(470) Nonsense with birds

Nonsense with birds

今年は酉年なので、鳥が出てくるナンセンス・ポエムをEdward LearのBook of Nonsenseから選んだ。
150年以上前の本で、limerickという詩の形式で書かれたナンセンス・ポエムとのことです。子供に当時は馬鹿受けだったそうです。

登場する鳥の英単語と対応する漢字を、まず列記します。
Owl 梟, hen雌鶏, lark雲雀, wren鷦,　raven鴉,

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There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared!---
   Two Owls and a Hen,
   Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”

lark: 雲雀（ひばり）　songbirds
wren: 鷦　ミソサザイ　small active
brown bird

pic. EL001

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There was an Old Man of Whitehaven,
Who danced a quadrille with a Raven;
    But they said, “It’s absurd,
    To encourage this bird!”
So they smashed that Old Man of Whitehaven.

Whitehaven:　Cumbria County, North, England
quadrill: 18-19世紀に流行した、4組の男女のダンスで、スクエア・ダンスの先駆けになったもの
raven:　鴉　Large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail.
absurd: foolish

pic. EL074

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There was an Old Man who said, “Hush!”
I perceive a young bird in this bush!”
  When they said, “Is it small?”
  He replied, “Not at all!
It is four times as big as the bush!”

hush: cause to be quiet or not talk.
perceive: to see, hear, or feel.

Pic. EL080

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There was an Old Man with an Owl,
Who continued to bother and howl;
   He sat on a rail,
   And imbibed bitter ale,
Which refreshed that Old Man and his Owl.

howl: cry loudly, as of animals.
imbibe: .take in liquids
ale: an alcoholic beverage

pic. EL098

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There was an Old Man on whose nose,
Most birds of the air could repose;
   but they all flew away,
   At the closing of day,
Which relieved that Old Man and his nose.

repose: lean in a comfortable resting position.

 

Pic. EL111
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