The Upside-Down Ice-Skater

March 2009

From: Michael Ende, Der Spiegel im Spiegel. Ein Labyrinth. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, München 2006 (ISBN 978-3-423-13503-0). The translation into English featured on this page has been made solely for the purpose of this translation exercise by myself, the translation thus being entirely inofficial, unapproved, and unlicensed by the current copyright holder of either the German and the English edition of the book. For the official translation into English, see: Michael Ende, The Mirror In The Mirror. Viking, New York 1986 (ISBN 978-0-670-80682-9; out of print).

1. English:

Over the vast grey surface of the sky an ice-skater with a waving woolen scarf slid along, headfirst. He was able to do so, as the sky was all frozen up.

With running noses and mouthes ajar, the corwd watched from the earth, pointed up to him and applauded occasionally when he managed to do an especially difficult (and of course upside-down) leap.

He skated in wide arches and loops, time and again performing the same figures, until the traces of his run had scratched themselves into the sky. Now it figured that these were letters, perhaps an urgent message. Thereafter, he slid away and disappeared far beyond the horizon.

The crowd stared at the sky, but nobody knew the alphabet, nobody could decipher the writing in the sky. Slowly the traces faded, and now the sky was just a vast grey surface again.

People went home and soon had forgotten about the whole affair. Everyone had their own sorrows after all, and besides: Who knows whether the message was really that important?

2. Ayeri translation

Ya məicyāng nimpakarsangaya manga marin apan kamaya si lenoas, devoeri yana mangasara arekaya, kalparingeri sapana seri manga məvadreng. Ang ming da-məmiraya yanoyam lenoang ku-karsangley.

Ang məsilvyon silvayaye yayam mangasara arekaya vinayēri raro nay bantayēri apan tekalanena, ang məmapayon yās nay ang mətelbayon vacanas ton tajaril bata ang məgamarya pukanley kopo pakas (devoeri yana mangasaha avanya suhing).

Ang məiciya siguranyēri nay hicanyēri apan nay le məmirayāng ikantay dahasye kamo, ang mətrayo pesan bangalye sitang-tos kong lenoya. Edawi mətavreng silva, bangalyeang telbatahanyeley, yoming adanyareng budangas utong. Ada-epang mangasara məicyāng nay ya məsilbayyāng pang kahu simileno.

Ang məvucaton silvayaye lenoas, nārya ang koronyo ranya deventahānas, ang ming məpiraryisayo ranya tahananley lenoya. Məbetapayon pero bangalyeang, kada-kada lenoang marinley apan kamaya.

Ang məsa-sarayon keynam rangya ton nay le məkoronaryatong mine ikan tadayya kivo. Ang mətavayo enya gimbay sitang-yona deramyam. Nay arēn– Sa yomareng arilinyās si koronyong bata budangang kapo-ing cuyam?

