Footnote: Shamelessly stolen and adapted from Lord Dunsany's King of Sarahb, first published in The Atlantic Monthly, © 1926.

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temle ien il talōnti nā il ñi sāen rā sōssirja il antielen wā ñi rū xō jē nāra;

He said to me: It was many yesterdays ago when he came to Sōssirja, afterwards he never went from it.

temle ien tō wā sema jatañēn to jakāe ja ñi sū anpāŋŋien tō jāo ōrra ñi sāen rū āke;

He said to me: He did not like the doings in the homeland, so he went from there.

wā temle janahan nā ñe jāo;

He did not say to me more than this.

wā temle ien ē ñamma jamāra honahan āe ñamma sūnahan;

He did not say to me how he made a dwelling, nor where.

wā temle jatatēn ien ē ñi sāen rū xō jaliþa rā jatōna nū rā jasāma aþ ñi māniþa marō rū jatōna rā jasāma jaλāon mē;

He did not tell me the reason that he went from there one day along the road to the desert and became lost and alone from the road into the wide desert.

te janaren ja temle ien illaniþ tema ien ñi sāen marō tō te jāo ewaþ tema jawōlen to jaþīña illaniþ tema ien ñi sāen marō il tema jekīþa ien ē reha jalōna wījte jē nā rū xō rā annāmmi hi ñamma jatōna japōññe;

All he said to me: when first he perceived he was lost, because that it was even though he doubted his path, when first he perceived he was lost, he was certain that there were only three days from there to fresh water, if he found the road.

 

temle ien pa jatōna anhēkēl nā;

He said to me: the road was well made.

te ien la anenārre pa anwōra sū jasāma jamāxxānwe jawīwa ōl sū jañūna ēnne pa jakōni āñ;

It seemed to be a pattern of emptiness on top of the bare wide plain of the desert between two lines of pebbles.

tō jāo ñi jatōna tō ñi anenārre to jāo;

Because of this there was a road, from the pattern made by this.

temle ien ē tere jamārwakie mo rirōña hi alxien ñi riēn rā xō;

He said to me: it was a surprising sight if you came to it suddenly.

sū anejēlen anwīwa āñ alxien te anampāenten jēta jatēspe to ankēwīke ā manahan;

In the middle of bare wilderness, this was unexpectedly a relic of civilization, of someone's labor.

tere jañūna janāra mo rirōña ē rā anhāwa rā anhūta pēxa ē rā anhāwa rā antēsa pēxa;

You saw complete straightness to the horizon far to the right and to the horizon far to the left.

ē ñi jālme aþ rā jasīsse pē nū ñi jarūsa rā te jawae jīrān wā il antielen te jannarien jattōrrenien;

Cross it and a few "yards" along, return to where nothing was altered after the completion of all things.

temle ien te anāxkīñi anjūti ānen ankīþīñi ankepōli jē sōta ñe anwūlīñi ñe ōrra ñi antāūli ankōni nā rā xō rū jasōþa ōl pēxa;

He told me there was baked ground with scattered little rocks instead of sand, as if were much gravel thrown to there from a far high place.

te anñāñeni ankepōli pē pa jamāēþi jañīñi jajāēli ī;

There were a few scattered tufts of dwarfed bushes growing also.

temle jaþēma ien la jasāma nār ñe jamāxxānwe ē pa ankōna ī pa anλāon nāpie ī pa howae ām wā;

He described to me that the whole desert was like a vast expanse of gravel, and too much width, and not enough form.

sū-sōþa kexien tema ien ē reha jalōna wījte rā annāmmi ī te māniþa sū jahāttam ōl ānen anhāri jānnara sū japiēþi to jakīwi mē;

Here, he understood that there was three days to fresh water and also he was alone atop a "camel", with a quantity of water in skin containers.

