mi pini e oko mi a! mi pilin e wan ona (I close my eyes, oh! I feel with one of them)
A song in Toki Pona. Toki Pona is an artificially constructed language with a vocabulary of just over a hundred words. In this language, complex concepts are expressed by combining simple words creatively. For example, “rain” is “water (telo) above (sewi)”. It is witty of you to notice that telo is de l’eau! What, with these few words you want to say “You and I listen and feel the sounds of the rain, and then we will know their myriad travels”? You will find out if you listen!
This song was the catalyst that sparked my Toki Pona journey. Its lyrics were the first words I got acquainted with and the very first sentences I grew to appreciate. The language’s creator, Sonja, envisioned the language as “fun and cute”, of which this track I think is a vivid manifestation.
Upon first encounter, I did not understand a single word, yet the overall atmosphere soaked me in an unexpectedly evocative impression: this felt like a song sung together with many, many dear friends. As it happens, the lyrics indeed narrate as such from the perspective of a raindrop:
ona li tan kon walo pimeja (She comes from the dark clouds)
poka jan pona, li pilin e ijo nanpa wan (Together with friends, experiencing everything for the first time)
li lukin e jan, e tomo, e kasi, e soweli (Seeing people, houses, plants, and animals)
la ona li pilin pona! (And thus she feels good!)
This song also has a Japanese version, an Esperanto version, and an a cappella version. A comment on the Japanese version envisioned the music to be captivating as a set piece in a wind band competition. This breezy, friend-y vibe definitely matches the Japanese high school wind band style! Conductor, I want to have this on our programme!
Sweetfish AyuHalf-baked polyglot, inquiring into every corner of the world.
A song in Toki Pona. Toki Pona is an artificially constructed language with a vocabulary of just over a hundred words. In this language, complex concepts are expressed by combining simple words creatively. For example, “rain” is “water (telo) above (sewi)”. It is witty of you to notice that telo is de l’eau! What, with these few words you want to say “You and I listen and feel the sounds of the rain, and then we will know their myriad travels”? You will find out if you listen!
This song was the catalyst that sparked my Toki Pona journey. Its lyrics were the first words I got acquainted with and the very first sentences I grew to appreciate. The language’s creator, Sonja, envisioned the language as “fun and cute”, of which this track I think is a vivid manifestation.
Upon first encounter, I did not understand a single word, yet the overall atmosphere soaked me in an unexpectedly evocative impression: this felt like a song sung together with many, many dear friends. As it happens, the lyrics indeed narrate as such from the perspective of a raindrop:
This song also has a Japanese version, an Esperanto version, and an a cappella version. A comment on the Japanese version envisioned the music to be captivating as a set piece in a wind band competition. This breezy, friend-y vibe definitely matches the Japanese high school wind band style! Conductor, I want to have this on our programme!