"Duel of the Fates" FAQ
Cyber Wraith
1.1 Credits
1.2 In Duel of the Fates, what language is that?
1.3 Why Sanskrit?
1.4 What are the Sanskrit words?
1.5 What is the English translation?
1.6 What is the "Battle of the Trees"?
1.1 Credits
Thanks to Wes Hutchings for bringing most of this information to my
attention. Thanks to Angelo Muredda, Wes Leavell, Brandon Wolgast for
providing information.
1.2 In Duel of the Fates, what language is that?
Excerpt from http://www.starwars.talkcity.com/starwars/trans/5-6-99.htmpl
AskLucasfilm: Jedi-Andy says: In duel of the fates, what language is
that?
JohnWilliams: That is Sanskrit. Simply, because I liked the way it
sounded, in part, and in part, because it's an ancient language less
well-known than Latin or Greek. It also has good vowel sounds, which
produce good tone and timbre from the chorus, similar to modern Italian.
Sanskrit, by the way, is the root language of India.
1.3 Why Sanskrit?
Sanskirt originated in the northern India/Nepal region during the 4th
century AD. The Brahman caste used it during Hindu religious ceremonies.
It serves to achieve oneness, a connecting of self with the world soul.
People often use it in theatrical productions because of its mythic tone.
1.4 What are the Sanskrit words?
From: "Angelo Muredda" <ang...@tyenet.com>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.starwars
Subject: Re: What are the words in "Duel of the Fates" (on the
soundtrack?)
Date: Sat, Jun 5, 1999, 8:50 AM
The words (as sung) are:
"Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Rahtamah Yoodhah Korah
Korah Syahdho Rahtahmah Daanyah
Korah Keelah Daanyah
Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah
Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
Korah "
1.5 What is the English translation?
From: w...@austin.rr.com (Wes Leavell)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.starwars
Subject: Re: Duel of the Fates...lyrics? -HERE THEY ARE-
Date: Fri, May 28, 1999, 10:23 PM
Ok, did some research. Here ya go.
The original text for the words comes from "Cad Goddeu" an old Celtic
poem (translation Battle of the Trees or depending on the meaning of
trees, especially from a more druidic sense Battle of the Fates)
The english translation of the lyrics used is
Under the tongue root, a fight most dread, and another raging behind,
in the head.
(This was translated to rhyme, a more direct translation without
keeping the meter and rhyme is -
Beneath the tongue of the tree, a grave battle unfolds, and
another begins: the fire in the head.
These lyrics (the rhyming english translation by Robert Graves)
were then translated again into a dead dialect (sorry dont know the
name of it, only that its written form was sanskrit (several older
dialects used the same writing)
1.6 What is the "Battle of the Trees"?
BATTLE OF THE TREES
The Battle of the Trees is a Welsh poem reconstructed from mixed and
fragmentary evidence by Robert Graves, a noted expert on mythology
(especially Greek). The second chapter of Graves's White Goddess, a work
on myth that George Lucas has praised now and then along with Frazer's
Golden Bough and Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces, describes the
reconstruction of this poem. Later chapters elicit its mythological and
historical meaning (see below for a hint).
Cbd Goddeu
'The Battle of the Trees'
>From Robert Graves, The White Goddess, New York: The Noonday Press
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux), 1966.
Pages 45-48.
The tops of the beech tree
Have sprouted of late,
Are changed and renewed
>From their withered state.
When the beech prospers,
Though spells and litanies
The oak tops entangle,
There is hope for trees.
I have plundered the fern,
Through all secrets I spy,
Old Math ap Mathonwy
Knew no more than I.
For with nine sorts of faculty
God has gifted me:
I am fruit of fruits gathered
>From nine sorts of tree -
Plum, quince, whortle, mulberry,
Raspberry, pear,
Black cherry and white
With the sorb in me share.
>From my seat at Fefynedd,
A city that is strong,
I watched the trees and green things
Hastening along.
Retreating from happiness
They would fain be set
In forms of the chief letters
Of the alphabet.
Wayfarers wondered,
Warriors were dismayed
At renewal of conflicts
Such as Gwydion made;
Under the tongue root
A fight most dread,
And another raging
Behind, in the head.
