The little match-seller

【1】 I tusturindion nettë

  

► The little match-seller

【3】 Nánë nairavë ringa ar amna morë i yenyava telda andúnessë, ar hrisyeánë tiucavë.

              

► It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast.

【4】 Niquessë ar huinessë, penya níca nettë, ó parna cas ar parna talu, ranyanë ter i tiër.

                   

► In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets.

【5】 Naitië colles hyapallet yá lonyes marello, mal lánettë faren yuhtaima.

           

► It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use.

【6】 Nánë anhöa, tallë anhöa, é, i ernaniénettë amilyan, ar i penya níca róviénë tu lan nornes lá mallë avaneviën liëraxa atta yat alacantë ruhtaila.

                            

► They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate.

【7】 I hyapalleto sitwë ui encë sen tuvë, ar yondo mapanë etwë ar hónornë ósa, lan eques i ecë sen yuhta sa ve quamma, yá samuvas híni insevë.

                              

► One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it, saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his own.

【8】 Epetai i níca nettë mennë ener ó níca parna talurya, yat nánë faren carnu ar luinu niquenen.

                  

► So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold.

【9】 Mi yerna quiltalannë colles tusturindeli, ar sámes rucca teo máryatsë.

           

► In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of them in her hands.

【10】 Alquen homancaniénë aima sello ter quanna ré, ar alquen aniënë sen níca urustamitta.

              

► No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor had anyone given her even a penny.

【11】 Lan pampes niquenen ar saicenen, hlinces ener; penya níca hína, nemnes angayasseo emma.

                

► Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along; poor little child, she looked the picture of misery.

【12】 Niquissi lantaner anda, vaina findesseryanna, ya linganë lócínen almoryassë, mal uis cennë tai.

                

► The snowflakes fell on her long, fair hair, which hung in curls on her shoulders, but she regarded them not.

【14】 Calmar cálaner ilya lattinello, ar engë torila váno maityavaitë nus, pan nánë i þinyë nó vinya löa -- náto, rennes sa.

                        

► Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of roast goose, for it was New-year's eve--yes, she remembered that.

【15】 Neltessë, imbë marda atta, sitwë rasila han tatwë, harunes ar vaines insë þanga.

                

► In a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled herself together.

【16】 Lúciénes níca talurya nu se, mal ui encë sen alatya i niquë; ar uis vertanë nanwenë mar, pan uis au·mancaniénë tusturindi, ar ui encë sen tulya mar erinqua urustamitta.

                                 

► She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the cold; and she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money.

【17】 Atarya tancavë palpúvanë se; aryë, maryë nánë amna ta ringa ve sissë, pan sámettë rië tópa na tupë tu, ter ya hwá ñaunanë, naqui quantaner i anhoë assar þardenen ar yercampainen.

                                    

► Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here, for they had only the roof to cover them, through which the wind howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags.

【18】 Níca máryat nánë amna helina niquenen.

      

► Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold.

【19】 A! nai urtala tusturin nauva nicë mára, cé encë sen ettucë sa i ruccallo ar petë sa anat i ramba, rië na laucata leperyar.

                          

► Ah! perhaps a burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers.

【20】 Ettunces min - “nyaþ!” yé tintilanes lan uruntes!

       

► She drew one out-"scratch!" how it sputtered as it burnt!

【21】 Ánes lauca, calima cala, ve níca lícuma, lan hampes márya or sa.

               

► It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her hand over it.

【22】 Naitië nánes elmendeä cala.

    

► It was really a wonderful light.

【23】 Nemnë i níca netten i háranes ara alta angaina urna, ó ñaldë calassinë tali ar calassina indyarin.

                  

► It seemed to the little girl that she was sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass feet and a brass ornament.

【24】 Yé i ruinë urtanë! ar nemnes tallë vanimávë lauca í hína racantë talurya vequi laucatanesset, yá, ela! i tusturindo fá firnë, i urna vánë, ar rië haranyes i lemmë i per-runtiéla tusturindo máryassë.

                                     

► How the fire burned! and seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.

【26】 Psarnes enta tusturin i rambassë.

     

► She rubbed another match on the wall.

【27】 Urtanes, caldes, ar yassë calarya ananyes i ramba olanes ta liquisteä ve vaþar, ar polles tirë mina i þambë.

