Text for āto āto (2023)
text + IPA + gloss + translation

The original text for āto āto is from a poem I wrote. Below is the text in its original language babā, in International Phonetic Alphabet notation (a standardized system used to describe sounds across all languages), in interlinear gloss (a literal, word-for-word translation with labels for grammatical features, some of which are not found in English), and a stylized English translation that more accurately captures the spirit of the original poem.

babā
o
āto āto
a va
āto āto

alun sādr-āto
amis va ra

a didiŕēi
āto
sei amis
sādr-āto

suran va musādr
amis sa muva

o
āto āto
sei
āto āto

a āto latun tsa
sādr-āto rei va ido

o
āto āto
a va
āto āto

adi va mu
sei va āto āto

IPA Transcription
/o/
/'ato 'ato/
/a va/
/'ato 'ato/

/alun 'sadɻ‿'ato/
/amis va ra/

/a didi'reɪ/
/'ato/
/seɪ amis/
/'sadɻ‿'ato/

/suɻan va mu'sadɻ/
/amis sa muva/

/o/
/'ato 'ato/
/seɪ/
/'ato 'ato/

/a 'ato latun t͡sa/
/'sadɻ‿'ato ɻeɪ va ido/

/o/
/'ato 'ato/
/a va/
/'ato 'ato/

/adi va mu/
/seɪ va 'ato 'ato/

Interlinear Gloss
oh
here~IDEO
am I
here~IDEO

are-FUT they here
am-NOT I safe

are dream-PL
here
if are-NOT
they here

think-CONT I happy-3POSS
am-NOT it happy-1POSS

oh
here~IDEO
if
here~IDEO

is here place that
(are) they here so (am) I nothing

oh
here~IDEO
am I
here~IDEO

am-IMP I happy
if (am) I here

English Translation
oh
here here
I am
here here

they'll be here too
so I'm not safe

dreams are
here
if they're not
here

I think of their happiness
it wasn't mine

oh
here here
if
here here

here is place where
they are here, so I am alone

oh
here here
I am
here here

I must be happy
if am I here

Additional Notes
There is one line of text used in the song that is not found in this original poem, at m. 42-43.

ci amis sa tŕo
but is-NOT it true

/ɕi amis sa tro/
but that's not true

back to āto āto