Question Need help in translating some spell

Discussion in 'Translator's Corner' started by ShimizuA, Mar 24, 2017.

  1. ShimizuA

    ShimizuA the best teacher is Life.

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    Sometimes spells are straight forward, sometimes it was a poet like phrase, and sometime it was some random word.

    And I need help for the last type, the random words. Can anybody help me what this katakana means?
    How should I translate it?
    「――白亜の女神よ――エル・サベリ・ヴシュケ・キトラ・イステ――快癒リペア!」
    “――Oh the white goddess ―― Eru, Saberi, Physke, Kitora, Isute ―― Recovery Heal!!
     
  2. Vrinshael

    Vrinshael 【Chaotic】【Fetishist】

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    Looks like random incantation words to me.
     
  3. doomeye1337

    doomeye1337 /人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Incubator, the messenger of magic~

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    I got :
    Eru saberi vushuke kitora isute
    from google translate in terms of pronunciation, so maybe go with that so people can enunciate for themselves?
     
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  4. Cabman11

    Cabman11 Well-Known Member

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    Elizabell is the first word
    That's all im helping with
     
  5. ShimizuA

    ShimizuA the best teacher is Life.

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    Well I guess I go with that pronounciation
     
  6. Noor

    Noor Well-Known Member

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    I think it's fine like that. spell incantation can't be comprehended by commoner after all. you should call a magician and ask for the meaning.
     
  7. Cabman11

    Cabman11 Well-Known Member

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    And the novel is deleted?
     
  8. Ai chan

    Ai chan Queen of Yuri, Devourer of Traps, Thrusted Witch

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    I think the gibberish part are all people names.
    Elle. Sabellius. Psyche. Kitora. Iste.

    Iste could be the front part of an arabic word such as イスティクラル党, イスティマル , or イスティクラル . Or it could be 'iced tea'.
     
  9. ShimizuA

    ShimizuA the best teacher is Life.

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    Yeah. It dissapear from syosetu. There's still webarchive though
     
  10. IlkatSumil

    IlkatSumil 意地悪師

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    First of all, when you have a person/deity’s name or title followed by よ, the speaker is addressing that person/deity directly in an archaic fashion. We can do something similar in English with "O So-and-So!" ("oh" minus the "h") or "Heed me, So-and-So!" Or both.

    Second, most katakana spells are meant to be conlangs with sounds not found in Japanese. They’re often "inspired" by other shit the author read. For example, this author probably got イステ from Cthulhu. Or from someone else who stole from Cthulhu.

    You can try to find all the sources of the author’s inspiration, but that’s never worth the trouble unless it's crucial to the plot. The important thing is that you don’t just romanize the katakana. Take out half the vowels and add letters you wouldn’t usually find in romanization of Japanese, such as "V" and "L." Or "Y" as a vowel. (Physke there is a good try, but ヴ is a "vu" sound not a "fy" sound.)

    Result would be something like this: "Heed me, O White Goddess! El Sabri Vushke Kitra Yste! Recovery!"
     
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  11. Damyabo

    Damyabo [Butcher]

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    Hakua no megami yo
    Eru saberi vushuke kitora isute
    kaiyu ripea
    Under the name of White Godesses
    Elle, Saberi, Veschke, Kitora, Ishute
    Healing Repair
    (will it flow better?)
     
  12. IlkatSumil

    IlkatSumil 意地悪師

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    Note that リペア is the furigana on 快癒. They're not both being said. The author is doing that dumb thing of giving a Japanese word an English pronunciation even though English probably isn't even a language in the world the spell is from.