31 mai
„A Book of Nonsense” de Edward Lear
| There was an Old Man with a flute, A serpent ran into his boot; But he played day and night, Till the serpent took flight, And avoided that man with a flute. |
Era un bătrân c-un fluier; Un şarpe i-a intrat cu şuier În cizmă, dar noapte şi zi El cântă – şarpele fugi Evitându-l pe-acel om cu fluier. |
| There was an Old Man of Coblenz, The length of whose legs was immense; He went with one prance from Turkey to France, That surprising Old Man of Coblenz. |
Era un ins în Coblenze Cu picioarele imense; Dintr-un şpagat trecea Din Franţa-n Turcia, Ciudatul ins din Coblenze. |
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There was an Old Person from Gretna, Who rushed down the crater of Etna; When they said, ‘Is it hot?’ He replied, ‘No, it’s not!’ That mendacious Old Person of Gretna. |
Era un bătrând din Gretna Care-a dat buzna în Etna. „Frige?” l-au întrebat, „Nu!” răspunse-afectat Parşivul bătrân din Gretna. |
| There was an Old Person of Wick, Who said, ‘Tick-a-Tick, Tick-a-Tick; Chickabee, Chickabaw.’ And he said nothing more, That laconic Old Person of Wick |
Era un bătrânel în Wick Strigând: „Tica-tic, tica-tic! Cica-bii, cica-baa!” Şi nimica altceva, Laconicul bătrân din Wick. |
| There was an old man whose remorse, Induced him to drink Caper Sauce; For they said, ‘If mixed up, With some cold claret-cup, It will certainly soothe your remorse!’ |
De regrete ca să se apere, Un ins bea zeamă de capere. Dar i-au spus: „Amestec-o Ca o cană de Bordeaux Ca-ntr-adevăr să te apere!” |
| There was an old man in a tree, Whose whiskers were lovely to see; But the birds of the air, Pluck’d them perfectly bare, To make themselves nests on that tree. |
Era un moş într-un copac Cu-o barbă bună de leac. Doar că păsări fără şir I-o smulgeau fir după fir, Cuiburi să-şi facă-n copac. |
| Edward Lear | traducere de C. Abăluţă şi Șt. Stoenescu |