#scripture in valirani

[valirani]

Translation: Ruth 1:16-17

ni vihlosa s’tivashri, n'ipasvalalà tue s’dakli! p'kat rakhat rakhuve; p'kà nuet no’uve; kalnisa tuà kalnisa kià, i al-vor tuà al-vor kià. p'kà lutat lutuve, i egen etidmiluve eser. ru kià varet al-torisa, i revey ati, ani tetimben vai al-lot kesot.

Do not plead that I leave you, that I turn from coming after you! Where you are going, I intend to go; where you would spend the night, I intend to spend the night; your people [shall be] my people, and your Divine the Divine for me. Where you die, I intend to die; and finally I intend to be made to lie down there. Thus may the Almighty do to me, and also more, if even death causes us (inclusive) to diverge.

Key vocabulary words after the cut:

vihlosan, vihlose (augmentative of root V-H-L “request”) — is pleading [perfective and passive forms as yet unattested]

vashar, vashre, vsherra, evshar (root V-SH-R) — is departing, leaving

ipasvalal, ipasvalale (from ipas ‘after’ + root V-L ‘come, arrive’) — a following, a pursuit

dakal, dakle, dkella (root D-K-L) — is turning (oneself around)

rakhan, rakhe, rekhkha (root R-KH) — is going, moving, traveling

non, nue, nevua (semi-irregular verb, from root N-W ‘night’) — is spending the night, passing the night, staying

kalnisa, kalnise (panoply of root K-L-N ‘person’) — a people, populace

vor, vore, vuerra (root V-W-R) — is divine; as noun, divinity or God

lot, lote, luetta (root L-W-T) — is dying, ceasing; as noun, death

egen (adverb from root G-N ‘conclude’) — finally

tedimal, tedimle, tedmilla, etidmila (causative of root D-M-L ‘repose’) — is causing to lie down; figuratively, is laying (someone) to rest

eser (adverb from root S-R) — there, therein

ru — thus, in this manner

varan, vare, verra, evra (root V-R) — is doing, acting

torisa, torise (panoply of root T-W-R ‘strong’) — [the] Almighty

revey (adverb from root R-V-Y ‘above’) — more, further, moreover

ati — also

ani — if

tetimab, tetimbe, tetmibba, etitmiba (causative of root T-M-B ‘diverge’) — is causing to part ways, is separating

vai — even

[valirani]

Translation: John 14:5

sià kavar Toma: kadirra, s’kà rakhat ni sanai asi. p’ke sanandai narkhat?

Thomas says to them (sg): Master, unto where you are going, we (exclusive) do not know. By what means can we know the path?

Key vocabulary words under the cut:

kavar, kavre, kverra, ekvar (root K-V-R) — is speaking, saying, telling

kadirra, kadirre (agent form of root K-D-R ‘steer, govern’) — one who steers, governs, or determines direction; figuratively, director, master

s’kà — where (relative); lit. ‘toward what’

rakhan, rakhe, rekhkha (root R-KH) — is going, moving, traveling

sanan, sane, senna, esna (root S-N) — is knowing

asi, atia, atas, asot — we (exclusive of the person being addressed)

p’ke — how (interrogative); lit. ‘by what means?’

narkha, narkhe (passive participle of R-KH ‘travel’) — way, path, route

[valirani]

Translation: The Lord’s Prayer

rayivra atas, kai p’bahnà aman, nakten lanrisa sute. valen kadar sute. p’tarà r’evron p’bahnà, evren nov sute. s’tanà azà atas benat lobat. i r’relai azirrot atas, atas relat azralot atia. i p’luvalat ni sablat asot, di n’arkà paryat asot. s’ote kadar i anad i baram sute, behen i behen. amen.

