lothea
On Love
Almitra asks about love, and Gibran answers with wings that hide a sword and a garden caught by the north wind. Later, grain passes under the millstone and bread enters sacred fire. The Phi translation includes the whole teaching, wounds and all.
Each passage uses a four-line block: the Phi sentence, its exact lexicon gloss, an English reading derived from Phi alone, and Gibran's source wording. A continuous Phi reading and a table of translation limits follow.
Translation
This is the whole teaching, from Almitra's request to the prayer and song at night. Grain work keeps its exact verbs; Gibran's sword, crucifixion, and sacred feast remain material descriptions beside the source that names them. Nothing is hurried past because it is difficult to carry.
The summons and the wings
pheo ne musatapha to haolu ne malitara sha no wei lo mia nia lothea haolu sho to haolu.
Word-by-word gloss: [POST [NAME musatapha PST speak]] [NAME malitara [QUOT.COMP [IMP [DAT [PL 1SG]] [ON love] speak] QUOT.COMP.CLOSE] PST speak].
Literal English: (After musatapha spoke, malitara said, "Speak to us about love.")
gibran: Then said Almitra, Speak to us of _Love_.
ne musatapha ne musatapha koma to ka rihe. shia lo miona to somela. lo miona maeli to kelu. shia roe theisa haoni to haolu.
Word-by-word gloss: [NAME musatapha] [[NAME musatapha] head] PST CAUS rise. 3SG [PL person] PST observe. [PL person] quiet PST become. 3SG [INS [loud voice]] PST speak.
Literal English: (Musatapha raised their head and observed the people. The people fell quiet. Then Musatapha spoke in a loud voice.)
gibran: And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:
lu lothea thia whola. no shai shia lo ruela kethua nela ratenu nai lothea ruela thalo.
Word-by-word gloss: [COND [love 2SG invite]]. [IMP [[CONC [[3SG PL path] [[hard COORD steep] be]]] [[love path] walk]]].
Literal English: (If love invites you, although its paths are hard and steep, walk the path of love.)
gibran: When love beckons to you, follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep.
lu lothea lo wapile thia lomare. no shai [whu thoa lothea lo wapile se kupe] tiso laeno keluo thena wei thia kaworu po loa lothea kelomi.
Word-by-word gloss: [COND [love [PL wing]] 2SG embrace]. [IMP [CONC [[[REL [AMONG [love [PL wing]]] PASS hide] [sharp [long [metal thing]]]] [DAT 2SG] injury POT give] love accept].
Literal English: (If love's wings embrace you, accept love, though the sharp, long metal thing hidden among its wings may injure you.)
gibran: And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
Voice, crown, branch, and root
lu shia wei thia haolu. no shia theomi.
Word-by-word gloss: [COND 3SG [DAT 2SG] speak]. [IMP 3SG trust].
Literal English: (If love speaks to you, trust it.)
gibran: And when he speaks to you believe in him,
whekai shia haoni lo thia whemura ka po pukate. senao keiro nitho howeli thepalu ka kema pukeri.
Word-by-word gloss: [CONTR [3SG voice] [PL [2SG dream]] CAUS POT break]. [[same way] [north wind] garden CAUS strong damage].
Literal English: (Yet love's voice can break your dreams, much as the north wind batters a garden.)
gibran: Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
lothea roe [whu nia koma se wenuha] keluro thena thia so keluro. shia wi themo wolea so tiwa. senao keiro shia nia ha wolea tei thia lumeo thia so tiwa. lothea thia so ka thuroa. senao keiro shia thia lo loremi so kati.
Word-by-word gloss: [love [INS [[REL [ON head] [PASS wear]] [honor thing]]] 2SG [FUT honor]]. [3SG [two THING.CLF wood] [FUT tie]]. [[same way] [3SG [ON [PROX wood]] [UNTIL [2SG die]] 2SG [FUT tie]]]. [love 2SG [FUT [CAUS grow]]]. [[same way] [3SG [2SG PL branch] [FUT cut]]].
Literal English: (Love will honor you with a token of honor worn on the head. It will tie two pieces of wood. In the same way, it will tie you on this wood until you die. Love will make you grow. In the same way, it will cut your branches.)
gibran: For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
shia kau thia raeli so kalei. shia lo [whu mua sileta phelo tiripe] mo ko phaeli loremi so moli palo.
Word-by-word gloss: 3SG [ALL [2SG height]] FUT climb. 3SG [PL [[REL [LOC sun] light quiver] [CMPR FOC tender] branch]] FUT gentle touch.
Literal English: (Love will climb to your height and gently touch the most tender branches, which quiver lightly in the sun.)
gibran: Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
shia lue thia raeli kau lo thia tumeki so wepu. lo thia tumeki muila kema phelu. shia lo thia tumeki so ka tiripe.
