Draft 1: Very rough state. Sandhi is all over the place. Not even sure the patient matches the class prefix in every case.
Disconnected mutterings of the mad hermit Saunmo (Whiny Dog, but saun “whiny” has esoteric associations). Although often dismissed as the ravings of a lunatic, these sayings have a cult following within the Mneka war-shrine. Unironically analyzing events using terms like “xorn” and “norn” is associated with Mneka personnel.
The text relies on several puns; most notoriously, the termination of measurement is identified with us giving restitution where we fall short. Effectively, the text refuses to distinguish between personal shortcomings and the crooked beings of deep space. The cosmic war is internalized and given a spiritual dimension.
The Order says its doctrines are the teaching. Saunmo seemed to be talking about teachings that transcend its boundaries. The Order might have been threatened by this if it considered a challenge so feeble to be a real threat.
Kosm sništka fonexatom:
A Teaching comes down upon me from the cosmos.
Sništ, mern somernkat.
The Teaching comes in parts.
Mernsep sništkne nes ontom.
A miracle teaches nothing.
Paraktrapom, ontrapom.
What terminates (lit. is given restitution), is.
Nes paraktrapom: mam ontom.
What runs forever is crooked.
Pamampol nes pamespol ontom. Pamampol nes paraktom.
Crookedness is not misbehavior. It simply runs forever.
Aldi, kradankne, semom.
Two shortfalls pulling in opposite directions chant (their) harmony.
Nes sontrapom: plio ontom.
Without this, (there is) dissonance.
Plio sništkne ontom; nes anθkne.
Dissonance is something the cosmos teaches. It doesn’t come from a person.
Plies kradan elarelom.
Within dissonance brew (eddies of) harmony.
Sništ sočmpom. Mamtel napašainai.
What the cosmos teaches either stands still or runs to crookedness.
Sočmpom, nes paraktalom.
When (the Teaching) stands still, (we) fall short.
Sočmpom; elontrapom.
Static (Teaching includes) dissonance.
Paraktalom, nes ongom.
(Where we) fall short, we see not.
Sočmpom; sništaps sništdi paraktalom.
(From within) static (Teaching), (we) learn (where we) fall short.
Paraktalom, nes tsa paraktai.
Falling short does not (always end in) restitution.
Nes sočmpe, paraktrapom: xorn elačelom.
That which never stands still and (where we) fall short: (this is) called the Break (xorn).
Xorn ontom; rak nes sočmperapom.
When the Break occurs, the balance (rak) falls apart.
Nes sočmpom, nes paraktrapom: norn elačelom.
Nothing stands still, there is no restitution: (this is) called the norn.
Xorn ontom; sništdi nes soθopom.
When the Break occurs, that doesn’t mean the Teaching changes.
Xorn ontom; pons nes ontom.
When the Break occurs, there aren’t always opportunities.
Lok soplikat, rak.
Through the reckoning, the Word makes whole (balanced).
Paraktalkne, plišt ontrapom. Xornkne, plišt ontrapom.
If (we) fall short, there may be a reckoning. During the Break, there may be a reckoning.
Xap sormam θomkne melai. Xap θomam sormkne melai.
Power is not truth; nor truth power.
Note: Greek style emulated from official texts such as the akousmata.
Sništdi soθopai.
(However,) the Teaching (does) change (over time).
Soθopom, pons nes ontom.
Its changing does not itself present an opportunity.
Rakaps, soθopom; sočmpom: pons ontom.
(Even) from (within) the balance, it (the Teaching) changes; once it stands still: the opportunity is witnessed.
Note: This muttering is effectively untranslatable. It could mean something like: What the cosmos teaches changes (or begins to change) even while things are otherwise in balance. When the Teaching holds still for a moment, that is our window of opportunity to act.
Paraktrapom nes paraktalom.
(Where we) fall short is not always given restitution.
Paraktalom rak nes ontom.
What is given restitution is not always made balanced.
Rak nes soθopom.
The balance does not always change.
Soθopom pons nes ontom.
Changing does not itself present an opportunity.
…
It goes on like this. No two versions are the same. It is unknown which version, if any, is the original. A common assumption is that Saunmo muttered all the versions at different times.
Every sentence exhibits extreme brevity. The text relies on the hearer to supply a clear interpretation. This is characteristic of several Laulai genres. It’s not unique to this text. There is a common attitude that explaining deep realizations for those without the reach of understanding (sorm) is to cast pearls before swine. No matter how much effort you expend, they will always find a way to arrive at some misinterpretation. On the other hand, this means there is often no agreement on what common sayings mean.
Snapshots of the Labyrinth 