nitho howeli nela sileta
The North Wind and the Sun
Aesop's fable of the wind, the sun, and the traveler's cloak is the familiar story used to show how a language sounds and how its sentences move. The 1919 Aesop for Children is the ground truth. Its complete Phi translation keeps the contest intact, from the opening quarrel to the Traveler's flight into shade and Aesop's final verdict.
Each passage uses a four-line block: the Phi sentence, its exact lexicon gloss, a natural English reading made from the Phi, and the source wording. A continuous Phi reading and a table of translation limits follow.
Translation
The aligned reading carries the wager from proposal through result. Every bodily action remains, as does Aesop's moral judgment. Transparent compositions do most of the lexical work, while sharemi (persuade) gives the moral the distinction it requires.
The quarrel
nitho howeli nela sileta pha sua mo kema nai pho to shareo. lo shia to ma nawo.
Word-by-word gloss: north wind COORD sun INT.COMP who CMPR strong be INT.COMP.CLOSE PST discuss. PL 3SG PST NEG agree.
Literal English: (The north wind and the sun discussed who was stronger. They did not agree.)
aesop: The North Wind and the Sun had a quarrel about which of them was the stronger.
whau lo shia roe sheloi korua thero to si shareo nela to si theisa kapura ta whu laniru nela roe wethalu to se lomare miona nia ruela to thalo.
Word-by-word gloss: SIMUL PL 3SG INS MANY heart fire PST IPFV discuss COORD PST IPFV loud shout one REL journey COORD INS garment PST PASS embrace person ON path PST walk.
Literal English: (While they were discussing with much anger and shouting loudly, one traveler wrapped in a garment walked on the path.)
aesop: While they were disputing with much heat and bluster, a Traveler passed along the road wrapped in a cloak.
The wager
sileta sha su lo mia tha whu ra laniru miona wethalu po leiro miona mo kema nai tho nawo sho to haolu.
Word-by-word gloss: sun QUOT.COMP OPT PL 1SG DECL.COMP REL DIST journey person garment POT release person CMPR strong be DECL.COMP.CLOSE agree QUOT.COMP.CLOSE PST speak.
Literal English: (The sun said, "May we agree that whoever can remove that traveler's garment is stronger.")
aesop: "Let us agree," said the Sun, "that he is the stronger who can strip that Traveler of his cloak."
nitho howeli sha lia sho roe keloa haoni to haolu nela pheo mu thimu shia kau laniru miona whu kapura pelui kema howeli to sepho.
Word-by-word gloss: north wind QUOT.COMP yes QUOT.COMP.CLOSE INS rough voice PST speak COORD POST zero time 3SG ALL journey person REL shout cold strong wind PST send.
Literal English: (The north wind said "Yes" in a rough voice and immediately sent a strong, cold, howling wind to the traveler.)
aesop: "Very well," growled the North Wind, and at once sent a cold, howling blast against the Traveler.
The wind
roe nu ta teku kema howeli lo wethalu shuna roa laniru miona weloni to reshi tiripe.
Word-by-word gloss: INS ORD one short strong wind PL garment edge AROUND journey person body PST fast quiver.
Literal English: (The garment's edges quivered rapidly around the traveler's body in the first short, strong gust.)
aesop: With the first gust of wind the ends of the cloak whipped about the Traveler's body.
whekai pheo mu thimu shia wethalu miso to ka noshi lomare.
Word-by-word gloss: CONTR POST zero time 3SG garment REFL PST CAUS near embrace.
Literal English: (But at once, they drew the garment close around themself.)
aesop: But he immediately wrapped it closely around him,
lao howeli to mo kema whesu miona roa miso wethalu to mo noshi phelu.
Word-by-word gloss: BECAUSE wind PST CMPR strong blow person AROUND REFL garment PST CMPR near hold.
Literal English: (Because the wind blew harder, the person held the garment closer around themself.)
aesop: and the harder the Wind blew, the tighter he held it to him.
nitho howeli roe korua thero wethalu to ru kema natu.
