KLINGON OPERA   

This popular Klingon art form is unappreciated outside of the Empire. Only one form of music has
ever been counted by Klingons among the fine arts, and that is opera. Klingon opera always deals
with legendary or historical subjects and is mostly vocal in nature, accompaniments of more than
three musical instruments being rare.  The most common accompanying instrument is the chuS'ugh,
a very large wind instrument that functions rather like a bagpipe, but with a pedal bellows to
provide air. A typical Klingon opera runs an hour to an hour and a half in length, followed by
about a ten- to fifteen-minute chorus describing all the various effects of the story's outcome,
consequences frequently being as important to Klingons as the action of the story itself.

(The Alternate) Though unheard, the lyrics, phonetically spelled and sung by a tenor, are:

Kak-lah... Kak-lah ...
        Kah-pool-AYYY-do-la-kak-lah...
        Yoh boo la to dah...
        Yoh boo la to da...
        Ah... do ro may... do ro may... do ro may...
        do ro MAY de lat so may...
        Uh clop-doh... uh gah...
        Uh clop-doh uh gah dor...
        Uh clop-doh... uh gah... dor ray... dor ray... dor ray.
 

Carrying legend into ceremony, the Klingon Kahless-Molor fights are celebrated annually in the
operatic mock fights of the Kot'baval festival. (First Born)

Kot'baval Festival-- Annual celebration throughout the Klingon Empire, commemorating an
historic incident in the life of Kahless. In the streets, one can see street vendors as well as
operatic reenactments (complete with mock fights) of Kahless' final confrontation with the tyrant
Molor. Some of the lyrics are:

  Nok'tar be'got hosh'ar te'not
   ("He is asking if anyone else will have the courage to stand up
   to Molor")
          Ki'rock Molor, ki'rock
   (Worf answers, accepting the challenge)
          Ba'jak tu'mo
          O'tak tu'ro
          Nok'til Kahless. Molor gik'tal
   (Kahless sings)
          Ni'lot Kahless
 

The festival is celebrated, among other places, at the Klingon outpost on Maranga IV, on the
"far side" of the Vodri Nebula. (First Born)

"Aktuh and Melota"-- a Klingon opera, noted for its famous love song; a favorite of Lt Worf
and he sang part of it with Amarie in a bar on Qualor II. (Unificaton II) We may have heard a
fragment of that duet (described in the script as a "Klingon La Boheme") on playing loudly on
the bridge of the Defiant, as Worf sang along with the male singer:

        Female:         BOOOOW-cha-daaay...
        Worf & Male:    KEEEY-cha-daaay...
        Female:         Me-YO-cha-BEEN-evaaa-kaa-MOOOOR...
        Worf & Male:    LIIING-tomaaa...
        Female:         Oh-ma-do-VEE-kos......ZOOOOOOO!
        Worf & Male:    Oh-ma-do-VEE-kos......ZOOOOOOO!
 

"Aktuh and Melota"-- ('aqtu' mellota' je in tlhIngan Hol), noted for its famous love song, is a
favorite of Worf and he sang part of it with Amarie. (Unificaton I) In (Looking for Par'Mach
in All the Wrong Places) [The transcription was published in HolQeD 5:4 (1996): 8-9 from a
copy of the final draft of the script supplied by someone at Paramount. The best attempts of
several of the Grammarians from the KLI's tlhIngan Hol mailing list failed to make any sense
out of these lines. However, they certainly sounded impressive whatever Klingon language they
were supposed to be!

tlhIngan jIH-- is the title of another popular opera about the nature of being Klingon. Gowron says,
"Few humans understand the spirit of Klingon opera... A good singer of Klingon opera must
always be given appreciation. "  Klingons show their appreciation of good art or performance
by smashing something, then paying for it.

"Klingon Love Song"-- Telok, Klingon chef/host of the Klingon restaurant on DS9, sang the
following song with Jadzia Dax. The Klingon chef had never heard this Klingon song before
Dax taught it to him (Playing God):

          Ak'la bella doo-oo-oo-oo...
          Bella ak'la doo-oo-oo-oo...
          La suhm ... La suhm...
          L'kahtra ...La suhm...
          Ak'la bella doo-oo-oo-oo!
 

"Aler acht'jar"-- Title of a Klingon song performed by Deep Space Nine's Klingon Chef to the
strum of a Klingon Guitar for Doctor Bashir, Ensign Melora, Pazlar and other patrons
(no translation is available) (Melora):

        Aler acht'jar, Aler acht'jar,
        T'lembda boool-gah toh-gal ...
        Aler acht'jar, Aler acht'jar,
        T'lembda boool-gah to lohhhh ....
 

Klingon battle songs-- Two lines of one, sung by the drunken Kor, are:
 

        B'aski't Kor, B'askr'ip Kor,
        Kohman-a-ti, B'aski't Kor.
        A translation is not specified.

Klingon Drinking Song--  (Blood Oath) Huraga told Worf that he used to sing this song
with his old friend Mogh when Worf was a small boy. Worf and Huraga sang this over several
(empty) metal bottles of what may be Klingon bloodwine On Deep Space 9.
 

        EJ IM-TA FEY DE-JA I...             And the blood was ankle deep...
        EJAHDAK-SO-TAS GHOS VA SKRAL BYTEEK      And the River Skral ran crimson red
        EMPA JAJ LAW-MOCH JAJ-PUSH       On the day above all days
        JAJ KAYLESS MOLOR-MIGH HOHK-CHEW KOO.       When Kahless slew evil Molor dead!
 

They both laugh, then stand and butt heads. (Way of the Warrior)
 

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