The Priest Wrote the King a Letter

[Void]

(I'll just steal this from reddit):

Вихарь скрѣбъ кънѧжѣ ярѫдь.
[ˈvixarʲĭ ˈskrʲæbŭ kŭˈnʲẽʒæ ˈjærõdĭ]
priest-NOM write-3SG.PST king-DAT letter-ACC
The priest wrote the king a letter.

I really like this sentence and was wondering how would you translate it.

[Ebon]

Long Dau:

Luguimisu anbadiupe luntin'e tiadīmun.
/lɯgwimisɯ ambadʲɯpe lɯntinʔe tʲadiːmɯn/
priest 3P_write_PST letter_ACC monarch_DAT
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[GrandPiano]

Mandarin

牧师给国王写了一封信。 (simplified)
牧師給國王寫了一封信。 (traditional)
Mùshī gěi guówáng xiě le yī fēng xìn.
[mu˥˩ʂʐ̩˥ keɪ̯˨˩ kwɔ˧˥wɑŋ˧˥ ɕjɛ˨˩ lɤ̆˦ i˥˩ fɤŋ˥ ɕin˥˩]
priest for king write PFV one CL letter
The priest wrote the king a letter.

(给/給 gěi literally means "to give", but it often serves a grammatical function similar to "for" in English such as indicating the recipient of an action e.g. when talking about giving someone a phone call or writing someone a letter)

[Khemehekis]

Kankonian:

Olan ekheten ad tei valia.
priest write-PST for king letter

Or:

Olan ekheten valia ad tei.
priest write-PST letter for king

[Znex]

Гуже мелида кага сонда.
[guʒeː meːliða kaɣa so:da]
priest-DIR write-PST-3SG khan-DAT letter-DIR
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[Lao Kou]

Géarthnuns

Chö hídhabs lé sa pfesensat chö díbsök fuzh.
DEF priest-NOM AUX.PAST INDEF letter-ACC DEF king-DAT write
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[Iyionaku]

German

Der Priester schrieb dem König einen Brief.
[dɛɐ̯ ˈpʁiːstʰɐ ʃʁiːp deːm ˈkʰønɪç ʔaɪ̯nən ˈbʁiːf]
DEF.MASC.NOM priest write.PRET.3SG DEF.MASC.DAT king INDEF.MASC.ACC letter

French

Le prêtre écrivit une lettre au roi.
[lə ˈpʁɛtʁə ekʁiˈvit‿yn ˈlɛtʁə o ʁwa]
DEF.MASC priest write.PST.3SG INDEF.FEM letter to=DEF.MASC king

Yélian

A'iagul yigúvenet malfo pès bravo.
[aˈjaxʊl ʃiˈχuːvɛnət ˈmalɸo pɛs ˈbraːvo]
DEF.ANIM=priest PST-write-3SG letter to king

Caelian

Folces byarvul ma kastuic lyogivtin.
[βɔlˈʒɛʃ bʲaɾˈvʊl ma kʰaʃˈtʰʊɪ̯ç ʎɔgɪfˈtʰɪn]
priest.NOM king.DAT INDEF.FEM letter.ACC HISTPST-write.3SG>3SG

Bath'aso

Khek pezkhek ninkdřetz kugsuzh peztshek.
[kʰɛk ˈpɛzkʰɛk ˈninkd͡rʒɛtz̥ ˈkɯgsuʐ ˈpɛz͡tʂɛk]
PERF write priest-ERG king-INDR letter-ABS

Paatherye

म षयीण स्किड़पीने सो पायेऌ में रोगिषनु.
Ma șayīn skirpīne sē pāyel mem rēgișanu.
[ma ʃa.ˈiːn skirˈpiːne seː ˈpaːjel mem reːˈɣiʃanu]
DEF.FEM.NOM priest.NOM write.PST.3SG INDEF.MASC.ACC letter.ACC DEF.MASC.DAT king.MASC.DAT

[Lambuzhao]

Rozwi

ɂelhevanuγad viʢūčane ɂōγadeu viqšriša.
priest-NOM.SG write<PLUP>3SG king-DAT.SG writing-ACC.SG




Yauchuan

Gača-rwayeku rihawagū wenfüwaga vayāgajo.
king=TOP monk <NMLZ>inscribe write-PST


Sadrås

sceritte der Hœllumann tuo dene Küningje.
write<PFT> DEF.M.NOM.SG holyman PRP DEF.M.OBJ.SG king-OBJ


Çedara

Le sagreduge scrisi una lidter li rege.

