Heligoland Poem

[spanick]

I think this would work best for Germlangs but I'm interested to see all translations!

Green is the land
Red is the cliff
White is the sand
These are the colors of Heligoland

From one of my own conlangs, Hálélannish:
Grén is ðat lann
Ræd is ðé kant
Hvít is ðat sann
Đás sinn ðá farbe of Hálolann
/gɹeːn is ðat lanː/
/ɹɛːt is ðeː kant/
/fiːt is ðat sanː/
/ðɔːs sinː ðɔː farbə of hɔːlolanː/

EDIT:

It's become clear that I ought to have given more details. Heligoland is a real place, an island belonging to Germany in the North Sea. The poem describes the colors of the Heligoland flag by associating them with features of the island. I chose this poem because I have a conlang (Hálélannish, above) which developed on this island.

[zyma]

I thought I'd give this a try with two of the Germlangs I'm working on. I'll undoubtably make changes as I continue to work on them, but this was fun anyway!

Modern South Germanic:

Cröng ists dats lan.
Rot ists dats chlep.
Gvets ists da sant.
Gyj sin du bårv Giläclän.

/krøŋ isθ daθ lan/
/rot isθ daθ xlep/
/gʷeθ isθ da sant/
/gyj sin du bɒrʋ ˈgilæklæn/

Modern Königsberg Northeast Germanic:

Grónj jist lád.
Raud jist klib.
Fít jist sáds.
Jains síd daugs Hailæžlǽds.

/gruɲ jist lɔːɐ̯t/
/rɔːʊ̯t jist klip/
/faɪ̯t jist sɔːɐ̯ts/
/jɛːɪ̯ns saɪ̯t dɔːʊ̯ks ˈxɛːɪ̯læʒlɛːɐ̯ts/

[Reyzadren]

griuskant (without the conscript)

pliri hin stej
/'pliri hin 'stədʒ/
green-A for land

cauki hin ruiac
/'tʃauki hin 'ruiatʃ/
red-A for high-edge

guiski hin stup
/'guiski hin 'stup/
white-A for sand

zhe az haeligoulaend suryz
/'ʒə az 'heligɔulend 'surYz/
this is Heligoland colour

[Lao Kou]

Modern South Germanic:

Rot ists dats chlep.
/rot isθ daθ xlep/

Red is the bread? хлеб

Who knew? cliff and хлеб are cognates!

[zyma]

Modern South Germanic:

Rot ists dats chlep.
/rot isθ daθ xlep/

Red is the bread? хлеб

Who knew? cliff and хлеб are cognates!

Haha, I noticed that too when I was applying sound changes to get that word. It wasn't on purpose, of course, but it's a fun coincidence.

[Lao Kou]

I think this would work best for Germalngs [sic?] but I'm interested to see all translations!

As you suggest, moving out of the Germa(no)lang domain kisses easy rhyming possibilities good-bye, but I was in a translate-y mood this morning nonetheless. This is merely meant as an explanatory translation; if Géarthnuns had pages on Wikipedia, you might expect the Frisian and/or German with the Géarthnuns juxtaposed to illustrate the meaning. There is some poesified word order just to indicate to Géarthnuns-speakers that we're in poetickesque territory, but no attempt has been made to render an artistic translation capturing rhyme or vibe.

Géarthnuns

Dhaur chau zhangars la nöi,
Zíaurín cha wans la nöi,
Garhan cha shírens la nöi,
Chík hengelsíp chík jüfölsíp Helgolansas la nöi.

Spoiler:

Dhaur chau zhangars la nöi,
green-NOM DEF land-NOM AUX.PRES be
Green is the land,

Zíaurín cha wans la nöi,
red-NOM DEF outer.edge-NOM AUX.PRES be
Red is the edge,

Garhan cha shírens la nöi,
white-NOM DEF sand-NOM AUX.PRES be
White is the sand,

Chík hengelsíp chík jüfölsíp Helgolansas* la nöi.
DEF.PL this-NOM.PL DEF.PL color-NOM.PL Heligoland-GEN AUX.PRES be
These are the colors of Heligoland.

*Helgolantsöis is another option, though I don't to what extent political considerations are involved.

[Lambuzhao]

Two questions ere i post:

1)

Red is the cliff
White is the sand

Are we talking about a cliff by the sea, or a cliff-face of some inland mountain or plateau?


2) Heligoland < PG *hailaizǫ̂-landą = Old hāliȝralond ?

[GrandPiano]

2) Heligoland < PG *hailaizǫ̂-landą = Old hāliȝralond ?

