Optron #34 30 декабря 1999

Юмор

Hobby - What is a Limerick? (Irish folk songs ")

                 Limerick

{} I. Bozhenko, 1999


  What is it?


  A year ago in "Optocouplers" | 23 was published a selection 
of Limerick, and was promised shortly to explain what it is. 
Well, contrary to the proverb, the promise did not have

wait for three years.

  So, what is it - the Limerick?

  Expanding the dictionary, you can see that Limerick - is:

  1) The county in south-west Ireland.

  2) The city, port and administrative center
County Limerick. Located at the mouth of the river
Shannon. Population - about 100 thousand inhabitants
(Which is about half of Lviv sihovskogo zhilmassiva). Work there
(Unlike Sikhov) engineering,
construction, food, poshivochnyye and shoe company. Not far 
from Limerick Shannon International Airport is located -

"Staging post" on the Moscow -
New York. Limerick has long been famous for all sorts of place 
in it and about it mysterious and unexplained incidents. Here 
we can recall, though, the famous dream "Tsar Boris" on board 
at Shannon Airport, which led to the disruption his meeting 
with Prime Minister of Ireland. 

  3) Lace handmade g.Limerik.

  4) A small fish hook.

  And finally ...

  5) A special form of prosody, originally - one of the 
varieties of English poetic folklore. His "home" g.Limerik 
considered. 


  Form


  Limerick has a very strict rhyme scheme,
size and plot. It consists of five lines with
rhyming scheme of "A-A-B-B-A" (first line
rhymes with the second and fifth, second - with
third).

  Lines 1, 2, 5 - trehstopnye anapaest or amphibrach:


          ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

           Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah


  Lines 3, 4 - or dvustopnye anapaest
amphibrach:


             ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

              ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah


  In English verse lines 3 and 4, as
usually combined into one. Sometimes it
done and in translation.


  Contents


  The plot of Limerick, in its basic form has the following 
postrooenie: 

  - Line 1 - reportedly the name (or topic) of the hero's poem 
and his place of residence; 

  - Line 2 - reportedly about what a hero
engaged;

  - Lines 3, 4 - an explanation for any
implications of these studies;

  - Row 5 - morality, and the line
should, like an echo, a polupovtoryat Runoff
and contain any evaluative epithet.


  A little history


  Once upon a time, years, I think, two hundred and
may be three hundred ago, the residents
glorious city of Limerick was instituted
each fall to organize, how would it now
named, festivals (note spektrumisty!) beer. There drank an 
incredible amount of Irish ale, and sung songs praising the 
hometown, and produced in him a beer, for example: 


  You shall be drink a beer in Limerick!

  O, won't you come up,

  Come all the way up,

  Come all the way up to Limerick?


  It was also brought up that each of the companions in turn, 
performs works his own verse endless song about adventures of a 
hapless a young man from Limerick, for example:



  There was a Young Man of Limerick,

  Who was in greatful hysteric;

  When they said, "Are you mad?"

  He replied, "No, I'm fat!"

  That fooly Young Man of Limerick.


  (I confess, this couplet composed by myself - to make sure 
that this activity was fairly straightforward). 

  Following the Irish ale and limericks moved to England and 
there is widely spread ... 

  Meanwhile, there was a great Victorian era ...

  Oh, this Victorian era! What kind of people!

  Victoria (Victoria). Born in 1819
in London, died in 1901 at Osborne. Since 1837
- British Queen (Her Magisty the
Greate Queen of the United Kingdom of
Greate Britain and Ireland).

  What are the names!

  Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, Charlotte Brontë, E. 
Voynich, Edith, HG Wells, Oscar Wilde, D. Joyce, A.Konan Doyle!


  And what a time!

  World-industrial monopoly! Possession of the Crown extends 
around the world, and above them will never the sun goes down! 
And now everything is transformed into the British Commonwealth 
of Nations (Concord of Nationes) - interstate

association composed of 48 states (not
Let it be said to offend the creators of the CIS).

  So, he lived at the time a little-known artist, animal 
painter, who taught the Queen Victoria art of drawing. And his 
name was Edward Lear (Edward Lear, 1812-1888). Here

It was he who made the great heritage of limericks
English classical poetry. Composed
their verses immediately gained a huge popuyarnost and maintain 
it to this day throughout the world. Printed in London in 1848

limerick book "A Book of Nonsense" here
also became a rarity: even
The British Library has to be satisfied only with the third 
edition (1861). 

