Flight from the Dark / Fugo del Tenebro in sambahsa-mundialect, English and Ido
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Olivier Simon, the creator of sambahsa-mundialect (basically a pan-Indo-European auxlang that attempts to blend authenticity with ease of learning as much as possible, but see his blog for a more complete explanation than mine) apparently has also translated quite a bit of game book content into the language, and uses the material as a source to write out sample bits of fantasy prose for the language. He sent me a sample of the beginning to Flight from the Dark in the language, and I'll show the same part in English and Ido as well for comparison:
First English:
The Story So Far . . .
In the northern land of Sommerlund, it has been the custom for many centuries to send the children of the Warrior Lords to the monastery of Kai. There they are taught the skills and disciplines of their noble fathers.
The Kai monks are masters of their art, and the children in their charge love and respect them in spite of the hardships of their training. For one day when they have finally learnt the secret skills of the Kai, they will return to their homes equipped in mind and body to defend themselves against the constant threat of war from the Darklords of the west.
In olden times, during the Age of the Black Moon, the Darklords waged war on Sommerlund. The conflict was a long and bitter trial of strength that ended in victory for the Sommlending at the great battle of Maakengorge. King Ulnar and the allies of Durenor broke the Darklord armies at the pass of Moytura and forced them back into the bottomless abyss of Maakengorge. Vashna, mightiest of the Darklords, was slain upon the sword of King Ulnar, called 'Sommerswerd', the sword of the sun. Since that age, the Darklords have vowed vengeance upon Sommerlund and the House of Ulnar.
Now it is in the morning of the feast of Fehmarn, when all of the Kai Lords are present at the monastery for the celebrations. Suddenly a great black cloud comes from out of the western skies. So many are the numbers of the black-winged beasts that fill the sky, that the sun is completely hidden. The Darklords, ancient enemy of the Sommlending are attacking. War has begun.
On this fateful morning, you, Silent Wolf (the name given to you by the Kai) have been sent to collect firewood in the forest as a punishment for your inattention in class. As you are preparing to return, you see to your horror a vast cloud of black leathery creatures swoop down and engulf the monastery.
Dropping the wood, you race to the battle that has already begun. But in the unnatural dark, you stumble and strike your head on a low tree branch. As you lose consciousness, the last thing that you see in the poor light are the walls of the monastery crashing to the ground.
Many hours pass before you awake. With tears in your eyes you now survey the scene of destruction. Raising your face to the clear sky, you swear vengeance on the Darklords for the massacre of the Kai warriors, and with a sudden flash of realization you know what you must do. You must set off on a perilous journey to the capital city to warn the King of the terrible threat that now faces his people. For you are now the last of the Kai--you are now the Lone Wolf.
and now in sambahsa-mundialect:
Id storia nuntro…
In id norder land Sommerlund, id swohd est pre baygh secules yises iens purts iom Jenchipotis ei Kai-monasteir. Ter ibs sont docen ia ilms ed disciplines om ir noble paters.
Ies Kai-Munks sont maysters in ir art, ed ies magvi quom hant id charge lieubhe ed respecte iens speit id muschkilia os iro trainire. Sem dien, kun habsient viucen ia secret ilms ios Kai, reicsient ir hems parat in ment ed corpos kay se defende protiev id constant weirtehrg ud iens Tenipotis in id west.
In greis pretid, unte id Iete ios Kyehrsen Luna, ies Tenipotis ieg weir ad Sommerlund. Id conflict buit un long ed bitter nerce proben quod ens in victoria pro i Sommerleuds per id grand boi os Maakengorge. Roy Ulnar ed i Allieits ud Durenor brohg id Teniagmen in id passe Moytura ed dwigh id tsay in id audbudmen abysse Maakengorge. Vashna, staursto Tenipoti, buit gvohnen med id eins os Roy Ulnar, kalt “Sommerkhayr”, id soleins. Pon tod iete, ies Tenipotis vovneunt vengence protie Sommerlund ed Ulnars Dom.
Nun est aghyern ios Fehrmarn Fest, menxu vasyi Kaipotis sont present in id monasteiro pro ia celebrations. Stayg uno mier aglu gwehmt ex id wester warwn. Tem mult sont i swordpterg biesti qui plehnt id waurn, quem id sol est alnos kohln. Ies Tenipotis, awi peinds im Sommerleuds, sont attaquend. Weir hat inkapen.
