Lóthnél Sæynæl - a song in my ChatGPT-constructed language Færnlithæl, the language of the Tree People of Firefly Fernglen in my children's book. Here is an imagined AI depiction of it being sung
I know some folks are unhappy w/ this technology. I aim to engage w/ it to create lovely, uplifting things. I adore stories, trees, & languages. I wanted to see if there could be ways to interweave...
There are a few issues with this “lip sync” near the start, but I think it’s a captivating result, and it's a huge ask considering the language being “lip synced” here, Færnlithæl, doesn't actually exist. It's the language of the Tree people in my children's book "The Sanctuary Seed". I'm writing the book entirely myself, but the language is being brought forth by ChatGPT.
I am not a linguist, so I’m seeking the assistance of a synthetic mind which is far more knowledgeable than my human one. I do of course have infinite respect for those who do the sacred work of language construction by hand. In my defense, as a young child, I imagined beings I could sense but not see, speaking languages I longed to learn and embody. Now, wondrously, through a conduit forged for what I prefer to call ‘inorganic intelligence’, I am able to bring my mythical languages into this reality.
Thanks to HeyGen for offering such lengthy, high quality lip sync video animations! ChatGPT wrote the song's lyrics and Suno AI brought the song to life. The still image is from Nightcafe.
My textbook-style published Google doc about Færnlithæl: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSOeAifXZqcmVAwGNHZ3Tx3j_vayo3DCi44pRTRga3tvv4speu-gUVuFBjcHusdAetaer-EshSfZwF-/pub
I love this song so much. I also think the language sounds like one that mythical Tree people would speak. I can even envision them dancing to it in a circle while holding each others' hands.
"Lóthnél Sæynæl" (Eternal Wind)
Verse One
Hrænlō méðelán, øthœ līðan.
Sæynæl hrëndū, mákrïn ēnló.
Thraðnē faeñlè, gálæs hūðor.
Fælðon þrýlæ, óskel hēðir.
Lūvënë nnæ, thrænslā hrœ.
Verse Two
Lóthnél æhrā, æsūr drømme.
Særðōl mākrën, lōndē hróshē.
Thréðan galmō, ðráës hūlær.
Sænnō líðar, næn fælthē.
Línræ ōlva, lúxæ hrænshél.
Phonetic Respelling:
Verse One
HRAEN-loh MAY-thel-ahn, UR-thuh LEE-thahn
SAH-ehn-ael HREN-doo, MAH-krin EN-loh
THRAHD-neh FAY-nyeh-leh, GAH-laes HOO-thor
FAEL-thon THREW-lae, OH-skel HAY-dheer
LOO-veh-neh naeh, THRAEN-slah hreh
Verse Two
LOHTH-nel AHR-rah AH-soor DROM-meh
SAH-ee-nahl HREN-doo MAH-krin EHN-loh
THRAY-thahn GAHL-moh THRAH-ehs HOO-lair
SAEN-noh LEE-thahr NAEN FAEL-thay
LEEN-rah OH-lvah, LOO-kseh HRAEN-shel
Translation:
Verse One:
Roots intertwine, branches dance.
Wind's whispers, songs echo.
Fireflies gather, gentle light.
Life continues, rivers flow.
Softly we hear the river's song.
Verse Two:
Endless and pure, like light and dreams.
The forest hums, the earth speaks.
The stars gather, their light is gentle.
Winds flow softly, life continues.
The glow of fireflies, light of the spirit.
______________________
Much more information about Færnlithæl and the music of "The Sanctuary Seed":
According to ChatGPT, the language is "more of a multifaceted hybrid rather than closely mirroring any one Earth language. It blends features from various linguistic traditions, much like how branches of a tree diverge yet remain connected to the same root. This hybrid approach is inspired by natural sounds, organic flow, and symbolic elements, borrowing selectively from multiple sources:
Phonology: Includes elements from Nordic languages (e.g., Icelandic, with eth (ð) and thorn (þ)), Welsh (rich consonants and vowel harmony), and some Slavic languages (soft consonants, long vowels).
Diacritics: Diacritics like ë, æ, ø, and ñ give it a broader, almost universal feel, evoking languages like Finnish or Faroese while remaining flexible enough to feel entirely its own.
Organic Flow: Soft clusters and subtle shifts, like in Polynesian languages (Hawaiian) or even Gaelic, create the sense of something ancient, evolving, and rooted.
This layering reflects the interconnections and diversity of nature, making it an ideal match for the sentient trees—branches diverging yet all part of the same living system!
It's so awesome and such a dream come true that AI helps this non-linguist make all of this loveliness happen!