  Following Lear picked up the baton of such
classics of English literature as R. Stevenson, Rudyard 
Kipling, G. Chesterton. In what the authors of Limerick (even 
those that have become "classics") were numerous anonymous. 


  Problems of Translation


  Approximately half a century ago limericks spoken in Russian. 
Appeared and russified "name - Irish ditties." 

  The first who took up their translation was
Samuil Marshak (1887-1964). Here
his translation of an ancient, yet priobrevshego canonical form 
of the Limerick: 


  Upon my word and honor,

  As I went to Bonner,

  I met a pig without a stig,

  Upon my word and honor.


  I give you my word of honor

  Yesterday at half past five

  I met two pigs

  Without a coat and shoes,

  I give you my word!


  But - translation of Rudyard Kipling (Rudyard
Kipling):


  There was a Young Lady of Niger,

  Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;

  They returned from the ride

  With the Lady inside,

  And the smile on the face of the tiger.


  Smiling, the three brave lady

  Rode a bear.

  Now all three - of a bear inside,

  A smile - on the face bears.

                         1956


  Interestingly, in an attempt to get closer to
original Marshak made another version:


  Smiling three brave girls

  On the back of the Bengal tigress.

  Now all three - at the tigress within,

  A smile - on the face tigress.

                         1964


                   ***


  Unfortunately, Marshak doing limericks
very little.

  The authors of the "canonical" translation became
Olga and Marina Astafieva Redkina.

  Alas! I totally unknown publication
in which the Russian translations were limerick
somehow collected together.

  At the same time, Alexander Mokrovolsky
made almost a complete translation by E. Lear
the Ukrainian language: EN Lir. Nebilitsi. - K.:
Veselka, 1989.

  Familiarize with the samples of the same translation Lear:


  There was an Old Man on a hill,

  Who seldom, if ever, stood still;

  He ran up and down,

  In his Grandmother's gown,

  Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.


  At the top of the mountain lived an old man,

  He was standing on the ground was not used.

  Up and down faster and faster

  In the dress your mother in law

  Amazing ran the old man.

                O. Astafieva


  Alive for sobi cholovik gorbku -

  All about Ukraine robiv nashvidku.

  Vilnim kroєm spokusheny

  Vdyag shirt babusinu

  Gus is the first day i nich on gorbku.

                  O. Mokrovolsky


                   ***


  There was an Old Person of Harst,

  Who drank when he was not athirst;

  When they said, "You'll grow fatter"

  He answered, "What matter?"

  That globular Person of Harst.


  Drink beverages fat from Ottawa

  Not thirsty, but for fun.

  All shout: "Caution!

  And burst because you can! "

  But does not hear the fat man from Ottawa.

                      M. Redkina


  P'є little water is Dyadechko Hurst

  Popivaє vid schirogo Serce!

  Seem: - become smooth!

  - Well the first scho? Zalyubki! -

  Vўdmovlya round Dyadechko is Hirst.

                    O. Mokrovolsky


                   ***


  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.


  The old man by the name Wall

  With a black hawk waltz dancing.

  All shout: "No good

  To encourage this bird! "

  Broken by grief, the old man wept.

                    O. Astafieva


  Cholovichok a iz Vaythevena

  Vitantsovuvav Krukov is so jealous

  Scho said: - Who Tee

  Tantsyuvat pidohotiv?

  Well I beat cholovichka is Vaythevena.

                   O. Mokrovolsky


                   ***


  Last limerick downright devoted
fans of "Black Crow", is not it?

  But note: never in Russian
translation could not save the name and place name. But 
Ukrainian language, having more flexibility to

much closer approach to the original. This is especially 
evident in modern interpretations of Lear, which made Gregory 
Circles: 


  There was a Young Lady of Russia

  Who screamed so that no one could

                          hash her;

  Her screams were extreme,

  No one heard such scream

  At was screamed by that Lady of Russia.


  Boy lived near Thermopylae,

  Who was yelling so loudly,

  What glohli all aunts and dead herring

  And a lot of dust from the rafters.

                  Gr.Kruzhkov


  Well, first vociferously pani is Rosiї!

  I nihto nichogo not vdiє

  W cry toї kriklivitsi:

  Tikaє hto, hto curve

  Hto yelling at that pani is Rosiї.

                 O. Mokrovolsky


                   ***


  There was an Old Man of the Border,

  Who lived in the utmost desorder;

  He dansed with the cat,

  And made tea in his hat,

  Which vexed all the folks of the Border.


  There once was a man in Amsterdam

  Do not clean the hat for years

  He's in it accidentally brewed tea

  And it also went for a walk in Amsterdam.

