Translation improvements explained

from Sandbach title page (1876)

In a recent Youtube video, Robert Sepehr read two fragments of the Oera Linda-book in the version of Sandbach (1876). As I have pointed out before, this was a translation of the first Dutch translation (Ottema, 1872). It contains many misinterpretations and other flaws, which is why I felt compelled to make a new translation (proofread and edited by several native English writers).

From each of the two fragments Sepehr used, I will give three examples below of improvements I made and a detailed explanation.

Fragment 1 - examples underlined [translation/ title/ page]

Sandbach: How the Bad Time came (p.71)

Ott: 7b. How Aldland Sank, ca. 2190 BCE (p. 049)

How the Bad Time came During the whole summer the sun had been hid behind the clouds, as if unwilling to look upon the earth. There was perpetual calm, and the damp mist hung like a wet sail over the houses and the marshes. The air was heavy and oppressive, and in men's hearts was neither joy nor cheerfulness. In the midst of this stillness the earth began to tremble as if she was dying. The mountains opened to vomit forth fire and flames. Some sank into the bosom of the earth, and in other places mountains rose out of the plain. Aldland, called by the seafaring people, Atland, disappeared, and the wild waves rose so high over hill and dale that everything was buried in the sea. Many people were swallowed up by the earth, and others who had escaped the fire perished in the water. It was not only in Finda's land that the earth vomited fire, but also in Twiskland (Germany). Whole forests were burned one after the other, and when the wind blew from that quarter our land was covered with ashes. Rivers changed their course, and at their mouths new islands were formed of sand and drift. During three years this continued, but at length it ceased, and forests became visible. Many countries were submerged, and in other places land rose above the sea, and the wood was destroyed through the half of Twiskland (Germany). Troops of Finda's people came and settled in the empty places. Our dispersed people were exterminated or made slaves. Then watchfulness was doubly impressed upon us, and time taught us that union is force.

How the bad times came: During the whole summer, Sun had hidden behind clouds, as if she did not want to see Earth. Wind rested in his bags, causing smoke and steam to stand like pillars over houses and pools. This made the air become dreary and dull, and neither joy nor pleasure were in the hearts of people. In the midst of this stillness Earth began to tremble as if she was dying. Mountains split open to spew out fire and flames, while others sank into her bowels; and where there had been plains before, mountains rose up. Aldland — or ‘Atland’ as the steersmen say — sank down and the foaming waves tread over mountain and valley in such a way that everything was submerged. Many people were buried alive, and many who had escaped the fire later perished in the water. Not only in the lands of Finda did mountains spew fire, but also in the Twiskland. As a result, forests burned one after the other, and when Wind came from there, our lands were covered with ashes. Rivers changed their course, and at their mouths new islands were formed of sand and drowned animals. Earth suffered like this for three years, but when she recovered, one could see her wounds. Many lands were submerged, others had risen out of the sea, and half of the Twiskland had been deforested. Bands of Finda's folk came roaming across the empty spaces, and our dispersed people were exterminated or became their allies. This forced us to be twice as vigilant and time taught us that unity is our strongest burg.

example 1a

WERTHRVCH RÉK ÀND STOM LIK SÉLA BOPPA HUS ÀND POLON STAND

translit. [049/14]	Ottema (1872)	Sandbach (1876)	Ott (current)
WIND RESTON IN SINA BÛDAR	De wind rustte in zijn holen,	There was perpetual calm,	Wind rested in his bags,
WERTHRVCH RÉK ÀND STOM [*] STAND	waardoor rook en damp [*] stonden	and the damp mist hung	causing smoke and steam to stand
* LIK SÉLA BOPPA HUS ÀND POLON	* als zeilen boven huis en poelen	like a wet sail over the houses and the marshes	like pillars over houses and pools

For the first section, Sandbach chose to interpret Ottema, rather than translate literally, for that would have been: The wind rested in his holes. 'Holes' was an interpretation by Ottema, for BÛDAR means 'bags'. The concept of wind-bags however, is known from Homer's Odyssey (see blogpost). The verb RESTON is in plural form, which does not match with the subject WIND and SINA (his). This is a common phenomenon in some of the Oera Linda texts. Winds rested in their bags would also be a plausible translation.

Similarly, in the second section Sandbach changed the meaning, as Ottema had whereby smoke and steam stood, which is a literal translation of the original. I paraphrased this into causing smoke and steam to stand. Note that the verb STAND is singular form, again not matching the plural subject (RÉK and STOM).

