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Lost in Translation Twenty Five

May 25, 2008
05:56 AM

Un petit d’un petit
S’étonne aux Halles
Un petit d’un petit
Ah! degrés te fallent
Indolent qui ne sort cesse
Indolent qui ne se mène
Qu’importe un petit d’un petit
Tout Gai de Reguennes.

Having a naturally twisted brain I was thoroughly delighted with a book which came out in the sixties which I have lately remembered.

It was called : Mots D’Heures: Gousses, Rames – The D’Antin Manuscripts by Luis D. Antin Van Rooten.
It is it seems still in print and available on Amazon.
It consists of “Translations” into meaningless French of well known English nursery rhymes.

Any correct answers sent in to decode the above will recieve a voucher for a free Kir before their dinner when they dine in Le Presbytère.

Afterword.

Okay, since the first Kir went so easily I now offer four more if you can get these rhymes from their titles (previous winners disqualified!)

Eh! dites-le, dites-le.

Chacun Gilles

Si sot, mair, je ris d’eau

Loup, si l’eau quete

And one more which is my own.

Age, Pays, Meaunes oise raisin

Comments

  1. martine joulia

    on May 25, 2008

    I was sure you knew this book!
    Humpty dumpty
    set on the wall
    humpty dumpty had a big fall
    All the king’s horses
    all the king’s men
    could never put humpty
    together again
    Martine

  2. Martin

    on May 25, 2008

    And Martine wins the first Kir!

  3. martine joulia

    on May 25, 2008

    Et ça, vous connaissez ?
    De Oise à noter beau y. (1)
    Âne à noter beau y, vas-y! (2)
    Iran et ouais! (3) Tousse côte lande
    De pipe elle fort; tousse-y! (4)
    J. Quittce
    1. “It is nice to note things about Oise.” This département consists of Picardy and part of the Ile-de-France. Its attractions include the cathedral of Beauvais, with its magnificent 13th Century choir.
    2. “There is a notable donkey there – go ahead!” A scarcely veiled reference to the eccentric Veuseveute.
    3. “My word!” He expresses surprise that a female pipe-smoker in Iran should cough so strongly on the sandy moorland.
    4. “Cough away!” Not a charitable remark.
    Je vous donne la réponse :
    A SONG ABOUT MYSELF (John Keats)
    There was a naughty boy
    And a naughty boy was he!
    He ran away to Scotland
    The people for to see.
    C’est extrait d’un livre intitulé
    Guillaume Chequespierre and the Oise Salon
    An anthology Selected & Edited by John Hulme
    And the eccentric Veuseveute is Wordsworth.

  4. Martin

    on May 25, 2008

    I have decided to break the rules and award Martine a second Kir.

  5. martine joulia

    on May 25, 2008

    Thanks. It is a great confort on this dull and wet sunday, surtout quand on est comme moi en train de travailler (or pretend to do so!)

The comments are closed.


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