                     Gr.Kruzhkov


  Cholovichok a iz Cordon

  She did not znav rules of good tone:

  Iz cat tantsyuvav, tea poured from Brill.

  Oh i angry people is the cordon?

                O. Mokrovolsky


                   ***


  Poetry of the absurd


  Save the form of national Limerick, Lear
filled it with his special, "lirovskim" content, creating a 
fantasy world - wild, weird, but, nevertheless, with

its own laws and logic. Heroes Lira live on trees and poles, 
rings the doorbell, until posedeyut, although they were never 
opened ... Their appearance is consistent with their actions, 
for example - long nose, where they put a cup of tea. They live 
in harmony with nature - are running up and down the hill,

dance with the cat - and in disagreement with the company, 
which irritated their chimeras. For example, my grandfather, 
who dared to dance with the raven, beaten. But the characters 
limerick staunchly endure all the hardships - such as walking in

crater of a volcano, they say that it's cold.

  Stern Puritan world would not tolerate wholesome life, games 
and laughter, perceived all exclusively in black and white. Lear

"Blew up" this attitude.

  And what happened? At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. 
spread nonsense poetry gave a powerful impetus to the 
development of "nonclassical" philosophy, physics, mathematics, 
logic. 

  To understand what this is about, a bit about this branch of 
mathematics as intuitionistic logic.


  The founder of intuitionism - LE Brower
(1881-1966, Holland). In this logic is unacceptable principle 
of "no middle ground"), ie logical calculus made the same way

as in Boolean algebra - but with the exception of its axioms


     = _

     X = X; X + X = 1


  It follows that here in evidence can not be adopted method
"On the contrary." To all the provisions in the so-called 
intuitionism presented "Requirement quite clearly. "Is not" 
lirovskaya " logic?


  Lear and his closest "heir" of the Lewis
Carroll ("Alice in Wonderland," "Hunting
Snark ") - Founders recognized literary absurdity.

  Should be noted, however, that the elements
poetry of the absurd can be found, for example,
and in the creation of a Ukrainian poet Stepan
Rudans'kogo (1834-1873).

  And in the Russian literature classic poetry
absurdity - of course, the Roots Chukovskij
(Nikolai Korneichuk, 1882-1969).


  Departure from the canons


  Over time, limericks lost initially given the rigidity of the 
plot and were a kind of political and domestic epigrams. That 
is - a classic example (accompanied, faute de mieux, my own 
translation): 


  "What on earth have you done,"

                said Christine,

  "Almost ruining the party machine.

  It is not at all the rude

  To lie in the nude,

  But to lie in the House is obscene! "


  Varto Bulo bi diznatis, in the middle

                         stream on the right -

  Chomu rating from ministra zanadto already fallen?

  Through those scho Christine

  Vin Graves without spochinu,

  Chi addition, the entire scho narid vin Graves?


  In the original, the heroine explains that no
sees nothing wrong with showing off their charms (to lie in the 
nude) - in contrast to the lies of the British House of Commons 
(to lie in the House). (Incidentally, the constant "a play on 
words" - another feature Limerick is extremely difficult to 
translate). The very same limerick - about how to 1963 British 
War Minister John Profumo (John Profumo) was accused of 
"hazing" with a photo model Christine Keeler (Christine 
Keeler), and denied it on parliamentary hearings. And More

piquancy was the fact that Christina was suspected of 
collaboration with the KGB. So that, as you see in the history 
of Bill and Monica There is nothing new.


  As for the "bytovuhi" - here's her examples
(Translation - Vladimir Gurvich):


  There was a young maiden of Siam

  Who said to her lover, young Kiam,

  "If you kiss me, of course,

  You will have to use force, -

  But god knows you are stronger

                         that I am ".


  Once a native of Sydney

  Chevalier said, turning pale:

  - Kiss my dear,

  You'll get only a force

  But, by golly, you're a lot stronger.


                   ***


  A bather whose clothing was strewed

  By breezes that left her quite nude,

  Saw a man come along,

  And, unless I am wrong,

  You expected this line to be lewd.


  Do the young bathers Mount -

  All clothes stole the sea.

  Lo and behold, a man walks ...

  Am I right in believing

  What are you waiting for dirty stories?


                   ***


  There was a young lady of Kent

  Who said that she knew what it meant

  When men asked her to dine,

  And served cocktails and wine;

  She knew what it meant - but she went!


  Maid of one of the Eagle

  Was very insightful.

