The Relay Museum

Pfinnganngexi pfinngunsixan pyfinfinitik pfinfilfiltik lysruli

Rina pfintynulput, lo fiklito titlespet pfyt, pinxyli
Rina nixpit, lo fiklito nganrekngepet, pinxyli
Ngi ngupngyng paxsifiki nganpaxfenepfapat rinasak, lo pinxylito, roksatli
Xinxin, pfop sototo pfinnganngexitik lysrulito pfyt pipinxy, ngengaliti.

Rina pfinsepfepet, lo fiklito fulerpet pfinxikilsik, lutli
Rina pfintinxepet, lo kuxsuflito larsyspfapat ferykyng, lutli
Rina pfinsypfilpit pfinpforfatak lyxxanxantak lutli
Xinxin, pfop tepfyfy pfinnganngexitik lysrulito pfyt lut, ngengaliti.

The Great Mother is the creator of this poem about the stories.

She hears the wind which gives good health
She hears a river which gives much food
Because unwanted distance causes great unhappiness for Her
     who listens
Let us declare that the Great Mother's ears are good at listening.

She sees the tree (or wood) that strengthens the home
she sees the child who covers darkness with fear
She sees the end of lovers' passion
Let us declare that the Great Mother's eyes are good at seeing.

0. Pfin.ngan.ngexi pfin.ngunsixan pyfin.fini.tik
           def.         aug.       mother        def.                 creator         
dem.              poem.      gen
pfin.fil.fil.tik lysru.li
       def.    story.      pl.      gen        be.          pres

This is the title of the poem. A noun in the genitive case comes after the noun it
modifies.

1. Rina pfin.tynul.put, lo fik.li.to titles.pet pfyt,
     3sg           def.          wind.          acc,          that     give.    pres.subj 
    health.       acc        good,
pinxy.li
hear.          pres

Although rina can be he or she, I take it to refer to Pfinnganngexi, which would make it a
female deity.

2. Rina nix.pit, lo fik.li.to ngan.reknge.pet, pinxy.li
      3sg         water.    acc,         which   give.   pres.subj    aug.        food.   
         acc,         hear.           pres

3. Ngi ngupngyng pax.sifiki ngan.pax.fenepfa.pat rina.sak,
    Because      distance             opp.       wanted         aug.        opp.        
happiness.      acc      3sg.          dat,
lo pinxy.li.to, roksat.li
that     listen.        pres.subj,      make.          pres.ind

roksatli can also be translated as cause, or make to do/be. Adjectives come after the noun
they modify, as do relative phrases, which are introduced by lo. (this is relevant for
above lines as well)

4. Xin.xin, pfop soto.to pfin.ngan.ngexi.tik lysru.li.to
           1pl,                  that             ear.         pl       def.         aug. 
         mother.     gen         be.           pres.    subj
pfyt pipinxy, ngenga.li.ti.
good        listen.    inf,         assert.           pres.    imp

The use of an imperative with the 1pl pronoun is much like in French, where it represents
the construction "let's (do something)"

5. Rina pfin.sepfe.pet, lo fik.li.to fuler.pet
     3sg           def.           tree.           acc,        which    give.   pres.subj  
 strength.   acc
pfin.xikil.sik, lut.li
    def.        home.         dat,         see.      pres

xikil has the meaning of both house and home.

6. Rina pfin.tinxe.pet, lo kuxsuf.li.to
      3sg          def.            child.         acc,        which    cover.        pres.
  subj
larsyspfa.pat fery.kyng, lut.li
    darkness.            acc        fear.         inst.,            see.    pres.

Neither I, Dennis, nor Irina (the two people before me in the relay) quite understand what
this line is supposed to mean.

7. Rina pfin.sypfil.pit pfin.pforfa.tak
      3sg          def.           end.               acc         def.           passion.  
  gen
lyxxan.xan.tak lut.li
    lover.             pl.           gen          see.    pres

8. Xin.xin, pfop tepfy.fy pfin.ngan.ngexi.tik
               1pl,               that          eye.             pl      def.          
aug.         mother.       gen
lysru.li.to pfyt lut, ngenga.li.ti.
       be.        pres.  subj  good       see.inf,     assert.         pres   imp. 

With some trouble and lots of notes from Dennis, I was able to send this to
Adam. I should also note, although I hadn't told Adam, that the subjunctive is
always used in subclauses or relative phrases. Where unspecified, verbs are
present indicative and nouns are nominative. Word order is SOV, except in
subclauses, where it is SVO.