Re: may the wind be always at your back

[Colin Fine <colin@KINDNESS.DEMON.CO.UK>]

vecu'u le notci po'u <838323171.25315.0@vms.dc.lsoft.com> la Chris
Bogart <cbogart@POCC.GPSMET.UCAR.EDU> cu cusku di'e
>>   I'm trying to figure out how to say "may the wind be always at your
>> back."  What I've got so far is:
>>
>> ko cu             stoga'e         le rixfarbi'e ku
>> (I command you to)constantly feel the wind from the behind-direction
>>
>>   Basically I'm trying to figure out how to express the "may you" bit.  I
>> was thinking of using "pacna" (wish/hope/expect), but I'm not sure how to
>> say "I hope that xyz is true" without having to resort to "xyz.  I hope
>> that ko'a is true".
>
>I don't have my gi'uste with me, but what you put looks good grammatically.
>Another way you might try it is using .a'o
>
>As for grammar -- you don't need the "cu" or the "ku", but they are
>acceptable -- it's a question of what style you prefer.
>
>co'o mi'e kris

Yes, that's precisely what UI are for.
Furthermore, I don't think you want "ko" here - it's not a command to
the hearer.

I would say
        do stoga'e le rixfarbi'e a'o
or more laconically
        roroi brife le do trixe .a'o
        (at all times something is a wind from the rear of you [hope])

This is still fairly literal, and probably not really what is wanted.

Better still would be
        brife nagi'a trixe .a'o do
        (something is a wind only-if [it] is-behind [hope] you).

co'o mi'e kolin
--
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|  Colin Fine    66 High Ash, Shipley, W Yorks. BD18 1NE, UK          |
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|      "Losing is a state of mind, not a fact of life." -K.B.Brown    |
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