 

wā tema jawāxten mo sīra illaniþ tō tema jekīþa to ē jatōna sū sahūta taxien ī pa anōmen jarāŋŋi ŋō tō jāo hi ñi jarēþa rā jaþīña jahēnār taxien hi ñi jatōna japōññe il anniþen il antielen;

He did not feel vulnerable at first, because he was certain the road was to his right more or less, and also a great many "miles" of length, so that if he travelled in more or less the right direction, he would find the road sooner or later.

il jalōna wīor il antielen ōrra ñamma jarēþa ānen jatōna ja ñi japōññe wā ānen anhāri ja ñi ankewōri ī il tema anmīra mo samālle ñe ē ñi masāma rā sāen nō aþ ñamma sāen maþāla ā masāma sakū;

After he had travelled for four days without the road becoming found and with the water becoming used up also then he felt a sudden fear as if the desert came to him and took hold of him with its hand.

il aþ ñamma jahāttam jaλāta tō tūāþ tema anhāri sūjamē tō tema jāo to anþūni il ewaþ tema jañīña;

He killed the camel then for the water inside it, so he had read in books, and got very little.

il aþ ñi sāen marāka rājanō il ñamma jatōna jaxōsa āl il ñi anrañāca nā il jalōna;

And then, he walked onwards, now searching for the road, with greater urgency as the day continued.

 

il ñi jaraxēwa il ñamma jaxōsa jōrre ānen ansōnne wā il aþ ñi sāen maxēja ānen jekīþa to jāo ja il ñi jānnalon jānne il ñamma jatōna japōññe rēha;

Night came, and he stopped searching without willingness and went to sleep with the certainty that come morning he would find the road.

il ñi sāen marēwa il ē tema jahēŋŋe nā ñe jatarōñ ja tema ōrra aþ tema jaxiēna ien ñamma jatōna japōññe anniþen hēja cī;

When he awoke, he was thirstier that he had forseen and understood that he must immediately find the road.

hi ñi jatōna japōññe hi hēja ñi sāen rājanō ānen antānre hi ñi sāen rū malō ancālle-mma hīja hi ñi matamāra luhañen;

And if the road was found, he must go along it with quickness if he would escape the sun's heat and live.

ē ñi malō ancālle-mma aþ ñamma jatōna jaxōsa jōrre aþ ñi sāen rā jatarūni jawēhi nō;

And the sun's heat came, and he stopped searching for the road and started following mirages.

kexien tema jekīþa ien la þō jatarūni jawēhi tō tema jatēla ien la þō jalmēsa sū sōssirja pa anhāri wā ewaþ ñi sāen rājanō;

Of course, he knew these were mirages because he knew this part of Sōssirja has no water, yet he followed.

ē te sarōña pa ansōnen nā ñe sasōna ē il tema anhāri mo sarōña il ñi sāen rājāñ;

His eyes had more wisdom than his mind and when water was seen, he went to it.

il ānnalon ānen ancēxa wā il ñi sāen rā jatarūni jawēhi nō;

All morning without hope, he followed mirages.

illorren ñamma jān japōññe ja wā ñi rū sāen pēxa;

Finally, he found one that did not go away from him.

 

tema jekīþa ien la þō jatarūn jawēha tō ñi honnarien ankēji rājamē rūjēmma rā anlāīñi jakīnte tā;

He knew that this was a mirage from the ways that the sky came into it and out of it and went under the base of the hills.

il wā ñi jatarūn jawēha ew rā xō pēxa ew jatarūnīwe il ñi sāen rā xō;

And yet the mirage did not move away or disappear when he went there.

tō jāo anniþen tema jēwāri anhāri pa antāoni ānen anwūlīñi anlōi ē sūjāñ ew sūjīr mo sarōña;

So that soon he saw the waters of the lakes with waves with the golden sands around it but not at back.

la anlāji anēkki ansīñi ankīþi sūjīr ānen ankēji anñāntiwi tō tūaþ ñi ē þō ē anmārwi ankeþāwi;

There at the back were tall rocky red-brown mountains and sky mixed up together so that here and the world were divided.

 

sū jēwāri āñ la jamāonre pa ankōnōri anlūŋŋiþi anrāēli pa antāñi ē ansīwa ñe anlōki il jaraxēwa ī jaxōññāoni jalōnni jatēñi;

Among the lakes was a city with towers of white marble with flushes of pink like sunlight at twilight and also thin veins of gold.

