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Next: [First Declension Emotions]
In Frank Herbert’s Dune series, the author supposes an order of women who have mastered many powers of mind and body. One of their calming techniques involves the “Litany Against Fear” which, through much repetition, has the power to turn the litanist’s mind from the distress she feels to the situation at hand. A useful trick, that.
in
to exist
óoyahonetha
mind (óoya (heart) + on (head) +
shunedi
litany [shun (ceremony; ritual) + di (speak)] {AB}
wetham
to turn [weth (way; path; road) + tham (circle)]
The Litany Against Fear
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.
The Litany Against Fear
Shunedi Héeya Rada
Shunedi
Ritual + Speak = Litany
Héeya
BeAfraid
Rada
NON + BENEF = Against
Litany Against (Opposed-to-the-benefit-of) Fear
I must not fear.
Bíi dush héeya ra le wa.
Bíi
DECL
dush
Must
héeya
BeAfraid
ra
NEG
le
I
wa.
MYPERC
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Héeya dóshebashebá óoyahonethathum.
Héeya
BeAfraid
dóshebashebá
CAUSEto + Death = Kill + DOER = Killer
óoyahonethathum.
Heart + Head + POSSbirth = Mind + PARTV + IDENT
Fear is the killer of mind.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
Héeya nin hishebashebehóo rahineháam.
Héeya
BeAfraid
nin
Cause
hishebashebehóo
MINI + Death + Focus
rahineháam.
NON + Exist + EMBEDrel + IDENT
Fear is the mini-death that causes nonexistence.
I will face my fear.
Nime lohil le héeya lethoth.
Nime
BeWilling
lohil
PayAttnInt
le
I
héeya
BeAfraid
lethoth.
I + POSS + OBJ
I will-to pay attention internally to my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
Díloláad le leyóoth lhebeth shelenal.
Díloláad
ALLOW + PerceiveInt
le
I
leyóoth
I + REFLX + OBJ
lhebeth
XDesp1 + OBJ
shelenal.
BeRigorous + MANN
I shall allow myself to perceive-internally despised-it rigorously.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
I úyahú nololáad le lhebeth, lohil le úthú náham.
I
And
úyahú
CONJtime
nololáad
FINISH + PerceiveInt
le
I
lhebeth,
XDesp1 + OBJ
lohil
PayAttnInt
le
I
úthú
CONJobj
náham.
CONT + BePresent
And then when I’ve finished perceiving despised-it, I shall pay attention internally to what remains.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Úshahú eril ham héeya, ril ham radal.
Úshahú
CONJplc
eril
PAST
ham
BePresent
héeya,
BeAfraid
ril
PRES
ham
BePresent
radal.
NON + Thing = Nothing
Where there was fear, now there is nothing.
Only I will remain.
Náham lehóo neda wa.
Náham
CONT + BePresent = Remain
lehóo
I + FOCUS
neda
Only
wa.
MYPERC
Only I alone still am present.
Shunedi Héeya Rada
Bíi dush héeya ra le wa.
Héeya dóshebashebá óoyahonethathum.
Héeya nin hishebashebehóo rahineháam.
Nime lohil le héeya lethoth.
Díloláad le leyóoth lhebeth shelenal.
I úyahú nololáad le lhebeth, lohil le úthú náham.
Úshahú eril ham héeya, ril ham radal.
Náham lehóo neda wa.
There was an older translation of this text that cleaved much more closely to the English poetic forms. The newer version is much more Láadan in flavor and focus. The main differences lie in the middle of the passage; the first few lines and the final line are identical. Regardless, here is the older translation:
The Litany Against Fear
Shunedi Héeya Rada
Litany Against (Opposed-to-the-benefit-of) Fear
I must not fear.
Bíi dush héeya ra le wa.
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Héeya dóshebashebá óoyahonethathum.
Fear is the killer of mind.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
Héeya nin hishebashebehóo rahineháam.
Fear is the mini-death that causes nonexistence.
I will face my fear.
Aril lohil le héeya lethoth.
I shall pay attention internally to my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
Dísháad le lhebeth lesha o i lesha obe.
I shall allow it (despised) to go around me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
I úyahú thósháad lhebe, lohil le weth lhebethuth.
And then when it (despised) has just gone, I shall pay attention internally to its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Úshahú thósháad héeya, ham radal.
Where fear has gone, there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Náham lehóo neda wa.
Only I alone will still be present.
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