RE: RE: The Untranslatability of Ideas: Reading a Poem in Afrikaans and Reflections on Translation
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RE: The Untranslatability of Ideas: Reading a Poem in Afrikaans and Reflections on Translation

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I think I know what you mean. Perhaps. :)

In Finnish it doesn't matter in which order you place the words in the sentence, it may sound funny, but it doesn't make the word mean anything else than what it is. You can even place the verb for instance to the end of the sentence, like in German language and it's fine. It may sound funny or be correct but by rearranging the words, you can determine more emphasis on certain words as usually the first word or first words have more meaning that the later ones. So of course it's used in poetry.

Kissa istuu puussa, correct way to say that the cat is sitting in a tree. Main object is the cat that just happens to sit in a tree.
Puussa istuu kissa, correct way to say that in that particular tree, there's a cat sitting so the main object is the tree but still the message is the same. Cat in a tree.
Istuu kissa puussa, still everyone understands that there is a cat in the tree but sounds a bit poetic way to say it.
And all the remaining options since you only need three words in Finnish to say this as the word puussa = in a tree / in the tree. Puu = tree, -ssa (suffix) = in.
Kissa puussa istuu,
Puussa kissa istuu,
Istuu puussa kissa,
still the same meaning in all of these, cat sits in the tree but even more sounding like phrases from a poem.

I wonder if I could make a poem out of this... Not a good one but perhaps something.

Kissa istuu puussa
Missäpä muussa
Ei ainakaan kuussa

A cat is sitting in a tree
Where else
Not in the moon
Puussa kissa istuu
Kohta kai vilustuu
Ehkä jo alas astuu

A cat is sitting in a tree
I guess it'll catch a cold soon
Maybe it's already stepping down
Istuu puussa kissa
Niin kuin muissakin puissa
Kaikissa istuu kissa

A cat is sitting in a tree
As in other trees too
In every tree there's a cat sitting

Oh man that translation sucks! :D But it's literal so that you get the idea.

@insaneworks: I think I know | Ecency