Els Cätsilor d'Úlþar

Els Cätsilor d'Úlþar

Author: Siervicül, Cresti Matáiwos, UrN

Date: 2nd of November, 2014/XXXV

Description: Talossan translation of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Cats of Ulthar.

Els Cätsilor d’Úlþar is the sixth Day-Late, Louis-Short Halloween Story published in 2014/XXXV by Sir Cresti Matáiwos Siervicül, UrN. It is the Talossan translation of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Cats of Ulthar.

The Text

Talossan translation

Original text

Els Cätsilor d’Úlþar par H. P. Lovecraft glheþinat par Cresti M. Siervicül, UrN C’e zirescu qe in Úlþar, qi’st trans la fiova Skai, aucün vür put aucidarh ün cäts; es acest éu put crezitarh quand lo risguardeveu qi sesta es truna avant el féu. Parç q’el cäts isch crüptic, es próxim àls cosas stroinschas q’els vürs non povent vidarh. O isch l’alma Exhipça anciént, es l’apoarteir da rascatzen dals citaes obliadas in Meroe es Ophir. O isch el relativeu dal xhungla sè dómnuis, es el sovind àls secrets dal Abrica aldradour es sinisteir. La Sfinxha isch sieu cüzina, es o parla sieu glheþ; mas o isch pü anciént qe la Sfinxha, es sovenença qet a tent obliescu. In Úlþar, avant els edilicieux tradichevent l’aucidaziun dels cätsilor, vivev’iens daceir vell es sieu uschor, qi amevent à tzaparh es viegnharh els cätsilor da lors voiçins. Útqet os façevent acest, éu non säp; mas muiteux haßent la voce d’iens cäts dürant el nic’ht, es non lor piaça q’els cätsilor supreße corient trans las almas es els xhardeneux àl lüscra. Mas n’importa q’esteva la raziun, acest sénesch es aceasta anuglha lor façeva plaschair à tzaparh es à viegnharh toct dels cätsilor qe proximevent lor stamberga; es eftir dels sons q’estevent auscultats osprei l’ocasusoglh, muiteux viatxaists pensevent qe la façiun del viegnharh esteva extrem pecüliar. Mas els viatxaists non ziscutevent dals cosas com’acest cün el sénesch es sieu uschor, à c’hauça dal exprimaziun usançal sür las faças flapidadas dels doua, es parç qe lor dacea esteva sa tita es sa ben ascunçada sub cjaes zisterninds in arüc d’iensa cura negleptada. À fäts, tondavon q’els tischeirs dels cätsilor haßevent acestilor int estragnhen, os lor temnevent pü q’acest; es anstada da raplamandarh-lor com’asasins belvineux, emparet os atentevent à sigürarh q’ün deír cüritat eda atrapeir da suorschen numadadra àl stamberga zisparada sub els arvours auscürs. Quand par quálsevol omiziun ün cäts esteva toscat, es dels sons estevent auscultats osprei l’ocasusoglh, el pierdeir pacatorxhamint lacrimadra; eda se acunustadra par ingraschelarh Zestzinà qe non c’esteva viens da sieux fíeux qi tignhova scumparat com’acest. Els popuis d’Úlþar estevent simpis, es non säpevent daduve toct i cätsilor venevent àl prüm. Sür viensa ziua ün caravan da numadeirs stroinscheux del Sudur entreva els straiteux extricts d’Úlþar. Os estevent dels numadeirs moritzen, es non resemblevent els