(J.R.R. Tolkein)
Brūnaim baíriþ baírka bōgum
láubans liubans liudandei,
gilwagrōni, glitmunjandei,
bagmē blōma, bláuandei,
fagrafahsa, liþulinþi,
fráujinōndei faírguni.
|
Bright branches and tender leaves
bears the sprouting birch,
pale-green, glimmering,
flowers of the trees, blooming,
fair and happy, lithe of limb,
ruling the mountain. |
Wōpjand windōs, wagjand lindōs,
lūtiþ limam láikandei;
slaíhta, raíhta, ƕeitarinda,
razda rōdeiþ reirandei,
bandwa baírhta, runa gōda,
þiuda meina þiuþjandei.
|
Howling winds, shaking lindens,
She lowers her limbs playfully;
slender and straight and white-barked,
she speaks a laughing language,
bright token, good secret,
a blessing to my people. |
Andanahti milhmam neipiþ,
liuhteiþ liuhmam laúhmuni;
láubōs liubai fliugand láusai,
tulgus, triggwa, standandei.
Baírka baza beidiþ bláika
fráujinōndei faírguni.
|
The evening grows dark with clouds,
and is lit up by lightning;
the tender leaves fly loose,
she stands faithful and true.
The bare birch waits pale,
ruling the mountain. |
Above is Tolkein's gothic song, Bagmē Blōma, and my own attempt at a fairly literal translation. Tolkein cleverly devises 17 new words in this poem which we can add to the gothic lexicon (some of which i have similarly devised for various Gothic for Goths lessons, such as * grōneis).
There are some much better translations and analyses here:
http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/bagme.htm http://bitterscroll.blogspot.com/2005/10/bagme-bloma-verse-translation.html
Since this is the only decent example i have of secular gothic (though it is not from the gothic era), it is worth doing an analysis here of what's really going on in this text.
*brūnaim |
baíriþ
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*baírka |
*bōgum |
bright/shining?
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bears |
birch |
limb, branch
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adj.dat.pl. 'brūns'
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v.t.3s.pres.ind. 'baíran'
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n.f.nom.sing. |
n.m.dat.sing. 'bōgus' |
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láubans |
*liubans |
liudandei, |
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leaves |
dear/cherished |
growing |
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n.m.acc.pl. 'láufs'
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adj.acc.pl. 'liufs'
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adj.f.nom.sing.
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| from pres.part. 'liudan'
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*gilwa- |
*grōni |
glitmunjandei |
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yellow? |
green |
glittering/glimmering |
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pfx.adj. 'gilws' |
adj.f.nom.sing. 'grōneis' |
adj.f.nom.sing. 'glitmunjands'
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from pres.part. 'glitmunjan' |
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bagmē |
blōma |
*bláuandei |
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of-trees |
flowers |
blooming |
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n.m.gen.pl 'bagms'
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n.m.nom.sing.
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adj.f.nom.sing. 'bláuandei' |
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from pres.part. 'bláuan' |
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fagra- |
fahsa |
liþu- |
*linþi |
fair |
happy/glad |
limb |
lithe/flexible |
pfx.adj. 'fagrs'
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adj.f.nom.sing. 'fahs'
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pfx.n.m. 'liþus'
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adj.f.nom.sing.
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fráujinōndei |
faírguni |
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ruling |
mountain |
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adj.f.nom.sing. 'fráujinōnds' |
n.n.nom.sing.
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from pres.part. 'fráujinōn' |
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wōpjand |
windōs |
wagjand |
*lindōs |
calling/crying |
winds |
shaking |
lindens |
v.i.3p.pres.ind. 'wōpjan' |
n.m.nom.pl. 'winds'
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v.i.3p.pres.ind. 'wagjan' |
n.f.nom.pl. 'linda'
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*lūtiþ |
*limam |
láikandei |
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lowers |
to-limbs |
playing |
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v.t.3s.pres.ind. 'lūtan'
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n.n.dat.pl. 'lim'
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adj.f.nom.sing.'láikands'
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from pres.part. 'láikan' |
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*slaíhta |
raíhta |
ƕeita- |
rinda |
slender, slight
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straight/right |
white |
rind/bark |
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razda |
rōdeiþ |
reirandei |
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language |
speaks |
trembling/quivering
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bandwa |
baírhta |
runa |
gōda |
sign/token |
bright |
secret/mystery |
good |
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þiuda |
meina |
þiuþjandei |
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people |
my/mine |
blessing |
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andanahti |
milhmam |
*neipiþ |
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evening/twilight
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to-clouds |
darkens |
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liuhteiþ |
*liuhmam |
laúhmuni |
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lights |
to-lights |
lightning |
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v.3.sing.pres.ind. |
n.st.n. dat. pl.
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n.nom.sing. |
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láubōs |
*liubai |
*fliugand |
láusai |
leaves |
dear/cherished |
flying |
loose |
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adj. m.nom.pl.
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tulgus |
triggwa |
standandei |
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firm/steady |
true/faithful |
standing |
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*baírka |
*baza |
beidiþ |
*bláika |
birch |
bare |
bides |
pale |
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fráujinōndei |
faírguni |
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ruling |
mountain |
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adj.f.nom.sing. 'fráujinōnds' |
n.n.nom.sing. |
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from pres.part. 'fráujinōn' |
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