Hakka folktale, long version

[John Cowan <cbmvax!UUNET.UU.NET!snark.thyrsus.com!cowan>]

Story:  "Brother Bored With A Chisel, Mother Worried In Vain"
Source:  Yuan Jiahua et al. >Hanyu fangyan gaiyao< [An Outline of the
Chinese Dialects]
Translation by: John Cowan

Format:  Lojban, Hakka, Standard Chinese, English-1, English-2.

The Hakka is transcribed as follows:
        initials are as in Pinyin;
        rhyme vowels are as in IPA, except that "y" is schwa;
        "un" is "u"+"n", not equivalent to "uen".

Hakka tones 7 (high) and 8 (low) are associated with syllables ending in
"-p", "-t", or "-k".

The Standard Chinese version (in Pinyin) is a cross between a literal
translation and a list of etymological correspondences.  A dash (-)
represents a Hakka morpheme for which no Standard equivalent could be found.

English-1 is a list of English words roughly corresponding to the Hakka
morphemes, not a translation.

English-2 is a literal translation of the Lojban.

I wish to gratefully acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Jim Carter,
Alice (Wang2 Yi3) Carter, Nora LeChevalier, and lojbab.  Of course, the
responsibility for any errors or infelicities remaining is solely mine.



ni'o le bruna cu kenkakpa sepi'o lo famdakfu
        .ije le mamta cu pensi selraktu
go1 zy3 cok8 cok8, oi1 zy3 pak8 sok8
ge1 zi zao2 zao2, mu3 zi bai2 -
brother chisel bore mother waste thoughts
[new-topic] The brother hole-digs with-tool an edge-knife.
        And the mother is think-betroubled.

.i la .asun. jo'u la .aniis. bruna remei
a1 sun4 tong2 a1 nyi4 he4 liong3 hiung1 ti4
a1 shun4 tong2 a1 yi4 xi4 liang3 xiong1 di4
Asun with Anyi be two brothers
Asun in-common-with Anyi are-a brother-type-of twosome.

.i la .asun. jbena le purci mamta .ije la .aniis. jbena le cabna mamta
a1 sun4 he4 cian2 oi1 giong1 ge4 a1 nyi4 he4 heu4 oi1 giong1 ge4
a1 shun4 xi4 qian2 mu3 de a1 yi4 xi4 hou4 mu3 - de
Asun be before-mother bear 's Anyi be stepmother bear 's
Asun is-born-to the past mother.  And Anyi is-born-to the present mother.

.i le cabna mamta goi ko'a cu to'e lanxe tarti
heu4 oi1 zo4 nyin2 m2 gong1 tao4
hou4 mu3 zuo4 ren2 bu4 gong1 dao4
stepmother behavior not just
The present mother (she1) the-opposite-of in-equilibrium behaves.

.i za'a ko'a le jbebersa be ko'a cu dirba
ci1 ga1 ge4 cin1 sen1 zy3 ciu4 kon4 zo4 bao3 bi4
zi4 jia1 de qin1 sheng1 zi jiu4 kan4 zuo4 bao3 bei4
oneself 's one's own son then regard-as treasure
According-to her1, the birth-son of her1 is-dear.

.i ro bu'a zo'u la .aniis. cu djica le nu bu'a
        .inaja bu'a
a1 nyi4 oi4 mak7 ge4 ciu4 mak7 ge4
a1 yi4 ai4 - de jiu4 - de
Anyi want something then something
For-all <predicate> [If] Anyi desires the event-of <the predicate>
        then <the predicate>.

.i la .asun. te cinmo to'ebo la'edi'u
dui4 a1 sun4 sim1 gon1 ciu4 m2 he4 an3 yong4
dui4 a1 shun4 xin1 gan1 jiu4 bu4 xi4 yi1 yang4
toward Asun feelings then not be this-way
To Asun is-felt the-opposite-of the-referent-of-the-previous-sentence.

.i la .asun. goi ko'e citka nalculno
        gi'e dasni nalglare
        .iji'a so'iroi darxi ko'e
a1 sun4 syt8 m2 bao3 cok7 m2 sao1 han2 sy2 song2 da3 gi2
a1 shun4 shi2 bu4 bao3 zhao2 - - hai2 shi2 chang2 da3 ta4
Asun eat not full wear not warm also often hit him
Asun (he2) is-an-eater-type-of non-full-thing
        and is-a-wearer-type-of non-warm-thing.
        Also often hits him2.