ē tema anāŋŋeren to jamāonre jalō sū jēwāri āñ ānen anlū rū sūwae mo sanārme ñe wā tema ew anlūane ew anēxima ew anxōna ew ankīra mo sanārme aþ ñi sapāla sū anxūri hāl sū jēwāri nū;

The beauty from the city shining among the lakes with light from nowhere affected him like neither the stars nor music nor memory nor family had affected him and he wept in front of the gates beside the lakes.

 

il ñi sapāla sū xō il ñi mēli rū jamāonre rā jatarōn jawēha pa jahāwa nū ānen ē anīλi ē antanīsi ē anlāni ē anlāsi;

While he was there weeping, people came from the city to near the edge of the mirage with cloths and decorations and greetings and welcomes.

ē ñi sapāla luhañen aþ temme jakekōrja ke mēla antūttōnte sū mīþi hāl ien ē la jamāonre þō pa jawēra sarāpa ī ōrra ñi makerāon manōña il jahōλen ī hēja ñatta sāen makerāon āl cī ī hēja ñi sāen rā jamāonre mē cī aþ ilwae ñi sāen manōña;

Still he was weeping, and one with authority, in front of the rest, explained to him that this city was named sarāpa and that the king had been dead a long time and now they would make him the king and that he should come into the city and then never would he die.

 

ē ñi sāen mamārwakiēl aþ tetme jatēmmēri jañiñēki aþ ñi sāen makewāla rā sāim rā sāim anxūrimma;

He was amazed, and they called to him with eagerness, and with caution, he went to them, to their gates.

ē ñatta anxūri ankōrji ē ñatta sāim antanāe rājakiē ē tetme jatēmmēri luhañen ew ñi mawae rājālme;

And they opened the gates and made a crowd beyond it and called to him still, but none came to this side.

ē ñi sāen rā anxūri kiē aþ ñi anxūri anpōhi aþ la jatarūn jawēha pa jēwāri jalōi sū sāen āñ aþ se jarūlōn to jamāonre;

He went through the gates, and the gates shut, and there was the mirage with the lakes shining around him, and a shout came from the city.

ē ñi sāim rā sāen āñ aþ tetme ien āl ñi jāŋŋāenal jālhōhen sū jamāonre pa jaþāwa jīþa;

And they gathered around him and told him that his initiation-ceremony feast was now being made in another part of the city.

ñi sāen rā jēwāri jatarūni jawēhi anhāri tō tema jakīña ien ñi anhēŋŋamma rājapēxa jē sōta ñe ñi sāen rā jālhōhen;

He went to the waters of the mirage lakes, for he wished to quench his thirst rather than go to the feast.

 

ē tetme ien la jālhōhen jatēwa pa anwīþþēñi rū anekiēni ja la sū jamārwi kiē rū anlāñūi rā malō nū nā ē tetme ien la anwīþþēñi pa anālhūñīki anwetēli;

They told him that at the feast table there were wines from lands that are beyond the known world from valleys nearer to the sun, and they told him there were wines with unknown perfumes.

ñi sāen rū sāim pēxa rā jēwāri jatarūni jawēhi anhāri ī;

Again he went away from them to the waters of the mirage lakes.

ñatta ancē ja ñatta sāen rā jaþīña nū rā jatēwa jōmen ānen jacūteni jalōi sū jēwāri janū pēxa sū jakōnōri jalūñi tā;

They tried to make him go along a path to a long table with shining cups at the far side of the lake under the gleaming towers.

ñi sāen rū sāim pēxa rā jēwāri jatarūni jawēhi anhāri ī;

Again he went away from them to the waters of the mirage lakes.

 

te macēna mahēna ānen jīλīki jatanīsi pa jāsti ñe marōāñēl;

There was an old woman with clothes decorated with black things like an oracle.

