Rílin Poetry
Nezeletŭn:
This genre of poetry (literally, ‘journey-stories’) developed after the first attacks on the Ríli by the Tosi Empire’s army. Many Ríli lost their homes and those close to them in the violence, and were driven from the settlements and cities into the wild reaches of the north of Izoi, which is a cold and brutal environment. These poems reflect the loss and grief felt collectively by the Ríli, but from the perspective of individuals. Elements featured in nezeletŭn include grief, loss, nature, doubt, confusion, listlessness, despair, and memory. By contrast, some poems display hope and curiosity, however, and a steadfast belief that the Rílin world would be remade better in a brighter day. Also featured are aspects of the wilderness of northern Izoi, such as snow, ice, trees, rivers, mountains, etc.
Note about Rílin grammar in poetry:
Sometimes the absolutive ending -et and the ergative endings -es and -as are reduced to -t, and -s, respectively, when appearing on nouns that end in a vowel. E.g. xabat instead of xabaet
Besulap sE Ominas bI Estat issEtIlImi OC bIn SOgVnla xuns betImatIlImi bI nIset Besulap sé óminas bí éstat Issétílími ór̂ bín ŝógûnla xuns Betímatílími bí níset This sky consumes the horizon We continue on across the vast mountains Forgetting the past.
Buratapen bIn kulOsenet Kuen kIN aIlaInla Be damutap xaBet BW gan Su dENY bI ksuZa Buratapen bín kulósenet Kuan kíñ aílaínla Be damutap xaẃét Ẃö gan ŝu déñy bí ksuŕa. The rolling hills Stars between the cirrus clouds The strong winds are not here The road is new yet still old.
kVlIkim zu Ominala lI dexe suIle lImuI zikW imiu mOkY kIzVsE kalummu Kûlíkim zu óminala lí Dexe suílela límuí Möske xalhö Zikö imiu Móky kízûsé kalummu. I am running under a grey sky Beyond a silver forest Ice everywhere around me The sharp cry of an eagle.
tisen zakYmI lava ImY ukamu fadI BevAjOtapen OC bI bAnanla Gan ImYet famu nE fau baSO Tisen zakymí lava Ímy ukamu fadí Beväjótapen ór̂ bí bänanla Gan ímyet famu né fau baŝó. Pools of black ink The eyes of my companion They wander across the land But my eyes are only on her.
tsIalakapen kIlOt nVKatetINenet nugiswOtakim imiet O ILAla mWskemI Katapen lopCenet sa fau a sEfet vOtim bI kokot mM lentImu Tsíalakapen kílót nûlhatetíñenet Nugiswótakim imiet ó íłäla möskemí Lhatapen lopr̂enet sa fau A séfet vótim bí kokoet mŭ lentímu. A trillion snowflakes sparkle I have been lead into a hall of ice Branches swing above me And now I hear the faraway howl of a dog.
Zuk bI kCM anamI O sE jenla baet POlIletap Sulatim bI amerasEdOt neC Aska samanenmu beZutap imiet Ek xabatutap Zuk bí kr̂ŭ anamí Ó sé jenla baet ŵólíletap Sulatim bí amerasédót Ner̂ äska samanenmu Beŕutap imiet ék xabatutap? Weak warmth exuded from the sun On this day that is tired I search for the mouth of the river A silent wall of trees Protecting me or impeding me?
be omnitIlImikY bI aIstarat enenmI Patakap sEfet bInVanet a VOnikap baSO bI tenepret kWtaap KunIet anamI PW Be omnitílímiky bí aístarat enjenmí Ŵatakap séfet bín ẃanet A vónikap baŝó bí tenepret Kötaap lhuníet anamí ŵö. Let us not contemplate the suffering of yesterday The spring winds are blowing now And the storm is only murmuring: The jewel of a new sun will appear.
lo VY KYnakYn kisINO O erEbanla gOmalI KO xazaI galiim baet nOlII O qIKa mIm fadI O perI umuIsV raxaIA nu suIlerala Zu Ominala ImuInmI Lo ẃy lhynakyn Kisíñó ó erébanla Gómalí kó xazaí galiim baet nólíí Ó qílha mím fadí, Ó perí, umuísû raxaíä nu suílerala Zu óminala ímuínmí. Three little licks The honey on your lips You know I will always give you what you ask for My tiniest girl, My child, my daughter born to the wild Under a sky of tears.