[GrandPiano]

Spanish

El sacerdote le escribió una carta al rey.
[el saserˈð̞ote le eskɾiˈβ̞jo ˈuna ˈkaɾta al rej]
el sacerdote-Ø le-Ø escrib-ió un-a-Ø carta-Ø al rey-Ø
DEF.M.SG priest-SG IO-SG write-3SG.PRT.IND INDF-F-SG letter-SG to=DEF.M.SG king-SG
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[Lao Kou]

Japoné語

Le 司祭 oué il ga 書ïta un 手紙 au l'王 ni.
Le chiçaille oué il ga caïta un tégami au l'eau ni.
[lœ̈ ʃɪˈsaj we i gɔ cajtɔ ɚ̃ te'gami o loʊ̯ ni]
DEF priest TOP 3SG NOM write-PAST INDEF letter ACC DEF=king DAT
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[Dormouse559]

French

Le prêtre écrivit une lettre au roi.
[lə ˈpʁɛtʁə ekʁiˈvit‿yn ˈlɛtʁə o ʁwa]
DEF.MASC priest write.PST.3SG INDEF.FEM letter to=DEF.MASC king

Outside of a formal written story or history book, you would use the passé composé, giving "Le prêtre a écrit une lettre au roi". And there probably wouldn't be liaison after "écrivit" or "écrit" unless you were singing a song or reading a formal poem.

Romanglic
Priest scribed monarch single letter.
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[k1234567890y]

Urban Basanawa

だ司祭書いいと一手紙とだ王
[də ʃɪsaɪ vɹi:t i:n handblat tə də kɪŋk](pronunciation)
だ　司祭　書いいと　一　手紙　と　だ　王
the priest write.PST.3.SG one letter to the king(interlinear)

(a new project)

kannangpa semang pomo kaksel
[kannaŋpa semaŋ pomo kaksel](pronunciation)
kannang-pa sem-ng tekam-o kak-sel
priest-TOP king-DAT letter-ACC write-PST.NONFIRSTHAND(interlinear)

[Rosenkohl]

The priest wrote the king a letter
Preuter gemella sanna du zynna.
preuter-∅ ge-mēl-d-a sann-a du zydan-a
priest-NOM.SG PFV-write-PST-3.SG letter-ACC.SG to king-DAT.SG
[ˈpɾɛɪ̯tɛɾ ˈʁmɛla ˈsana ðʏˈzʏna]
"The priest wrote a letter to the king", implying the letter was successfully sent

There are a few alternative translations of the indirect object the king.
an zydan:
an zydan-∅
to king-ACC.SG
[an ˈzyːðan]
implies it was sent to the king, but most probably still hasn't arrived

zynna:
zydan-a
king-DAT.SG
[zʏna]
implies it was written "for the king", whether or not it has been sent is unknown or irrelevant

This sort of distinction (an, du and bare noun) was originally intended for other verbs (such as i skyte, "to shoot"), but as I started translating this I found myself making the same distinction somewhat naturally.

[Frislander]

Spoiler:

Kokanãi

céa cárinĩ'e'a yo kéaróa ya sóitá
[ˈt͡ʃeːa̯ ˈt͡ʃaː.ɽi.ˈnĩ.ʔe.ʔa jo ˈkeːa̯.ɽoːa̯ ja ˈsoːɪ̯.taː]
HEAR news-write.PERF-M.OBL N.ABS person-God M.ABS rule.CON
The priest wrote the king a letter

Notes.

The noun cári is a general noun with the general meaning of "transferable information", and can be translated by an assortment of English terms, including "news", "information" and "message". Thus the incorporated verb "cárinĩ'e" is the most appropriate way of expressing words "write a letter".

Further to this, incorporating the patient/theme permits an oblique argument to be applied to the verb. This is normally a possessor, but in this example it is being interpreted as a recipient, though the possessor interpretation ("The priest wrote the king's letter/ the priest scribed for the king") is still possible. To express this unambiguously as a recipient, the longer form given below would be used.

céa cárinĩ'epo yo kéaróa yóro'a ya sóitá
[ˈt͡ʃeːa̯ ˈt͡ʃaː.ɽi.ˈnĩ.ʔe.po jo ˈkeːa̯.ɽoːa̯ ˈjoː.ɽo.ʔa ja ˈsoːɪ̯.taː]
HEAR news-write.PERF-CONT N.ABS person-God put.PERF- M.ABS rule.CON
The priest wrote a letter and gave it to the king