Back-translation and key vocabulary words under the cut:

Our progenitor, who exists in eternity, may your many names be sacred. May your governance arrive. On earth as is done in eternity, may your intent be actioned. For this day give us bread. And just as we forgive those who transgress in respect to us, forgive for us our transgressions. And into testing do not lead us, but from harm rescue us. For that, governance, ability, and admiration [are] yours, continually and continually. Let [it] exist.

rayivra, rayivre (from root R-Y-V ‘bring forth’) - progenitor, birthing parent

bahan, bahne, bhenna (root B-H-N) - is eternal, continual; as noun, eternity (the Valiri have no concept of a separate heavenly realm).

nakat, nakte, nketta (root N-K-T) - is holy, is sacred

lanrisa, lanrise (from root L-N-R ‘call by name’) - many names, a panoply of names

valan, vale, vella (root V-L) - is coming, arriving

kadar, kadre, kderra, ekdar (root K-D-R) - is governing, steering; as noun, governance

tar, tare (root T-R) - earth

varan, vare, verra, evra (root V-R) - do, act, action

nov, nove (from root W-V ‘intend’) - intention, will

bayan, bene, byenna, ebyan (root B-Y-N) - is giving

lob, lobe (root L-W-B) - bread

rayal, rele, ryella, eryal (root R-Y-L) - is forgiving

azirra, azirre (from root ?-Z-R ‘transgress’) - transgressor

azral, azrale (from root ?-Z-R ‘transgress’) - transgression

luval, luvale (from root L-W-V ‘try, test, prove’) - test, trial, time of trial

sabal, sable, sbella, esbal (root S-B-L) - is leading, heading up

arak, arke, arekka (root ?-R-K) - is harmful; as noun, harm

pare, parye, preyya, epre (root P-R-Y) - is rescuing, delivering

anad, ande, anedda (root ?-N-D) - is able; as noun, ability, facility

baram, barme, bremma, ebram (root B-R-M) - is admiring, holding in high regard; as noun, admiration, regard

behen (from root B-H-N ‘eternal’) - eternally, continually

aman, ame, emma (root ?-M) - is existing (amen is the third person subjunctive imperfective active, and happens to resemble Hebrew amen)

[valirani]

Translation: Genesis 1:1-5

p’likretztza al-karitzra valkat i tarat — al-tar lanshiyan i mor p’haltà lorinane, i nahra al-tevisere p'haltà al-bodia — kverran al-nidalisa, amen briz, i li’emman briz. ayerran al-erisa at kor al-briz. al-brizà lnerran al-varirisa tanat, i al-morà lnerran es al-not. emman dvayal i emman iradal, al-sabal tania.

Back-translation and key vocabulary words under the cut:

When the Creator started creating sky and earth — the earth [being] an empty place and darkness [being] on [the] surface of the abyss, and [the] breath of the Life-Giver [being] over [the] surface of the waters — the Omnipotent said, Let light exist, and light started existing. The Many-Eyed saw that the light was (lit. is) good. The All-Doer named the light the day, and They named the darkness the night. Evening existed and morning existed, the beginning (lit. head) of days.

karatz, kartze, kretztza, ekratz (root K-R-TZ) - is creating

karitzra, karitzre (from root K-R-TZ ‘create’) - creator

valak, valke (root V-L-K) - sky

tar, tare (root T-R) - earth

lanshiyan, lanshiyane (from root N-SH-Y ‘empty’) - empty place, place of nothingness

mor, more, muerra (root M-W-R) - is dark; as noun, darkness

halat, halte, hletta, ehlat (root H-L-T) - is facing; as noun, face, surface

lorinan, lorinane (from root W-R-N ‘deep’) - deep place

nahra, nahre (from root H-R ‘breathe’) - breath, outbreath

tevisera, tevisere (from root V-S-Y ‘live’) - life-giver (lit. one who causes life)

bod, bode (root B-W-D) - water

kavar, kavre, kverra, ekvar (root K-V-R) - is speaking, saying, telling

nidalisa, nidalise (from root ?-N-D ‘able’) - omnipotence (lit. many abilities)

aman, ame, emma (root ?-M) - is existing

briz, brize (irregular noun, root B-R-Z) - light

ayar, ere, ayerra, e’yar (root ?-Y-R) - is seeing

erisa (from root ?-Y-R ‘see’) - many-eyes, all-seeing

kor, kore, kuerra (root K-W-R) - is good

lanar, lanre, lnerra, elnar (root L-N-R) - is naming, calling by name

varirisa, varirise (from root V-R ‘do, act’) - all-doer

tan, tane (root T-N) - day

no, nave (root N-W) - night

dvayal, dvayale (root D-V-Y ‘descend’) - evening, sunset

iradal, iradale (root Y-R-D ‘shine’) - morning, dawn

sabal, sable, sbella, esbal (root S-B-L) - is leading, heading up; as noun, head (figuratively, beginning or origin)

