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What Keeps Mankind Alive?
Kui o Inimdad Žumar Göhöza?

This text is the lyrics to the song "What Keeps Mankind Alive" by Kurt Weil. I used it as the text for the Six-and-a-Halfth Conlang Translation Relay in 2002. This is the Rhean version with an English translation. The English lyrics as sung in a version by Tom Waits are below.

Rheava:

A banasi nure ǩrudaz du lei esindo če,
Kra vöša daam skiraš stuplin enrilak,
Mezie puška kihoniksoi talan agtiikek zdubeǩ.
Ža imspilak ǩazmak smaǩ, kra eda bekdeče.

A fkivad nure aguzdvon imspilaz ki lei usun vantamaǩ ški,
Adinyem nunie vöš emiribza naprak zdubeǩ.
Mu sličad če, kubie köörtaǩ, li kuya corhen palbaǩ,
Pušk mezǩem tala če, sištikosta ǩilve.

Rhu mezie agzeremya du lud nelǧizurzi
saateč oyošin moraz, dorod iklasamu.
Kui o inimdad žumar göhöza?

Kui o inimdad žumar göhöza?
Ai hakik du ülyadi praniiri vürdibza,
Submabza, menuzabza, agliklibza ki agroǩovibza.
Inimdad žumar blovak reš, cuye tai ačigyoku,
Nui tai inimostan aguzdvibza göhöza.

Ki adin nima, mu közecak fröbak fadiǩ, o hakik:
Inimdad žumar göhözabza nap yučagara benzim.

 Anglava:

You gentlemen who think it is your mission,
To rid the world of the seven evil crimes,
Should first sort out the basic matter of food.
Then start your preaching, it begins from there.

You crowd who preach restraint and mind your waist as well,
Should learn for once how the world is run.
It is no matter, how much you twist, or what kind of lies you speak,
Food is the first thing, morality follows.

So first make sure that the ones who are starving now,
Get proper portions, when we cut in.
What keeps mankind alive?

What keeps mankind alive?
The fact that millions every day are tortured,
Stifled, punished, silenced and oppressed.
Mankind can stay alive, due to his genius,
Which keeps his humanity restrained.

So for once, you must try not to deny the fact:
Mankind is kept alive by bestial acts.

 

English lyrics:

You gentlemen who think you have a mission
To purge us of the seven deadly sins
Should first sort out the basic food position
Then start your preaching, that’s where it begins

You lot who preach restraint and watch your waist as well
Should learn, for once, the way the world is run
However much you twist or whatever lies that you tell
Food is the first thing, morals follow on

So first make sure that those who are now starving
Get proper helpings when we all start carving
What keeps mankind alive?

What keeps mankind alive?
The fact that millions are daily tortured
Stifled, punished, silenced and oppressed
Mankind can keep alive thanks to its brilliance
In keeping its humanity repressed
And for once you must try not to shriek the facts
Mankind is kept alive by bestial acts