WB Yeats: The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner

This was a challenging translation, I had to make a few cheats and omissions here and there to make it work.

I Yára *Nanyaro Nainie

Nanqui ulullo nurtean

Nu aldar rákine

Hanwanya *amamna i ruine né

Mi ilya *yomenie

Ya quente pá melme hya karaitie

Nó Lúme ni vistanie.

Ké hanur kárar ehti en

An muina vestale

Ar *hrúmor urþar amurþie

*Anqua þangare

Úvienyar pá Lúme nar

Ya ni vistanie.

Lá ea nís ye kenuva

Aldannar rákine

Ananta ilye melmenyar

Hárar mi enyalie,

Lúmeo antanna piutean

Ya ni vistanie.

Although I shelter from the rain

Under a broken tree

My chair was nearest to the fire

In every company

That talked of love or politics,

Ere Time transfigured me.

Though lads are making pikes again

For some conspiracy,

And crazy rascals rage their fill

At human tyranny,

My contemplations are of Time

That has transfigured me.

There's not a woman turns her face

Upon a broken tree,

And yet the beauties that I loved

Are in my memory;

I spit into the face of Time

That has transfigured me.

*nanya- vb "withdraw, retreat, back off, stand back, retire" < NDAN

*nanyaro n. "retiree, pensioner"

*nanqui adv. "although" cf. laqui

*amamna adv. "closest to, nearest to" < am- + amna

*yomenie n. "meeting"

*hrúmo n. "wicked person, rascal" < hrú-

*anqua pref. & adv. "against" <  CE *anak