Vlak

Nič nimam proti vožnji z vlakom. Večino časa mi je v resnici zelo pri srcu. Všeč mi je, kako lahko udobno sedim in zrem skozi okno v premikajočo se pokrajino. Tisti drobni tresljaji in nihanje ob zavojih mi nežno dajejo vedeti, da sem jaz tisti, ki se v resnici premika in z veliko hitrostjo prehaja iz enega kraja v drugega. Tih vrvež pogovora med ostalimi potniki me spominja, da v svoji izkušnji nisem nikdar osamljen. Ko vlak komaj opazno začne upočasnjevati pred prihodi na postaje in se naposled ustavi, imam priložnost videti množice, ki se zgrinjajo s perona in nanj, kjer vsak obraz nosi svojo zgodbo, ki ga je pripeljala na del iste poti kot mene. Vožnja z vlakom je zame še eno ogledalo, v katerem opazujem odsev empatije. 

Beyond the Recesses of Normality

“Step right up, step right up!” exclaimed the man in the top hat, gesturing wildly toward the passing crowd. “Prepare to witness the incredible! The unimaginable! The terrible!”

“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, mere moments from now the curtains will open to reveal our newest acquisition! A gargantuan terror from beyond! A sight not meant for human eyes! A sight, ladies and gentlemen, I promise!, a sight you will never forget as long as you live! But I advise you to gird yourselves for the dread you are about to experience before you dare gaze upon this heinous miscreation!”

The Išanian Writing System

Just as a sample, the first verse of Nalija and Melin:

litiknarjoli hul hætukla onepalla oitmapa mi juseper pahoitmauper ælau

The Language of Iša

In an attempt to give some more breadth to 'Nalija and Melin', the epic poem I'm writing, I've been working on an artistic conlang I call Old Išanian, so named after the city of Iša, where the epic takes place. Within the context of this world Old Išanian was the language spoken by the characters in the epic and the language in which the poem was first composed. Eventually it split into several dialects, one of them evolving into New Išanian, the language of the inhabitants of Iša some one thousand years after the events of the epic. This is the language which provides the basis for my 'translation' of this fictional work.

The first verse of 'Nalija and Melin' in Old Išanian:

litíknarjóli húl hætúkla ónepálla oitmápa mí juséper páhoitmaúper ǽlau
'Hear now!, O miserable souls, as I sing you of great desolation.'

Nalija in Melin, 4. spev, seznanjenje z Idani in Ninarom

Lyguanu vladala nekdaj je modra Idani z Ninarom,
Domu pastirjev, kjer stika sladkoba se s slanostjo morja,
Kraju poslednjim pred morjem, v katerega sonce potone,
Njuno kraljestvo prekrivalo otok zelen je v celoti,
Pašnike širne polnila drobnica je sitega ljudstva, 750
Voda iz gor je pojila jezero ogromno ob mestu.

Odlomek iz epa Nalija in Melin, 1. spev

Zraven zazrta v Laugurun bila je princesa Nalija,
Zadnja v kraljevi rodbini, edina potomka Nidaga, 70
Z blagim nasmeškom, ki gubal je rožnata lica cvetoča
Najlepše med vsemi dekleti, ki kdaj so hodile po svetu,
Modrih oči kakor nébo ponoči preplavljeno v zvezdah,
Las, ki kot zlato so žito se zibali v vetru pomladnem,
Krasna kot prva žareča meglica, ki zoro naznanja;
Tiho otožnost in solze je skrivala v svojem pogledu.

The Infallible Reader of Fates

The author sat in front of the class, staring absently at the ceiling, while the professor was uncomfortably eyeing us in hopes of getting someone to speak up out of guilt. I like these discussions about literature and philosophy, but there wasn't much to go on here. His new novel is called ‘Felicia and Dr Maus’ and it hasn't even been published yet, so what could I possibly gleam from the title that warranted asking a question? My silence was not to be, however.