ödreux obambuleirs qi paßeva trans el vilatx doua fäts in cadascu anneu. In el mercatal os praizirevent els fortüns per l’erxhent, es comprevent dels plätsulins saraviats dels marcedaunts. Qet esteva la tzara d’acestilor numadeirs, neviens säpeva; mas césteva videscu q’os stroinschamint urevent, es q’os tignhovent peintat sür las sidas da lors forcätsilor dels figürs stroinscheux cün corputzen þumaes es el cäpsilor da cätsilor, haizuas, beitxours, es liuns. Es el duceu del caravan apoartev’iens pour cün doua cornas es ün disc estragnh intra las cornas. In acest caravan singular hi estev’iens puercul sanc patreu es sanc matra, es o solamint tignhov’iens cätset pic’hotsch es negreu per cüritarh. La peista non c’esteva cüf à lo, mas tignhova laßescu aceasta coseta fürös per mïusiçarh el mairour; es quand si isch trei xhovan, si put trovarh del respiramaintsch grült in las leitxaes vivatschen d’iens cätset negreu. Sa el puercul q’els pópuis moritzen nominevent Menes smaideva pü qe plöreva quand o sesteva es xhueva cün sieu cätset elegind sür els trepeux d’iens vagon stroinschamint peintat. Sür el morgun tierçéu dal tempurada dels numadeirs in Úlþar, Menes non pognheva trovarh sieu cätset; es quand o hardop sancluteva in el mercatal, dels viatxaists lo zireva del sénesch es sieu uschor, es dels sons q’estevent auscultats dürant el nic’ht. Es quand o ausculteva acestilor cosas sieux sanclots estevent remplaçats par meditaziun, es enfin par prexheux. O extendeva els brätsilor àl sol es ureva in ün glheþ q’els viatxaists non pognhevent cumprencarh; mas echida els viatxaists non vrätsmint atentevent à cumrpencarh, parç q’el püpärts da lor atenziun esteva preindada par el çéu es par las formas estragnhen q’els nivois façevent. C’esteva trei pecüliar, mas quand el puercul oirschireva sieu petiziun, sembleva qe inalt là dels figürs uuas es nievleschti da cosas exotici; da cretzours mestiçeschti, coronificats par dischti es cornas. El Natür isch empienat par tais cosas q’impreßent els imaxhinapunts. Sür acest nic’ht els numadeirs zespartevent d’Úlþar, es non estevent videschti ün ödreu fäts. Es els viatxaists estevent zestorveschti quand os acorçevent qe si non pognheva trovarh aucün cätsilor in el vilatx entieir. Da cadascu vatra el cäts famiglhar tignhova scumparat; els cätsilor grülts es titeux, negreux, grischuns, raiats, vermeis, es biançéux. El Sénesch Kranon, el Citanal, xhureva q’els int moritzen tignhovent preindescu els cätsilor, svo àð revançarh per l’asasinà da Menes sè cätset; es o maladeva el caravan es el puercul. Mas Niþ, el tularxheu lieseu, zesclareva q’el sénesch es sieu uschor estevent dels pü verschains à suspectarh; parç qe lor armiqesi dels cätsilor esteva alcunéu es ischant coraxhös. Mas neviens desfiseva à complainarh àls cunxhugais sinisteirs; misma quand el titeu Atall, el figlheu del ceaverneir, detxereva qe àl lüscra o tignhova videscu toct i cätsilor