Jutean – Tropical Saa. The Wave Language

A poem written in Jutean

Hotohiva a lumamo


N’a anindi, hotuvonit
a teso’miohi he ehe
hotuvimode netie se,
hokono deo fal ilfoit’

Saihadao ilhavano he
fal a no’i a noitadova
a vattohi a me fal ma
a vunojid’ a lumo se

Amdoheot al fal idatel
nu’e aso’i a ni a-n’tuuni
– hee, no ji a vandovohi
u foi a haada oos huvel

N’a anindi, ilvuninam’
a teso’miohi he ehe
vunamatede netie se,
saiho noitom' to fal lumam’

Saihadao ilhavano he
fal a deohi a fuedohi
a dovid’-a lum’mod’-a ifi,
a haado’i ov’ saanavade

Asot al fal ji idatel,
uuvaliti a illumid’
a nuheid’ a-m’ fal ma, id’
dooni a ji, eeol no fal dotel

A very literal English translation that doesn't attempt to conserve either rhythm or rhymes.

"Poem about Power"

Happy are the slaves
who think themselves
masters and nothing else
they can ignore serfdom

They prefer to pretend to
themselves that the chains
they are carrying around
are signs of power

Break away they will never
for the realizing of a life of prison
yes, this is terrifying
and freedom hopelessly too large

Happy are the mortals
who think themselves
gods and nothing else,
think they powerfully control (many things)

They prefer to delude
themselves into ignoring the collapsing
of the towers of power little by little,
(which were) built on wet sand.

They shall never realize this,
the depth of powerlessness
of their endeavor; in (all)
of that time*, they were never able to (really) live

*= in the end

Feel free to message any questions or comments to jute [at] posteo.de, I’d really enjoy getting to know people here!
(Photo credit: Gossipguy on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)>