Two Foolish Boys
Posted: 28 May 2014 20:27
A short story from "The Navajo Language; A Grammar and Colloquial Dictionary" - Young & Morgan
I think this story really has potential to put the grammatical nuts and bolts of your conlangs to the test!
A funny story in Navajo
ʼAshiiké tʼóó diigis léiʼ tółikaní łaʼ ʼádiilnííł dóó nihaa nahidoonih níigo yee hodeezʼą́ jiní.
(Boys) (foolish) (certain) (wine) (some) (we'll make) (and) (us-from) (it will be bought) (they saying) (it with) (they planned) (it is said)
ʼÁko tʼáá ʼałʼąą chʼil naʼatłʼoʼii kʼiidiilá dóó hááhgóóshį́į́ yinaalnishgo tʼáá ʼáłah chʼil naʼatłʼoʼii néinestʼą́ jiní.
(So then) (separately) (grapevines) (they planted them) (and) (diligently) (they working on them) (they both) (grapevines) (they raised them) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó tółikaní ʼáyiilaago tʼáá bíhígíí tʼáá ʼałʼąą tłʼízíkágí yiiʼ haidééłbįįd jiní.
(And then) (wine) (they having made it) (each their own) (separately) (goatskins) (in them) (they filled it) (it is said)
"Háadida díí tółikaní yígíí doo łaʼ ʼahaʼdiidził da," níigo ʼahaʼdeetʼą́ jiní.
(Any time) (this) (wine) (particular) (not) (some/any) (we'll give each other) (not), (they saying) (they agreed) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó baa nahidoonih biniiyé kintahgóó dah yidiiłjid jiní.
(And then) (from them) (it will be bought) (its purpose) (town to) (off) (they started backpacking it) (it is said)
ʼAtiingóó ʼoołjił ńtʼééʼ łaʼ ʼání jiní: "Dooládóʼ! shee honiigaii da!"
(Road along) (they're backpacking) (as/it was) (one) (thus he says) (it is said): (Wow!) (with me) (it has become hot)
"Nitoʼ łaʼ shaʼnízííd!" ní jiní.
(your liquid) (some) (you give me!) (he says) (it is said)
"Dooda! Shą́ą́ʼ háadida doo łaʼ ʼahaʼdiidził da diiʼniid niʼ," ní jiní łaʼ
(No!) (remember) (any time) (not) (some/any) (we'll give it to each other) (we said) (recall), (he says) (it is said) (the other one)
ʼÁádóó łaʼbą́ą bizaʼazis naʼachʼid ńtʼééʼ béeso hayííʼą́ jiní.
(And then) (aforementioned other one) (his pocket) (he gropes about) (it was) (coin) (he took it out) (it is said)
Ńtʼééʼ ʼéí łitso ʼátʼéé lá jiní.
(Then) (that) (nickel) (it is) (it turned out) (it is said)
Łaʼ tʼéiyá habéeso tʼáá ʼíiyisíí ʼádin jiní.
(The other one) (exclusively) (his money) (really) (none) (it is said)
"Hágoóneeʼ, tʼóó łaʼ naa nahashniih," ní jiní bibéeso hólónę́ę.
(Well then) (merely) (some) (from you) (I buy it), (he says) (it is said) (his money) (it exists the one who)
"Hágoshį́į́", ní jiní. "Háadida doo łaʼ ʼahaa nahidiilnih da ʼéí doo ʼahidiiʼniid da", ní jiní.
(Alright) (he says) (it is said). (Any time) (not) (some) (from each other) (we will buy it) (that) (not) (we said to each other), (he says) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó łitso baazhníʼą́ągo tółikani yę́ę łaʼ haa yiníką́ jiní.
(And then) (nickel) (to him he having give it) (wine) (the aforementioned) (some) (to him) (he gave it in open container) (it is said)
"Dooládó! łikango ʼíinilaa da lá!", bijiní jiní.
(Wow!) (deliciously) (you made it) (I find) (he says to him) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó béeso yę́ę haa néiníʼą́ągo "Nihígííshąʼ łaʼ shaa níkaah", hałní jiní.
(And then) (coin) (the aforementioned) (to him) (he having returned it), (How about yours) (some) (to me) (give it in open container), (to him he says) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó hóhígíí łaʼ baa náázhníką́ jiní.