d’Úlþar in aceasta cura cursada sub els arvours, es q’os bielplanc es solenéamint çauçlevent circüm la dacea, doua cost’à c’hosta, sa schi os romplievent quálsevol sorta da ritivéu unsäpescu dels bestéux. Els viatxaists non säpevent quançeu si fostevent credarh del puercul titeu; es ívenðo os temnevent qe la cündoma mal tignhova entiçat els cätsilor àl moart, os mavelevent d’ainsilarh el sénesch avant os pognhevent rencontarh-lo àl exteriör da sieu cura auscür es repoßind. Sa Úlþar adormeva avetz iraschença fützil, es quand els popuis staistevent àl alvorada—¡eicea! ¡cadascu cäts tignhova revenescu à sieu vatra acustomada! Grülts es titeux, negreux, grischuns, raiats, vermeis, es biançéux, aucün estevent ac’htais. Trei gleschen es fätsilor os apiarevent, es clinchinds avetz contentità trunind. Els citaxhiens parlevent l’iens cün l’ödreu del afar, es undereva, non ün po. El Sénesch Kranon ün ödreu fäts insisteva q’els int moritzen lor preindeva, parç q’els cätsilor non revenadrent vivinds dal dacea del sénesch es sieu uschor. Mas os toct agreévent da viensa cosa: c’esteva trei estragnh qe toct i cätsilor refuçevent à menxharh lors porziuns da viind es à büvarh da lors sietons da lapta. Es per doua ziuas entieirs els cätsilor gleschen es lenginds d’Úlþar non tochevent aucün eziun, mas solamint impalichevent við el féu eda sub el sol. Üna seifetziua entieir tignhova paßat avant els viatxaists acorçevent q’aucün luschti apiarevent àl lüscra in las fenestras dal dacea sub els arvours. Es Niþ el lieseu remarcheva qe neviens tignhova víut el sénesch eda sieu uschor des’chind el nic’ht quand els cätsilor quarfevent. Osprei üna ödra seifetziua el citanal zecideva à perdumarh sieux pörs es à visitarh el þavitaglh sileçös com’iensa facenda da deveir, ívenðo quand o en façeva o esteva várlegeu, es acompagnhat par Shäng, el furxheir, es Þull, el lapideceisour, come temognhen. Es quand os tignhovent schpartallojmat la poarta, os trovevent solamint acest: doua s’cheletas þumaes, picladas es espumicadas, sür el tavleu gleglhént, es severais scarais singulaes qe vulevent in els cjuings uuas. Acternamint hi esteva dal cuntenziun starp els edilicieux d’Úlþar. Zäþ, el coroneir, duratzie raisneva cün Niþ, el tularxheu lieseu; es Kranon es Shäng es Þull estevent ziverberats par fragas. Misma el puercul Atall, el ceaverneir sè figlheu, esteva intervat es demunerat cün ün benben. Os parlevent del sénesch es da sieu uschor, del caravan dels numadeirs moritzen, del titeu Menes es sieu cätset negreu, del erost da Menes es del çéu dürant l’erost, dals aziuns dels cätsilor sür el nic’ht osprei el caravan zesparteca, es da qetpü schpeit esteva trovat in la dacea sub els arvours auscürs dal alma deschis’chind. Es enfin els edilicieux paßevent acest legeu recordaval, da qet zirent els marcedaunts da Háþeg es qet ziscutent els ombambuleirs in Nir; nempì, qe in Úlþar aucün vür put aucidarh ün cäts.