In the third section, Ottema mistook SÉLA for sails (zeilen), it may also have been a printing error. This should have been zuilen (pillars/ columns), which was corrected in Ottema's second edition of 1876. Sandbach changed like sails into like a wet sail. If there is no wind at all, smoke form chimneys and vapor/ steam from pools will go straigt up and this will look like pillars. It is thus clear that the sail metaphor totally misses the point.

example 1b

MEN THÁ HJU BÉTER WÉRE MACHT MÀN HJRA WNDA SJA.

translit. [050/07]	Ottema (1872)	Sandbach (1876)	Ott (current)
THRJU JÉR WAS JRTHA ALSA TO LYDANDE	Drie jaren was de aarde zoo lijdende,	During three years this continued,	Earth suffered like this for three years,
MEN THÁ HJU BÉTER WÉRE	maar toen zij herstelde,	but at length it ceased,	but when she recovered,
MACHT MÀN HJRA WNDA SJA.	kon men hare wouden* zien.	and forests became visible.	one could see her wounds.

* printing error ('woods'), in second edition of 1876 corrected into 'wonden' (wounds)

Except for the printing error in section 3, my translation is identical to that of Ottema. Sandbach totally misses the personification of Earth and forests should have been wounds.

example 1c

ÀND TID LÉRD.VS THÀT ÉNDRACHT VSA STÀRIKSTE BURCH IS.

translit. [050/15]	Ottema (1872)	Sandbach (1876)	Ott (current)
THÁ WARTH WÁKANDOM VS DVBBELD BODEN.	Toen werd waakzaamheid ons dubbel geboden,	Then watchfulness was doubly impressed upon us,	This forced us to be twice as vigilant
ÀND TID LÉRD.VS	en de tijd leerde ons,	and time taught us	and time taught us
THÀT ÉNDRACHT VSA STÀRIKSTE BURCH IS.	dat eendracht onze sterkste burgt is.	that union is force.	that unity is our strongest burg.

The first section was translated literally by Ottema, and Sandbach left this unchanged. I chose to paraphrase it. Sandbach's union is force misses a relevant metaphor. The burg or stronghold (Sandbach: citadel) is one of the main concepts of the OLB. The Frya people had several of them, but they were aware that without unity, they could easily be conquered and loose their sacred freedom (FRYDOM).

Fragment 2 - examples underlined [translation/ title/ page]

Sandbach: Hail to all true Frisians (p.183)

Ott: 15b1. Hellenia: Princes and Priests p. 134

Hail to all true Frisians In the olden times, the Slavonic race knew nothing of liberty. They were brought under the yoke like oxen. They were driven into the bowels of the earth to dig metals, and had to build houses of stone as dwelling-places for princes and priests. Of all that they did nothing came to themselves, everything must serve to enrich and make more powerful the priests and the princes, and to satisfy them. Under this treatment they grew gray and old before their time, and died without any enjoyment; although the earth produces abundantly for the good of all her children. But our runaways and exiles came through Twiskland to their boundaries, and our sailors came to their harbours. From them they heard of liberty, of justice, and laws, without which men cannot exist. This was all absorbed by the unhappy people like dew into an arid soil. When they fully understood this, the most courageous among them began to clank their chains, which grieved the princes. The princes are proud and warlike; there is therefore some virtue in their hearts. They consulted together and bestowed some of their superfluity; but the cowardly hypocritical priests could not suffer this. Among their false gods they had invented also wicked cruel monsters. Pestilence broke out in the country; and they said that the gods were angry with the domineering of the wicked. Then the boldest of the people were strangled in their chains. The earth drank their blood, and that blood produced corn and fruits that inspired with wisdom those who ate them.

All true Fryas, hail! In early times, the slave peoples knew nothing of freedom. Like oxen they were brought under the yoke. Into Earth's bowels they were driven to dig metal, and into the hard rock of the mountains, they were compelled to chisel out plush residences as homes for princes and priests. Of all their work, nothing was for themselves; all was to be for the princes and priests, to make them ever more rich and powerful, to their own detriment. Working in such a way, they turned gray and rigid in their early years and they died without ever experiencing joy in life, despite the fact that Earth offers an abundance to all her children. But our migrants came: our exiles passed through the Twisklands into their territories and our steersmen arrived in their harbors. From them, they heard talk of the common freedoms, justice, and laws that no one should do without. All of this was absorbed by the wretched and troubled people like dew by arid fields. When they were saturated, the most daring began to clank their chains until it hurt the princes. However, the princes were proud and heroic, so there was still some virtue in their hearts. They deliberated and shared some of their surplus wealth. But the cowardly and pseudo-pious priests could not stand that. Among their invented gods, they had also created bitter-cruel idols. A pestilence broke out in the lands and they claimed that the gods were furious about the disobedience of the protesters. Then the most rebellious were strangled with their chains. Earth drank their blood. From that blood she grew fruits and grains and all who ate thereof became wise.

