The Klingon Hamlet

''"taH pagh taHbe'!" ("To be or not to be!")

Summary

 * From the book jacket:
 * For too long, readers throughout the Federation have been exposed to The Tragedy of Khamlet, Son of the Emperor of Qo'noS, that classic work of Klingon literature, only through inadequate and misleading English translations. Now at last, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Klingon Language Institute, this powerful drama by the legendary Klingon playwright, Wil'yam Shex'pir, can be appreciated in the elegance and glory of its original tongue.


 * This invaluable volume contains the complete text of the play, along with an English translation for easy consultation and comparison. In addition, an incisive introduction explains the play's crucial importance in Klingon culture, while copious notes illustrate how the debased English version diverges from the original, often distorting and even reversing the actual meaning of the verses.


 * Khamlet, the Restored Klingon Version, is a work that belongs in the library of every Human who hopes truly to understand what it means to be Klingon.

Memorable Quotes
Two excerpts are presented here for review purposes.

Sonnet #18
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" (English)

qaDelmeH bov tuj pem vIlo'choHQo'. SoH 'IH 'ej belmoH law', 'oH belmoH puS. jar vagh tIpuq DIHo'bogh Sang SuS ro'. 'ej ratlhtaHmeH bov tuj leSpoH luvuS.

rut tujqu' bochtaHvIS chal mIn Dun qu'. rut DotlhDaj SuD wov HurghmoHmeH, HuvHa'. 'ej reH Hoch 'IHvo' Sab Hoch 'IH, net tu'. 'u' He choHmo', San jochmo' joq quvHa'.

'ach not wovHa'choH jubbogh bovlIj tuj, 'ej not ghomHa'choH Hochvetlh 'IH Daghajbogh, 'ej "QIbwIjDaq bIleng" not mIy Hegh nuj, bovmey DaDontaHvIS, DojwI' nIHajbogh!

tlhuHlaH 'ej legh, wej 'e' lumevchugh nuv, vaj yIntaH bomvam, 'ej DuyInmoH quv.
 * Translated by Nick Nicholas, KLI, 1994.

Act 3, Scene 1
"To be, or not to be..." (English) taH pagh taHbe'. DaH mu'tlheghvam vIqelnIS. quv'a', yabDaq San vaQ cha, pu' je SIQDI'? pagh, Seng bIQ'a'Hey SuvmeH nuHmey SuqDI', 'ej, Suvmo', rInmoHDI'? Hegh. Qong --- Qong neH --- 'ej QongDI', tIq 'oy', wa'SanID Daw''e' je cho'nISbogh porghDaj rInmoHlaH net Har.
 * Translated by Nick Nicholas & Andrew Strader, KLI, 1995.

Background
In, Chancellor Gorkon says, "You have never experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon." This line inspired the Klingon Language Institute, a fan group dedicated to the Klingon language, to initiate the Klingon Shakespeare Restoration Project, in which several members attempted to translate works by William Shakespeare into Klingon.

These efforts resulted in The Klingon Hamlet, which was completed by Nick Nicholas and Andrew Strader and published in a hardback limited edition by Pocket Books. The full title is The Tragedy of Khamlet, Son of the Emperor of Qo'nos.

Characters

 * tlhaw'DIyuS, Qo'noS ta' ghaH
 * Claudius, King of Denmark


 * Khamlet, ben ta' puqloD; DaHjaj ta' loDnl'puqloD je ghaH
 * Hamlet, son to the late, and nephew to the present king


 * polonyuS, Qang ghaH
 * Polonius, Lord Chamberlain


 * Horey'So, Hamlet jup ghaH
 * Horatio, friend to Hamlet


 * voltImaD
 * Voltimand


 * qornelyuS
 * Cornelius


 * roSenQatlh
 * Rosencrantz


 * ghIlDeSten
 * Guildenstern


 * 'oSrIq
 * Osric


 * wa' 'utlh
 * A Gentleman


 * wa' lalDanyaS
 * A Priest;


 * marSe'lus
 * Marcellus


 * BernarDo
 * Bernardo


 * veranchISqo, mang ghaH
 * Francisco, a soldier


 * reynalDo, polonyuS toy'wI' ghaH
 * Reynaldo, servant to Polonius


 * vagh DawI'pu'
 * Five Players


 * cha' tlhaQwl'; molwl' Da
 * Two Clowns, grave diggers


 * vortIbras, DuraS tuq pln be'nI'puqloD ghaH
 * Fortinbras, prince of Norway


 * wa' HoD
 * A Captain


 * tera' Duypu'
 * English Ambassadors


 * wa' yaS
 * A Lord


 * wa' mang
 * A Soldier


 * cha' Qumwl'
 * Two Messengers


 * Horey'So wa' toy'wI'
 * A Servant to Horatio


 * QonoSnganpu'
 * Danes


 * Hamlet vav lomqa'
 * Ghost of Hamlet's Father


 * GhertlhuD, Qo'noS ta'be', Hamlet SoS je ghaH
 * Gertrude, queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet


 * 'ovelya, polonyuS puqbe' ghaH
 * Ophelia, daughter to Polonius


 * jawloDpu', jawbe'pu', yaSpu', mangpu', yo'mangpu' latlh toy'wI'pu' je; jatlhbe' chaH
 * Non-speaking: Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, and other Attendants

The Klingon Hamlet Клингонский Гамлет