Na'vi Proverbs

[Seze Mune]

Txopu lu tsawla säfpìl fwa aoengaru lu tìlen a rangal tsnì ke len aoengaru, tengkrr tìmal tsawla säfpìl lu fwa ayoengaru layu tìlen a ayoengaru rangal tsnì len.

Fear is a positive belief that we will experience something that we do not wish to have happen, while faith is a positive belief that we will experience something we do wish to have happen.

Interesting. I'll think on this one a bit.

What about this:

Txopu lu tì'efu amuiä a ngal 'efu krra len kemo a nga ke rolangal, tengkrr tìsìlpey lu tì'efu amuiä a ngal 'efu krra len kemo a nga nolew.

Fear is fair feeling you feel when occurs something (some action) you didn't wish, while hope is fair feeling you feel when occurs something you wanted.

That *might* work if the meaning were 'justified', although that doesn't translate to 'positive' either.  With sulìn we have a verb with the connotation of 'positive', so we know the meaning of 'positive' is a concept the Na'vi must have.  We just don't have a word for it. Yet.  Sulìn is derived from the word 'ìn.  I sense a connection between sunu and sulìn.  Is it possible that su- might evolve to a prefix conferring a positive sense, something like <ei> conveys the positive sense in a verb?

Then again, the second half of the sentence doesn't mean something pleasant is expected, but that something definite is expected.  Hmm.

[Vawmataw]

Nga lieoae si Eywa, sì Eywa'eveng, slä ke tswa' lieoae si ayoeyä 'rrta.

[Seze Mune]

Nga lieoae si Eywa, sì Eywa'eveng, slä ke tswa' lieoae si ayoeyä 'rrta.

^^ Fì'u!

Although I think you might want rä'ä as a command:

Nga lieoae si Eywa, sì Eywa'eveng, slä rä'ä ngal tswa' a 'Rrtati ayoengeyä lieoae si.

[Seze Mune]

Tsengìri a tuteo lu leskxir, atan fpxiväkìm.

Where a person is wounded, light may enter.


Snumìna tutel ve'kì payit tengkrr tompa zerup, tìsomit tengkrr tsawke lìng tawmì.
Txantslusama tutel run tsawket mì aysompìva, nìtengfya payit mì atanvi tsawkeyä.

Wise people seek sun in raindrops, as well as water in the rays of the sun.


Oel new futa ngeyä tsawkel 'ivampi oeyä aysompìvati fte ngeyä tìsomìl tsivun mivunge oeyä tireati nefä na pìwopx

I want your sun to reach my raindrops so your heat can raise my soul upward like a cloud. **


Fpìlfya txe'lanmì lu fya'o a fko tìran.

Way of thinking in the heart is a way in which one walks.


Terkup tawnarona vrrtep RDAyä!

Die you hunted demon of RDA!


Tìfnu txampay lu.  Säftxulì'u kilvan lu.

Silence is an ocean. Speech is a river.


Eywa teya si tsngalur ayoengeo: ayoengal 'efu nì'aw tìswokit.

Eywa fills the cup in front of us: we taste only sacredness.


Tìkangkemvi ngeyä ke lu fwa tìyawnit fwew, kip fwa run frakxemyot ngamì a ngal txolula wä fum

Your task is not to search for love, but rather to find all barriers inside of you, (which) you built against it.


Txo ngal niväk payit a tsngalmì, ngal kayame Eywati tsatsengmì.  Tsayfol a ke Eywati ke kame, kayame sneyä ayheyit tsatsengmì nì'aw.

If in thirst you drink water from a cup, you see Eywa in it. Those who do not know Eywa will see only their own faces in it.


(Nga) rä'ä livu txantslusam fa aylì'u, kip livu txantslusam fa hem.

Don't be wise by words, but rather by actions.


Tsa'ul a ngat steyki, lätxayn ngat.

Ngati steyki a tsal lätxayn ngat.

Tsa'u a ngat steyki lu 'u a lätxayn ngat.

That which angers you, conquers you.


Fra'u oeyä lu pum ngeyä

Everything which is mine, is also yours.