Word-by-word gloss: 3SG [ABL [2SG height]] [ALL [PL [2SG root]]] FUT go. [PL [2SG root]] earth strong hold. 3SG [PL [2SG root]] FUT CAUS quiver.
Literal English: (Love will go from your height to your roots. Your roots grip the earth, and love will make them quiver.)
gibran: So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
shia kau miso phea lo [whu roe nira se tiwa] napuro sholei thia so sholei.
Word-by-word gloss: 3SG [ALL REFL] [AS [PL [[[REL [INS cord] PASS tie] grain] gather.N]]] 2SG FUT gather.
Literal English: (Love will gather you to itself like sheaves of grain tied with cord.)
gibran: Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
Grain, fire, and the heart
lila thia salenu kelu shia thia thapori.
Word-by-word gloss: PURP 2SG unclothed become 3SG 2SG thresh.
Literal English: (Love threshes you so that you become bare.)
gibran: He threshes you to make you naked.
lila shia lue thia lo napewa leiro shia thia shireku.
Word-by-word gloss: [PURP 3SG [ABL 2SG] [PL husk] release] 3SG 2SG sift.
Literal English: (Love sifts you to release your husks.)
gibran: He sifts you to free you from your husks.
shia muo whilo thia kuremi.
Word-by-word gloss: 3SG INTO white 2SG grind.
Literal English: (Love grinds you into whiteness.)
gibran: He grinds you to whiteness.
shia tei thia luwi thia pumeli.
Word-by-word gloss: 3SG [UNTIL [2SG flexible.N]] 2SG knead.
Literal English: (Love kneads you until you are flexible.)
gibran: He kneads you until you are pliant;
lila thia wei thoepa phiora thoepa holia nurome thoepa napa kelu shia muo shia thoepa thero thia sepho.
Word-by-word gloss: [PURP 2SG [DAT [sacred spirit]] [[[sacred festival] meal] [sacred bread]] become] 3SG [INTO [3SG [sacred fire]]] 2SG send.
Literal English: (Love sends you into its sacred fire so that you become sacred bread for a sacred spirit's festival meal.)
gibran: And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.
lila thia lo [whu thia korua phelu] kupela sano lothea wei thia ha theula thena so phoa. thue ha sano thia ta lioru korua thiku phanoi so kelu.
Word-by-word gloss: [PURP 2SG [PL [[REL [2SG heart] hold] secret]] know] love [DAT 2SG] [PROX [UNIV thing]] FUT do. [THROUGH [PROX know]] 2SG [one [[life heart] [small portion]]] FUT become.
Literal English: (Love will do all these things for you so that you know the secrets of your heart. Through this knowledge, you will become one small portion of life's heart.)
gibran: All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.
Fear and sufficient love
lu thia mua sukima li lothea shea nela li lothea nirelo sheraki. thelao tha thia roe wetha salenu weloni tawemi nela mue lothea thapori tomae pholeni tho wei thia mo welao nai.
Word-by-word gloss: [COND 2SG [LOC fear] [[RESTR [love peace]] COORD [RESTR [love pleasant]]] search]. [CONS [DECL.COMP 2SG [[INS cloth] [unclothed body] cover COORD [OUT.OF [[love thresh] floor]] depart] DECL.COMP.CLOSE] [DAT 2SG] CMPR good be].
Literal English: (If, in fear, you seek only love's peace and only love's pleasure, then it is better for you to cover the unclothed body with cloth and depart from love's threshing floor.)
gibran: But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
lokue mawha meluna phelu. thia muo ha lokue so koema. thia so hola. whekai thia li soli hola so mishoa. thia so nuhewa. whekai thia li soli mirae phialu so leiro.
Word-by-word gloss: [place [NONE season] hold]. [2SG [INTO [PROX place]] [FUT enter]]. [2SG [FUT laugh]]. [CONTR [2SG [RESTR [SOME laugh]] [FUT express]]]. [2SG [FUT weep]]. [CONTR [2SG [RESTR [SOME [eye water]]] [FUT release]]].
Literal English: (A place has no season. You will enter this place. You will laugh. However, you will express only some laughter. You will weep. However, you will shed only some tears.)
gibran: Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
lothea li miso loa. lothea li lue miso pilu.
Word-by-word gloss: love [RESTR REFL] give. love [RESTR [ABL REFL]] take.
Literal English: (Love gives only itself and takes only from itself.)
gibran: Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
lothea mawha thena phelu nela tha shia se phelu tho ma rinu.
Word-by-word gloss: love [NONE thing] hold COORD [DECL.COMP [3SG PASS hold] DECL.COMP.CLOSE] NEG want.
Literal English: (Love holds nothing, nor does it want to be held.)
gibran: Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
lothea wei lothea henoi nai.
Word-by-word gloss: love DAT love ENOUGH be.