However, this version has the specific interpretation of the priest physically giving the king the letter. To avoid this, the potential may be used, along with a couple more valency-changing operations to remove the agency of the "giving" from the priest.

céa nĩ'e yo kéaróa pe'ã 'acáriyokóro ya sóitá
[ˈt͡ʃeːa̯ ˈnĩ.ʔe jo ˈkeːa̯.ɽoːa̯ pe.ʔã ʔa.ˈt͡ʃaː.ɽi.jo.koː.ɽo.ʔa ja ˈsoːɪ̯.taː]
HEAR write.PERF N.ABS person-God POT M-news-put.PERF<PAT> M.ABS rule.CON
The priest wrote a letter that it might be given it to the king

The -po suffix serves a variety of functions, from serving as a medial-verb marker similar to Japanese -te, to a logophoricity marker.

In the society which speaks this language, priests & "kings" are normally female, so the priest is here expressed using the non-masculine forms, while "king" takes the masculine forms.

EDIT: this is now out of date: an updated version will appear shortly.

[Solarius]

Ussaria
Prist agguhey-ak (tyer) metub-ak alkey
priest king-ACC (BEN) letter-ACC write
"The priest wrote the king a letter."

There are a few things to here note. First, tyer would only be used if the priest's letter was to inform the king of some unknown information, or to assist him in some way. Second, Ussaria lacks an obvious translation for English king. agguhey is more like English emperor, but since almost all kings in the Ussaria-speaking world have crowned themselves that rather than guhey, which is reserved for foreign kings as well as monarchs in tales.

[Clio]

Ancient Greek

ὀ ἰερεὺς ἐπιστολὴν ἔγραψε τῷ βασιλεῖ.
ho hiereùs epistolḗn égrapse tô basileî.
DEF.NOM.MASC.SG priest-NOM.SG letter-ACC.SG AOR.IND-write-AOR.ACT.IND.3SG DEF.DAT.MASC.SG. king-DAT.SG

or:
ὀ ἰερεὺς ἐπιστολὴν ἔγραψεν ὡς τὸν βασιλέα.
ho hiereùs episotlḗn égrapsen hōs tòn basiléa
DEF.NOM.MASC.SG priest-NOM.SG letter-ACC.SG AOR.IND-write-AOR.ACT.IND.3SG to DEF.ACC.MASC.SG. king-ACC.SG

One also commonly sees the word βασιλεύς without the article when it's clear which king is meant, such as the King of Persia, or Alexander the Great.

[Xing]

Kwanjir

Gwirdan circar circu i Kwahan.
priest write letter DAT king
[ˈgᵂiːdɐn ˈʧiːʧɐ ˈʧiːʧʊ ʏ‿ˈkᵂɒːhɐn]

Waku

Ko temu a kinna teli o wilu.
PFV write ERG priest letter DAT king
[ko tʲeːm aː kɨnʲːa tʲeːli o ɰiːl]

[Void]

Due to my latest CK2 binge, where I conquered most of northern Europe as a Livonian (Estonian) pagan, I've decided to dabble in a Finnic (with Slavic influence) language.

Imołames črece knjacosele čreža.
[ˈimowaˌmʲe̞s ˈt͡ʃrʲe̞t͡se̞ ˈknʲæt͡so̞ˌse̞lʲe̞ ˈt͡ʃrʲe̞ʒa]
god-man write-3SG.PST king-ALL letter-ACC
The priest wrote the king a letter.

[protondonor]

Kaimen Keling

Se naida se rīksana sarnaim jēnedas.
the priest DEF king-DAT rune-PL-ACC write-PAST-3

Giskan Kel

Si praisbutair si reiksan aipistaulam jenaiþs.
/si prɛsbutɛr si ri:ksan ɛpistɔlam je:nɛθs/
DEF priest DEF king-GEN/DAT letter-ACC write-PAST-3

I would love to post this in the Gothic orthography but MySQL is choking on that, so you get a transliteration instead.

The Kaimen Keling genitive and dative have fallen together for most noun declensions in Giskan Kel (including CC-stems, which includes the word reiks king), due to extensive syncope.

[Alessio]

Hecathver/Häħadhvar
Ic qursiħ trensim gamarals ï trun.
/itʃ 'xursik 'trensim gama'rals aɪ̯ trun/
DEF priest write.PAST.3SG letter.ACC DEF.DAT king.DAT