Eftsoons the Lady Guinevere bethought her
That Lancelot hadde much ex kaliber.
Personal Blogs
Camelot Romaunce on the Rokkis
Sunday, 22 Nov 2015, 03:15
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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 22 Nov 2015, 19:18
Clerihew
Sunday, 22 Nov 2015, 01:33
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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 22 Nov 2015, 01:39
Sir Lancelot
Didn't romance a lot.
He lived in fear
Of Guinevere.
Didn't romance a lot.
He lived in fear
Of Guinevere.
New blog post
Friday, 20 Nov 2015, 00:27
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Listen how
Each breath we take
Advances and retreats.
Breaking on a fragile shore—
The heart.
Issa's Autumn Haiku
Thursday, 19 Nov 2015, 03:19
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There's a haiku, I think by Issa, that means approximately
Autumn's arrived—
Just hearing that
I'm cold already.
Just hearing that
I'm cold already.
A memorable thought.
It's been translated into several (more likely many) languages and I wondred how it turned out in French. I was surprised: in one translation I read the poet felt old already, not cold. But old makes perfect sense.
So who is right, or neither? I don't know Japanese, so I turned to Google translate. The Japanese is
aki tatsu to iu bakari demo
samusa kana
autumn... stand ..when... say... only... but... cold... wonder (or feel)
So it looks like the English version is more accurate.
Why is the French different then? My theory is that the translator did not go Japanese -> French but Japanese -> English -> French, and either decided 'old' was better poetry, or just typed 'cold' as 'old' by mistake.
Going through an intermediate (I think it's called 'vehicular') language is very common, in fact it's the basis of most translation. If (say) a news report originates in Tamil and is broadcast on Faroese TV it's unlikely anyone who speaks both languages is involved. It was first translated into English, then from into Farosese.
Incidentally the haiku reminds me a bit of those psychological experiments where half the participants were exposed to words associated with youth and vigor and the other half to words associated with age and decrepitude. The researchers (as psychological researchers tend to) gave the participants an explanation of the experiment (for example that they were testing word recall) that concealed the real investigation, which was to find out if hearing words about old age makes you act more like someone old.
And it does. Although the age profile of each group was the same, as the subjects left the room where the dummy experiment had been held, experimenters surreptitiously measured how long it took them to exit the building. The group exposed to words to do with old aged moved significantly slower.
It probably works with cold as well. Try this
Frozen, icy, frigid, winter, hail, cold, wind, glacial, blizzard, frost, snow, skating, chilblains, sleet
You might not consciously feel chilly but if you went to the shops now you'd be more likely to put a coat on!
Expanded Clerihew
Wednesday, 18 Nov 2015, 01:10
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Edited by Richard Walker, Wednesday, 18 Nov 2015, 01:11
Charles the First
Thought kings were appointed by God.
Or so he said.
When he came off worst
He must have felt it extremely odd
To lose his head.
Thought kings were appointed by God.
Or so he said.
When he came off worst
He must have felt it extremely odd
To lose his head.
Cheese and Wheeze Riddle
Tuesday, 17 Nov 2015, 00:51
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Edited by Richard Walker, Tuesday, 17 Nov 2015, 00:55
What cheese manufactory sounds like a person succumbing to a respiratory complaint?
An Angel
Tuesday, 17 Nov 2015, 00:28
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Edited by Richard Walker, Tuesday, 17 Nov 2015, 01:36
An Angel caught me by the throat.
"Is this in the rules?", I cried.
"No, but it's quicker", she replied.
Streetlight Hailku
Monday, 16 Nov 2015, 00:21
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Edited by Richard Walker, Monday, 16 Nov 2015, 00:24
Last night where the lanes meet
I saw a couple parting under the streetlight
Old they were
But still loving.
I saw a couple parting under the streetlight
Old they were
But still loving.
Career Choice
Sunday, 15 Nov 2015, 17:35
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Until the spellchecker intervened Bach had intended to be a composer.
Image credits
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach#/media/File:Johann_Sebastian_Bach.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lucy's_choc-chile_fudge.jpg
Distasteful Alla Barnen
Sunday, 15 Nov 2015, 01:30
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All the kids loved paddling in the sea. Except Lou.
She was disgusted by the p**.
She was disgusted by the p**.
Lost and Found
Saturday, 14 Nov 2015, 21:50
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Edited by Richard Walker, Saturday, 14 Nov 2015, 23:49
The object below is an Iron Age (Celtic or early Roman) brooch that was found near here.