Literal English: (Love is enough for love.)
gibran: For love is sufficient unto love.
Direction and desire
lu thia lothea. no sha thoepa phiora mua mia korua nai sho ma haolu. no whekai sha mia mua thoepa phiora korua nai sho haolu.
Word-by-word gloss: [COND 2SG love]. [IMP [QUOT.COMP [sacred spirit] [LOC [1SG heart]] be QUOT.COMP.CLOSE] NEG speak]. [IMP CONTR [QUOT.COMP 1SG [LOC [[sacred spirit] heart]] be QUOT.COMP.CLOSE] speak].
Literal English: (If you love, do not say, "A sacred spirit is in my heart." Say instead, "I am in the heart of a sacred spirit.")
gibran: When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
no tha thia thue lothea ruela lothea po kulo tho ma remo. lu lothea tha thia lothea kulo parelu tho hekawi. lothea thue thia ruela thia kulo.
Word-by-word gloss: [IMP [DECL.COMP 2SG [THROUGH [love path]] love POT guide DECL.COMP.CLOSE] NEG think]. [COND love [DECL.COMP 2SG [love guide] deserve DECL.COMP.CLOSE] find]. love [THROUGH [2SG path]] 2SG guide.
Literal English: (Do not think you can guide love along its own path. If love finds that you deserve its guidance, love guides you along your path.)
gibran: And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
lothea li tha miso korei tho rinu.
Word-by-word gloss: love RESTR DECL.COMP REFL fulfill DECL.COMP.CLOSE want.
Literal English: (Love wants only to fulfill itself.)
gibran: Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
lu whau thia lo rinu na phelu thia lothea. su thia ha lo rinu phelu.
Word-by-word gloss: [COND [SIMUL [2SG [PL want] [NEC hold]] [2SG love]]]. [OPT [2SG [PROX [PL want]] hold]].
Literal English: (If you love while you must hold desires, may you hold these desires.)
gibran: But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
su thia lue patoku muo larewu kelu. su thia phea thiku luphore nai. ha luphore selu. shia wei shero ha luphore melira meliho.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [ABL solid] [INTO liquid] become]. [OPT 2SG [AS [small river]] be]. [PROX river] flow. 3SG [DAT night] [[PROX river] song] sing.
Literal English: (May you change from solid to liquid. May you be like a small river. This river flows and sings its song to the night.)
gibran: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
Tenderness and the natural day
su thia wo phaeli kipona sano.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [[EXC tender] pain] know].
Literal English: (May you know pain that is too tender.)
gibran: To know the pain of too much tenderness.
su thia lothea shelomu nela lue ha shelomu kaworu howela.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [love understand COORD [ABL [PROX understand]] injury receive]].
Literal English: (May you understand love and receive injury from that understanding.)
gibran: To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
su thia roe kanu nela siora lorika leiro.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [INS [choose.N COORD joy.N]] blood release].
Literal English: (May you release blood by choice and with joy.)
gibran: And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
su thia mua horathe roe wapile korua nowae. su lao we ta lothea philo thia sha mea sho haolu.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [LOC dawn] [INS [wing heart]] awaken]. [OPT [BECAUSE [ALSO [one [love day]]]] 2SG [QUOT.COMP thanks QUOT.COMP.CLOSE] speak].
Literal English: (May you wake at dawn with a winged heart. May you say "thanks" for one more day of love.)
gibran: To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
su thia mua thaeso therilu. su thia mua lothea ru siora phirena.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [LOC midday] rest]. [OPT 2SG [LOC [love [INTS joy.N]]] meditate].
Literal English: (May you rest at midday. May you meditate in love's deep joy.)
gibran: To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstacy;
su thia mua howai roe nemo kau womu turema.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT 2SG [LOC evening] [INS grateful] [ALL home] return].
Literal English: (May you return home in the evening with gratitude.)
gibran: To return home at eventide with gratitude;
su whau thia nulae mua thia korua wei [whu thia meropi] miona thorai nai. su whau thia nulae nia thia lo phimei ta woraka melira nai.
Word-by-word gloss: [OPT [SIMUL 2SG sleep] [LOC [2SG heart]] [DAT [[REL 2SG cherish] person]] bless.N be]. [OPT [SIMUL 2SG sleep] [ON [2SG [PL lip]]] [one [appreciate.N song]] be].