The text in Tahano Hikamu

3. Morpheme breakdown

Ya
ya
LOCFOC
Ø
məicyāng
mə-ic-yāng
PST-glide-3sm.AGT
he glided
nimpakarsangaya
nimp_karsang_maya-Ø
run_ice_NMLZ-FOC
ice-skater
manga
manga
MOTION
Ø
marin
marin
surface
surface
apan
apan
wide
wide
kamaya
kamaya
gray
gray
si
si
REL
which
Ø
Ø
(be)
is
lenoas,
leno-as
sky-PAT
sky
devoeri
devo-eri
head-INST
with head
yana
yana
3sm.GEN
his
mangasara
mangasara
away
away
arekaya,
areka-ya
earth-LOC
to earth
kalparingeri
kalparing-eri
scarf-INST
with scarfi
sapana
sapa-ena
wool-GEN
of wool
seri
s-eri
REL-INST
whichi
manga
manga
PTCP
-ing
məvadreng.
mə-vad-reng
PST-flutter-3sinan.AGT
it fluttered
An ice-skater slid over the wide gray surface that is the sky, with his head down to earth, (and) with a fluttering woolen scarf.
Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
ming
ming
can
can
da-məmiraya
da=mə-mira-iya
such=PST-do-3sm(.FOC)
he could do so
yanoyam
yano-yam
reason-BEN
because
lenoang
leno-ang
sky-AGT
sky
Ø
Ø
(be)
was
ku-karsangley.
ku=karsang-ley
like=ice-PATinan
like ice
He could do so because the sky was like ice.
Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
məsilvyon
mə-silv-iyon
PST-see-3pn
they saw
silvayaye
silvaya-ye-Ø
spectator-PL(-FOC)
the spectators
yayam
yayam
3sm.BEN
for him
mangasara
mangasara
away
away (from)
arekaya
areka-ya
earth-LOC
earth
vinayēri
vina-ye-eri
nose-PL-INST
with noses
raro
raro
wet
wet
nay
nay
and
and
bantayēri
banta-ye-eri
mouth-PL-INST
with mouthes
apan
apan
wide
wide
tekalanena,
tekalan-ena
awe-GEN
of awe
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
məmapayon
mə-mapa-iyon-Ø
PST-point_at-3pn(.FOC)
they pointed at
yās
yās
3sm.PAT
he
nay
nay
and
and
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
mətelbayon
mə-telba-iyon-Ø
PST-show-3pn(.FOC)
they showed
vacanas
vacan-as
liking-PAT
appreciation
ton
ton
3pn.GEN
their
tajaril
tajaril
sometimes
sometimes
bata
bata
if
if
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
məgamarya
mə-gamar-iya
PST-manage-3sm(.FOC)
he managed
pukanley
pukan-ley
jump-PAT
jump
kopo
kopo
difficult
difficult
pakas
pakas
especially
especially
(devoeri
devo-eri
head-INST
with head
yana
yana
3sm.GEN
his
mangasaha
mangasaha
towards
towards
avanya
avan-ya
bottom-LOC
bottom
suhing).
suhing
of_course
of course
The spectators watched him from the earth with wet noses and wide mouthes of awe, they pointed at him and they showed their appreciation at times, when he managed an especially difficult jump (with his head downwards of course).
Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
məiciya
mə-ic-iya
PST-glide-3sm(.FOC)
he glided
siguranyēri
siguran-ye-eri
bend-PL-INST
with bends
nay
nay
and
and
hicanyēri
hican-ye-eri
circle-PL-INST
with circles
apan
apan
wide
wide
nay
nay
and
and
le
le
PATFOCinan
Ø
məmirayāng
mə-mira-yāng
PST-do-3sm.AGT
he did
ikantay
ikantay
many_times
many times
dahasye
dahas-ye-Ø
shape-PL(-FOC)
the shapes
kamo,
kamo
equal
same
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
mətrayo
mə-tra-iyo
PST-scratch-3sn
it scratched
pesan
pesan
until
until
bangalye
bangal-ye-Ø
sorrow-PL(-FOC)
the traces
yana
yana
3sm.GEN
his
sitang-tos
sitang=tos
self=3pn.PAT
themselves
kong
kong
inside
inside
lenoya.
leno-ya
sky-LOC
sky
He slid in wide bends and circles and did the same figures many times until his traces had scratched themselves into the sky.
Edawi
edawi
now
now
mətavreng
mə-tav-reng
PST-get-3sinan
it became
silva,
silva
visible
visible
bangalyeang
bangal-ye-ang
trace-PL-AGT
traces
Ø
Ø
(be)
were
telbatahanyeley,
telbān_tahan-ye-ley
sign_write-PL-PATinan
writing signs
yoming
yoming
maybe
maybe
adanyareng
adanya-reng
that_one-AGTinan
that
Ø
Ø
(be)
was
budangas
budang-as
message-PAT
message
utong.
utong
urgent
urgent
Now it became visible (that) the traces were letters, maybe it was an urgent message.
Ada-epang
ada=epang
that=after
after that
mangasara
mangasara
away
away
məicyāng
mə-ic-yāng
PST-glide-3sm.AGT
he glided away
nay
nay
and
and
ya
ya
LOCFOC
Ø
məsilbayyāng
mə-silbay-yāng
PST-disappear-3sm.AGT
he disappeared
pang
pang
beyond
beyond
kahu
kahu
far
far
simileno.
simileno-Ø
horizon(-FOC)
the horizon
After that he slid away and disappeared far beyond the horizon.
Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
məvucaton
mə-vuca-ton
PST-stare_at-3pn
they stared at
silvayaye
silvaya-ye-Ø
spectator-PL(-FOC)
the spectators
lenoas,
leno-as
sky-PAT
sky
nārya
nārya
but
but
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
koronyo
koron-iyo
know-3sn
it knows
ranya
ranya-Ø
nobody(-FOC)
nobody
deventahānas,
deveng_tahān-as
system_writing-PAT
alphabet
ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
ming
ming
can
can
məpiraryisayo
mə-piran_arya_isa-iyo
PST-riddle_un-_CAU-3sn
it deciphers
ranya
ranya-Ø
nobody(-FOC)
nobody
tahananley
tahan_an-ley
write_NMLZ-PAT
writing
lenoya.
leno-ya
sky-LOC
in sky
The spectators stared at the sky, but nobody knew the alphabet, nobody could decipher the writing in the sky.
Məbetapayon
mə-betapa-iyon
PST-fade-3pn
they faded
pero
pero
slow
slowly
bangalyeang,
bangal-ye-ang
trace-PL-AGT
traces
kada-kada
kada=kada
thus=thus
so that ... again
lenoang
leno-ang
sky-AGT
sky
Ø
Ø
(be)
was
marinley
marin-ley
surface-PATinan
surface
apan
apan
wide
wide
kamaya.
kamaya
gray
gray
The traces faded slowly so that the sky was a wide gray surface again.
Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
məsa-sarayon
mə-sara=sara-iyon
PST-go_again-3pn
they went to ... again
keynam
keynam-Ø
people(-FOC)
the people
rangya
rang-ya
home-LOC
home
ton
ton
3pn.GEN
their
nay
nay
and
and
le
le
PATFOCinan
Ø
məkoronaryatong
mə-koron_arya-tong
PST-know_un-_3sn.AGT
they forgot
mine
mine-Ø
affair(-FOC)
the affair
ikan
ikan
complete
whole
tadayya
taday-ya
time-LOC
in time
kivo.
kivo
small
small
People went home again and soon forgot about the whole affair.
Ang
ang
AGTFOC
Ø
mətavayon
mə-tava-iyo
PST-have-3sn
it had
enya
enya-Ø
everybody(-FOC)
everybody
gimbay
gimbay-Ø
sorrows(-FOC)
the sorrows
sitang-yona
sitang=yona
self=3sn.GEN
its own
deramyam.
deram-yam
matter_of_fact-BEN
for the matter of fact
Everybody had their own sorrows after all.
Nay
nay
and
and
arēn–
arēn
anyway
anyway
Sa
sa
PATFOC
Ø
yomareng
yoma-reng
exist-3s.AGTinan
it exists
arilinya
arilinya-Ø
anyone(-FOC)
anyone
si
si
REL
who
koronyong
koron-yong
know-3sn.AGT
it knows
bata
bata
if
whether
Ø
Ø
(be)
was
budangang
budang-ang
message-AGT
message
kapo-ing
kapo=ing
important=so
so important
cuyam?
cuyam
really
really
And anyway– Is there anyone who knows whether the message was really so important?



Carsten Becker 2009, CC BY-SA 4.0
http://benung.nfshost.com/