Heligoland is a real place:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heligoland

There is a general understanding that the name Heligoland in origin means "Holy Land" (cf. modern Dutch and German heilig, "holy"). In the course of the centuries several alternative theories have been proposed, explaining the name from a Danish king Heligo or from the Frisian word hallig, meaning "salt marsh island". In this sense, the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica suggests an etymology of "Hallaglun, or Halligland, i.e. 'land of banks, which cover and uncover'".

[Iyionaku]

I think this would work best for Germalngs [sic?] but I'm interested to see all translations!

As you suggest, moving out of the Germa(no)lang domain kisses easy rhyming possibilities good-bye, but I was in a translate-y mood this morning nonetheless. This is merely meant as an explanatory translation; if Géarthnuns had pages on Wikipedia, you might expect the Frisian and/or German with the Géarthnuns juxtaposed to illustrate the meaning. There is some poesified word order just to indicate to Géarthnuns-speakers that we're in poetickesque territory, but no attempt has been made to render an artistic translation capturing rhyme or vibe.

I will follow this, because I'm also in a translation mood. (Although I should study: The controlling engineering exam is getting closer and I feel like this is the boss enemy on the path to the bachelor degree...)

Yélian

U'vèsme boldbut,
U'tèske nelbut,
U'kyarte enírbut,
vat bit æ'salin o'èligolant.

Spoiler:

U'vèsme boldbut,
[ʉˈʋɛsmə ˈbɔ̆lbʉt]
DEF.INAN=grassland green-COP.3SG.INAN

U'tèske nelbut,
[ʉˈtɛskə ˈnelbʉt]
DEF.INAN=cliff red-COP.3SG.INAN

U'kyarte enírbut,
[ʉˈkʃaɾtə əˈniːɾbʉt]
DEF.INAN=sand white-COP.3SG.INAN

vat bit æ'salan o'èligolant.
[vă‿bɨt əˈsaːlɐn ɔˈʔɛlixɔˌlɐnt]
DEM COP.3SG.ANIM DEF.CONC=color.PL DEF.GEN=Heligoland

[Lambuzhao]

[reads link for Heligoland]
[makes high-pitched Nedry chirps of joy]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4H4vc0wyI

[follows link to Forseti]
[does magic Walpertinger dance]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFRLKjJkSiE

[scrambles to google hits for /Poseidon/ and /Fosite/]

Thanks!

[Lambuzhao]

Sadrås

Is grun ye Lændt
Is hwœs ye Strændt
Is rœd ye Sêbûrgh
haffe þæcj Litne Hîlgjelændt

No longer follows the rhyme-scheme ABA ƒ(x) =ᵹ, but AABA

The Sadraasalers switched the 2nd and 3rd lines

[GrandPiano]

Spanish

(This, of course, does not preserve the rhyming structure of the original, although the first and third lines sort of rhyme)

Verde es la tierra.
[ˈbeɾð̞e es la ˈtjera]
verde-Ø es la tierra-Ø
green-SG COP.3SG.PRS.IND DEF.F.SG land-SG
Green is the land.

Rojo es el risco.
[ˈroxo es el ˈrisko]
roj-o-Ø es el risco-Ø
red-M-SG COP.3SG.PRS.IND DEF.M.SG cliff-SG
Red is the cliff.

Blanca es la arena.
[ˈblanka es la aˈɾena]
blanc-a-Ø es la arena-Ø
white-F-SG COP.3SG.PRS.IND DEF.F.SG sand-SG
White is the land.

Estos son los colores de Heligoland.
[ˈestos son los koˈloɾes ð̞e eliɣ̞oˈland]
est-o-s son los color-es de Heligoland-Ø
this-M-PL COP.3PL.PRS.IND DEF.M.PL color-PL of Heligoland-SG
These are the colors of Heligoland.

(I took a guess at the Spanish pronunciation, assuming it would follow usual Spanish orthographical rules, but it's possible the original pronunciation would be followed more closely, e.g. <h> being pronounced /x/ instead of being silent or stress falling on the first syllable instead of the last one.)

Mandarin

I don't know how poetic word order and wording works in Mandarin, but here's my attempt at a literal, non-poetic translation:

陆地是绿色的。
Lùdì shì lǜsè de.
[lu˥˧ti˥˧ ʂʐ̩˥˧ ly˥˧sɤ˥˩ tɤ̆˩]
land COP green GEN
The land is green.

悬崖是红色的。
Xuányá shì hóngsè de.
[ɕɥɛn˧˥ja˧˥ ʂʐ̩˥˩ xʊŋ˧˥sɤ˥˩ tɤ̆˩]
cliff COP red GEN
The cliff is red. (or The cliffs are red.)