Word-by-word gloss: north wind INS heart fire garment PST INTS strong pull.
Literal English: (In anger, the north wind pulled very hard on the garment.)
aesop: The North Wind tore angrily at the cloak,
whekai shia theula mesatu whuo lureko to nai.
Word-by-word gloss: CONTR 3SG UNIV try WITHOUT fruit PST be.
Literal English: (However, all their attempts were fruitless.)
aesop: but all his efforts were in vain.
The sun
pheo ha sileta to pa keru loa.
Word-by-word gloss: POST PROX sun PST INCH bright give.
Literal English: (After this, the sun began to shine.)
aesop: Then the Sun began to shine.
mua thorui shia keru loa moli to nai nela pheo nitho howeli puko pelui to te nai whu laniru miona mua nirelo sulae wethalu to phae nela shia nia miso lo talua wethalu to ka ralu manolu.
Word-by-word gloss: LOC beginning 3SG bright give gentle PST be COORD POST north wind bitter cold PST CESS be REL journey person LOC pleasant warm garment PST open COORD 3SG ON REFL PL shoulder garment PST CAUS free stay.
Literal English: (At first, the sun shone gently, and after the north wind stopped being bitterly cold, the traveler opened the garment in the pleasant warmth and let it hang loose on their shoulders.)
aesop: At first his beams were gentle, and in the pleasant warmth after the bitter cold of the North Wind, the Traveler unfastened his cloak and let it hang loosely from his shoulders.
sileta keru loa mo sulae to kelu. shia mo sulae to kelu.
Word-by-word gloss: sun bright give CMPR warm PST become. 3SG CMPR warm PST become.
Literal English: (The sun's glow grew warmer. It became warmer still.)
aesop: The Sun's rays grew warmer and warmer.
miona miso koma wethalu to leiro. shia miso komeri to hewe.
Word-by-word gloss: person REFL head garment PST release. 3SG REFL forehead PST wipe.
Literal English: (The person took off their head covering. They wiped their forehead.)
aesop: The man took off his cap and mopped his brow.
pheo laeno shemu shia ru sukaro to kelu. thelao shia lue miso weloni miso wethalu to natu. shia wethalu to leiro.
Word-by-word gloss: POST long moment 3SG INTS hot PST become. CONS 3SG ABL REFL body REFL garment PST pull. 3SG garment PST release.
Literal English: (After a long while, they became very hot. So they pulled their garment off their body and let it go.)
aesop: At last he became so heated that he pulled off his cloak,
sio ruela ta shiro to whano. lila miona lue whu thape sileta keru phesari miona wea muila muo whu shia whelani shiro shomelu miso to wapho.
Word-by-word gloss: BESIDE path one tree PST stand. PURP person ABL REL burn sun bright flee person TOWARD earth INTO REL 3SG welcome tree shadow REFL PST throw.
Literal English: (A tree stood beside the path. To flee the burning sunlight, the person threw themself down into the tree's shadow, which they welcomed.)
aesop: and, to escape the blazing sunshine, threw himself down in the welcome shade of a tree by the roadside.
The moral
moli nela phena sharemi porua korei.
Word-by-word gloss: gentle COORD kind persuade purpose fulfill.
Literal English: (Gentleness and kind persuasion fulfill the purpose.)
aesop: Gentleness and kind persuasion win
whekai kawhera porua ma korei nela theisa kapura porua ma korei.
Word-by-word gloss: CONTR coerce purpose NEG fulfill COORD loud shout purpose NEG fulfill.
Literal English: (However, neither coercion nor loud shouting fulfills that purpose.)
aesop: where force and bluster fail.
