Senatola

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10 October 2026 · from English · 9 sentences

Rain and My Shadow

Source: Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child's Garden of Verses (1885), no. VI “Rain” and no. XVIII “My Shadow” (public domain), text from en.wikisource.org.

Literal: PL = ma, NOT = ne, NEAR = hi, Q = ka, FUT = vi, ONLY = so, STILL = ku, ALREADY = ti, ADV = adverb ending. Compounds with hyphens.

Whole text in one piece

nimalara lare di nalu nisa, su lo lare he nibora su gera, su lo lare he ma nimalarota di nisa hi, su lo lare he ma navanima di baga. mi bure meronisa je nube nalo ga mi. mi pele ne, de mi bode lo ko vera ka. lo pulu pulu lutise mi ko tasa va rila. mi vese, de lo risine nalo le mi, fi mi risine va femota mi. doba lo pulu govene. lo dobe ne si ma pina rali, je dobe nalo pulu vusevo. lo bame fapo bilero ro tara si lufotafoga, su lo bame fapo pulu vubira, su lo vufale. lo rike ne, de ma pina tome folo ka lufa. su lo pune so vubanena mi ru nalu fola. lo fane pulu vulipo di goba mi. tu vese, de lo dutare. mi pumave vi, fi mi fane vulipo di goba dubara mi si meronisa hi. mi bamapime pulu bofo di pavu bela le bamapima sela, su mi lire ma nimisa lumi he nalu bimanoba puvi. ho meronisa vujurami mi fane ti di dova gi mi, su lo feme ku di femota si femara.

The rain is raining all around, it falls on field and tree, it rains on the umbrellas here, and on the ships at sea. I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, and what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; and I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow— not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, and he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all. He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, and can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Sentence by sentence (9 sentences)

Rain

nimalara lare di nalu nisa, su lo lare he nibora su gera, su lo lare he ma nimalarota di nisa hi, su lo lare he ma navanima di baga.

water-fall fall in all place, and it fall on field and tree, and it fall on PL water-fall-object in place NEAR, and it fall on PL vehicle-water in sea

The rain is raining all around, it falls on field and tree, it rains on the umbrellas here, and on the ships at sea.

Notes (5)
  • Everyday poems: main clauses are always joined with su, comparisons with si, and “so … that” without a conjunction of its own.
  • Stevenson's wordplay “the rain is raining” comes by itself in Senatola: nimalara lare is literally “the water-falling falls”.
  • The four lines are one sentence; each main clause is attached with su, a comma alone is not enough.
  • he applies to both nouns joined with su (nibora su gera). In the last line the whole clause appears again (su lo lare he …); su he ma navanima would be a short sentence in the middle of a sentence.
  • umbrella = nimalarota (rain + -ot-), a new term.

My Shadow

mi bure meronisa je nube nalo ga mi. mi pele ne, de mi bode lo ko vera ka.

I have shadow-small which go always with I. I understand NOT, that I need it from reason Q

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, and what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

Notes (4)
  • The relative clause runs to the end of the sentence; the second line is therefore a new sentence.
  • “In and out” = nalo (always).
  • “What can be the use of him” = why I need him (indirect question with ko vera ka).
  • Stevenson calls the shadow “him”; in Senatola it is lo.

My Shadow

lo pulu pulu lutise mi ko tasa va rila. mi vese, de lo risine nalo le mi, fi mi risine va femota mi.

it much much same-small-be I from foot to head. I see, that it jump always before I, if I jump to sleep-object I

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; and I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

Notes (4)
  • “To be like” = lutise; like lute it takes what is compared directly after it.
  • pulu pulu: the first quantity word measures the next one.
  • “See him jump” would not work as two verbs; so vese, de ….
  • “Whenever” = nalo + fi. nalo goes in the de clause, because the fi clause belongs to the de clause.

My Shadow

doba lo pulu govene. lo dobe ne si ma pina rali, je dobe nalo pulu vusevo.

growing it much laugh-make. it grow NOT like PL child good, who grow always much slow-ADV

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow— not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

Notes (2)
  • “The funniest thing” = “his growing is very funny”; the superlative would need “more than all”.
  • The relative clause at the end belongs to ma pina (the proper children).

My Shadow

lo bame fapo bilero ro tara si lufotafoga, su lo bame fapo pulu vubira, su lo vufale.

it become sometimes sudden-ADV more height like play-object-round, and it become sometimes much smallness, and it be-missing

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, and he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

Notes (3)
  • “For” is left out; a sentence must not start with ke.
  • “Shoot up taller” = bame ro tara (become more height). “India-rubber ball” = lufotafoga (ball).
  • “So little that there's none” = two clauses with su: he becomes very small, and he is gone (vufale).

My Shadow

lo rike ne, de ma pina tome folo ka lufa. su lo pune so vubanena mi ru nalu fola.

it know NOT, that PL child must way Q playing. and it can ONLY stupid-making I through all way

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, and can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

Notes (3)
  • “How” in the indirect question = folo ka.
  • “Make a fool of” = vubanene (stupid + -en-), freely formed. mi after the action is what is affected.
  • The second line is a new sentence that starts with su. Attached with a comma it would belong to the de clause.

My Shadow

lo fane pulu vulipo di goba mi. tu vese, de lo dutare. mi pumave vi, fi mi fane vulipo di goba dubara mi si meronisa hi.

it stay much near-ADV in side I. you see, that it afraid-person-be. I ashamed-be FUT, if I stay near-ADV in side helper I like shadow-small NEAR

He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

Notes (4)
  • coward = dutara (afraid + -ar-), a new term; dutare = to be a coward.
  • “Nursie” = dubara mi (my helper).
  • “As that shadow sticks to me” = si meronisa hi: the si group compares the subject (I would stay with her as the shadow stays with me).
  • The exclamation becomes a statement.

My Shadow

mi bamapime pulu bofo di pavu bela le bamapima sela, su mi lire ma nimisa lumi he nalu bimanoba puvi.

I get-up very early-ADV in one morning before getting-up sun, and I find PL water-small bright on all plant-beautiful yellow

One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

Notes (3)
  • All time phrases come after the verb.
  • “Before the sun was up” = le bamapima sela (before the getting up of the sun; preposition + action).
  • “Dew” = ma nimisa lumi (shining drops), “buttercup” = bimanoba puvi (yellow flower). nalu applies to each single flower.

My Shadow

ho meronisa vujurami mi fane ti di dova gi mi, su lo feme ku di femota si femara.

but shadow-small lazy I stay ALREADY in house behind I, and it sleep STILL in sleep-object like sleep-person

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Notes (3)
  • meronisa vujurami mi: first the adjective, then the owner.
  • “Sleepy-head” = femara (sleep + -ar-: sleeper), a new term.
  • “Fast asleep” = feme ku (is still sleeping).