ē ñi marōāñēl rā sāen ē temme jatēmmēr ien ñarra jahēña ānen jatarūna jawēha anhāri wē;

She came to him and called to him "Do not drink the mirage water."

 

temme jahāhhe ien sele anhēŋŋe mo lekōλa;

He sighed, "I am thirsty."

temme ke marōāñēl ien rēha ñarra anwīþþēñi anhēñi anmārwakiji sū jālhōhen cī;

And the oracle told him he would drink wondrous wines at the feast.

ē ñamma sāen maþāla sanōma ā marōāñēl sakū aþ temme ien la ē anmārwakiji sū jamānre ālme ī jacūteni jalōi;

The oracle took hold of his wrist with her hand and told him of the wonders there were across the city and shining cups.

wa jasōri pa jamārwakiji xō;

There are no words for those wonders.

tetme jatēmmēri ñe anexīma ke sarāpa mēli manaren ien ñi anwīþþēñi to ankēra il jānnaxili sū jamārwi jalōi jiþi rā malō nū nā;

The called to him like music, all the people of sarāpa, telling him of wines made from magic during the evenings on other shining worlds nearer to the sun.

ñi ē jaxīwi ī jaratāni ā jatarūna jawēha anhāri;

The mirage waters whispered and rippled.

 

temme ke marōāñ ien ñarra jatarūni jawēhi anhāri jahēña janahan wē;

Do not drink any of the mirage water, said the oracle.

 

ānen ē ankēwa ē sakōλa jasīra ñi sāen rā jatarūna jawēha anhāri jahāwa;

With weariness and a dry throat, he went to the edge of the mirage water.

tema jatēla ien ñi sāen marapājen āl;

He knew that he was losing.

ē temme jasēña ke macēna sakū ī tetme jatēmmēri ewaþ ñi sāen rā anhāri anālnehi tō tūaþ ñamma sāen sawūra jarēŋŋe;

The woman signed him warning and the people called to him, yet he went to the fortunate water in order to wet his mouth.

ē temme jarūlōn jān mo sasāra ke marōāñēl ī tetme japāla mo sasāra ke mēli;

He heard one shout from the oracle and he heard the people wail.

il ñi sāen sawūra rā jēwār ōl il ñi jēwār jatāra rū ma pēxa;

As he with his mouth became over the lake, the lake fell away from him.

ē ñi sāen sakū rājīr aþ anniþen ñi sāen matāra ī;

He with his hand went after it and soon he was falling also.

ñi jēwār jalō ē jatāra ē jatāra rū ma hāl;

The shining lake fell and fell before him.

ē anniþen ñi sawūrri jasōhi rū jamāonre sarāpa mē ī ñi sāen matāra il jahōλen ānen ansōha ānen jūra pa jūma ēmma;

The voices from the city of sarāpa soon became silent and he fell for a long time with silence except for the noise of the air.

ē ñi jēwār ē jaxēla ē jaxēla ī ē ñi sāen matāra āl;

The lake became dark and dark again as he fell.

anniþen ñi anxēla annāra;

Soon it became complete darkness.

 

il ñi anlōka ī il ñi jēwār rājapēxa ōrra il ñi sāen sū jasāma ī;

When it was light again, the lake had gone and he was in the desert again.

ē ōrra ñatta sāen mapōññe ā mīrāñi jērān aþ ōrra tetme annāmmi;

A group of Īrāñi had found him and given him water.

ē temete jatāen þō aþ tetesse mo mīþien;

He told them this story and they told others.

ē texe jatāen jatēla mo mīrāñi mannarien sū sōssirja jataþāwa xō aþ texesse mo mīþien il anīstūi nār sū jakesōþi ē sū jalāji kiē ē sū jaramāxi āñ;

All the Īrāñi in that part of Sōssirja know the story and they tell it to more each year in the towns beyond the mountains, in the arable land.

wā texe jawōlen mo mawae ien la sāen makerāon jē sarāpa;

Not a one of them has doubt that he is the king of sarāpa.

wa sāen jawēra janahan sū sāeþ āñ;

Among them he does not have another name.

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