(And then) (his) (some) (to him) (he again gave in open container) (it is said)
Tʼáá ʼákótʼéego béeso yę́ę tʼóó hataʼ ʼałnánáltsʼiʼgo tółikani yę́ę ʼahaa njiilniihgo wónáásdóó tsiʼjideezhʼáázh lá jiní.
(Being just that way) (coin) (aforementioned) (merely) (between them) (back and forth it going) (wine) (the aforementioned) (from each other) (they buying it) (and finally) (they two became drunk) (came to be) (it is said)
ʼÉí shį́į́ tʼáá ʼákǫ́ǫ́ ʼatiinbąąhgóó jizhtéezhgo díkwíí shį́į́ yiską́ą́ lá jiní.
(Those) (presumably) (right there) (roadside along) (they two lying) (several) (nights passed) (it develops) (it is said)
ʼÁkwii jizhtéezhgo naʼałjidí daolyéego tʼáá bíhólnííhgóó ndaakaaígíí łaʼ hąąh ndaʼazhchʼidgo béeso yę́ę hatsʼą́ą́ʼ hayííʼą́ą́ lá jiní.
(There) (they two lying) (back-packer) (they being called) (just anyplace) (those who go about) (one/a) (alongside them) (he having moved hand about) (coin) (the aforementioned) (from them) (he took it out) (it develops) (it is said)
Hoł ʼénáhoosdzingo chʼééh naʼahízhdílkid jiní.
(They having regained their senses) (in vain) (they query each other) (it is said)
Tółikani tłʼízíkágí biiʼ yę́ę ʼałdóʼ ʼałtso joodlą́ą́ʼ lá jiní.
(Wine) (goatskins) (in them) (that was) (also) (all) (they drank it) (they found) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó hooghandi ńjítʼáazhgo, "Béeso haa néelą́ą́ʼ ʼóohłaa?" dahałní jiní.
(And then) (home at) (back they two having returned), (Money) (how) (much) (you made) (they say to them) (it is said)
"Béeso tʼóó ʼahayóí ʼíilyaa ńtʼééʼ daʼniʼįįhígíí łaʼ nihighadeisʼnil," jiníigo bił kéédahojitʼínę́ę bił hojoolneʼ
(Money) (a lot) (we made it) (but then) (thieves) (some) (they took it away from us), (they saying) (with them) (those that reside) (with them) (they told)
Free Translation
I think this story really has potential to put the grammatical nuts and bolts of your conlangs to the test!
A funny story in Navajo
ʼAshiiké tʼóó diigis léiʼ tółikaní łaʼ ʼádiilnííł dóó nihaa nahidoonih níigo yee hodeezʼą́ jiní.
(Boys) (foolish) (certain) (wine) (some) (we'll make) (and) (us-from) (it will be bought) (they saying) (it with) (they planned) (it is said)
ʼÁko tʼáá ʼałʼąą chʼil naʼatłʼoʼii kʼiidiilá dóó hááhgóóshį́į́ yinaalnishgo tʼáá ʼáłah chʼil naʼatłʼoʼii néinestʼą́ jiní.
(So then) (separately) (grapevines) (they planted them) (and) (diligently) (they working on them) (they both) (grapevines) (they raised them) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó tółikaní ʼáyiilaago tʼáá bíhígíí tʼáá ʼałʼąą tłʼízíkágí yiiʼ haidééłbįįd jiní.
(And then) (wine) (they having made it) (each their own) (separately) (goatskins) (in them) (they filled it) (it is said)
"Háadida díí tółikaní yígíí doo łaʼ ʼahaʼdiidził da," níigo ʼahaʼdeetʼą́ jiní.
(Any time) (this) (wine) (particular) (not) (some/any) (we'll give each other) (not), (they saying) (they agreed) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó baa nahidoonih biniiyé kintahgóó dah yidiiłjid jiní.
(And then) (from them) (it will be bought) (its purpose) (town to) (off) (they started backpacking it) (it is said)
ʼAtiingóó ʼoołjił ńtʼééʼ łaʼ ʼání jiní: "Dooládóʼ! shee honiigaii da!"
(Road along) (they're backpacking) (as/it was) (one) (thus he says) (it is said): (Wow!) (with me) (it has become hot)
"Nitoʼ łaʼ shaʼnízííd!" ní jiní.
