Followers

Monday 9 February 2009

GLOSSOLALIA (English)

Image of the battle with the Jabberwock by English illustrator Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) from
I have always adored Jabberwocky.

The sounds of the made-up words and the rhythm of the poem reminds me of the whimsy and humour in the world that I otherwise forget too fas--and that disappears like lightning if we don't make beds of whimsical kindling to keep the whimsy blaze alight. 

I grew up listening to nonsense and love creating it to this day. 

Here: Jabberwocky by the Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Oxford Don of Mathematics, a.k.a. Lewis Carroll.


Jabberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

But then, it gets better. The Nonsense has been translated...

to French, German, Italian and to many other languages... 

This, to me my glossatorial friends, is glossolalia to me...

I hope you enjoy.

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