History: Litany Against Fear

The Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear. From "Dune", by Frank Herbert.

translation by Jordan DeLong on Jun 12 2002.
redone on Nov 28 2002 (old version at the bottom)
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This is a bit less of a less literal translation, better gadri
usage, etc. -jrd

.eisai mi to'e terpa .i lo'enu terpa cu menli catra .i lo'enu terpa
cu cmalu nu mrobi'o kei gi'e jai se jalge lo mulno za'i daspo .i
.ai lanli ronu mi terpa .i .ai curmi ronu le se cinmo mi pagre gi'e
cliva .ije ba'o ronu ri cliva kei mi .ai carnygau le nenri kanla
pe'a tezu'e lonu zgana le ra terli'a .ibo vi le se pagre be leka
terpa kei no na'ebo mi ba stali

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old version:

.eisai mi na terpa .i lo kamterpa cu menli catra .i lo kamterpa cu
dunli le cmalu puvmrobi'o poi rinka leza'i mulno kamdaspo .i mi ba
catlu le mi kamterpa .i mi ba curmi lenu ri mi pagre gi'e cliva
.ije ca leza'i ri ba'o cliva kei mi ba jai carna fai le nenri kanla
mu'i lenu viska le ra terli'a .i vi lenu le kamterpa puba'o pagre
kei noda ba zasti .i mi po'o ba stali

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English

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death
that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit
it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I
will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone
there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

--
Comments:

• ei mi bilga le za'i na terpa
  • That seems to say that I should be obliged to not fear, that I feel an obligation to be obliged. I would either remove ei or remove bilga. The double obligation is not wrong, but it doesn't quite fit the English. I find ei mi na terpa much more compelling. --xorxes
• e'a mi ba curmi le nu ri mi pagre gi'e darkla
  • Same thing here. It seems to say that I allow myself that I will allow it to pass. Again, a plain e'a ri mi pagre gi'e darkla is more forceful. --xorxes
    • I changed the bilga one to use just the .ei. However on the curmi one it seems better to leave in the curmi so the ba can stay, and drop the e'a.--jrd
• po'o mi ba stali
  • It should be mi po'o, otherwise po'o modifies the whole sentence and it says something like "the only thing that happens is that I will remain". --xorxes