.i le cabna mamta ta'e plafinti
        le nu moinri'ara'u la .asun.
heu4 oi1 cung3 siong3 hoi4 si3 a1 sun4
hou4 mu3 zong2 xiang3 hai4 si3 a1 shun4
stepmother always think murder Asun
The present mother habitually plan-creates
        the event-of death-cause-trouble for-Asun

.i paroiki ku le cabna mamta cu cuxna re so'etsi
Yu1 it7 bai3 heu4 oi1 na1 liong3 cak8 vong2 teu4
you3 yi1 - hou4 mu3 na1 liang3 zhi1 huang2 dou4
exist one time stepmother take two seed soybeans
Once [sticky] the present mother chooses two soya-seeds.

.i pa so'etsi  cu nalseljukpa .ije pa so'etsi sobde cu seljukpa
it7 cak8 sang1 ge4 it7 cak8 suk8 ge4
yi1 ge sheng1 de yi1 ge shu2 de
one seed raw 's one seed cooked 's
One soya-seed is-non-cooked. And one soya-seed is-cooked

.i dunda le seljukpa la .asun. .ije dunda le nalseljukpa la .aniis.
suk8 ge4 bun1 a1 sun4 sang1 ge4 bun1 a1 nyi4
shu2 de fen1 a1 shun4 sheng1 de fen1 a1 yi4
cooked 's give Asun raw 's give Anyi
Gives the cooked to-Asun.  Gives the non-cooked to-Anyi.

.i cusku lu re ko cu klama le barda tricu
        poi se betfu kevna
vong3 gi2 liong3 ge4 nyin2 do4 tai4 su4 long1 du3 li3 ki4
- ta4 lian3 de ren2 dao4 da4 shu4 long2 du3 li3 qu4
tell them two thing person to big tree hole belly inside go
Expresses "Two of you [imperative] go-to the big tree
        which is-belly beholed.

.i ko pilno loi cilmo dertu lo tagji gacri be le so'etsi
vong2 teu4 yong4 nai2 tun2 gin3 ki4
huang2 dou4 yong4 ni2 - jin3 qu4
soybean use mud cover tight go
You [imperative] use a-mass-of wet dirt as-a tight cover for the soya-seed.

.i ko poi leke'a so'etsi cu pamoi derjbe
        cu pamoi zdaxru li'u
kon4 man3 nyin2 ge4 sian1 bao4 nga2 ciu4 man3 nyin2 sian1 con3 vuk7 ha1
kan4 - sue3 de xian1 bao4 ya2 jiu4 - ren2 xian1 zhuan3 wu1 xia4
see who 's first sprout then who first return home
You [imperative] such-that your soya-seed first is-dirt-born,
        first home-return."

.i ba le nu dzukla fo pimu le dargu kei
        la .aniis. zgana le nu le le bruna ku so'etsi cu farlu
        gi'ebabo barda
hang2 do4 ban4 lu4 a1 nyi4 kon4 do3 gia1 go1 ge4 teu4 zy3 go4 tai4
xing2 dao4 ban4 lu4 a1 yi4 kan4 dao3 - ge1 de dou4 zi guo4 da4
walk to half road Anyi see fall his brother 's bean pass big
after the event-of walkingly-going by-route half-of the road,
        Anyi observes the event-of the brother's soya-seed falling
        and-later that-it-is-big.

.ibabo fo le bruna cu canja
ciu4 tung2 gia1 go1 gao4
jiu4 tong2 - ge1 -
then with his brother trade
Then with the brother trades.

.i bazuku le la .asun. so'etsi cu pamoi derjbe
go4 e2 ho3 giu3 a1 sun4 ge4 teu4 zy3 sian1 bao4 nga2
guo4 - hao3 jiu3 a1 shun4 de dou4 zi xian1 bao4 ya2
pass -ed really long Asun 's bean first sprout
[future] [long time] Asun's soya-seed is-first from-dirt-born

.i ko'e morji le se cusku be le mamta
        .isemu'ibo ko'e zdaxru
gi2 ciu4 zao4 gia1 me1 ge4 fa4 sian1 con3 vuk7 ha1 ki4 e2
ta4 jiu4 zhao4 - mu3 de hua4 xian1 zhuan3 wu1 xia4 qu4 -
he then reflect his mother 's speech first return home go -ed
He2 remembers the expressed-thing by the mother.
        Motivated-by-that, he2 home-returns.

.i le mamta cu zgana le nu le jbebersa be ko'a na xruti
gia1 me1 kon4 do3 ci1 ga1 ge4 cin1 sen1 zy3 mo2 con3 loi2
- mu3 kan4 dao3 zi4 jia1 de qin1 sheng1 zi - zhuan3 lai2
his mother see fall oneself 's one's own son not return come
The mother observes the event-of the birth-son of her1 not return.