Fra'u a lu oeru, lu ayoengaru nìwotx nìteng.

Fra'u oeyä lu pum ayngeyä nìwotx nìteng.

Everything I have, have also we all / Everything mine is also yours all.


Tìlor lu tsa'u a fpom tìng ayoengur.  Tsal ngerop tìyueyit.

Beauty is that which gives us joy.  It creates spiritual beauty.


Nga livu tìlatem a nga new tsive'a mì hifkey.

Nga livu tìlatem a (nga) rangal tsnì (nga) tsat tsive'a kifkeymì.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.  ~ Ghandi


Tìyawnit kawkrr ke tatep fkol.

One never loses love (Love is never lost.)


Tìyawn lu tì'eylan a fkol nekx fa txep.

Love is friendship that has been set on fire.


Oeri krra nga tsìsyì txe'lanur, pom vitrat.

Oeyä txe'lanìri krra nga tsìsyì, ngal pom oeyä vitralit

When you whisper into my heart, you kiss my soul.


Fra'u täpare fìtsap kxamlä Eywa.

All things are connected through Eywa.

[Blue Elf]

Nga lieoae si Eywa, sì Eywa'eveng, slä ke tswa' lieoae si ayoeyä 'rrta.

^^ Fì'u!

Although I think you might want rä'ä as a command:

Nga lieoae si Eywa, sì Eywa'eveng, slä rä'ä ngal tswa' a 'Rrtati ayoengeyä lieoae si.

Nga leioae si Eywaru sì Eywa'evengur, slä rä'ä tswa' tsakemit a leioae si ayoeyä 'Rrtar.
Rä'ä must be used, it is command - but put it before VERB. Also stacking two verbs together is not possible (unless in modal construction or when "ulte" could be put between them)

Tsengìri a tuteo lu leskxir, atan fpxiväkìm.
HRH, most funny typo I've ever seen - putting infix into ejective (sorry, but it amused me to death)

Edit: fixed, dative is necessary as Tanri said

[Seze Mune]

Tsengìri a tuteo lu leskxir, atan fpxiväkìm.
HRH, most funny typo I've ever seen - putting infix into ejective (sorry, but it amused me to death)

  Fixed.

[Tanri]

Nga leioae si Eywar sì Eywa'evengur, slä rä'ä tswa' tsakemit a leioae si ayoeyä 'Rrtar.
- a little fine-tuning of grammar. After "leioae si ayoeyä...", i have to spend the rest of my life with a knot on my tongue.

Rä'ä mivong pot, Lu poru kenten mì re'o.
Intended meaning - "He changes his opinions very fast" (mostly when reversed point of view brings him some profit), or "He is unable/unwilling to create and sustain his own opinion".

[Seze Mune]

Nga leioae si Eywar sì Eywa'evengur, slä rä'ä tswa' tsakemit a leioae si ayoeyä 'Rrtar.
- a little fine-tuning of grammar. After "leioae si ayoeyä...", i have to spend the rest of my life with a knot on my tongue.

Rä'ä mivong pot, Lu poru kenten mì re'o.
Intended meaning - "He changes his opinions very fast" (mostly when reversed point of view brings him some profit), or "He is unable/unwilling to create and sustain his own opinion".

HRHRHRHRH!! Ma Tanri, hangham oe ngamì!

[Seze Mune]

Ta'lengìl ke pxìmun'i ayoengal, pumìl tare ayoengal.

Skin does not separate us, it connects us.

[Tanri]

Ta'lengìl ke pxìmun'i ayoengatl, pumìtsal tare ayoengatl.
Skin does not separate us, it connects us.

What about 'awstengyem?  I think it can be used not only for physical bonding/connecting something, but metaphorically as well.
Like in "Nìlaw tsafekemìl 'awstengyolem vitrati mefeyä" - "Apparently that disaster joined together theirs souls" (speaking about two people that survived something very bad).
Tsaheylu is a way more specialized connection and I wouldn't say tsaheyl si for nothing less important as real tswin connection or something with the same spiritual significance.
Unfortunately, tare has nothing to do with bonding or connections, being physical or metaphorical, because it conveys only the meaning "being related to...", "cohere with...".
Ta'lengìl ayoengati ke pxìmun'i ki 'awstengyem.

