Senjecas - Book II, Chapter 38

Pronunciation table

peműko (labial)								riisűko (dental)								muitűko (alveolar)								vainűko (palatal)							ṡ̨uuše̋nos (vowels with प)								nı̋þo ṡ̨uuše̋nos (weak vowels)
p	b	f	v	m̃	m			t	d	þ	ð	ɫ	l			ṡ	ż	s	z	r	n			k	g	x	ƣ	h	ȝ			š	s̨			i	e	a	ɔ	o	u			ı	ɛ	y
प	ब	फ	भ	म़	म			त	द	थ	ध	ल़	ल			च	ज	स	स़	र	न			क	ग	क़	ग़	ह	य			स्व	स्य			इ ई पि पी	ए एै पे पै	अ आ प पा	ऒ ॵ पॊ पॏ	ओ औ पो पौ	उ ऊ पु पू			पं	पऺ	पॅ
/p/	/b/	/ɸ/	/β/	/m̥/	/m/			/t/	/d/	/θ/	/ð/	/l̥/	/l/			/ʦ/	/ʣ/	/s/	/z/	/ɾ̥/	/n/			/k/	/g/	/ç/	/ʝ/	/j̊/	/j/			/sʷ/	/sʲ/			/i/	/e/	/ä/	/ɒ/	/o/	/u/			/ɪ/	/ɛ/	/ʊ/

Glossing abbreviations

1s/p = 1st person singular/plural	ABL = ablative suffix	COL = collective	F = feminine	INT = intensive prefix	PRV = privative prefix	SUP = supine
2s/p = 2nd person singular/plural	ABS = absolutive (an unmarked modifying adjective)	DES = desiderative	FRQ = frequentative	LAT = lative suffix	PST = past	TRZ = transitivizer
3 = 3rd person	ADV = adverb	DIM = diminutive	FUT = future	LOC = locative suffix	REV = reversive	VOC = vocative particle
A(.s/p) = accusative (singular/plural)	AG = agent	ELIS = elision	IMP = imperative	M = masculine	Q = interrogative particle	YNG = young
G(.s/p) = genitive (singular/plural)	AP = agent (active) participle	ELT = elative	INC = inchoative	OCC = occupation suffix	QUOT = direct quotation
N(.s/p) = nominative (singular/plural)	AUG = augmentative	EP = epenthesis	IND = indicative	PP = patient (past) participle	RPR = recent perfective
V(.s/p) = vocative (singular/plural)	CAUS = causative	EQU = equative degree	INS = instrument	PRF = perfect	SBJ = subjunctive

Text

atősk̬e m̃aka̋sk̬e siia̋mɫo – Tao Te Ching
The Book of the Way and the Power
Ursula K. LeGuin kía ange̋lo tarne̋xaþo
English Translation by Ursula K. LeGuin

Chapter Thirty-eight – tírfoosbı̋nto þı̋ro

Chapter 38 – tírfoosbı̋nto þı̋ro

• English text
• Senjecan translation

Gloss

• Great power, not clinging to power, has true power. Lesser power, clinging to power, lacks true power. Great power, doing nothing, has nothing to do. Lesser power, doing nothing, has an end in view.
• m̃a̋kom gűxanto ne me̋żo m̃a̋ko m̃e̋e̋ro m̃a̋kom űda: m̃a̋kom gűxanto lı̋so m̃a̋ko m̃e̋e̋ro m̃a̋kom e̋ga: néom kı̋anto me̋żo m̃a̋ko néom kı̋u o űða: néom kı̋anto lı̋so m̃a̋ko noora̋s éna se̋e̋iðram űða:

m̃a̋k-om	gűx-a-nto-Ø	ne	me̋żo-Ø	m̃a̋k-o	m̃e̋e̋ro-Ø	m̃a̋k-om	űd-a	m̃a̋k-om	gűx-a-nto-Ø	lı̋so-Ø	m̃a̋k-o
power-A.s	cling-IND-AP-ABS	not	great-ABS	power-N.s	true-ABS	power-A.s	has-IND	power-A.s	cling-IND-AP-ABS	lesser-ABS	power-N.s

m̃e̋e̋ro-Ø	m̃a̋k-om	e̋g-a	né-om	kı̋-a-nto-Ø	me̋żo-Ø	m̃a̋k-o	né-om	kı̋-u	o	űd-a	né-om
true-ABS	power-A.s	lack-IND	nothing-A.s	do-IND-AP-ABS	great-ABS	power-N.s	nothing-A.s	do-SUP	to	has-IND	nothing-A.s

kı̋-a-nto-Ø	lı̋so-Ø	m̃a̋k-o	noor-a̋s	éna	se̋e̋iðr-am	űð-a	né-om	kı̋-a-nto-Ø	lı̋so-Ø	m̃a̋k-o
do-IND-AP-ABS	lesser-ABS	power-N.s	view-G.s	in	end-A.s	have-IND	nothing-A.s	do-IND-AP-ABS	lesser-ABS	power-N.s

