LT Aine Sherlock - Bad Translations Again?

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Aine Sherlock

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Nov 25, 2022, 9:23:15 PM11/25/22

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((USS Narendra, Holodeck, Sakura Karaoke))

Aine was absolutely relieved. Playing as if she wasn't afraid, as if she were even enthusiastic paid off...for one round at least. She would definitely try to keep it up. Sera seemed to aqueous as was willing to step up to the plate, so to speak. And what a treat, for she'd never heard spoken Vulcan music. Her one visit to the planet, there was plenty of music, but none verbal.

Sera: Very well, Lieutenant Sherlock. I am certain that my selection will give you all vast insight to who I am psychologically.

Alora beamed and Aine raised an eyebrow. She wondered what exactly that meant: who I am psychologically. And what, if that were the case, her own song selection said about her.

DeVeau: Great! I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully!

Tito: response

As Sera made her way to the dias, Aine followed her with a watchful eye, with eyebrow still raised.

Sera: These songs are regional…I don’t know any of them…and…they are funeral dirges. ::peeved in Vulcan:: Who designed this program?

Alora giggled and couldn't not as well. She turned towards Alora, there was always someone to blame. Too bad who she was about to wasn't there to hide behind their PADD.

Sherlock: ::jokingly, accusingly, overdramatically:: Vargas! ::turning back to Sera:: Just...sing something you're familiar with.

Sera: You…want me…to sing something I know?

DeVeau: Why not? I mean, in Karaoke, you generally need to at least know the tune passably. This just means you know the tune *and* the words.

Sherlock: Yeah, like a song you'd hum while you worked. Do Vulcan's hum?

It was a rhetorical question more meant to poke at Sera. Round two perhaps?

Tito: response

Sera: It will be without musical accompaniment. There are no melodies that align with the song I know.

Sherlock: That should be very ::pausing in a way Sera might feel was mocking:: interesting.

DeVeau: That’s all right! I mean, if I knew it, I could accompany you on the Vulcan harp or the guitar, or something, but I don’t know if I do or not, so maybe it would be better to just sing acapella.

Sera: Very well.

Aine was grinning from ear to ear. After getting Sera to "open up" a bit in their first interaction, this night could not have gone better. Now she'd have to bare even more of herself. Sitting slightly slumped in her chair, arms crossed, her grin went from feeling pleased to feeling devious as Sera tapped the mic.

Sera: <<In Vulcan, obs>>

Yuk, na' sochya
bru-lar k'wuhli heh ak'shem hayal,
nahp svizh-tor spo' wuh fnish-tor t' wuh sahriv po' mazhiv-yon,
fi' tor t'nash-veh wadi u' du,
kauk svi' sochya nam-tor hau tor t'nash-veh maut hasu
wuh ska' tal-muv ralash k'svi wuh goh tvelkau nash-veh had ek'wak pufai-tor
–abi' wuh wak, abi' nash gad
ish-veh kashek variben nuh' mau, halishau tan-tor svi'
wi nash-veh is-tor tor ish-veh dungi,
zhuk-fas-tor svi' wuh yon tor shetau wuh huhtik t' wun-mor
wuh dor, morov na' heh skil-tor
lu ish-veh ki' vesh' nash-veh ik t'nash-veh sha' dvel eku nash-veh svi'
khom t' thee
wuh eit'jae, wuh nufaya –
oh Ket’cheleb
dungau du nah-tor tor fnau wuh shaht-fam igen?
t'nash-veh khaf-spol kuhsh-tor wuh yokul maf k'svi thee.
nash-veh aitlun tor shaya du, u' wuh t'naehm resha ek'wakik ne'rak thy wadi
hi nash-veh hafau t'nash-veh el'ru fi-tor ish-veh nak,
wuh kur’s t' mazhiv heh khaf heh shaukaush spes’fam kras-tor fi-tor thy wadi
du fam yehat gol'nev ra du nam-tor, ish-veh ki' vesh' pitoh svi' wuh yel
hi nash-veh wuh sayonotau nekwitaya
nash-veh thy korsovaya
il veshau…if nash-veh dvel-tor

A few words were familiar to Aine. Cognates between Ancient Vulcan and Romulan. And some were definitely false cognates that just confused her.

Sherlock: What does it mean? Can you tell us in Standard?