[Taronyu Leleioae]

Time I started posting here...   Suggestions / corrections always welcome!  


Nga tem tsmìmnemfa pa'liyä ngeyä, taluna tsatsengit palulukanìl tok.
You shoot (your arrow) into the track of your direhorse, because that is where the thanator will be.
(Thanks again to ma Plumps for teaching me so much with sorting out this one sentence including.  The opinion was that tayok was optional?)

Stxeli Eywayä lu ikranä txal.
A gift from Eywa is the back of an ikran.

Eywa lrrtok si fa trr'ong.
Eywa smiles with the dawn.
(I'm unsure with this one.)


(Edited to fix ikrana > ikranä typo...)

[Seze Mune]

Ta'lengìl ayoengati ke pxìmun'i ki 'awstengyem.

Yours is more elegant than mine.  Irayo, ma Tanri!

[Seze Mune]

Time I started posting here...   Suggestions / corrections always welcome!   


Nga tem tsmìmnemfa pa'liyä ngeyä, taluna tsatsengit palulukanìl tok.
You shoot (your arrow) into the track of your direhorse, because that is where the thanator will be.
(Thanks again to ma Plumps for teaching me so much with sorting out this one sentence including.  The opinion was that tayok was optional?)

Stxeli Eywayä lu ikrana txal.
A gift from Eywa is the back of an ikran.

Eywa lrrtok si fa trr'ong.
Eywa smiles with the dawn.
(I'm unsure with this one.)

Welcome!  Kosman, ma 'eylan!  These are lovely quotes. (Bout time you showed up here!) 

I am only numeyu as well, but I wonder if there is a typo in your second proverb: Stxeli Eywayä lu txal ikranä.

I really enjoy the third quote as well.  The idea that Eywa smiles by way of creating the dawn is a very beautiful concept. I actually like it better in Na'vi than in English.

[Blue Elf]

Very good ma Taronyu Leleioae! You have a good teacher and you learn well. Welcome here.

Time I started posting here...   Suggestions / corrections always welcome!   
Nga tem tsmìmnemfa pa'liyä ngeyä, taluna tsatsengit palulukanìl tok.
You shoot (your arrow) into the track of your direhorse, because that is where the thanator will be.
(Thanks again to ma Plumps for teaching me so much with sorting out this one sentence including.  The opinion was that tayok was optional?)

(there was some unreadable character, removed) As is, it says "... where thanator is". With tayok it turns into your translation. But I'd leave it as is. Maybe I'd omit "nga" as it appears to me as kind of command or recommendation.

Stxeli Eywayä lu ikranä txal.
A gift from Eywa is the back of an ikran.

As Seze mune said - genitive must be used

Eywa lrrtok si fa trr'ong.
Eywa smiles with the dawn.
(I'm unsure with this one.)

nothing to add.

[Taronyu Leleioae]

(there was some unreadable character, removed) As is, it says "... where thanator is". With tayok it turns into your translation. But I'd leave it as is. Maybe I'd omit "nga" as it appears to me as kind of command or recommendation.

ma Blue Elf > This unreadable character has occurred before.  I never have it with Firefox, however it sometimes appears with Internet Explorer.  It's fixed.
"Nga" was meant to be a command / recommendation as it is a teaching proverb.  I had wondered about tayok as I learned more about infixes after making the original translation.  The proverb is meant to infer that the thanator "will be there" now or already.  I had chosen the present tense originally to infer that the thanator IS there now.  However I do see the translation problem.

Stxeli Eywayä lu ikranä txal.
A gift from Eywa is the back of an ikran.
As Seze mune said - genitive must be used

Seze Mune was right.  It was a typo.  I copied it incorrectly from my paper scribble...  

Eywa lrrtok si fa trr'ong.
Eywa smiles with the dawn.

nothing to add.