noor-a̋s	éna	se̋e̋iðr-am	űð-a
view-G.s	in	end-A.s	have-IND

• The good the truly good do has no end in view. The right the very righteous do has an end in view. And those who act in true obedience to law roll up their sleeves and make the disobedient obey.
• va̋do—táom kíísu va̋dus kı̋a—noora̋s éna se̋e̋iðram űða ne: m̃e̋e̋ro—xom lábu va̋dus kı̋a—noora̋s éna se̋e̋iðram űða: da m̃eera̋s þorős o taavra̋s éna vı̋vantus eȝu-z̨őnon reþı̋d̨a d' alta̋a̋bun ta̋a̋bu f̨űda:

va̋d-o	tá-om	kíís=u	va̋d-us	kı̋-a	noor-a̋s	éna	se̋e̋iðr-am	űð-a	ne	m̃e̋e̋r-o
good-N.s	which-A.s	sure=ADV	good-N.p	do-IND	view-G.s	in	end-A.s	have-IND	not	right-N.s

tá-om	lábu	va̋d-us	kı̋-a	noor-a̋s	éna	se̋e̋iðr-am	űð-a	da	m̃eer-a̋s	þor-ős	o
which-A.s	very	good-N.p	do-IND	view-G.s	in	end-A.s	have-IND	and	right-G.s	law-G.s	to

taavr-a̋s	éna	vı̋v-a-nt-us	eȝu=z̨őn-on	reþ-ı̋d̨-a	d-'	al=ta̋a̋b-un	ta̋a̋b-u	f̨űd-a
obedience-G.s	in	act-IND-AP-N.p	their=sleeve-A.p	roll-TRZ-IND	and-ELIS	PRV=obedient-A.p	obey-SUP	make-IND

• So: when we lose the Way we fiind power; losing power we fiind goodness; losing goodness we find righteousness; losing righteousness we're left with obedience.
• sáru—méti m̃us ha̋ȝa—m̃a̋kom de̋e̋sa: méti m̃us m̃a̋kom ha̋ȝa—va̋ðtam de̋e̋sa: méti m̃us va̋ðtam ha̋ȝa—kı̋ı̋ham de̋e̋sa: méti m̃us kı̋ı̋ham ha̋ȝa—ta̋a̋vra m̃ús o te̋m̃aþa ı̋la:

sáru	méti	m̃-us	a̋t-om	ha̋ȝ-a	m̃a̋k-om	de̋e̋s-a	méti	m̃-us	m̃a̋k-om	ha̋ȝ-a
so	when	1p-N	way-A.s	lose-IND	power-A.s	find-IND	when	1p-N	power-A.s	lose-IND

va̋ðt-am	de̋e̋s-a	méti	m̃-us	va̋ðt-am	ha̋ȝ-a	kı̋ı̋h-am	de̋e̋s-a
goodness-A.s	find-IND	when	1p-N	goodness-A.s	lose-IND	righteousness-A.s	find-IND

méti	m̃-us	kı̋ı̋h-am	ha̋ȝ-a	ta̋a̋vr-a	m̃-ús	o	te̋m̃-a-þ-a	ı̋l-a
when	1p-N	righteousness-A.s	lose-IND	obedience-N.s	1p-G	to	leave-IND-PP-N.s	become-IND

• Obedience to law is the dry husk of loyalty and good faith. Opinion is the barren flower of the Way, the beginning of ignorance.
• þorős o ta̋a̋vra ȝazra̋sk̬e va̋d' ooa̋sk̬e sa̋uso ge̋bo e̋sa: na̋mr' atős hűṡo na̋no. m̨ulta̋s tőðra e̋sa:

þor-ős	o	ta̋a̋vr-a	ȝazr-a̋s=k̬e	va̋d-'	oo-a̋s-k̬e	sa̋uso-Ø	ge̋b-o	e̋s-a	na̋mr-'	at-ős
law-G.s	to	obedience-N.s	loyalty-G.s=and	good-ELIS	faith-G.s=and	dry-ABS	husk-N.s	be-IND	opinion-ELIS	way-G.s

hűṡo-Ø	na̋n-o	m̨ult-a̋s	tőðr-a	e̋s-a
barren-ABS	flower-N.s	ignorance-G.s	beginning-N.s	be-IND

• So great-minded people abide in the kernel not the husk, on the fruit not the flower, letting the one go, keeping the other.
• sáru mezme̋inrɛmu le̋uðu puurős éna m̃e̋e̋sa. gebős éna ne. maalős éna. nanős éna ne. nom pa̋usantu. som ðe̋rantu⁝

sáru	mez.me̋inrɛmu-Ø	le̋uð-u	puur-ős	éna	m̃e̋e̋s-a	geb-ős	éna	ne	maal-ős	éna
so	great.minded-ABS	people-N.s	kernel-G.s	in	abide-IND	husk-G.s	in	not

nan-ős	éna	ne	n-om	pa̋us-a-nt-u	s-om	ðe̋r-a-nt-u
flower-G.s	in	not	former-A.s	let.go-IND-AP-N.s	latter-A.s	keep-IND-AP-N.s