"Semmi sem jellemző annyira egy
nyelvre,
mint sajátos hangzása.
Olyan ez, mint a virág illata, a bor zamata, a zománc, az opál tüze.
Megismerni róla a nyelvet már messziről,
mikor a szót még nem is értjük.
Minden nyelvnek megvan a maga hangszíne,
tempója,
ritmusa, dallama, egyszóval zenéje."
Kodály Zoltán
There is nothing as characteristic in a language like
it's own sound.
This is like the flower’s smell, the wine’s bouquet, the glaze, the
opal’s fire.
Thereby one is able to recognize the language already from a
distance,
even if we cannot understand the word yet.
Each language has its own timbre, its tempo, its rhythm, its melody,
in one word, its music. (Translation
from Hungarian language.)
With many thanks to the
Zoltán
Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music,
Zoltán
Kodály Memorial Museum
and Duna TV
for their help to verify this text.
