Durabio
Fratermulti Grimm
The Duration of Life
Brothers Grimm
Temkia Dio kreat pas geo e
desir pas fisa durabio ot stofbio tuta, joa aribe pas e deman pas:
"Sefal, mi bio futur
temlonga kak?"
"Trideka anu", Dio
respon pas, "es ni beni?"
"O Sefal", joa respon
pas, "na es tem longa. Ide peri bio pato ot
mi: ot antemedijur sura noktu porta kargo maga, trakta sako
ot sereal a plaspulbe, pro antrop omone fag pani, brabo bine per
mastigo e batalpod! Plusne multine bio ot mi!"
Dio beninekon pas e plusne
pas dekaokta anu. Joa pasoteleeks pas beni e kani espresen pas.
When God created the world and was about to determine the duration of life
for all the creatures, the donkey came and asked, "Lord, how long am I to
live?"
"Thirty years," answered God. "Is that all right with you?"
"Oh, Lord," replied the donkey, "that is a long time. Think of my tiresome
existence carrying heavy loads from morning until night, dragging bags of
grain to the mill so that others might eat bread, only to be cheered along
and refreshed with kicks and blows! Spare me part of this long time."
So God had mercy and gave him eighteen years. The donkey went away
satisfied, and the dog made his appearance.
"Ni desir bio temlonga
kak?" Dio logo pas ili, "Trideka anu es multitele pro joa, sed
ilis alegro probable ni".
"Sefal", kani respon
pas, "desir ot ni es tak? Ide mi obliga kuren multi kak, podmulti
ot mi suporta futur ne temlonga tak; e temkia
mi perdi futur fono e denti, mi fakto futur kak? Mi inergo futur
uni kuren ot uni goni a omone e logobelne?"
Dio
optik pas, na ili es pas korek e plusne pas dekabi anu. Poste simi aribe
pas.
"How long do you want to live?" said God to him. "Thirty years was too
much for the donkey, but you will be satisfied with that long."
"Lord," answered the dog. "Is that your will? Just think how much I have
to run. My feet will not hold out so long. And what can I do but growl and
run from one corner to another after I have lost my voice for barking and
my teeth for biting?"
God saw that he was right, and he took away twelve years. Then came the
monkey.
"Ni
desir futur sekur bio trideka anu", Sefal logo pas ili, "ni
nesesa ne ergo omo joa e kani, e ni es temtuta beni".
"O
Sefal", respon pas ili, "dis uni optikomo, sed berita es omone tuta. Si
mi abe fag, mi abe ne spatulfag. Mi obliga temtuta rekremikro
alegro, fakto fas pro antropmulti risi, e temkia ili don mi pom e mi
morse, ili es asid. Alegro kober benine multitem kak! Mi
suporta futur ne trideka anu".
Dio
es pas beninekon e plusne pas deka anu.
"Surely you would like to live thirty years," said the Lord to him. "You
do not need to work like the donkey and the dog, and are always having
fun."
"Oh, Lord," he answered, "so it appears, but it is different. When it
rains porridge, I don't have a spoon. I am always supposed to be playing
funny tricks and making faces so people will laugh, but when they give me
an apple and I bite into it, it is always sour. How often is sorrow hidden
behind a joke. I cannot put up with all that for thirty years!"
God had mercy and gave him ten years.
Fini andro aribe pas, alegro, sani e forse, e ili deman pas a Dio fisa tem ili.
"Ni bio futur trideka anu", Sefal logo pas, "es dis komple?"
"Tem
longane kak!" andro logoleban pas, "temkia dom ot mi es futur fakto e
igni igni futur in plasigni auto ot mi, temkia arbor planta per mi don
futur frut e mi komen futur alegro bio, temna mi obliga futur eksbio!
Sefal, plus bio ot mi!"
Finally man made his appearance.
Cheerful, healthy, and refreshed, he asked God to determine the duration
of his life.
"You shall live thirty years," spoke the Lord. "Is that enough for you?"
"What a short time!" cried the man. "When I have built a house and a fire
is burning on my own hearth, when I have planted trees that blossom and
bear fruit, and am just beginning to enjoy life, then I am to die. Oh,
Lord, extend my time."
"Mi
plus futur a ni dekaokta anu ot joa", Sefal logo pas.
"Na
es ne komple", andro respon pas.
"Ni abe futur je dekabi
anu ot kani".
"Ne komple re".
"Ben", Dio logo pas, "mi don futur ni je deka anu ot joa, sed ni resep futur ne plus".
"I will add the donkey's eighteen years," said God.
"That is not enough," replied the man.
"You shall also have the dog's twelve years."
"Still too little."
"Well, then," said God, "I will give you the monkey's ten years as well,
but you shall receive no more."
Andro pasoteleeks pas, sed ne
beni. Andro bio prona sepdeka anu. Trideka uni es anumulti andro ot
ili, ilis paso belo: ili es sani, beni, ergo kon alegro e alegro in
bio ot ili. Temna sekuen dekaokta anu ot joa:
andro resep kargo uni poste omone, ili obliga porti sereal,
antropmulti omone fag na, batal e sineante es kompense ot
ili. Poste aribe dekabi anu ot kani, ili resta in gonimulti,
logobelne e abe ne plus denti pro morse. Temkia tem dis paso,
aribe deka anu fini ot simi: andro, sofine e moros, es mok per
infanmulti.
The man went away, but he was not satisfied.
Thus man lives seventy years. The first thirty are his human years, and they quickly disappear. Here he is healthy and happy; he works with pleasure, and enjoys his existence. The donkey's eighteen years follow. Here one burden after the other is laid on him; he carries the grain that feeds others, and his faithful service is rewarded with kicks and blows. Then come the dog's twelve years, and he lies in the corner growling, no longer having teeth with which to bite. And when this time is past, the monkey's ten years conclude. Now man is weak headed and foolish; he does silly things and becomes a laughingstock for children.
(Mutalingua ot Antoni Martí)
(translated by D. L. Ashliman)