The Cats of Ulthar by H. P. Lovecraft translated by Cresti M. Siervicül, UrN It is said that in Ulthar, which lies beyond the river Skai, no man may kill a cat; and this I can verily believe as I gaze upon him who sitteth purring before the fire. For the cat is cryptic, and close to strange things which men cannot see. He is the soul of antique Aegyptus, and bearer of tales from forgotten cities in Meroë and Ophir. He is the kin of the jungle’s lords, and heir to the secrets of hoary and sinister Africa. The Sphinx is his cousin, and he speaks her language; but he is more ancient than the Sphinx, and remembers that which she hath forgotten. In Ulthar, before ever the burgesses forbade the killing of cats, there dwelt an old cotter and his wife who delighted to trap and slay the cats of their neighbours. Why they did this I know not; save that many hate the voice of the cat in the night, and take it ill that cats should run stealthily about yards and gardens at twilight. But whatever the reason, this old man and woman took pleasure in trapping and slaying every cat which came near to their hovel; and from some of the sounds heard after dark, many villagers fancied that the manner of slaying was exceedingly peculiar. But the villagers did not discuss such things with the old man and his wife; because of the habitual expression on the withered faces of the two, and because their cottage was so small and so darkly hidden under spreading oaks at the back of a neglected yard. In truth, much as the owners of cats hated these odd folk, they feared them more; and instead of berating them as brutal assassins, merely took care that no cherished pet or mouser should stray toward the remote hovel under the dark trees. When through some unavoidable oversight a cat was missed, and sounds heard after dark, the loser would lament impotently; or console himself by thanking Fate that it was not one of his children who had thus vanished. For the people of Ulthar were simple, and knew not whence it is all cats first came. One day a caravan of strange wanderers from the South entered the narrow cobbled streets of Ulthar. Dark wanderers they were, and unlike the other roving folk who passed through the village twice every year. In the market-place they told fortunes for silver, and bought gay beads from the merchants. What was the land of these wanderers none could tell; but it was seen that they were given to strange prayers, and that they had painted on the sides of their wagons strange figures with human bodies and the heads of cats, hawks, rams, and lions. And the leader of the caravan wore a head-dress with two horns and a curious disc betwixt the horns. There was in this singular caravan a little boy with no father or mother, but only a tiny black kitten to cherish. The plague had not been kind to him, yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow; and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a black kitten. So the boy whom the dark people called Menes smiled more often than he wept as he sate playing with his graceful kitten on the steps of an oddly painted wagon. On the third morning of the wanderers’ stay in Ulthar, Menes could not find his kitten; and as he sobbed aloud in the market-place certain villagers told him of the old man and his wife, and of sounds heard in the night. And when he heard these things his sobbing gave place to meditation, and finally to prayer. He stretched out his arms toward the sun and prayed in a tongue no villager could understand; though indeed the villagers did not try very hard to understand, since their attention was mostly taken up by the sky and the odd shapes the clouds were assuming. It was very peculiar, but as the little boy uttered his petition there seemed to form overhead the shadowy, nebulous figures of exotic things; of hybrid creatures crowned with horn-flanked discs. Nature is full of such illusions to impress the imaginative. That night the wanderers left Ulthar, and were never seen again. And the householders were troubled when they noticed that in all the village there was not a cat to be found. From each hearth the familiar cat had vanished; cats large and small, black, grey, striped, yellow, and white. Old Kranon, the burgomaster, swore that the dark folk had taken the cats away in revenge for the killing of Menes’ kitten; and cursed the caravan and the little boy. But Nith, the lean notary, declared that the old cotter and his wife were more likely persons to suspect; for their hatred of cats was notorious and increasingly bold. Still, no one durst complain to the sinister couple; even when little Atal, the innkeeper’s son, vowed that he had at twilight seen all the cats of Ulthar in that accursed yard under the trees, pacing very slowly and solemnly in a circle around the cottage, two abreast, as if in performance of some unheard-of rite of beasts. The villagers did not know how much to believe from so small a boy; and though they feared that the evil pair had charmed the cats to their death, they preferred not to chide the old cotter till they met him outside his dark and repellent yard. So Ulthar went to sleep in vain anger; and when the people awaked at dawn—behold! every cat was back at his accustomed hearth! Large and small, black, grey, striped, yellow, and white, none was missing. Very sleek and fat did the cats appear, and sonorous with purring content. The citizens talked with one another of the affair, and marvelled not a little. Old Kranon again insisted that it was the dark folk who had taken them, since cats did not return alive from the cottage of the ancient man and his wife. But all agreed on one thing: that the refusal of all the cats to eat their portions of meat or drink their saucers of milk was exceedingly curious. And for two whole days the sleek, lazy cats of Ulthar would touch no food, but only doze by the fire or in the sun. It was fully a week before the villagers noticed that no lights were appearing at dusk in the windows of the cottage under the trees. Then the lean Nith remarked that no one had seen the old man or his wife since the night the cats were away. In another week the burgomaster decided to overcome his fears and call at the strangely silent dwelling as a matter of duty, though in so doing he was careful to take with him Shang the blacksmith and Thul the cutter of stone as witnesses. And when they had broken down the frail door they found only this: two cleanly picked human skeletons on the earthen floor, and a number of singular beetles crawling in the shadowy corners. There was subsequently much talk among the burgesses of Ulthar. Zath, the coroner, disputed at length with Nith, the lean notary; and Kranon and Shang and Thul were overwhelmed with questions. Even little Atal, the innkeeper’s son, was closely questioned and given a sweetmeat as reward. They talked of the old cotter and his wife, of the caravan of dark wanderers, of small Menes and his black kitten, of the prayer of Menes and of the sky during that prayer, of the doings of the cats on the night the caravan left, and of what was later found in the cottage under the dark trees in the repellent yard. And in the end the burgesses passed that remarkable law which is told of by traders in Hatheg and discussed by travellers in Nir; namely, that in Ulthar no man may kill a cat.