[valirani]

Valirani culture: beliefs and ethics

The Valirani mareisa (roughly ’belief system’, but with more subtle connotations) is difficult to define in Western terms. While mythology abounds (most notably in al-nakvarisi zima, the seven core scriptures), the Valiri seem to have relatively little in the way of concrete metaphysics. What they do have is a clear idea of the meaning of life: it is to be enjoyed, albeit in a highly principled fashion (how the Valirani ideal of balanced hedonism actually plays out will be detailed in a later post). The development of their code of ethics is recorded in the Books of the Sages, which serve to codify and elaborate on the values below.

Note that most of the words glossed here are actually verbs rather than nouns; the Valiri consider their values to be conscious actions (or traits in action), not static abstractions.

The Valirani Creed (al-mrayal):

maryai kat tevsiyyan asot s’pelen vasyei We trust in the One who gave us life so that we may live life to the fullest extent.

The Seven Values (al-nabuzi zima):

asilayad (asilede, asilyedda; from root L-Y-D ‘beautiful’) - orientation toward beauty: the pursuit of beauty and joy (layad, lede, lyedda) in all things.

ural (urale, urella; root W-R-L) - balance, equitability: thinking of others as much as oneself.

kaleisa (kaleise; from root K-L-Y ‘nurture’) - universal nurturance: working actively so that all may be able to enjoy life.

hivtar (hivtare, hivterra; from root V-T-R ‘healthy, whole’) - healing: becoming more whole and thus increasing one’s capacity for happiness.

navat (navte, nvetta, envat; root N-V-T) - release, liberation: achieving freedom from all that prevents us from being fully alive.

parav (parve, prevva; root P-R-V) - truthfulness: acting solely in light of those things which one knows to be true.

ral (rale, rella; root R-L) - wisdom: the discerning application of knowledge for the greatest good.

The Five Beauties (al-lyadali peta):

utar (utre, uterra, evtar; root W-T-R) - love, passion: to love another human being is the greatest calling.

kal (kale, kella; root K-L) - aesthetic enjoyment: whether of great art or the mysteries of one’s own embodied being.

yalas (yalse, ilessa; root Y-L-S) - ecstasy: those moments that transcend mundane existence.

laman (lamne, lmenna; root L-M-N) - prayer: not folded hands in a church, but joyous connection to the Divine.

bavan (bavne, bvenna, ebvan; root B-V-N ‘affect’) - movement, emotion: to be duly affected by one’s own experiences is what makes us human.

The Two Transgressions (al-azrali beka):

zan (zane, zenna, ezna; root Z-N) - obstruction: to get in the way of another’s happiness.

arak (arke, arekka; root ?-R-K) - malevolence, harm: to damage another person in any way.

The Four Pitfalls (al-te’izarri kesha):

kot (kote, kuetta; root K-W-T) - willfulness: knowing what doesn’t work and doing it anyway.

damask (damske, dmeska; root D-M-SK) - ignorance: action without understanding.

krod (krode, kruedda; root KR-W-D) - wrath: selfish hostility toward others.

bashe (bashye, bsheyya, ebshe; root B-SH-Y) - confusion: lack of clarity and focus on the true meaning of existence.

The Three Axioms (al-nakvari traya):

ani ulet s’davret If you want to, you have to.

p’kà layad tue aman vor Where your joy is, there is the Divine.

p’vonà layad, s’vonà utar In all, beauty; to all, love.

The Rule of Life (nakvar k’kadar al-vasyat):

ni viram k’vona, di etvayan k’vona Not everything is worth doing, but everything is permitted.

And the highest compliment:

r’valirà varat You’re acting just like a Valira!