Na'vi Proverbs

[Blue Elf]

4. to give shelter to; offer refuge to: They harbored the refugees who streamed across the borders.
5. to conceal; hide: to harbor fugitives.
6. to keep or hold in the mind; maintain; entertain: to harbor suspicion.
7. to house or contain.
8. to shelter (a vessel), as in a harbor.

I was thinking of definition 6 from dictionary.com, but I can see where you would think of hide, as in 5...

yes, now I see the difference (also: harbor X harbour gives quite different results in my dictionary. This American English!) So two meanings are possible:
1: Do not hide hatred from your enemy (let him to see it!). [remaining part gives no sense here]
2: Do not keep hatred against enemy in your mind, it poisons you.
IMO version 2 is correct, and I'd write is as:
Kawkrr rä'ä tung futa tìve'kì wä kxutu fpxäkìm nemfa re'o/ronsem ngeyä; aysäfpìl anafì'u txum lu.

[Blue Elf]

Greatness means holding others higher than yourself.

Krra fko nawm lu, fkol kxeltek sutet alahe kxayl nì'ul to sno.

When one is great, one lifts another person higher than one self. (ttm,ntw)

Not sure about this - "kxeltek" means "to move (something) to a higher position", so it is about physical lifting up. That doesn't fit here But nice attempt!

[Puvomun]

Greatness means holding others higher than yourself.

Krra fko nawm lu, fkol kxeltek sutet alahe kxayl nì'ul to sno.

When one is great, one lifts another person higher than one self. (ttm,ntw)

Not sure about this - "kxeltek" means "to move (something) to a higher position", so it is about physical lifting up. That doesn't fit here But nice attempt!

Oel tse'a ngeyä lunit - but there is not a better word at the moment. Also, in many languages 'Rrtayä, to lift is used in this way, e.g.: to lift one's spirit.

But since we don't give up, I try this (although I am not 100% certain about the construction):
Krra fko nawm lu, fkol srung si sutet alahe a pate tsengro kxayl nì'ul to sno.

[Reykoveyzä te Werufalä Haflak'ite]

O thought  I'd have a go
ngal zene tiyevìng leioaeti  txantslusama fyenturu krrpe po plate taluna ayli'u lu nì'ul pxi tup ayswizaw.
you must give respect to the wise adult when he speaks, because words are more sharp than arrows.

I wanted to go with sometimes words hurt more than arrows but couldn't find a word for sometimes. I think the word tup is wrong too, as is the grammar of the second half of the sentence. Oh well... Any pointing out of flaws would be helpful - I need to get my grammar sorted 

[Blue Elf]

Oel tse'a ngeyä lunit - but there is not a better word at the moment. Also, in many languages 'Rrtayä, to lift is used in this way, e.g.: to lift one's spirit.

But since we don't give up, I try this (although I am not 100% certain about the construction):
Krra fko nawm lu, fkol srung si suterut alahe a pate tsengro kxayl nì'ul to sno.

That's the problem - what works in Earth languages, doesn't have to work in Na'vi (and I learned that often doesn't work ...) According known examples I'd avoid to use kxeltek in way different than I mention.
My version (IMHO too complicated, who can simplify it?):
Furia fko lu nawm lu ral alu frapo tsranten nì'ul to fko. => That one is great has a meaning that everyone is more important than (that) one.

Spending your life searching for peace, would not be a wasted life.

Tìreyìri lewotx keng txo tìfwusew fpomä krrnivekx, fkol solar fìkrrit nìfya'o lesar.
Even if searching for peace takes the whole life, that time was spent in useful way.
lit: as for the whole life, if searching for peace takes the time, one used this time usefully

ngal zene tiyevìng leioaeti  txantslusama fyenturu krrpe po plate taluna ayli'u lu nì'ul pxi tup ayswizaw.
you must give respect to the wise adult when he speaks, because words are more sharp than arrows.

Nga zene tivìng leioaeti txantslusama fyenturu krr a po plltxe taluna aylì'u to ayswizaw lu pxi.
some explanation:
- with modal construction you can put just <iv> into controlled verb. No combination with time/aspect is allowed. Also future is not necessary here - it is general speech
- krrpe is used for asking about time, to say "at the time when..." we use "krra / krr a"
- when comparing properties of two things, use to, then nì'ul is not used:

aylì'u to ayswizaw lu pxi. => lit: words are (more) sharp than arrows => words are sharper than arrows

[Seze Mune]

Today corrections were made to post #228, the latest collective post of Na'vi proverbs.  Thank you very much to Blue Elf for tweaking it for us ~ the help is very much appreciated.   

[Alyara Arati]

Tìusomuma tute plltxe, txantslusama tute tìng mikyun.

(Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens. - Jimi Hendrix)

[Kamean]

Love it.

[Seze Mune]

Tìusomuma tute plltxe, txantslusama tute tìng mikyun.

(Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens. - Jimi Hendrix)

Agreed!

Sweylu tukru tawatanä mì syokxit to tawpam awok mì ka.

It is better to have lightning in the hand than thunder in the mouth. ( I wanted to go for: It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.)

[Seze Mune]

Fko 'awa venu mì uran ulte 'awa venu mì 'akra hilvanä zasyup mì hilvan.

Those who have one foot in the boat and one foot on the shore are going to fall into the river.

[Alyara Arati]

Fko 'awa venu mì uran ulte 'awa venu mì 'akra hilvanä zasyup mì hilvan.

Those who have one foot in the boat and one foot on the shore are going to fall into the river.

Fkoru a lu 'awa venu mì uran sì 'awa venu mì akra kilvanä zasyup mì fay.

[Seze Mune]

Fko 'awa venu mì uran ulte 'awa venu mì 'akra hilvanä zasyup mì hilvan.

