[Tlhingan-hol] 'och

[De'vID jonpIn]

mang puqloD ghaH {Zenkai}'e'. {Edo} veng leng 'ej pa' ra'wI'vaD boQ
moj. bangDaj moj ra'wI' be'nal 'ej peghHa'choH ghu'vam. Hub'eghDI'
ra'wI' HoH. ghIq be'nalDaj tlhejtaHvIS Haw'.

SIbI'Ha' nIHwI'pu' mojchoH. 'ach qurqu'mo' be' belHa'qu'choH {Zenkai}.
tagha' be' mej 'ej Daq Hop leng. {Buzen} yoSDaq lalDan lengtaHwI' moj.

quv'eghqa'moHmeH Heghpa' wa' ta' quvqu' chavta' 'e' 'Ip {Zenkai}. HuD
qoj DungDaq He Qobqu' tu'lu' 'e' Sov. Hevammo' Hegh nuv law' 'ej rIQ
nuv law'. HuDDaq 'och pe' 'e' 'Ip. qoj juSlaH 'och veghwI'.

qaStaHvIS pem, ghaHvaD Soj noblu' 'e' qoy'. qaStaHvIS ram, 'ochDajvaD
HuD pe'lI'. qaSpu'DI' wejmaH DIS, 222 'uj'a' 'aD 'och 'ej 17.5 'uj 'ab
'ej 26.25 'uj juch.

cha' nem rInpu' 'och. ngugh paw yanwI' po'. ra'wI''e' HoHpu'bogh
{Zenkai} ghaH vavDaj'e'. bortaS DIbmo' {Zenkai} HoHmeH Sam.

<yInwIj qanobqang,> jatlh {Zenkai}. <'ach jIvum rIntaH 'e' yIchaw'.
wa' jaj chen 'och naQ. jajvetlh choHoH.>

vaj jajvetlhvaD loSlI' puqloD. qaSpu' jar puS 'ej HuD pe'taH {Zenkai}.
vangbe'taHmo' puqloD, nuQqu'lu', vaj QaHmeH HuD pe'choH. QaHtaH 'ej
qaSpu' wa' DIS.[1] {Zenkai} butlh[2] HoS je Ho'choH.

tagha' rIn 'och. 'och lulo'laH nuvpu' 'ej lengtaHvIS QobHa' He.

<pItlh! DaH nachwIj pe' chev!> jatlh {Zenkai}.

SaQtaHvIS[3] jatlh QupwI', <chay' ghojmoHwI'wI''e' nach vIchevlaH?>

[1] - couldn't think of a way to do "after he had helped for more than
a year", except with a messy {... law'... puS} construction which puts
way too much emphasis on the "more than" part.

[2] - I like that {butlh} means both "dirt under fingernails" and gall
(an admirable trait), which is very appropriate here

[3] - Klingons have no tear ducts, and all that...



English translation - Paul Reps

The Tunnel

Zenkai, the son of a samurai, journeyed to Edo [today's Tokyo] and
there became the retainer of a high official. He fell in love with the
official's wife and was discovered. In self-defence, he slew the
official. Then he ran away with the wife.

Both of them later became thieves. But the woman was so greedy that
Zenkai grew disgusted. Finally, leaving her, he journeyed far away to
the province of Buzen, where he became a wandering mendicant.

To atone for his past, Zenkai resolved to accomplish some good deed in
his lifetime. Knowing of a dangerous road over a cliff that had caused
death and injury to many persons, he resolved to cut a tunnel through
the mountain there.

Begging food in the daytime, Zenkai worked at night digging his
tunnel. When thirty years had gone by, the tunnel was 2,280 feet long,
20 feet high, and 30 feet wide.

Two years before the work was completed, the son of the official he
had slain, who was a skillful swordsman, found Zenkai out and came to
kill him in revenge.

"I will gived you my life willingly," said Zenkai. "Only let me finish
this work. On the day it is completed, then you may kill me."

So the son awaited the day. Several months passed and Zenkai kept
digging. The son grew tired of doing nothing and began to help with
the digging. After he had helped for more than a year, he came to
admire Zenkai's strong will and character.

At last the tunnel was completed and the people could use it and travel safely.

"Now cut off my head," said Zenkai. "My work is done."

"How can I cut off my own teacher's head?" asked the younger man with
tears in his eyes.

--
De'vID