Pkalho-Kölo/A.

The Story of Isis and Osiris

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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 hilpkonyo cännurëvo hwäivoyin. Melala lhupkwe nömäiwë, cäyuphuila ilun elkon, thafwäphuila wefhan, pkäkui läipkärë lhun. 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, puinunyo kälyuwalen lökayën. Kecokurë nöhohi. Loäla thaperë phökan talkwi rluilövon nulme timëli Ithitëhi. Pwäinyola 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 campkweyi kërlluvo lhiupweyin, kiulavo tälhkwayin lauvö cäloyin, yemolato antuvo viulo polmeni pkiuna conayin.

B. It happened one evening when Osiris was asleep 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.

C. Rlirhulato kälyu tucali, kwölkurë mäi niköthilä-lëmon Thetëhi wërophi lhaun lhëlkwoli, hurkwerëto pkänophi pkwoman kwotuyi lhauli yuhi veamöto kälyukucän Heköpëtalin. Yucorë Othirili e peirapkwe, ollahaula mäin ecwato pkäme hielhin lho rlemvärä niköthilä-lëmoyin. (Yucovëula Ithitëli: tonu peirato peto, mea pwouva vëllumö Thetëhi.)

Muiherëto ohi pämovo, nuoyi rluco linwevo, hwämprelerëto, preapröi vipwä yopeyi, tewarë Thetëhi wipharäli letoukë nipro këltan. Yänkwa cälkerë pamyuhwato olla nömäin, Othirin vato. Ämyula. Ekuihaula keirën ovoä nilkwe cöraun. Hwoukela nömäiwë. Cwëve lemlö kwilarë Thetëhi: Kouphërë. Vearu mäi nikwä-hinyöli. Kämopwä?

C. When he returned to the royal city, Seth found 72 conspirators to join the plot, promising he would share his wealth and power with them once he became the ruler of Egypt. He invited Osiris to a banquet at which no-one was present but the two brother-gods and his 72 confederates (Isis was not invited: this was a men’s banquet and Seth would tell many unsuitable stories.)

Once the last course had been finished and rivers of wine had been drunk, Seth, staggering, pretending to be drunker than he was, called for servants to bring in the chest. Everyone present, including Osiris, came closer to admire it. It was a marvel. Nothing so beautiful had ever been seen before. Everyone coveted it. “Tell you what,” said Seth, carefully slurring his words, “Whoever can fit inside it can have it. Fair enough?”

D. Pkätunyo nëpran pkilirë nömäin vehophito. Ekuto käho o onepriupkäla, pkoula o pkömipriupkäla nömäin, epëli pkolterë Othirin. Näprel’en pikwe pkolëla lhun, önke prounte hinyöpë lhun. Rluhwerë panin phëlewe, nolheni kompewe, yëyehwarë: Veamö këltan, preapwä.

Iltë cömicekurë nëpran Thetëhi. Lhëlkworäto nënallurë lhomäin nëprakö, pwulpwentuvarë tënlen yomäihi. Lhapiherëto lompirë këltan nömyu thënwevo. Mawela Nailu linwe, hetounyo këltan veltapëli cohwi-këfwerë ewalemä epkwearëto alwä lupwar’on e thihu e Walpru e vouhu kuphipkwe.

D. So the lid was removed and everyone lined up to try, but everyone was either too tall or too short, too broad or too narrow. Until Osiris’ turn came, and he fitted it perfectly, because of course it had been made to fit him. He rubbed the top end with his hair and the bottom end with his heels and he laughed. “The chest is mine, I think.”

But in an instant Seth replaced the lid. Some of the conspirators sat on the lid while others hammered in the nails. When that was done the box was sealed with melted lead. The Nile was nearby, and they carried the chest to the banks and slid it into the water, watching it float away towards the north, the Delta and the open sea.