Mengaru irayo si!

[Seze Mune]

Tìlor ayuä fkeytok nì'aw ronselmì a pumit 'efu.

The beauty of things exists only in the mind which perceives them.

[Seze Mune]

Tìyawn ke kakrel lu.  Pumìl eyk fkot a kerame ayu aylapo ke kerame.

Love is not blind.  It simply enables one to see things that others fail to see.

[Blue Elf]

Tìlor ayuä fkeytok nì'aw ronselmì a pumit 'efu.

The beauty of things exists only in the mind which perceives them.

Tìlor ayuä fkeytok nì'aw ronselmì a sat 'efu.

"Pum" is something like "one" in English (word referring back to another word to avoid its repeating). But translation then sounds like "The beauty of things exists only in the mind which perceives one". It doesn't look correctly, "sat" (ay+tsa['u]t) is good.

Tìyawn ke kakrel lu. Pumìl eyk fkot a kerame ayu aylapo ke kerame.

Tìyawn ke lu kakrel. Tsal tung tsakemit a fkol kame ayut a ke tsun aylapo kivame.
Love is not blind. It allows that one (person) See things which others can't See.

You still do the same mistake - put "ke" elsewhere, but it must be just before verb. "Pum" can be used here (it refers to love), I personally prefer "tsal" (it). I used more literal translation with "tung tsakemit- allow that action", and now we need describe action with attributive clause "one See things" - and these things are again described by another subclause "which others can't see".
Your version start well with "It lead one", but no is problem how to say "to see..." as there is no infinitive in Na'vi. Maybe "fte" is solution:

Pumìl eyk fkot fte kivame ayut a ke kame aylapol
It leads one (in order) to See things which others do not See. Here you must use agentive with "aylapo", as subject of last clause is in the previous (controlling) clause.

[Seze Mune]

Tìlor ayuä fkeytok nì'aw ronselmì a pumit 'efu.

The beauty of things exists only in the mind which perceives them.

Tìlor ayuä fkeytok nì'aw ronselmì a sat 'efu.

"Pum" is something like "one" in English (word referring back to another word to avoid its repeating). But translation then sounds like "The beauty of things exists only in the mind which perceives one". It doesn't look correctly, "sat" (ay+tsa['u]t) is good.

Aha!  So, is it correct to say that  "sat" (ay+tsa['u]t) means 'those (things)' when it is not being used as a prefix (tsay-)?  And also that it is nfp because its base is 'u?

Tìyawn ke kakrel lu. Pumìl eyk fkot a kerame ayu aylapo ke kerame.

Tìyawn ke lu kakrel. Tsal tung tsakemit a fkol kame ayut a ke tsun aylapo kivame.
Love is not blind. It allows that one (person) See things which others can't See.

You still do the same mistake - put "ke" elsewhere, but it must be just before verb. "Pum" can be used here (it refers to love), I personally prefer "tsal" (it). I used more literal translation with "tung tsakemit- allow that action", and now we need describe action with attributive clause "one See things" - and these things are again described by another subclause "which others can't see".
Your version start well with "It lead one", but now is problem how to say "to see..." as there is no infinitive in Na'vi. Maybe "fte" is solution:

Pumìl eyk fkot fte kivame ayut a ke kame aylapol
It leads one (in order) to See things which others do not See. Here you must use agentive with "aylapo", as subject of last clause is in the previous (controlling) clause.

Thank you for pointing out my silly mistake again!  I will be more careful in the future.  In that sentence I wasn't sure "lu" was even necessary.  Couldn't it be implied?

Would it somehow work to use the <eyk> infix in kame? Pumìl keykame fkot, sat ke tsun kivame aylapol.

Question: must modal verbs like tsun come direction before the verb they modify?  Or could I say...sat ke tsun aylapol kivame?  (This would assume that 'tsun' satisfies the ke+verb requirement in this case.)

[Seze Mune]

Fkol kem si ayhxeyeyit; tsakem tìrey lu.  Slä  ke lu kawkrr kxeyey a yalmawne.


One makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to have loved.