tan murala vatOI tan famu a lImu a ukanmu du jOSVkIlIni kO bebala do qestAla Itim tanet lemuAnmu Tan murala vatóí Tan famu a límu a ukanmu Du jóŝûkílíni kó bebala. Do qestäla Ítim tanet lemuänmu. Faces in the green water Faces of me and of you and our companions As we walk toward nothing. Inevitably, I see the faces of the dead.
aEs a laraIsE na xasukYnla OCa bIn krINVnla kaIpisE aSe a Aska rO Ominala memtiatap pinet Imas kIzVsE Itap a diCatap krYhVkYet pinmu kO bI luOla qestAmI Aés a laraísé na xasukynla Ór̂a bín kríñûnla kaípisé Aŝe a äska Ró óminala, Memtiatap pinet ímas kízûsé Ítap a dir̂atap Kryhûkyet pinmu Kó bí luóla qestämí. Cold, shivering in heaves Traversing the coal black cliffs High and silent From the sky A sharp eye peers at us Watching and waiting For us to fall Into the pit of fate.
lOnes do zIrun bIlapen pinet be xatSWnalapen kaInVCenet vese silOlIpin apenet a bIn kuanet rOSO be gOmalIpin KW rO bala SYdap rO bala damudadap Lónes do zírun Bílapen pinet Be xatŝönalapen kaínûr̂enet vese Silólípin apenet a bín kuanet Róŝó Be gómalípin lhö, Ró bala ŝydap Ró bala damudadap. Rivers like snakes, Winding around us, Never strangling our thirsty throats We follow them and the stars Away, To what we cannot tell, Away from what was From what has become.
tImalIpin suIlenet nMsa tImalIpin bAnkasenet mYItI nespen I`anmu hMxela itsI kaIjarpen bIn Punet baet SYdapkY ruSpinW sI a mEI haqaesE nu Olumla bI suIlemI aSOrapen ptosenet taN bAnmI Imenet pinmu buC a dOfisE Izapen bI qerakYet kalummI a psIKuttakYet a krhVkYet tImalIpin sEfet lemuet a jaxoet kaIsqeraet bAnla kVlEi mBtetINW aEs mOtamI silOrIpin mOtalIet ta famutsIalarap kO pinW xazaI diCasE do traGalIpin munet xaZA pinmu a do bANgOlIpin verISO apenet Tímalípin Suílenet nŭsa Tímalípin Bänkasenet myítí. Nespen í’anmu Lhumura sŭñanmu Hŭxela itsí Kaíjarapen Bín ŵunet Baet ŝydapenky ruŝ pinö Sí a méí Haqaesé nu ólumla bí suílemí Aŝórapen ptosenet tañ bänmí Ímenet pinmu Bur̂ a dófisé, Ízapen bí qerakyet kalummí, A psílhutakyet A kryhûkyet. Tímalípin séfet Lemuet a jaxoet Kaísqaraet bänla. Kûlídexezípin ró bí suílela nŭsa Kó mŭtetíñenö aés Mótamí Silórípin Mótalíet Ta famu tsíalarap kó pinö Xazaí dir̂asé Do traǵalípin munet xaŕä pinmu A do bäñgólípin veríŝó apenet. We remember Warm forests We remember Quiet nights. The whisper of insects The trill of frogs’ cries In the cool moss Glowed the mushrooms that would feed us Green and yellow Nestled in the cradle of the woods. The venoms of that land were nourishing. Our eyes, Wide and true, We saw the world break And bleed And fall Now we remember Death and terror Destruction in the night. We fled the warm forests For the cold reaches of the north, Following Mótalí Her watchful face gleaming down at us, Always patient, As we gather our shattered hearts And bury them forever.
zu vunenla PO tusen lWesE bImAmI lun gudWnmu va`Ins zuk zuI Itap pinet Sa hIsela PedIn bepExA SYdIpin pemYLe Kesla gOmenla lepla a diqA diCadIpinkY bI bIkYet kalummI aEs Zu vunenla ŵó Tusen löesé Bímämí lun gudönmu Va’íns Zuk zuí Ítap pinet ŝa hísela. Ŵedín bepéxä Ŝydípin Pemyłe lhesla Gómenla lepla a diqä. Dir̂adípinky Bí bíkyet kalummí aés. Under white clouds True skeletons Of the enemy’s obsession. A creeping dread A weak moon Looks at us without answer. Crimes unmended We were Transfixed with fear Minds left open and vulnerable, injured. We would have to wait For the embrace of a cold world.