(your liquid) (some) (you give me!) (he says) (it is said)
"Dooda! Shą́ą́ʼ háadida doo łaʼ ʼahaʼdiidził da diiʼniid niʼ," ní jiní łaʼ
(No!) (remember) (any time) (not) (some/any) (we'll give it to each other) (we said) (recall), (he says) (it is said) (the other one)
ʼÁádóó łaʼbą́ą bizaʼazis naʼachʼid ńtʼééʼ béeso hayííʼą́ jiní.
(And then) (aforementioned other one) (his pocket) (he gropes about) (it was) (coin) (he took it out) (it is said)
Ńtʼééʼ ʼéí łitso ʼátʼéé lá jiní.
(Then) (that) (nickel) (it is) (it turned out) (it is said)
Łaʼ tʼéiyá habéeso tʼáá ʼíiyisíí ʼádin jiní.
(The other one) (exclusively) (his money) (really) (none) (it is said)
"Hágoóneeʼ, tʼóó łaʼ naa nahashniih," ní jiní bibéeso hólónę́ę.
(Well then) (merely) (some) (from you) (I buy it), (he says) (it is said) (his money) (it exists the one who)
"Hágoshį́į́", ní jiní. "Háadida doo łaʼ ʼahaa nahidiilnih da ʼéí doo ʼahidiiʼniid da", ní jiní.
(Alright) (he says) (it is said). (Any time) (not) (some) (from each other) (we will buy it) (that) (not) (we said to each other), (he says) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó łitso baazhníʼą́ągo tółikani yę́ę łaʼ haa yiníką́ jiní.
(And then) (nickel) (to him he having give it) (wine) (the aforementioned) (some) (to him) (he gave it in open container) (it is said)
"Dooládó! łikango ʼíinilaa da lá!", bijiní jiní.
(Wow!) (deliciously) (you made it) (I find) (he says to him) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó béeso yę́ę haa néiníʼą́ągo "Nihígííshąʼ łaʼ shaa níkaah", hałní jiní.
(And then) (coin) (the aforementioned) (to him) (he having returned it), (How about yours) (some) (to me) (give it in open container), (to him he says) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó hóhígíí łaʼ baa náázhníką́ jiní.
(And then) (his) (some) (to him) (he again gave in open container) (it is said)
Tʼáá ʼákótʼéego béeso yę́ę tʼóó hataʼ ʼałnánáltsʼiʼgo tółikani yę́ę ʼahaa njiilniihgo wónáásdóó tsiʼjideezhʼáázh lá jiní.
(Being just that way) (coin) (aforementioned) (merely) (between them) (back and forth it going) (wine) (the aforementioned) (from each other) (they buying it) (and finally) (they two became drunk) (came to be) (it is said)
ʼÉí shį́į́ tʼáá ʼákǫ́ǫ́ ʼatiinbąąhgóó jizhtéezhgo díkwíí shį́į́ yiską́ą́ lá jiní.
(Those) (presumably) (right there) (roadside along) (they two lying) (several) (nights passed) (it develops) (it is said)
ʼÁkwii jizhtéezhgo naʼałjidí daolyéego tʼáá bíhólnííhgóó ndaakaaígíí łaʼ hąąh ndaʼazhchʼidgo béeso yę́ę hatsʼą́ą́ʼ hayííʼą́ą́ lá jiní.
(There) (they two lying) (back-packer) (they being called) (just anyplace) (those who go about) (one/a) (alongside them) (he having moved hand about) (coin) (the aforementioned) (from them) (he took it out) (it develops) (it is said)
Hoł ʼénáhoosdzingo chʼééh naʼahízhdílkid jiní.
(They having regained their senses) (in vain) (they query each other) (it is said)
Tółikani tłʼízíkágí biiʼ yę́ę ʼałdóʼ ʼałtso joodlą́ą́ʼ lá jiní.
(Wine) (goatskins) (in them) (that was) (also) (all) (they drank it) (they found) (it is said)
ʼÁádóó hooghandi ńjítʼáazhgo, "Béeso haa néelą́ą́ʼ ʼóohłaa?" dahałní jiní.
(And then) (home at) (back they two having returned), (Money) (how) (much) (you made) (they say to them) (it is said)
"Béeso tʼóó ʼahayóí ʼíilyaa ńtʼééʼ daʼniʼįįhígíí łaʼ nihighadeisʼnil," jiníigo bił kéédahojitʼínę́ę bił hojoolneʼ
(Money) (a lot) (we made it) (but then) (thieves) (some) (they took it away from us), (they saying) (with them) (those that reside) (with them) (they told)
Free Translation
Spoiler: