Pkalho-Kölo/A.

The Story of Isis and Osiris

I created this page in a moment of thoughtlessness, and I don't know how to delete it, so I may as well use it for something. I'm going to upload the text I've been working on lately, a translation of the story of Isis and Osiris, as told in Plutarch. The English is apparently my paraphrase of someone else's retelling, but I can't now recover who the someone else was. The names of the three main characters, Isis, Osiris and Set all, alas, contain the letter "s", unknown to Pkalho-Kölo. After some thought I've called them Ithitë, Othiri and Thetë. "Egypt" becomes Heköpëta. My translation so far begins in media res.

Vëlluto Ithitëvo Othiriyin

A. Phöila Othiriwë cwallorëni tumlapkämä kurwerëni kulnerälin phamwäyin hilpkonyarë cännurëvo hwäivoyin. Melala lhupkwe nömäiwë, ekuto hielhito lhuto, kulva hewhunnu cwerorën lhomiwälirälin.

Orlui turito, vincomu au lalkwä thurkun hwawenyarë hielhi velyan yalki hifwethu, velcäto enkor’on lhuhi. Këllorë velyathu hwea nilkwela hielhi tanyon, ukui hwea muyöla vato, ekui lilö tealato Ithitëhi. Kwilarë velyahi alwä kwauvavo ifhë hulphëyin, käicwevo käprämyu wehoyin. Hwuceherëto velyathu mëmöimu lhun, mëphalato helhkwo rliwan poäli.

A. Osiris liked to travel among his people, to visit villagers and peasants and to lead them in dance and song. Everyone loved him, and the sun shone brighter, the breeze was cooler whenever he appeared. Still, he was a god, and in time he would tire of mortal company.

At times like this he would go to some quiet rocky place and play divine music on a reed flute, an instrument he had invented. The music told of how beautiful it was to be an Immortal, and how sad sometimes, especially when he was parted from Isis. The music spoke of vastness and fiery traces, of rock-crystal and skies like newly curdled milk. Once he had relieved his soul with music he would fall asleep, pillowing his head on rough grasses.

B. Manwer’en wei vielomä, ohwea möilato Othirin, maumelato pkulmahauyi, tulphwurë lhun Thetëli, fwovë-pkomlhaler’on fhuwe wälhko o vikilyupkwe. Löirë Thetëli möllikwäl’en ölvu lhomirë Othirin pilkewe yuhi, puinunyarë kälyuwalen nalpheräyin. Kecokurë nöhohin. Loäla thaperë phökan talkwi rluilövon nulme nalpheräli Ithitëhi. Pwäinya yurkerën opröi hwoule mirun pkemohwato kälyu kucän.

Lelöirë photen. Thökwerë yalki hifwen nerir’on hielhi näkehi, cëurëto coharë koma Othirin poähi pköipëli, cäntu thalihi mitali, kemhu tëcwathu vayi. Helu neto phëkwerë tieluräli hepkurë proukën këltan nipro nifhe wiprävon, cëlwil’okö tefha amphovo campkweyë kërlluvo lhiupweyin, kiulavo tälhkwayin lauvö cäloyin, yemolato antuvo viulo polmeni pkiuna conayin.

B. It happened one evening when Osiris was sleep like this when Seth, who was prowling about for wild goats or antelope, cam upon him unconscious and defenceless. Seth thought how sweet it would be to kill Osiris at once with his arrows and to usurp his kingdom and his wife. But he was too cautious. He knew that Isis had surrounded her beloved husband with protective spells. He would have to think of a subtler way of becoming king.

A plan came into his mind. He took up the reed-flute that had fallen from the god’s hand, and using it he measured Osiris’ body from head to toe, from shoulder to shoulder and across the hips. Soon after he went to a craftsman and had a chest made of precious aromatic wood, inlaid with gold and lapis lazuli, with coral, turquoise and iridescent shell, all forming curious pictures and unreadable symbols.