vE anamI BW mOn bI KMNla Baet KuvInet nIsmI bIn buhInet rIentanmu pindI enhak kO tIdakapen rO puZInla apenmu pa ItAnla gudWnmu Vé anamí Ẃö món bí lhŭñla Baet lhönûdípin? Bín lhuvínet nísmí Bín buhínet ríentanmu pindí Enhak kó tídakapen ró puŕínla apenmu Pa ítänla gudönmu Light of the sun New after the gloom What did we lose? The jewels of the past The words of our children After they were drawn from their mouths By the arrows of the enemy.
krYhVtapen bIn tsenet a bIn kuanet kO bAnla Su lumuA kuanet baet kahaIlapen a lilaIlapen Sit lun lWnenW a lun xesenW baet sEfet jOSVtapen sa bIn vunenla baet nespealapen xazaI Kryhûtapen bín tsenet A bín kuanet Kó bänla ŝu lemuä Kuanet baet kahaílapen A lilaílapen Ŝít lun lönenö A lun xesenö Baet séfet jóŝûtapen Sa bín vunenla baet Nespealapen xazaí. The stones fall And the stars, Upon an earth still dead. Stars that scream And weep in madness For the women And the men Who now walk Above the whispering clouds Forever.
zuI kanVI — Zuí Kanûí (Full Moon)
zuI sabAnmI femA ira vunenla mItAsE litapen do fa kO bI vOIla SISEsE litapen na nVskuIla bIn kAnsenet jenmI nakrIsta mOdA anaW baet lemualap seludIpin pinset dasedIpin bIn suIlenet dasedIpin bIn lonet a evekanet dexe neZInla SogVnmI nu hunCla baes femalap bI bAnet nespela nelA lemuA nAnWtap munet pinmu nespeatap bIn buhInet bIn lemuAndI Zuí sabänmí Femä ira vunenla mítäsé Litapen do fa Kó bí vóíla shíshésé Litapen na nûskuíla Bín känsenet jenmí Nakrísta módä Anaö baet lemualap. Seludípin pinset Dasedípin bín suílenet Dasedípin bín lonet a evekanet Dexe nehzínla shógûnmí Nu hunhsla Baes femalap bí bänet. Nespela nelä lemuä Nänötap munet pinmu Nespeatap bín buhínet bín Lemuändí. Midnight moon still shrouded in plum clouds they cling like cotton to the pearly orb, grasping the remains of the day, a final testament to a fading sun. We have led ourselves through miles of woods across rivers and creaks beyond mountain fences into a distant dog that covers the earth with a dead calm sigh, melting our hearts whispering the words of the dead.
Non-Nezeletŭn poems in Rílin:
jOSVtap kO tSaIsarala sa ErVjala kamI kO anala trelOtap be baSO kO kala gan Ocatap bI kalumet kYIlet famu moIatap kO bIn bohijenla a bIn bIlVtanla joreatap xabat baet Itap xalaItap tanet rO kasrala mYdIatapImenet rOkaIdIla samanenmu krW lemuA qafenet famu ksetap BWSO moIasIla krW betImA muIPatapimiW kOI ksedakap bI kalumet jóŝûtap kó tŝaísarala sa érûjala kamí kó anala trelótap be baŝó kó kala gan ór̂atap bí kalumet kyílet famu moíatap kó bín bohijenla a bín bílûtanla joreatap xabat baet ítap xalaítap tanet ró kasrala mydíatap ímenet ró kaídíla samanenmu krö lemuä qafenet famu ksetap ẃöŝó moíasíla krö betímä muíŵatap imiö kóí ksedakap bí kalumet she steps lightly over blue heather in the sun she sits not only in the shade but traverses the world her mind weaves out of nooks and niches naming everything she sees bringing faces out of the dark carving eyes in the wood of trees long dead. her fingers creating anew on a loom long forgotten she shows me again how the world was made.
kikY fala A vOkY bi Beet baet Patakap sEfet do mOkYla li aEs muItSImu kikY fala na haqaela sE mEtamI bY kIpatIlIImi latSISO xazaI nu Olumla kalummI nMsa na kaInla bAnmI belu zu melanla tsenmI diCa mukWkYet vEmI Kiky fala A vóky bí ẃéet baet ŵatakap séfet Do mókyla li aés muítŝímu Kiky fala Na haqaela sé métamí ẃy Kípatílíími latŝíŝo xazaí Nu ólumla kalummí Nŭsa na kaínla bänmí Belu zu melanla tsenmí Dir̂a mukökyet vémí. Stay with me And hear the wind that whispers now Like the cold grey cry of a wildcat. Stay with me By the hearth of this little house We will live together forever Inside the cradle of the world Warmed by the fires of the earth To sleep under the skin of stones Awaiting the return of the light.