Literal English: (While you sleep, may there be a blessing in your heart for the person you cherish. While you sleep, may one song of appreciation be on your lips.)
gibran: And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
Complete translation
pheo ne musatapha to haolu ne malitara sha no wei lo mia nia lothea haolu sho to haolu. ne musatapha ne musatapha koma to ka rihe. shia lo miona to somela. lo miona maeli to kelu. shia roe theisa haoni to haolu. lu lothea thia whola. no shai shia lo ruela kethua nela ratenu nai lothea ruela thalo. lu lothea lo wapile thia lomare. no shai [whu thoa lothea lo wapile se kupe] tiso laeno keluo thena wei thia kaworu po loa lothea kelomi.
lu shia wei thia haolu. no shia theomi. whekai shia haoni lo thia whemura ka po pukate. senao keiro nitho howeli thepalu ka kema pukeri. lothea roe [whu nia koma se wenuha] keluro thena thia so keluro. shia wi themo wolea so tiwa. senao keiro shia nia ha wolea tei thia lumeo thia so tiwa. lothea thia so ka thuroa. senao keiro shia thia lo loremi so kati. shia kau thia raeli so kalei. shia lo [whu mua sileta phelo tiripe] mo ko phaeli loremi so moli palo. shia lue thia raeli kau lo thia tumeki so wepu. lo thia tumeki muila kema phelu. shia lo thia tumeki so ka tiripe. shia kau miso phea lo [whu roe nira se tiwa] napuro sholei thia so sholei.
lila thia salenu kelu shia thia thapori. lila shia lue thia lo napewa leiro shia thia shireku. shia muo whilo thia kuremi. shia tei thia luwi thia pumeli. lila thia wei thoepa phiora thoepa holia nurome thoepa napa kelu shia muo shia thoepa thero thia sepho. lila thia lo [whu thia korua phelu] kupela sano lothea wei thia ha theula thena so phoa. thue ha sano thia ta lioru korua thiku phanoi so kelu.
lu thia mua sukima li lothea shea nela li lothea nirelo sheraki. thelao tha thia roe wetha salenu weloni tawemi nela mue lothea thapori tomae pholeni tho wei thia mo welao nai. lokue mawha meluna phelu. thia muo ha lokue so koema. thia so hola. whekai thia li soli hola so mishoa. thia so nuhewa. whekai thia li soli mirae phialu so leiro. lothea li miso loa. lothea li lue miso pilu. lothea mawha thena phelu nela tha shia se phelu tho ma rinu. lothea wei lothea henoi nai.
lu thia lothea. no sha thoepa phiora mua mia korua nai sho ma haolu. no whekai sha mia mua thoepa phiora korua nai sho haolu. no tha thia thue lothea ruela lothea po kulo tho ma remo. lu lothea tha thia lothea kulo parelu tho hekawi. lothea thue thia ruela thia kulo. lothea li tha miso korei tho rinu. lu whau thia lo rinu na phelu thia lothea. su thia ha lo rinu phelu. su thia lue patoku muo larewu kelu. su thia phea thiku luphore nai. ha luphore selu. shia wei shero ha luphore melira meliho.
su thia wo phaeli kipona sano. su thia lothea shelomu nela lue ha shelomu kaworu howela. su thia roe kanu nela siora lorika leiro. su thia mua horathe roe wapile korua nowae. su lao we ta lothea philo thia sha mea sho haolu. su thia mua thaeso therilu. su thia mua lothea ru siora phirena. su thia mua howai roe nemo kau womu turema. su whau thia nulae mua thia korua wei [whu thia meropi] miona thorai nai. su whau thia nulae nia thia lo phimei ta woraka melira nai.
Translation limits
| Gibran wording | Phi treatment | Remaining difference |
|---|---|---|
| Almitra; Almustafa; he and him | ne malitara and ne musatapha; shia supplies later third-person reference | The stable Phi names are adaptations, and Phi does not mark the source's gendered pronouns. |
| beckons; follow; yield | love invites, the listener walks its path, and then accepts love | The invitation and acceptance are less commanding than beckoning followed by obedience or submission. |
| sword hidden among pinions | a long sharp metal thing hidden among wings | The mechanism and danger remain, but only the source gives the thing its weapon name. |
| crowns; crucifies | a head-worn sign of honour; two pieces of wood on which a person is held until death | Material description preserves both images without granting either a general Phi root. |
| pruning | cutting the branches | The purpose and horticultural judgment are supplied by the source rather than by a specialised pruning verb. |
| threshes; sifts; husks; kneads | thapori; shireku; napewa; pumeli | The four grain-working distinctions are direct Phi vocabulary; Gibran's use of them as an extended metaphor remains his own. |
| God; sacred feast | a sacred spirit and that spirit's sacred festival meal | Phi can describe the religious referent but cannot preserve the source identity inside the sentence. |
| fragment of Life's heart | a small portion of Life's heart | The part-whole relation is direct; Phi does not add the English suggestion of a jagged broken piece. |
| worthy | deserving love's guidance | The judgment becomes explicit about the outcome that love finds deserved; it does not make human worth conditional. |
| prayer; praise; ecstacy | a blessing, a song of appreciation, and intense joy | The translation describes the acts and feeling while the source retains its devotional categories and spelling. |