Translation Question

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sherubtse
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:10 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Translation Question

Post by sherubtse »

Question 8, Exercise 4, of _the Pali Primer_ asks for a translation of
the following sentence:

"Kumaaraa mittehi saha bhuupaala.m passanti."

In the Pali Day-by-Day answers, on http://www.tipitaka.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, the answer is given
as: "Boys, [together] with friends, see the king."

But I had translated it as: "Boys see the king with [his] friends."

Would someone please explain why my answer is not correct? How does one know that the word
"mittehi" goes with "kumaaraa" and not with "bhuupaala.m"?

Thank you.

With metta,
Sherubtse
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Dhammanando
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Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun

Re: Translation Question

Post by Dhammanando »

Hi Sherubtse,
sherubtse wrote:Question 8, Exercise 4, of _the Pali Primer_ asks for a translation of
the following sentence:

"Kumaaraa mittehi saha bhuupaala.m passanti."

In the Pali Day-by-Day answers, on http://www.tipitaka.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, the answer is given
as: "Boys, [together] with friends, see the king."

But I had translated it as: "Boys see the king with [his] friends."

Would someone please explain why my answer is not correct? How does one know that the word
"mittehi" goes with "kumaaraa" and not with "bhuupaala.m"?
When using saha or saddhiṃ, normal Pali word order requires the things/persons accompanying to be stated immediately after the things/persons accompanied. To express your translation the word order would have been:

kumārā bhūpālaṃ mittehi saha passanti

Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu
Rūpehi bhikkhave arūpā santatarā.
Arūpehi nirodho santataro ti.


“Bhikkhus, the formless is more peaceful than the form realms.
Cessation is more peaceful than the formless realms.”
(Santatarasutta, Iti 73)
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sherubtse
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:10 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Translation Question

Post by sherubtse »

Thank you very much for your help, Bhante. :namaste:

With metta,
Sherubtse
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