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Lesson 49
Your Turn 7


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.

Vocabulary

in

to exist

óoyahonetha

mind (óoya (heart) + on (head) + –tha (POSSbirth)] (literally: head’s heart)

shunedi

litany [shun (ceremony; ritual) + di (speak)] {AB}

wetham

to turn [weth (way; path; road) + tham (circle)]

English Text

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.

My Láadan Translation with Morphemic Analysis & Retranslation into English

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.

Láadan Text

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.

Comments

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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