Den 25. sep. 2006 kl. 22.25 skrev taliesin the storyteller:

> In memory of John M. Ford, who wrote (among other things) a most
> excellent book about Klingons before this world had discovered  
> tlhIngan
> Hol and ST:TNG.

Very hard translation. Especially to a bronze-age language like  
Gaajan. But I'll make a try in Urianian. This is not going to be  
elegant I'm afraid, because I'm not going to take much poetic  
license. Rather it will be more of a literal translation, just for  
the exercise.

> Against Entropy

Dirditi entropet (lit. resistance-inst entropy-abl, that is: in  
resistance against entropy)

> The worm drives helically through the wood

Mas rif kirtuni dravat tara (worm drives screw-like-inst penetrating  
wood-acc)

> And does not know the dust left in the bore

je ni kin bilet litni istu (and not knows meal-acc.pl left-pl hole- 
loc - dust is not collective in Urianian)

> Once made the table integral and good;

Hm, I don't get this sense quite, but here goes:
ini urken pilda fend je fet; (once made-3p［that is: referring to the  
dust］table-acc whole and good)

> And suddenly the crystal hits the floor.

je anti krystal drak tumbida. (and sudden-inst crystal hits floor-acc)

> Electrons find their paths in subtle ways,

Elektrone sinet esan ajan, vinvitit juli, (electrons road-acc.pl  
their find-3p approach-inst.pl cunning-pl)

> A massless eddy in a trail of smoke;

tern tumam lisu rakit; (eddy mass-less trail-loc smoke-abl)

> The names of lovers, light of other days—

nammi kasinan, lag tunan elli- (names lover-gen.pl light day-gen.pl  
other-pl)

> Perhaps you will not miss them. That's the joke.

fu it ni mingavit. (maybe［be-3s-subj］them not miss-subj-2s) Dat e  
lamas. (that is joke-dem.nom.s)

> The universe winds down. That’s how it's made.

Univers visur nya. (universe wind-refl-3s down-acc) Dat e vittas josi  
urkin. (that is way-dem.nom.s which-inst make-pass.3s)

> But memory is everything to lose;

Word-order a little confusing here, but I think it is:
nu kenz e lirkid elziset; (but memory is lose-inf everything-acc.pl)

> Although some of the colors have to fade,

dende eng e palnid igai bragvan, (though necessary is fade-inf some- 
dat colour-gen.pl)

> Do not believe you'll get the chance to choose.

ni virki fekvit mita kastendi. (not believe-imp.2s get-subj.2s chance- 
acc choosing-dat)

> Regret, by definition, comes too late;

Glerd, sa zuzi, jum teri nikta; (regret, its nature-inst, comes slow/ 
late-inst enough-acc)

> Say what you mean. Bear witness. Iterate.

si saji jos mijit. (it-acc say-imp.2s which mean-2s) Nimi tiket.  
(give-out-imp.2s proof-acc.pl) Zipi. (repeat-imp.2s)

And all together again:

Dirditi entropet

Mas rif kirtuni dravat tara
je ni kin bilet litni istu
ini urken pilda fend je fet;
je anti krystal drak tumbida.
Elektrone sinet esan ajan, vinvitit juli,
tern tumam lisu rakit;
nammi kasinan, lag tunan elli-
fu it ni mingavit. Dat e lamas.
Univers visur nya. Dat e vittas josi urkin.
nu kenz e lirkid elziset;
dende eng e palnid igai bragvan,
ni virki fekvit mita kastendi.
Glerd, sa zuzi, jum teri nikta;
si saji jos mijit. Nimi tiket. Zipi.

My goodness, can't believe I spent all evening with this. But I sent  
away some work yesterday and hopefully have a few days off now, so  
can afford it. And I did get a few new words, thanks for the exercise.

Greetings,
LEF