沙子是白色的。
Shāzi shì báisè de.
[ʂa˥t͡sz̩˨ ʂʐ̩˥˩ paɪ̯˧˥sɤ˥˩ tɤ̆˩]
sand COP white GEN
The sand is white.

这些是赫尔戈兰岛的颜色。
Zhè xiē shì Hè'ěrgēlán Dǎo de yánsè.
[ʈ͡ʂɤ˥˩ ɕjɛ˥ ʂʐ̩˥˩ xɤ˥˩ɑɻ˨˩kɤ˥lan˧˥ tɑʊ̯˨˩ tɤ̆˦ jɛn˧˥sɤ˥˩]
this several.CL COP Heligoland island GEN color
These are the colors of Heligoland.

[Lao Kou]

I'm not a native speaker, and native-speaking main squeeze is probably still sleeping of a Sunday morn (and who rarely understands these seemingly random conlangy questions without a long, rambling context-establishing set-up anyway (silly him)), but I'd certainly first trim the shrubbery:

陆地绿。
Lùdì lǜ.
The land is green.

峭壁红。
Qiàobì hóng.
The cliff is red.

沙子白。
Shāzi bái.
The sand is white.

这是黑尔戈兰岛之色。
Zhè shì Hēiěrgēlán Dǎo zhī sè.
These are the colors of Heligoland.

If MSq rouses by 14:00, I'll see if he thinks it can be tightened up a bit more or improved upon altogether.

[spanick]

I should've probably included the original(s):

German
Grün ist das Land,
rot ist die Kant,
weiß ist der Sand,
das sind die Farben von Helgoland.

Low German
Gröön is dat Land,
rood is de Kant,
witt is de Sand,
dat sünd de Farven van't Helgoland.

North Frisian
Grön es det Lunn,
road es de Kant,
witt es de Sunn,
det sen de Farven van't Hillige Lunn.

[Iyionaku]

Caelian

Bedjen agred bui,
[bɛdˈjɛn agˈrɛd bʊɪ̯]
green land.NOM COP.3SG

Ittas rowydep bui,
[iˈtʰaʃ rɔʋˈdɛp bʊɪ̯]
red cliff.NOM COP.3SG

Ëris tommen bui,
[əˈriʃ tʰɔˈmɛn bʊɪ̯]
white sand.NOM COP.3SG

Dyong zailüjowyem Helgolijende beryäiz.
[dʲɔŋ zaɪ̯ly.ɔˈʋɛm hɛlgɔlɪ̯ɛnˈdɛ bɛɾˈjæɪ̯s]
DEM.MASC.NOM colour.PLDEF.ESS helgoland.GEN COP.3SG>3PLDEF

[Iyionaku]

French

La campagne est verte,
[la kɑ̃ˈpaɲ ɛ vɛʁt]
DEF.FEM land COP.3SG green.FEM

Le bord est rouge,
[lə bɔʁd‿ɛ ʁuʒ]
DEF.MASC cliff COP.3SG red.MASC

Le sable est blanc,
[lə sabl‿ɛ blɑ̃]
DEF.MASC sand COP.3SG white.MASC

Celles sont les couleurs de Heligoland
[sɛl sɔ̃ le kuˈlœʁ də ɛliʒoˈlɑ̃] [?]
DEM.PL.FEM COP.3PL DEF.FEM.PL colour.PL of Heligoland

[GamerGeek]

When I noticed that everyone was writing Heligoland differently, I Googled Heligo, not getting good results, then Heligoland.

[Iyionaku]

The Island is written and pronounced Helgoland in German.

[GamerGeek]

The Island is written and pronounced Helgoland in German.

So?

[Dormouse559]

French

...

Inversion for poetic effect is allowed in French. Here's how I'd translate it:

Verte est la terre
/vɛʁt ɛ la tɛʁ/
green-F be.3SG DEF-F land

Rouge est la falaise
/ʁuʒ ɛ la fa.lɛz/
red be.3SG DEF-F cliff

Blanc est le sable
/blɑ̃(.k‿)ɛ‿l sabl/
white.M be.3SG DEF-M sand

Ce sont les couleurs de Heligoland
/s‿sɔ̃ le ku.løʁ də e.li.gɔ.lɑ̃/
PRO be.3PL DEF-PL color{PL} of Heligoland



- Don't know if liaison is allowed in "blanc est".
- Campagne means "country, rural area", and bord means "edge" or, more relevant here, "shore" as in bord de la mer "seashore".