different variations; this particular version is taken from a book on the culture of the Fáralo peoples written in Ussor in the late eleventh century.

The lines alternate between long and short lines of about fourteen and seven syllables respectively, but the exact length of the lines is not fixed, and there is not a great regard for metre or rhyme. (However, it should be noted that in a few places the nominative article v- is substituted for the accusative lung- to keep the lines short – relatively common in verse, and sometimes also in speech.) This is in stark contrast to formal poetry and courtly songs of the period, which were much more structured, and generally adhered to strict rules of metre. Much more attention was paid to stress patterns, and words tended to be chosen so that long vowels were arranged in certain set ways. Alliterative verse was also a device much used in formal verse, imitating old Lasomoran style.

The knight (peras, noble warrior) of the title is a čessod, which we might translate as "fairy" or "elf". These mythical beings were a common feature of folklore in the Isthmus region, particularly among the Isthmus peoples themselves; indeed, they passed into Fáralo tradition from the Faraghin and Feroj. The nature of these beings varied between stories, but they were almost always considered to have powers of magic that humans did not. Some considered them lucky to see and friendly to humans, but they were unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, and – as the song shows – occasionally vicious and amoral.

The other character, the unnamed maiden (swossa), is evidently an unmarried noble girl. As befits her station, she is described as having fine silken clothes and a white horse as a steed. The fairy knight (who is, despite his cruelty, clearly a stickler for good manners) consistently addresses her with the formal second person pronoun ak, and also uses the term of address Üzal. Both of these are polite forms; Üzal, roughly "mademoiselle", is reserved for unmarried women of the upper classes (though the word on its own also means "bow" or "figurehead").