Sidhaisin:

The Sidhai Teaching-tale -- An Excerpt

The following is a slightly longer excerpt from the introduction of the Sidhai Teaching Tale than is seen elsewhere in these web pages. The Teaching Tale is the first lesson given to Sidhas children about their cultural and religious heritage, and it begins, as you will see below, with a brief explanation of who the Elves are, and why they are that way.

An English translation follows the Sidhaisin original.

Yras ailel sel, o sidhai, auth tovas ailo sela gishrin, nyolm o idhis ad o Rinuai :: H'aila selas ost, h'aila selas ishielan :: Ma sadh'ailu selostas ::

Othis sho'm o firis auth o veth ad o Sidhai, luth taiasa ailera siethe, eth sel ilpasa aila, auth o veth o firis tisathra ::

S'o Sivom Aivor Ra, Lindelona sel siri difasa anithera, rimenas auth veltisas os o isel ad o thihnas ralmel :: Gau, kintasa, sel vertas ihalna os thi o nasalmel ad Narth ::

Lindelona shymsal os Othashym auth o drasasa essin ad Ralmon immesera auth nidhera, luth thel si selas ailisel fydhi tai tho sel isulera :: Gau sel etha ad shymsal auth ad gaishrin, auth sel si o Shymai auth si alledehf drida ::

Lindelona sel firera d'o hethrak d'o hilys, auth d'o hilys tho taila nienera del sel, auth d'o hilys tho inadhera de sel :: Gau sel etha ad o hilys, auth sel elmasa o hilys inadha ::

Auth Lindelona lijera auth Lindelona ishielera de tho inadhe, auth tho thos debeme falera (athloa d'o sindelos ad o ralmel "Lijryn d'o hilysel" ama) :: Gau elmasa sel ishiela auth sel lija de o hilysel ::

Alb nasa eth, Lindelona aila naladas de ithadr'o jal thos aila. Auth sel, elmasa, aila naladas vo albela sel drida ::

He aila jal sel aila // shymethe, ralmisule, la gaishrin auth ythols auth inadhe, maudris siledhe de ishielan auth hithie auth alledhef ::

Sho alman de sel thos firera aibas Ra, sho alman o debemel ad jen kebu r'o sede ad ythele :: He aila jen sel aila // eyothon, eyoth auth atoshan, thi os o Alman idhis, jen sel iethra, nadu, nasa sul jen nossalaro es Yadhavailde ::

(Old are we, the Sidhai, and great was our power, before the coming of men. This is our story, this is our song. It shall never be forgotten.

Hear first the making and the nature of the Elves, for as was without, so are we within, and the nature mirrors the making.

On the Second Day of Creation, Lindelona did go forth to make us, alone and separate from the works of the other gods. Thus, too, we stand apart from all the other races of Narth.

Lindelona asked for and received starlight from Borah and the very stuff of Asutine for to add them to our beings as she did sculpt us. Thus we are born of starlight and of power, and we are drawn to the stars and to magic.

Lindelona made us in the shade of the forest, and in the forest did breathe life into us, and in the forest took joy in us. Thus we are born of the forest, and in the forest take too our joy.

And Lindelona did dance and sing in her joy, and did take her name (which means "Dancer in the Forests" in the tongue of the gods). Thus we, too, sing and dance in the forests.

But even so, Lindelona is fierce in protection of what is hers. And we, too, are fierce when need draws us.

This is what we are -- starborn, godshaped, gifted with power and light and joy, skilled in song and battle and spell.

One hundred she made of us that Day, one hundred whose names will be remembered until the end of time. This is who we are -- nation, clan and family, all coming from the Hundred, whom we honor, yea, even those corrupted by the Darkchild.)


This page was created on November 7, 1997.
Last modified March 12, 2011.