Complete translation
nitho howeli nela sileta
nitho howeli nela sileta pha sua mo kema nai pho to shareo. lo shia to ma nawo. whau lo shia roe sheloi korua thero to si shareo nela to si theisa kapura ta whu laniru nela roe wethalu to se lomare miona nia ruela to thalo.
sileta sha su lo mia tha whu ra laniru miona wethalu po leiro miona mo kema nai tho nawo sho to haolu. nitho howeli sha lia sho roe keloa haoni to haolu nela pheo mu thimu shia kau laniru miona whu kapura pelui kema howeli to sepho.
roe nu ta teku kema howeli lo wethalu shuna roa laniru miona weloni to reshi tiripe. whekai pheo mu thimu shia wethalu miso to ka noshi lomare. lao howeli to mo kema whesu miona roa miso wethalu to mo noshi phelu. nitho howeli roe korua thero wethalu to ru kema natu. whekai shia theula mesatu whuo lureko to nai.
pheo ha sileta to pa keru loa. mua thorui shia keru loa moli to nai nela pheo nitho howeli puko pelui to te nai whu laniru miona mua nirelo sulae wethalu to phae nela shia nia miso lo talua wethalu to ka ralu manolu. sileta keru loa mo sulae to kelu. shia mo sulae to kelu. miona miso koma wethalu to leiro. shia miso komeri to hewe. pheo laeno shemu shia ru sukaro to kelu. thelao shia lue miso weloni miso wethalu to natu. shia wethalu to leiro. sio ruela ta shiro to whano. lila miona lue whu thape sileta keru phesari miona wea muila muo whu shia whelani shiro shomelu miso to wapho.
moli nela phena sharemi porua korei. whekai kawhera porua ma korei nela theisa kapura porua ma korei.
Translation limits
| Aesop's wording | Phi rendering | Remaining difference |
|---|---|---|
| quarrel and disputing | discussion, disagreement, and heart-fire | Phi states the acts and feeling separately rather than using one quarrel root. |
| heat and bluster | heart-fire and loud shouting | The topic supplies the boast; Phi has no separate bluster word. |
| Traveler, man, he | whu laniru miona, miona, shia | The role and person survive, while grammatical gender does not. |
| road and roadside | ruela and a tree beside it | ruela covers a path or road; the English reading keeps the broader path. |
| cloak and cap | garment and head garment | Transparent composition expresses their clothing functions. |
| strip | release the Traveler's garment | The removal is direct, though Phi uses its ordinary release verb. |
| growled and howling | rough-voiced speech and a wind that shouts | Each sound is described through an existing voice or vocalization word. |
| at once and immediately | after zero time | Phi makes the absence of delay explicit. |
| gust | short, strong wind | Duration and force compose the weather event. |
| whipped about | garment edges flutter rapidly around the body | The quick repeated motion is explicit; the English cloth-motion verb has no root. |
| wrapped closely | caused the garment to embrace closely | The causative makes the Traveler the agent and the garment the encircling body. |
| the harder, the tighter | causal lao with paired mo clauses | Phi has no correlative construction, so cause and response remain explicit. |
| tore angrily at | pulled very strongly with heart-fire | The action does not claim that the cloth actually tore. |
| efforts were in vain | all its attempts were without fruit | The event noun mesatu names the attempts without treating them as craft or labor. |
| shine, beams, and rays | give brightness | One transparent expression covers all three illumination terms. |
| unfastened and hung loosely | opened and caused to stay free on the shoulders | Both stages are stated without a dedicated loose-clothing root. |
| pulled off | pulled from the body, then released | Two verbs hold the source motion and result. |
| blazing sunshine | brightness of the burning Sun | A relative clause places the burning with the Sun while its brightness remains the thing escaped. |
| escape and threw himself down | fled from the burning brightness and threw themself toward the earth | phesari states the danger-shaped departure; the reflexive action and downward direction remain explicit. |
| kind persuasion | phena sharemi | Kindness modifies the neutral persuasion verb. |
| win and fail | fulfill purpose and not fulfill purpose | The stated contest aim supplies the measure of success. |
| force and bluster | coercion and loud shouting | The moral's force narrows to constrained choice; bluster narrows to its audible action. |