It's actually bronze—not gold as the photograph makes it appear—and about 30 mm across. The style is 'La Tène III', named after La Tène in Switzerland where an enormous cache of artifacts in this characteristic style was excavated in the 19th century.
It took me a long while to work out what the geometry would have been but after looking at lots of pictures and consulting a friend I now have a reasonable idea. There would have been a pin, wound round one end to make a spring, and at the other end a catch for the pin, something like this
The missing parts being more fragile have broken off, or possibly just corroded away. Indeed it's possible the clip breaking caused the brooch to get lost, or perhaps when it broke the owner simply slung it away. It would have been the budget-friendly jewellery of its time, and very large numbers of similar brooches are found.
All the same I felt a thrill to handle it and reflect that until a few days ago no other human being had touched it for two thousand years.
Romano-British Cheese Challenge
Saturday, 14 Nov 2015, 02:31
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How many British cheeses can you find that are named after former Roman towns?
Face To Face
Friday, 13 Nov 2015, 02:02
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If I could climb trees
It wouldn't do any good.
Hello Bear.
It wouldn't do any good.
Hello Bear.
Autumn Deer Haiku
Friday, 13 Nov 2015, 00:44
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When night fell
A deer ran past my gate
We both knew it was Autumn.
A deer ran past my gate
We both knew it was Autumn.
A Walk in the Woods
Thursday, 12 Nov 2015, 00:50
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Edited by Richard Walker, Thursday, 12 Nov 2015, 00:51
Today I caught a snatch on WKSU radio
Therapy...Japanese...Forest...
I found this is 'forest bathing', Shinrin-yoku. The idea is that visiting a forest may calm and relax us, as we breathe the woodland breeze.
It seems intuitively plausible that this might be therapeutic, and there is some scientific evidence of the beneficial effects. I'm biased-pro though, because of my love of trees. Here's a thought I have had many times but only now expressed.
I'd rather breathe my last on a woodland path.
Dying on a hospital corridor would be much horrider.
Joke 🎶
Wednesday, 11 Nov 2015, 00:42
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What composer is hard to find?
Autumn Wind Haiku
Tuesday, 10 Nov 2015, 00:50
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The leaves are dying
But the autumn wind
Still reminds me of summer.
But the autumn wind
Still reminds me of summer.
Kitchen Haiku
Sunday, 8 Nov 2015, 02:38
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I think of poetry almost constantly
When I should be washing the dishes.
Ah well.
When I should be washing the dishes.
Ah well.
One Liner
Saturday, 7 Nov 2015, 01:32
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My life coach said I should take stock. I was like "Whose?" and "Should I take shares also?"
Clerihew
Friday, 6 Nov 2015, 00:25
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Edgar Allen Poe
Wanted his cheeks to glow.
So he wore blusher.
When writing The Fall of the House Of Usher.
Alla Barnen
Thursday, 5 Nov 2015, 00:52
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Edited by Richard Walker, Thursday, 5 Nov 2015, 01:10
'Alla barnen = 'All the kids' is a children's humorous verse form, from Denmark and Sweden. Like Scandinavian detective writing it can be a bit dark. But still funny.
Below are some classics rendered into English. Google Translate did the heavy lifting but I applied some finishing touches, here and there, such as making the rhymes work.
All the kids loved the World Wildlife Fund, except Amanda.
She shot a panda.
All the kids were bored at the party, except Jack.
He'd brought his own crack.
He'd brought his own crack.
All the kids enjoyed their burgers, except Tony.
It was his pony.
All the kids looked into the washer, except Doug.
He went glug.
And here is a distasteful one of my own.
All the kids worried about the smell, except Ed.
He was the one that was dead.
One Liner
Thursday, 5 Nov 2015, 00:25
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They've just built a new bus shelter in the village. Trouble is, it's too small for the bus.
One Liner
Wednesday, 4 Nov 2015, 00:16
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I was grilled about my favourite cheese. I had to answer carefully.
Ice Bridge Haiku
Tuesday, 3 Nov 2015, 00:24
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Edited by Richard Walker, Tuesday, 3 Nov 2015, 02:14
We cross the ice-bridge one by one.
Will it bear my weight?
Far below I hear the beautiful sound of falling crystals.
A Short Conversation with Time
Monday, 2 Nov 2015, 00:55
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"Time, why do you hurt us so?"
"It is my fate. And you would never wish to share it."
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