251. Personal pronouns, and less frequently nouns, may be used with the
preposition "al" to express "concern" or "interest" on the part of the
person indicated by the complement of this preposition:
Li bruligis al si la manon, he burned his hand.
Hi trancxis al li la barbon, they cut his beard (the beard for him).
Sxi preparas al ni bonan mangxon, she is preparing us a good meal.
Cxu vi faros servon al mi? Will you do me a service?
[Footnote: The use of "al" in this sense, approaching that of "por" but
less purposeful and definite, resembles the "dative of reference" and
"ethical dative" of other languages, as in French "je me suis brule la
langue", I have burned my tongue, German "ich wasche mir die Haende",
I wash my hands, Latin "sese Caesari ad pedes proicerunt", they threw
themselves at the feet of Caesar, Greek "ti soi mathesomai", what am I
to learn for you? etc.]
252. By an extension of its use in expressing reference, "al" may often
be used in the place of "de" expressing separation (170), when the use
of "de" might seem to indicate agency (169) or possession (49):
La luno estas kasxata al ni de la nuboj,
the moon is hidden from us (to us) by the clouds.
Gxi estas stelita al mi de li,
it has been stolen from me by him.
[Footnote: This use resembles the "dative of separation" of other
languages, as in German "es stahl mir das Leben", it stole the life from
me, French "il me prend la vie", it takes my life, Latin "hunc mihi
timorem eripe", remove this fear from me, Greek "dexato oi skaeptron",
he took his sceptre from him, etc.]