The alders in the front line
Began the affray.
Willow and rowan-tree
Were tardy in array.
The holly, dark green,
Made a resolute stand;
He is armed with many spear points
Wounding the hand.
With foot-beat of the swift oak
Heaven and earth rung;
'Stout Guardian of the Door',
His name in every tongue.
Great was the gorse in battle,
And the ivy at his prime;
The hazel was arbiter
At this charmed time.
Uncouth and savage was the fir,
Cruel the ash tree -
Turns not aside a foot-breadth,
Straight at the heart runs he.
The birch, though very noble,
Armed himself but late:
A sign not of cowardice
But of high estate.
The heath gave consolation
To the toil-spent folk,
The long-enduring poplars
In battle much broke.
Some of them were cast away
On the field of fight
Because of holes torn in them
By the enemy's might.
Very wrathful was the vine
Whose henchmen are the elms;
I exalt him mightily
To rulers of realms.
Strong chieftains were the blackthorn
With his ill fruit,
The unbeloved whitethorn
Who wears the same suit,
The swift-pursuing reed,
The broom with his brood,
And the furze but ill-behaved
Until he is subdued.
The dower-scattering yew
Stood glum at the fight's fringe,
With the elder slow to burn
Amid fires that singe,
And the blessed wild apple
Laughing in pride
>From the Gorchan of Maeldrew,
By the rock side.
In shelter linger
Privet and woodbine,
Inexperienced in warfare,
And the courtly pine.
But I, although slighted.
Because I was not big,
Fought, trees, in your array
On the field of Goddeu Brig.
>From page 124 of the same volume, a description of the basic meaning
(read the book for more!):
"I first suspected that an alphabet was contained in Gwion's conundrum
when I began to restore the purposely jumbled text of his Battle of the
Trees, which refers to a primitive British tradition of the capture of an
oracular shrine by the guessing of a god's name. This capture seems to
have taken place early in the fourth century B.C. when the Belgic
Brythons, worshippers of the Ash-god Gwydion, with the help of an
agricultural tribe already settled in Britain, seized the national
shrine, perhaps Avebury, from the reigning priesthood, two of whose gods
were Arawn and Bran."
Talya
Cyber Wraith wrote:
> Duel of the Fates FAQ.
>
> 1.1 Credits
> 1.2 In Duel of the Fates, what language is that?
> 1.3 Why Sanskrit?
> 1.4 What are the Sanskrit words?
> 1.5 What is the English translation?
> 1.6 What is the "Battle of the Trees"?
>
> 1.1 Credits
>
> Thanks to Wes Hutchings for bringing most of this information to my
> attention. Thanks to Angelo Muredda, Wes Leavell, Brandon Wolgast for
> providing information.
>
OOOHHHH Wes! You got an honourable mention!!!!
--
Talya - High Priestess of the Sith ICQ# 26250056
"When I left you, I was but a learner, now I am the master"
http://pages.hotbot.com/princess1011/
Taisou
>1.4 What are the Sanskrit words?
> From: "Angelo Muredda" <ang...@tyenet.com>
> Newsgroups: alt.fan.starwars
> Subject: Re: What are the words in "Duel of the Fates" (on the
> soundtrack?)
> Date: Sat, Jun 5, 1999, 8:50 AM
> The words (as sung) are:
> "Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah
> Korah Rahtamah Yoodhah Korah
> Korah Syahdho Rahtahmah Daanyah
> Korah Keelah Daanyah
> Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
> Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
> Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
> Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
> Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
> Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
> Korah
> Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah
> Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah
> Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
> Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah
> Korah "
>1.5 What is the English translation?
I work with several Indian people, some of whom know a little
sanskrit, they agreed on the following:
Yoodhah - War
Daanyah - Field (as in fields of rice or grain)
Rahtahmah - Jewel (precious stone)
The funeral song repeats "sweet dreams" in sanskrit as well.
They all felt some of the words were translated into english
incorrectly, but would they would look into the rest of the words.
They all thought is was cool that music from TPM had sanskrit, btw.
Taisou