Source: Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Fabeln. Drei Bücher (1759), book two, no. 15 (public domain), text from zeno.org. Proper names stay unchanged (Jupiter, Zeus).
Literal: PL = ma, NOT = ne, REQ = vo, QUOTE = re, NEAR = hi, Q = ka, PST = po, ONLY = so, STILL = ku, ALREADY = ti, ADV = adverb ending, ADJ = adjective ending. Compounds with hyphens.
Ein Rabe trug ein Stück vergiftetes Fleisch, das der erzürnte Gärtner für die Katzen seines Nachbars hingeworfen hatte, in seinen Klauen fort. Und eben wollte er es auf einer alten Eiche verzehren, als sich ein Fuchs herbei schlich, und ihm zurief: Sei mir gesegnet, Vogel des Jupiters! Für wen siehst du mich an? fragte der Rabe. – Für wen ich dich ansehe? erwiderte der Fuchs. Bist du nicht der rüstige Adler, der täglich von der Rechte des Zeus auf diese Eiche herab kömmt, mich Armen zu speisen? Warum verstellst du dich? Sehe ich denn nicht in der siegreichen Klaue die erflehte Gabe, die mir dein Gott durch dich zu schicken noch fortfährt? Der Rabe erstaunte, und freuete sich innig, für einen Adler gehalten zu werden. Ich muß, dachte er, den Fuchs aus diesem Irrtume nicht bringen. Großmütig dumm ließ er ihm also seinen Raub herabfallen, und flog stolz davon. Der Fuchs fing das Fleisch lachend auf, und fraß es mit boshafter Freude. Doch bald verkehrte sich die Freude in ein schmerzhaftes Gefühl; das Gift fing an zu wirken, und er verreckte. Möchtet ihr euch nie etwas anders als Gift erloben, verdammte Schmeichler!
A raven was carrying off in its claws a piece of poisoned meat that the angry gardener had thrown out for his neighbour's cats. And just as it was about to eat it on an old oak, a fox crept up and called to it: Blessings on you, bird of Jupiter! Whom do you take me for? asked the raven. – Whom do I take you for? replied the fox. Are you not the mighty eagle who comes down every day from the right hand of Zeus onto this oak to feed poor me? Why do you pretend? Do I not see in your victorious claw the gift I prayed for, which your god still keeps sending me through you? The raven was astonished and was heartily glad to be taken for an eagle. I must not, he thought, lead the fox out of this error. So, generously foolish, he let his prey fall down to him and flew proudly away. The fox caught the meat, laughing, and devoured it with malicious joy. But soon the joy turned into a painful feeling; the poison began to work, and he perished miserably. May you never earn yourselves anything but poison, you cursed flatterers!
bird-black carry part meat through foot it. place-plant-person angry throw ALREADY meat NEAR for PL cat neighbour he self, and medicine-bad be-located in meat
Ein Rabe trug ein Stück vergiftetes Fleisch, das der erzürnte Gärtner für die Katzen seines Nachbars hingeworfen hatte, in seinen Klauen fort.
A raven was carrying off in its claws a piece of poisoned meat that the angry gardener had thrown out for his neighbour's cats.
Notes (7)
The text has no time word; po only where the past matters inside the speech.
The relative clause on the object has become a sentence of its own; otherwise “in its claws” would have no place (a relative clause on a later noun runs to the end of the sentence).
“Poisoned” = “and poison is in the meat” (no participle).
“Had thrown out” = gope ti (already thrown).
ma dufa melavulipa lo luti: each noun specifies the one to its left, so “the cats of the neighbour of himself”; lo luti points to the gardener.
bird-black want eating it on tree-strong old. dog-red come quiet-ADV to tree, and it call to bird-black QUOTE REQ God give good-thing to you! QUOTE you same-be bird Jupiter
Und eben wollte er es auf einer alten Eiche verzehren, als sich ein Fuchs herbei schlich, und ihm zurief: Sei mir gesegnet, Vogel des Jupiters!
And just as it was about to eat it on an old oak, a fox crept up and called to it: Blessings on you, bird of Jupiter!
Notes (5)
dure nama lo = want to eat it; the noun after the action is what is affected.
fox = nitapika (dog + red), a new term. “Oak” = geranaka (tree + strong), “old oak” = geranaka vuguni. After that gera (the tree) is enough.
Temporal “as” does not work with fi; so two sentences.
“Creep” = gole vufaso (come quietly).
“Blessings on you” = may God give you good things, as in “The Star Money”. The address “bird of Jupiter” is a sentence of its own: “You are the bird of Jupiter.” (address paraphrased).
bird-black ask QUOTE you think thing Q in matter I? dog-red answer QUOTE I think thing Q in matter you?
Für wen siehst du mich an? fragte der Rabe. – Für wen ich dich ansehe? erwiderte der Fuchs.
Whom do you take me for? asked the raven. – Whom do I take you for? replied the fox.
Notes (2)
“Whom do you take me for?” = What do you think about me? (di tama = topic).
The obvious form “you think that I am who?” (tu kile, de mi lute tama ka) would not be a question: a ka in the de clause gives an indirect question, and the main clause stays a statement. Questions like “Who do you think I am?” can therefore only be paraphrased.
bird-black surprised-be, and it much glad-be, because dog-red think, that bird-black same-be bird-mighty. bird-black think QUOTE REQ dog-red stay in mistake NEAR!
Der Rabe erstaunte, und freuete sich innig, für einen Adler gehalten zu werden. Ich muß, dachte er, den Fuchs aus diesem Irrtume nicht bringen.
The raven was astonished and was heartily glad to be taken for an eagle. I must not, he thought, lead the fox out of this error.
Notes (4)
bilerabuke = to be surprised (adjective + -e).
“To be taken for an eagle” = because the fox thinks that the raven is an eagle (passive with the one acting as the subject).
In the de clause it says bipadofa rather than lo, so that it is clear who is meant.
“I must not lead him out of the error” = the fox shall stay in this error. mi tome ne would mean “I don't have to” (it is not necessary), but Lessing means “I must not”.
REQ PL person who speak-good get ONLY medicine-bad!
Möchtet ihr euch nie etwas anders als Gift erloben, verdammte Schmeichler!
May you never earn yourselves anything but poison, you cursed flatterers!
Notes (2)
“Flatter” = senarale (speak + good), a new term. “Flatterer” stands as a relative clause, because the derivation with -ar- would have two readings: “speaker + fall” or “flatter + person”. The checking script reports such forms in begriffe.csv.
The address (“you … flatterers”) becomes a request in the third person: “People who flatter shall get only poison!” “Cursed” is left out.