                      

► It burst into a flame, and where its light fell upon the wall it became as transparent as a veil, and she could see into the room.

【28】 I paluhta nánë tupina losseä paluhta-lapilmen, yassë mairë silcemnë veni tarner, ar uryaila váno torda, þañquanta orvainen ar tarquinë pior.

                       

► The table was covered with a snowy white table-cloth, on which stood a splendid dinner service, and a steaming roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums.

【29】 Ar an ambë elmendeä, tá i ván campë nunna i paldallo ar patanë lá i talan, ó cirma yo nelecco amboryassë, i níca nettenna.

                           

► And what was still more wonderful, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled across the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast, to the little girl.

【30】 Tá i tusturin firnë, ar rië i tiuca, nítë, ringa ramba ressë pó se.

                 

► Then the match went out, and there remained nothing but the thick, damp, cold wall before her.

【32】 Nartanes enta tusturin, ar an túves i háranes nu mirya hristornë.

            

► She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas-tree.

【33】 Nánes anhöa ar anvanima quilin epë ya céniénes ter i calceä fenna i herenya maharwa mardessë.

                

► It was larger and more beautifully decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant's.

【34】 Lícumar húmë urteáner i laicë olbassen, ar quilië emmar, ve i céniénes i mancöa-lattinissen, tirner nunna quanna sa.

                     

► Thousands of tapers were burning upon the green branches, and colored pictures, like those she had seen in the show-windows, looked down upon it all.

【35】 I níca racantë márya na tai, ar i tusturin firnë.

           

► The little one stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went out.

【37】 I linë Hristonosto calmar oronyer orwa en anorwa, mennai nemneltë sen i eleni.

              

► The Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her like the stars in the sky.

【38】 Tá cennes elen lanta ar carë ratta náro menelessë.

         

► Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire.

【39】 “Mo fíra”, sannë i níca nettë, pan enwina harunirya, i reä ye aiandë méliénë se, ar ye sí nánë firin, quétiénë sen i yá elen lanta, feä ama·ménanë Erunna.

                                   

► "Some one is dying," thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only one who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.

【41】 Ata psarnes tusturin i rambassë, ar sa caldë os se; i caliëssë enwina harunirya tarnë, aþcenë ar calima, mal moica ar méla nemestanen.

                           

► She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance.

【42】 “Haruni”, holtunë i níca, “A, á tulya ní olyë; istan i auvalyë yá i tusturin telë urta; queluvalyë ve i lauca urna, i váno torda, i alta, alcarin hristornë”.

                                     

► "Grandmother," cried the little one, "O take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the roast goose, and the large, glorious Christmas-tree."

【43】 Ar ronganes narta quanna rucca tusturindion, pan mernes hepë harunirya sassë.

            

► And she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there.

【44】 Ar i tusturindi culunyer calanen ya nánë ancalina epë endaurë, ar harunirya allumë fai léliénë tallë alta hya tallë vanima.

                     

► And the matches glowed with a light that was brighter than the noon-day, and her grandmother had never appeared so large or so beautiful.

【45】 Nampes i níca nettë mina rancurya, ar amavillettë alcarenna ar alassenna háya or Ambar, yassë engë yúla niquë yúla saicë yúla ñwalma, pan nánettë ó Eru.

                             

► She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness and joy far above the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.

【47】 Ambarónessë engë caitala i penya níca, ó malwa carannat ar reo os anto, niryaila i ramba; héliénes qualmen i coranáro telda þinyessë ; ar i luo minya Anar amoronyë ar caldë níca loiconna!

                                    

► In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth, leaning against the wall; she had been frozen to death on the last evening of the year; and the New-year's sun rose and shone upon a little corpse!

【48】 I hína en háranë, ñuruo taryassenen, ó i tusturindi quáreryassë, yaron rucca min amna nánë littë,

                   

► The child still sat, in the stiffness of death, holding the matches in her hand, one bundle of which was burnt.

【49】 “Rinces laucata insë,” equë mo.

      

► "She tried to warm herself," said some.

【50】 Alquen sannë yanë vanimë nati céniénes, tala mina yana alcar mittaniénes ó harunirya, luo minya ressë.

                  

► No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year's day.