This time she was being genuine. She loved to poke and prod at Sera, but singing was something dear to her. She wouldn't admit it to anyone in that room...or any crew she'd served with. It was a tradition back home that she participated in since childhood. She wasn't very good at it though.

Sera: I…I can. However, I am uncertain if it will sound…It may not translate well.

DeVeau: Please, I’d love to hear it in my native tongue!

Tito: response

Sherlock: No, just in Standard is fine. Doesn't have to be in everyone's native tongue.

Sera sighed heavily. To be fair, literal translations rarely made sense when it came to song. That and the change in syllabic structure often made things less musical.

Sera:

Asleep, at peace
lips parted and body limp,
Your thoughts linger like the scent of the storm after sandfire,
Clinging to my skin as you,
even in repose are bound to my very being
A discordant chord within the only melody I had ever known
–until the times, until this day
Your mind calls too much, demands surrender
Yet I hardened to your will,
Forged in the fires to become the strongest of blades
A prize, battled for and won
When it was I who willingly set myself before thee
A supplicant, an offering –
Oh Ket’Cheleb
shall you think to tame the Endless sky?
My heart thrums to the consuming lament within thee.
I want to break you, as the war rages eternal beneath thy skin
But I stay my hand upon your cheek,
the colors of sand and blood and passions unspoken painted upon thy skin
You cannot help what you are, it was written in the stars
But I am the quenching force
I am thy salvation
Or destruction…if I choose.

Aine began to clap and she noticed Alora standing in ovation. She followed suit, welcoming Sera down from the dais.

DeVeau: That was fantastic, Sera! Absolutely beautiful!

Sherlock: Yes, Sera. It was lovely.

Aine thought back to that comment about psychology. Which part of that tune? "I am thy salvation or destruction ...if I choose?" Or how about "I want to break you, as the war rages eternal beneath thy skin?" As boring as Vulcans could seem, their music, from what she'd just heard, was quite a bit more malevolent.

Sera/Tito: response

Alora grinned broadly at the poor Vulcan who had endured everything with such grace.

DeVeau: Seriously, you did great. You have a lovely voice!

And now, Aine would need to go on the defensive. Alora's turn towards her and Tito meant she'd clearly not forgotten why she'd summoned them there.

DeVeau: Well, now we have to decide who goes next.

Sherlock: oONot it!Oo Gentlemen first?

Sera/Tito: response

Alora crossed her arms and beamed daggers between the two of them. Aine almost felt like Big Mac was standing there after catching them doing something wrong.

DeVeau: I think the only male member of this group should add his lower voice to the mix.

Sherlock: I agree. We need some balance. Balance in all things!

Sera/Tito: response

DeVeau: Should I pull rank?

Aine just grinned and quickly and sharply nodded her head. A quick raise of the eyebrows to try and coax Alora into ordering Tito to get up there and sing.

Sera/Tito: response

Aine leaned in towards Alora slightly.

Sherlock: I mean, technically, I could order him to go next? ::shrugging::

DeVeau: ?

And it was then she realized she should have just let Tito dig his own grave. So be it. Chance taken...and failed.

Sherlock: ::glaring at Tito, but talking to Alora:: Very well. I'll go next.

Sera/Tito: ?

It was time to get serious. Aine unzipped the jacket of her uniform and tossed it on her chair. She walked up to the dais and looked up to see if the song she wanted was in the database. If it wasn't, she had no problem singing it just as she'd done in pubs back home, but alas, it was there. She queued it up and stepped up to the mic. The strumming of a guitar began to come over the speakers and her eyes closed, they always closed when she sang.

Sherlock: ((OOC for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-QYzQDUHUw))

Fill-iú oro hú o

Bu tu mo chruinneag bhóidheach

Fill-iú oro hú o

Dheighinn dhan a' ghealaich leat

Nan gealladh to mo phósadh

Fill-iú oro hú o

Bu tu mo chruinneag bhóidheach

Fill-iú oro hú o

Dheighinn leat a dh'Uidhist

Far am buidhicheadh an t-eórna

Fill-iú oro hú o

Bu tu mo chruinneag bhóidheach

Fill-iú oro hú o

Dheighinn leat a dh'Éirinn

Gu féill nam ban óga

Fill-iú oro hú o

Bu tu mo chruinneag bhóidheach

Fill-iú oro hú o

Rachfainn 'dtí na réalta

Dá dtiocfá liomsa