Pontabaz Vico'tan (Drunken Sailor)

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Pontabaz Vico'tan (Drunken Sailor)

Postby Thria on Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:01 am

Sha Yi Bloo Mar Nu Zozan`viri:

Pontabaz Vico'tan
===

Fex jal op jal ni ja pontabaz vico'tan?
Fex jal op jal ni ja pontabaz vico'tan?
Fex jal op jal ni ja pontabaz vico'tan?
Velo mez yi shayloni;

[
Fabaro! Le hihi vin nico!
Fabaro! Le hihi vin nico!
Fabaro! Le hihi vin nico!
Velo mez yi shayloni.
]

Giri pao payshal mez Ganyoni'shuka
Giri pao payshal mez Ganyoni'shuka
Giri pao payshal mez Ganyoni'shuka
Velo mez yi shayloni.

Larya ba ki yi han, bar cam zem
Larya ba ki yi han, bar cam zem
Larya ba ki yi han, bar cam zem
Velo mez yi shayloni.

Tun ba ki yi gaso'fa ni ja doj le cosha
Tun ba ki yi gaso'fa ni ja doj le cosha
Tun ba ki yi gaso'fa ni ja doj le cosha
Velo mez yi shayloni.

Roa ba mez ito ni yi kiki'so nazora
Roa ba mez ito ni yi kiki'so nazora
Roa ba mez ito ni yi kiki'so nazora
Velo mez yi shayloni.

Zuno pao arsh nikay ba te nal'ri
Zuno pao arsh nikay ba te nal'ri
Zuno pao arsh nikay ba te nal'ri
Velo mez yi shayloni.

Larya pao mahani tino pao ganyoni
Larya pao mahani tino pao ganyoni
Larya pao mahani tino pao ganyoni
Velo mez yi shayloni.

============================
Translation and Notes, by Author Unknown.


This song is/was a common 'working song' aboard vulpine long-voyage ships. The cadence maintains it's tempo throughout, allowing tasks to be coordinated to the singing, much like a drum beat. For brevity, I will shorthand the repetitions.

Translation begins:
From The Blue Book of Westernsea

Drunken Sailor
===
What do we do with a drunken sailor? (x3)
Early in the morning;

[The following is repeated before each chosen verse below.]
Excite!* And up she rises (x3)
Early in the morning;

[Verses **]
Bury his face in The Lady's Tails (x3)
Early in the morning

Tie him to the mast, nude but limp (x3)
Early in the morning

Send him to the bottom with a brush and bucket (x3)
Early in the morning

Put him in bed with the captain's mistress (x3)
Early in the morning

Shave his head til he is little-fur (x3)
Early in the morning

Tie his hands about his tails (x3)
Early in the morning


*: This is expressed as 'a cheer', an onomatopoeic notation, rather than the actual word.
**: Some of the verses require additional meaning...
Verse 1: "The Lady's Tails" was the name of a wide galleon-type vessel from which this verse likely originated. The vessel in question was one of the most well known to be entirely crewed by vulpine. The phrase, however, refers to tying a rope around the sailor's midsection, and dangling him off the stern deck until his face was in the ship's wake.
Verse 3: Cleaning the bilge with an (often small) brush.
Verse 4: While this may sound like a reward, on most vessels, the 'captain's mistress' was a cat-o-nine-tails.
Verse 5: Literally, 'little-fur' for a head meaning only having his ears furred.
Verse 6: This meant to tie a rope between the sailor's hand through his belt, looping around the tail-base before returning to the belt and other hand. The result being that every movement of the sailor's arms shifted and rolled the rope around the tail-bases.

( The Blue Book of Westernsea: The Waters Flow | Drunken Sailor| ??? )
Thria
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Re: Pontabaz Vico'tan (Drunken Sailor)

Postby CallieO on Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:09 am

As the Vulpani Conception Artist, I'm deeply touched by this sea chanty translation. Thanks, Thria, for your hard work. (It also helped me add a few words that I didn't have yet.)
"If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe."
--Dr. Beverly Crusher

Player of Callie Volopa, Viaa, Auric Lightwing, Brian Perano, Erin Tarcata and Aimee Sarasiné

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Re: Pontabaz Vico'tan (Drunken Sailor)

Postby Thria on Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:41 pm

And without Callie's putting up with me bugging for every word in creation (I've still got a list of 50 or so ;P) such wouldnt even be possible. So thank YOU, Callie, for all your work and patience. I assure you i'm not finished. :P
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