Those who have one foot in the boat and one foot on the shore are going to fall into the river.

Fkoru a lu 'awa venu mì uran sì 'awa venu mì akra kilvanä zasyup mì fay.

Yay! I actually wrote 'Fkoru' first, but it felt awkward, like it needed something else...apparently 'a lu'.  My thought on the <asy> infix: I wanted to make a strong statement.  According to the N-Dictionary, "asy: [a.sj] PF future tense with determination verbal infix in position 1 (FUT.D.): Oel tsp«asy»ang palulukanit. I will definitely kill the thanator."  It was the 'will definitely' part that I was going for.  Did I say that wrongly?

[Blue Elf]

Tìusomuma tute plltxe, txantslusama tute tìng mikyun.

(Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens. - Jimi Hendrix)

Nice words! But do not forget, that tì-<us> creates noun, not adjective. Simple <us> would work well.

Tìusomuma tute plltxe, txantslusama tute tìng mikyun.

(Knowledge speaks, wisdom listens. - Jimi Hendrix)

Sweylu tukru tawatanä mì syokxit to tawpam awok mì ka.

It is better to have lightning in the hand than thunder in the mouth. ( I wanted to go for: It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.)

Fwa lu fkoru tukru tawatanä mì syokx lu sìltsan to fwa lu fkoru tawpam mì ka.
lit: That one has lightning in the hand is better than that one has thunder in the mouth.
BTW, nice words for lightning and thunder!

Fko 'awa venu mì uran ulte 'awa venu mì 'akra hilvanä zasyup mì hilvan.

Those who have one foot in the boat and one foot on the shore are going to fall into the river.

Lenition causing adpositions cause lenition on the nearest next word:
mì hilvan atxukx; mì tukxa kilvan; never * mì txukxa hilvan

for "those two" I'd use "tsamefo", but we do not need such word. Also 'akra doesn't seem to be good here:
Tsapo a lu poru 'awa venu mì uran sì munea pum mì pawpa zìyup nemfa hilvan.
That one which has one foot in the boat and the second one in the shore fall down into river.
Be careful with <asy>/<ìsy> - it means intention of the speaker, not subject of the sentence (so what you used sounds like you are going to knock him down to river)
Oel tspasyang palulukanit => I do anything to kill the thanator
Ngal ke tspasyang palulukanit => I don't let you to kill the thanator

Fkoru a lu 'awa venu mì uran sì 'awa venu mì akra kilvanä zasyup mì fay

As you can see, the sentence can't start with dative, it must be moved into subordinate clause:
Fko a lu fkoru 'awa venu mì uran sì 'awa venu mì pawpa kilvanä zayup mì fay.

[Seze Mune]

Fwew tìtxantslusam, ke tìomum. Tìomum ftawnemkrru lu. Tìtxantslusam zusawkrru lu.

Seek wisdom, not knowledge.  Knowledge is of the past. Wisdom is of the future.

[Alyara Arati]

Fwew tìtxantslusam, ke tìomum. Tìomum ftawnemkrru lu. Tìtxantslusam zusawkrru lu.

Seek wisdom, not knowledge.  Knowledge is of the past. Wisdom is of the future.

Fwew tìtxantslusamit, tup tìomumit.  Tìomum ftawnemkrrä lu.  "Tìtxantslusam" zusawkrrä lu.

OR

Ke fwew tìomumit, ki tìtxantslusamit...

[Blue Elf]

Seek wisdom, not knowledge.  Knowledge is of the past. Wisdom is of the future.

Fwew tìtxantslusamit, tup tìomumit.  Tìomum ftawnemkrrä lu.  "Tìtxantslusam" zusawkrrä lu.

It is not clear to me to which is connected "of the past/future" (and genitive in Na'vi counterpart). I'd use just:

Tìomum lu ftawnemkrr.  Tìtxantslusam lu zusawkrr. => Knowledge is the past. Wisdom is the future

[Tanri]

Txo nga sngivä'i fpivìl futa tswayon nìwin to toruk, lu krr aeyawr fte nivìn ne'ìm.
literally "If you start to think that you are flying faster than toruk, it's right time to look back",
with the intended meaning "When you think that you just achieved something, or have finished some important work, it is right time to review it again, because the errors and overlooks are supposed to reveal itself just in the moment of victory."

Fwew tìtxantslusam, ke tìomum. Tìomum ftawnemkrru lu. Tìtxantslusam zusawkrru lu.
Seek wisdom, not knowledge.  Knowledge is of the past. Wisdom is of the future.

Fwivew tìomumit ta ftawnemkrr, fte livu txantslusam mì zusawkrr.

[Seze Mune]

Ftue tìtstewnga' livu krra fko asìm livu.

It is easy to be brave at a distance.

[Seze Mune]

Aoenga ke ngamop tìtäftxu tìreyä.  Aoenga lu le'aw 'awa kìng tsal kxamlä.  Tsat aoengal kem sivi a tsatìtäftxuti, nìtengfya aoengal kem säpi.  Nìwotx fra'u 'awsiteng yìm.  Fra'u yìm fìtsap.


We did not make the weaving of life. We are only one thread within it.  Whatever we do to the weaving, we do to ourselves.  All things are bound together.  All things connect.




Tìtäftxu - currently illegal word, could be translated as tapestry

Since we do not have 'within' as an adposition, I think we will have to use either kxamlä or nemfa.


Word wishes: 1) within
                    2) tapestry, weaving

[Alyara Arati]

ma Seze, we do have renu, pattern, if that would help you...

also tìtusäftxu would be a weaving, and I might try kip, among, for your adposition

(one thread among many?) or (one thread of the weaving?) 'awa kìng tìtusäftxuä?