Specimens of Esperanto (Mostly From Poems)
That Illustrate its Unique Expressive Qualities
Based on its System of Word-Building

compiled by Ralph Dumain

(1) Sándor Szathmári, from "Maŝinmondo" [Machine-world]:

      Saluton, li diris,  enpaŝante.
      Greetings, he said, as he stepped in [literally: in-step-ing-ly].

(2) Eŭgeno Miĥalski, from "Perlas per la belo stelo-stilo":

      Amo  de     l'universeca     koro . . .
      Love from the universalistic heart

      sonparfumas                                   en versaĵ-incenso
      sound-perfume-present/tense/verb in verse-thing-incense-noun
      sound-perfumes in a verse-incense

(3) Ralph Dumain, from "Sun/lun-alektiko" [Sun/moon dialectic]:

      Ĉu    vi  sunnutrus                                      min              per             via
      query you sun-feed-conditional/verb  I-direct/object  by/means/of  you-adj.

      lunfrandaĵ'?
      moon-delectable-thing

      Would you [i.e., were you going to] sun-feed me with your moon-delicacy
      [more elegant though inexact translation: moon-candy]?

(4) E. Miĥalski, from "Dediĉo al L. Ivn":

      se trovos                       vi   en ĝi  ver-koton
      if find-future/tense/verb you  in it  truth-mud-noun-direct/object
      If you find in it truth-mud (dirty truth)

(5) R. Dumain, from "Mia deksepa jaro" [My 17th year]:

      Tiuj            superprezaj                   pratagoj,
      that-plural  above-price-adj.-plural   primordial-day-noun-plural

      tiuj       Faberĵeaĵoj.
      those   Faberge'-thing-noun-plural

      Those priceless ancient of days, / those Faberge's.

(6) E. Miĥalski, from "Papilio" [Butterfly]:

      Nur vi, nur sola vi -    Only you, only you alone
      ja estas amo, vero,     indeed are love, truth,
      eterna poezi',              eternal poetry,
      eterna junlibero!         eternal freedom of youth!

(7) E. Miĥalski, from "Heine-ecaĵo" [Heine-ness-thing-noun = Heine-esque poem], part III:

      Disburĝonis                                      kaŝtanaj                   la  floroj
      disperse-burgeon-past/tense/verb  chestnut-adj.-plural the flowers

      kun  kreiv-geedziga                                          polen',
      with creative-both/sexes-spouse-cause-adj.    pollen

      ĝi miksiĝis                                    kun  niaj odoroj
      it  mix-become-past/tense/verb  with our  odors

      en mistera     pasia           solen'.
      in mysterious  passionate  celebration

      Approximate translation:
      The flowers blossomed chestnutty all over the place
      with creative marriage-making [nuptial] pollen,
      it became all mixed up with our smells
      in a mysterious passionate celebration.

(8) E. Miĥalski, from "Ajno" [Anna]:

      Rapide.                                     Quickly.
      Streĉvervas muskoloj...         Muscles stretch energetically.
      Posthorizontas la suno.        The sun stands behind the horizon.
      Krepuskas la kor'                  The heart goes into twilight
      en sopiro.                                  in yearning.
      Golgotas la vivo.                      Life Golgotha-cizes.
      Nigras du krucoj.                   There are two crosses in black.

(9) William Blake [English original, first stanza of poem]:

      I feared the fury of my wind
      would blight all blossoms fair and true,
      and so my sun it shined and shined
      and my wind it never blew.

      Esperanto translation by Ralph Dumain:

      Pro mia venta furioz'                Because of my windy fury,
      forvelkus ĉiu flor' fidela,           would wither away every flower faithful,
      do restis mia vent' sen blov'    so remained my wind without a blow
      kaj mia suno ĉiam hela.            and my sun always bright.

14 October 1989

Edited & uploaded 21 May 2005
©1989, 2005 Ralph Dumain

Works by (and about) people of African descent in Esperanto translation: bibliography in progress (1989)

Disdonitaj Referenciloj por Literatura Rondo (1987)

Amaj melodioj: III de Eŭgeno Miĥalski

Esperanto & Interlinguistics Study Guide / Retgvidilo al Esperanto & Interlingvistiko