example 2a

IN ÉRA TIDA NISTON THA SLÁVONA FOLKAR NÀWET FON FRYHÉD.

translit. [134/25]	Ottema (1872)	Sandbach (1876)	Ott (current)
IN ÉRA TIDA	In oude tijden	In the olden times,	In early times,
NISTON THA SLÁVONA FOLKAR NÀWET	wisten de Slavonische volken niet	the Slavonic race knew nothing	the slave peoples knew nothing
FON FRYHÉD.	van vrijheid.	of liberty.	of freedom.

Section 1 and 3: Where possible I prefer trasnslations that are etymologically related: early for ÉRA and freedom for FRYDOM.

The most significant difference is that I translate SLÁVONA FOLKAR with slave peoples, not the Slavonic race. SLÁVONA is a common word in the OLB and it simply means slaves. The people that the authors of the Oera Linda texts belonged to considered themselves free (FRY; FRYA was not only the name of their primal Mother, it also means the free); this was their highest value, the most sacred part of their identity. They saw people who did not value their own freedom, who needed masters to be ruled over, as slaves. It is commonly assumed that the word slave is derived from the Slavs or Slavonic race, but the OLB suggests it is actually the other way around. The next blog post will discuss this in more detail.

example 2b

HJARA SELVA TO S[K]ADENE.

translit. [134/32]	Ottema (1872)	Sandbach (1876)	Ott (current)
BI AL HWAT HJA DÉDON. THÉR NAS NAWET TOFARA HJARA SELVA	Bij alles wat zij deden was niets voor hun zelven,	Of all that they did nothing came to themselves,	Of all their work, nothing was for themselves;
MEN ELLA MOSTE THJANJA VMBE THA FORSTA AND PRESTERA JETA RIKER ÀND WELDIGER TO MÁKJANE	maar alles moest dienen, om de vorsten en priesteren nog rijker en geweldiger te maken,	everything must serve to enrich and make more powerful the priests and the princes,	all was to be for the princes and priests, to make them ever more rich and powerful,
HJARA SELVA TO SKADENE.*	om zich te verzadigen.	and to satisfy them.	to their own detriment [or: harming themselves].

* SADENE in original was corrected, conform:
[022/18] TILTHJU HI NAVT BIKLÍWA NE MÉI VSA FRYDOM TO SKADANE
in order that he does not get entrenched, which would harm [or: to the detriment of] our freedom
[033/14] DÁHWILA WI TO DVANDE SEND EKKORUM TO SKÁDANE
While we are busy damaging each other
[060/08] VSA AJN SÉ.KÀMPAR TO SKÁDNE
to the detriment of our own sea warriors

Section 1-2: Although all that they did is a more literal translation of AL HWAT HJA DÉDON, all their work is more accurate. Likewise in the second section I chose to leave out must serve and paraphrase, in order to improve clarity.

In section 3, Ottema read SADENE as satisfy and thus interpreted HJARA SELVA (themselves) to refer to the princes and priests. With the K added and themselves referring to the slave peoples, the whole fragment makes much more sense.

example 2c

TORNICH OVIRA OVERHÉRICHHÉD THÉRA BOSA.

translit. [135/32]	Ottema (1872)	Sandbach (1876)	Ott (current)
NW SÉIDON HJA.	toen zeiden zij	and they said	and they claimed
THA DROCHTNA SEND TORNICH	dat de goden toornig waren	that the gods were angry	that the gods were furious
OVIRA OVERHÉRICHHÉD THÉRA BOSA.	over de overheersching der boozen.	with the domineering of the wicked.	about the disobedience of the protesters.

In his fist edition (1872), Ottema had translated OVERHÉRICHHÉD as overheersching (domination), but in the second edition (1876) he had changed this into ongehoorzaaamheid (disobedience), which was indeed a better choice. Dutch bozen can have a negative meaning (wicked, evil), but it can also be neutral (angry). Since it is clear from the context that BOSA refers to the most courageous/ daring, I chose to translate as protesters.