.i na kurji le ka jmive
        .i sutra sutra bajra mu'i le nu facki
ciu4 miang4 nga1 m2 mai4 e2 giak8 giak8 zeu3 ki4 kon4
jiu4 ming4 - bu4 - - - - zou3 qu4 kan4
then life even not want -ed quick quick run go see
A not carer-about the quality-of living.
        (A fast-type-of fast) runner with-motive the event-of discovering

le jei la .asun. lidne da
mang2 di1 zy4 a1 sun4 cut7 loi2 heu4
- zhi1 zi4 a1 shun4 chu1 lai2 hou4
where know from Asun emerge come after
the truth-value-of Asun being-a-leader-of someone.

.i lo cmana cevni cu makfa tisna le tricu kevna loi dertu
san1 syn2 tu3 ti4 sy3 e2 fap7 su4 lung1 set7 bet8 e2
shan1 shen2 tu3 di4 shi3 - fa3 shu4 long2 sai1 - -
mountain god earth use -ed magic tree hole fill-in away -ed
A mountain god magically stuffed the tree hole with-a-mass-of dirt.

.i le cabna mamta ba cusku fi la asun.
        fe lu ko cuxna lo famdakfu
        gi'e klama fa'ertisna le tricu kevna li'u
heu4 oi1 ciu4 vong3 a1 sun4 na1 it7 ba3 cok8 zy3 ki4 cok8 kai1 su4 lung1 loi2
hou4 mu3 jiu4 - a1 shun4 na2 yi1 ba3 zao2 zi qu4 zao2 kai1 shu4 long2 lai2
stepmother then tell Asun take one-handle chisel go bore open tree hole come
The present mother [future] expresses to Asun
        "You [imperative] choose an end-knife
        and goingly reverse-stuff the tree hole."

.i ca le nu kenkakpa
        da poi pu na zasti cu zmadu zasti
mang2 di1 cok8 kai1 loi2 mak7 ge4 ya1 mo2 zong3 yu1
- zhi1 zao2 kai1 lai2 - de ye3 - zon3 you3
where know bore open come something also not-exist assemble exist
[present] The event-of hole-digging,
        something which [past] not existed assemblingly exists.
        [Note:  This translation is highly conjectural.]

.i lo cipni goi ko'i cu vofli cliva gi'ecabo cusku
it7 cak7 diao1 zy3 bi1 cut7 loi2 giao4 den3
yi1 zhi1 niao3 zi fei1 chu1 lai2 jiao4 -
one head bird fly emerge come call -ing
A bird [it3] flyingly leaves and-then expresses

zoi .xakkas go1 zy3 cok8 cok8 oi1 zy3 pak8 sok8 .xakkas.
        no'u lu le bruna cu kenkakpa sepi'o lo famdakfu
        .ije le mamta cu pensi selraktu li'u
go1 zy3 cok8 cok8 oi1 zy3 pak8 sok8
ge1 zi zao2 zao2 mu3 zi bai2 -
brother chisel bore mother waste thoughts
the-expression "go1 zy3 cok8 cok8 o1 zy3 pak8 sok8"
        which-incidentally-is "the brother hole-digs with-tool an edge-knife.
        And the mother is think-betroubled."

.i sfani ze'abaku
bi1 do4 ban4 tian1 ki4 e2
fei1 dao4 ban4 tian1 qu4 -
fly to half day go -ed
A-flyer [medium interval] [anchored in the future]

.i ti'e ca'o ro crisa ko'i rolnicte sanli le tricu forca
tang1 gong3 mi1 nyian2 ge4 ha4 gi2 ya4 ya4 a1 diao4 den3 su4 va1 hong4
ting1 jiang3 mei3 nian2 de xia4 ji4 ta4 ye4 ye4 - diao4 - shu4 cha4 shang4
hear say each year 's summer he night night even drop -ing tree crotch top
[I hear!] During all summers it3 each-nightly stands-on the tree fork

gi'e cusku zoi .xakkas. go1 zy3 cok8 cok8 oi1 zy3 pak8 sok8 .xakkas.
giao4 den4 go1 zy3 cok8 cok8 oi1 zy3 pak8 sok8
jiao4 - ge1 zi zao2 zao2 mu3 zi bai2 -
call -ing brother chisel bore mother waste thoughts
and expresses "go1 zy3 cok8 cok8 o1 zy3 pak8 sok8".

.i cusku ca le pu'o nu le molko'a cu ciblu vikmi
oi4 giao4 dao4 zoi4 kok7 teu2 cut7 hiat8 zang4 m2 giao4
ai4 jiao4 dao4 zui3 jiao3 tou2 chu1 xue3 - bu4 jiao4
want call until mouth corner bleed finally not call
Expresses during the [inchoative] event-of the mouth-corner blood excreting.

--
cowan@snark.thyrsus.com         ...!uunet!cbmvax!snark!cowan
                e'osai ko sarji la lojban