  And why should it be gin treat men -

  I understand ... But all the same - drinking.


                   ***


  And now, the last of the limerick
we can go to their "transplant on domestic soil."


  Variants


  It often happens that on the basis of one
plot created several different Limerick. And when it comes to 
translation, there is something even more "other." For example: 


  There was a Young Fellow of Lyme,

  Who lived with three wives at a time.

  When asked, "Why the third?"

  He said, "One's absurd,

  And bigamy, sir, is a crime. "


  An Englishman named John

  Contained in his house three wives.

  He said, it happened that one of his few

  Bigamy - punishable by law.

                 O. Astafieva


  A Turk by the name of Haroun

  Ate whisky by means of a spoon

  To one who asked why

  This turk made reply:

  "To drink is forbidden, you loon".


  Muslim, Abu Simbel, Ben

  Whisky table spoon ate.

  To the question, what is the reason

  He said: - Durachina!

  Drink alcohol Allah had not commanded.

                      Vladimir Gurvich


  Chubais has asked the ministers:

  - Is it possible to drink the genie out of the canister?

  He said: - Of the bucket

  Poor drunk in the morning,

  A bottle - end quickly.


                   ***


  So, as you can see, "English" limerick is quite capable of 
becoming a "domestic". 

  Here are some other examples:


  There was an Old Person of Gretna,

  Who rused down the crater of Etna;

  When they said, "Is it hot?"

  He replied, "No, it's not!"

  That mendacious Old Person of Gretna.

                                E. Lear

  Zamanulosya didovi is Gretna

  Progulyatisya in krateri Etni.

  Htos pita: - Pripikaє?

  Did Hooke: - freezing! -

  From zbrehav so zbrehav did iz Gretna!

                       O. Mokrovolsky


  In Guantanamo old man from Gretna

  With a powerful base stole missile cruiser.

  The question: - On the fuck? -

  Replied: - For the grain! -

  This lzhivenky old man from Gretna.

                        Kirill Kats


                   ***


  There was a Young Fellow named Sistall,

  Who shot three old maids with a pistol.

  When 'twas known what he he'd done,

  He was given a gun

  By the unmarried curates of Bristol.


  Rascal by the name of Bedd

  In old maids emptied the gun.

  Citizens have learned gun they gave him ...

  Spinsters more in the city.

                     O. Astafieva


  One zlodiy zarizav on ganking

  Natsionalno svidomu krayanku.

  Nesvidomi yak vznali - kulemet yomu given,

  Dwellers skinchiv vin robot to the wound.

             (Translation - I, IB)


  A graph on the road to Geneva

  Raped by an old maid.

  As a result skandala

  A lot suddenly

  Old maids on the road to Geneva!

                 Victor Arolovich


                   ***


  A diring Yong Lady of Guam

  Observed, "The Pasific's so calm

  I'll swim out for a larc. "

  She met a Large Shark ...

  Let us now sing the Ninetieth Psalm.


  Valiant Maid Iran

  Captured beauty of the ocean,

  For a board flew off. Meet - the shark ...

  The world of soul, soar so early!

                      M. Redkina


  Biznesmen in okeanskiy hvili

  Plyuskotiv way that Ljubo scho cute!

  Ale at once promaynula smugasta shark -

  Lachey pager deprived of hvili.

           (Translation - I, IB)


                   ***


  A crusader's wife skipped from

                    the harrison

  And had an affair with saracin.

  She was not oversexed,

  Or jealous, or vexed,

  She just wanted to make a comparison.


  Browed maid from Asia

  Yielded this fine-Ashkenazi.

  She's not that little ot its gone,

  But she wanted to diversity.

                     A. Balaev


  Zampolit supruzhnitsa Xenia

  With the commander of converged office;

  And - without a hint of shame: after all, not for fornication,

  And just for comparison.

                       D. Danilov


                   ***


  The typists in Wheesley and Beesley

  All fornicate keenly and eas'ly,

  In this pleasant way

  They add to their pay

  Which in Wheesley and Beesley is measly.


  Typists from Grodno

  Lying is easy and free.

  And for this occupation is added to the salary they

  The inhabitants of the city of Grodno.

              D. Prokofiev


  The secretary of Leninabad

  Muscovite is always happy to serve.

  But keep in mind - for a decent bribe:

  After all, her salary is too small.

                     D. Danilov


                   ***


  Limerick on the Internet


  The Internet page can limerick
found on the server Rambler's Top100 Service.