Ye tod fatal aghyern, yu, Silent Wolf (id nam ies Kaipotis vos hant dahn), habte esen yisen kay sammel aydsmo in id forest ka kwoina ob ir inattention in classe. Menxu yu ste paratend kay rikes, yu vidte in horror un vast nebh ex sword lietric creatures nisturdes ed guraghe id monasteir.
Dreupend id aydsmo, yu drahte kyid boi quod hat ja inkapen. Bet in tod externatural temos, yu kwehlpte ed vies cap stundt un ghem ozd. Menxu yu bayaldisset, id sensto ject yu vidte in id slab luce sont ia walls ios monasteirios crasche grundtro.
Baygh hors passe pre yu sbeudte. Con dakrus in vies okwi, yu nun upervidte un scene os destruction. Leivend vies lige kyid clar waurn, yu kassamte vengence protiev iens Tenipotis ob id massacre iom Kaijenchis, ed stayg vos enfallt quo yu dehlcte kwehre : enderghende un perileus itner kyid nagor kay warne iom Roy de id terrible tehrg eis folk nun facet. Nunghi ste is senst ios Kai – nun ste is Monwolf.
Lastly my translation in Ido:
La Naraco Til Nun ...
En la norda lando di Sommerlund, esabas la kustumo dum multa yarcenti sendar la filii dil Soldato-Siniori a la monakeyo di Kai. Ibe li instruktesas la habilesi e diciplini di lia nobla patruli.
La monaki di Kai esas mastri di sua arto, e la filii en lia gardo lin amas e lin respektas malgre ke sua praktikado esas desfacila. Nam uldie, kande li fine lernos la sekreta habilesi dil Kai, li retroiros a lia domi equipita en mento e kordio por defensar su ipsa kontre la menaco sencesa del Tenebromastri del westo.
Dum la anciana tempi, dum la Epoko dil Nigra Luno, la Tenebromastri facis milito kontre Sommerlund. La konflikto esis grava probo di forteso, bitra e longa, probo qua finis kun la vinko dil Sommerlundani a la militego di Maakengorge. Rejo Ulnar e la alianciti di Durenor ruptis la armei dil Tenebromastri a la paseyo di Moytura, e lin retretigis aden la senfunda abismo di Maakengorge. Vashna, lo maxim forta del Tenebromastri, mortigesis per la espado di Rejo Ulnar, nomata 'Sommerswerd', la espado dil suno. Depos ta epoko, la Tenebromastri vovabas venjo a Sommerlund e la Domo di Ulnar.
Read more...Nun esas la matino dil festo di Fehmarn, kande la tota Kai Siniori prizentas su a la monakeyo por la festi. Subite nubo grandega e nigra venas del westa cieli. Tante multe esas la nombro dil nigre alizita bestii qui plenigas la cielo, ke la suno komplete celesas. La Tenebromastri, anciena enemiko dil Sommerlundani, atakas. Milito komencabas.
En ica matino, tu, Tacanta Volfo (la nomo donita a tu de le Kai), forsendesis a la foresto por kolektar brul-ligno kom puniso pro ne atencir dum klaso. Kande tu preparas retroirar, tu vidas hororinda vidajo, vasta nubo de bestii nigra e ledrata, flugfalante e kaptante la monakeyo.
Faliginta la ligno, tu kuregas a la ja komencanta batalio. Ma en la ne-naturala tenebro, tu mispazas, e frapas tua kapo a basa brancho di arboro. Divenante senkoncia, tua lasta vidajo en la febla lumo esas la muri dil monakeyo, falanta a la tero.
Multa hori pasis ante ke tu vekas. Kun lakrimi en tua okuli tu nun regardas la ceno di destrukturo. Levante tua vizajo a la klara cielo, tu juras venjo a la Tenebromastri pro la masakro dil militisti di Kai, e kun subita parkompreno tu savas quon tu mustas facar. Tu nun komencas voyajo danjeroza a la chefurbo por avertar la Rejo pri la minaco teroriganta qua afrontas lua populo. Nam tu esas la lasta de le Kai -- tu esas nun la Sola Volfo.
