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Epitaph on My Own Friend

^z23rd July 2025 at 10:05am

By Robert Burns, for William Muir, in 1784:

An honest man here lies at rest,
As e’er God with His image blest:
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d:
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

... and in Toki Pona, rather loosely:

jan pi toki lon li moli
ona li jo e pona tan sewi
ona li jan pona tawa ale
pilin ona li pona
sona ona li suli
ma ante li lon la ona li pilin e pona suli
ma ante li lon ala la ona li pali e pona suli insa ma ni

toki pona rough translation
jan pi toki lon li molia person who spoke the truth is dead
ona li jo e pona tan sewihe received goodness from above
ona li jan pona tawa alehe was a friend to all
pilin ona li ponahis heart was good
sona ona li sulihis wisdom was big
ma ante li lon la ona li pilin e pona suliif there are other worlds, he is feeling bliss
ma ante li lon ala la ona li pali e pona suli insa ma niif not, he did great good in this world

(cf Robert Nozick (2002-02-02), For Great Justice (2002-12-01), Jack Smart (2013-04-13), ...) - ^z - 2025-07-23

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