  Leads her, and collect all kinds of limericks there - as a 
"classic" and "amateur" - so yourself Ilya Ratner, now Israeli 
citizen, "Mayor of the Free City Limerick, "as he calls 
himself.'s Limerick, written specifically in his honor: 


  A mayor, as a lover of literature

  In his own town and neighborhood,

  For visiting hussars did Limerick bar

  Than achieved virtual celebrity.

                         Anat.Belkin


  National flavor


  Since the Web page is limerick
Ole (in Hebrew - "new immigrant"), it is not surprising that 
the authorship many limerick here belongs to the actual and 
potential Ole, and so much there is to "these" theme: 


  After drinking cola, ole Melbourne

  Began to look for, where nearby urn.

  So it was, say, from Metulla in Eilat

  And he swore to the bone rapidly.

                   Susie Brauwers


  There once was a guy in the Galilee

  Ran on the sea, as the avenue.

  Olympic Committee

  Did not include it in the list -

  And he left the sport, sorry.

             Elena Zusmanovich


  Pioneer young Pavlik Morozov

  Do not be afraid kulak threat.

  He is a native father forbade Matza,

  Saying: "All for the good of the collective farms"!

                          Margulis


  Rabinovich, the rabbi sighed:

  - The son was baptized! Such a beast! -

  He replied: - Fool!

  Even God, our father

  Same tsores is from his son!

                Anat.Belkin


                   ***


  Even the name is special for this
varieties of the genre - "Olimeriki.

  But, of course, not forgotten, and all the rest.
That's - Limerick, who wrote Boris Burda:


  Interdvizhenya leader in Estonia

  Wished to move to Japan.

  "The rising sun!

  There will not find Estonians!

  And the Japanese have used me as something to understand ... "


  A member of the Popular Front from Riga

  Undertaken a plot in Agriculture,

  Persuade rather than beet

  Sowing in Latvia fig ...

  And do not think that will grow - figs!


  Scared of Yakut Yakutsk:

  "Help, beat in the Baltic Russian!

  Know so fiercely Baits

  Hate Yakut

  That left us for a snack! "


  Wrote in Kiev gentleman from Moldova:

  "You're good to Odessa would give us:

  Moldavanka there - ours!

  And for the port and beaches of

  We will fill your wine on the amygdala! "


  Satisfied citizen of Lviv of the Movement -

  The old woman is proruha.

  Exhausted intellect, learned the dialect

  With Ukrainian same right - dull!


  Was furious party worker from Minsk:

  - Informal people - the enigmatic Sphinx!

  Excite the people, seeking freedom ...

  I used the freedom - I would have took to drink for a year!


  Once revered Georgians from Sukhumi

  Said, not buying myself a GUM

  New jeans, Texas:

  - Due to the machinations of the Abkhazian

  I will be tormented in a black suit!


  Wailed elder from Kyrgyzstan:

  - In vain, God, we are closer to Uzbeks!

  To live with Denmark next,

  Or - with the Congo and Chad ...

  And if not - place the division!


                   ***


  Want, however, warn ...


  ... That the one who will glance at the web page of Limerick, 
will be struck by the abundance there informal vocabulary and 
"specificity" subjects against which the model of chastity 
seems limerick type 


  A pancy who lived in Khartoum,

  Took a lesbian up to his room

  And they argued all night

  Over who had the right

  To do what, and with which, and to whom.


  With lesbian decided to once

  Sleep with a young homosexual.

  But they had to decide:

  Who should pop,

  What to whom, how, where, how many times?


                   ***


  Why? Peculiarities of national character?

  It is assumed, it is obvious that the more obscene, the more 
fun. (Well, I think that vice versa. A matter of taste.)


  Themselves the authors of this attribute is
as follows:


  A Limerick gets laughs anatomical

  Into space that is quite economical.

  But the good ones I've seen

  So seldom are clean,

  And the clean ones so seldom

                          are comical.


  Limerick be brief - and so good

  To tickle a little similar.

  Sorry, funny, usually -

  Very unseemly.

  From decent - you'll die of boredom.

                         Vladimir Gurvich


  If your hearing korezhit from the mat -

  In this form of verse to blame!

  Very difficult to forgive:

  In five lines of fit -

  Humor, sense and absence of the mat!

                     Vl.Andreev


                   ***


  And finally, an epilogue ...


  Well, that's ended our brief excursion ... Perhaps someone 
wish to know - or tell - the topic has

anything? And can someone be tempted above example, and he 
undertakes Writing for the limerick?


  Write to us - and Optron "with pleasure
publish your work!


          To be continued? ..