The Walrus and the Carpenter is another poem from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass. It is the semi-nonsensical story of a walrus, a carpenter and some oysters. The poem is one of my favorites, and thus an obvious candidate to be translated into Latin. A literal de-translation is given below the parallel translation.
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Rosmarus et Naupegus A Luviso Carollo Latinatum a Nadavo Cravito Sol nitebat in mare, Nitens summa cum vire Fluctus conans facere Blandos et clarosque Visu mirabilissime In media nocte Maeste luna nitebat, Putabat nam soli Haud opus esse adesse Post finem quin diei. Dicit "venisse, irruere Improba sunt mihi," Mare umet udissimum, Litus aridissimum Nimbus nullus videatur Abest nam videndum: Super volat avis nulla— Abest nam volandum. Rosmarus et Naupegus Juxtim ambulabant; Moles harenae videre Quam misere flebant "Si modo hoc depurgatum, Quam bonum." dicebant "Si servae septem scopis quot Averrent quot menses, "Num possent" dicit Rosmarus "Purgarene putes?" Naupegus dicit "Dubito," Flens lacrimas tristes. "O Ostreae, sequamini" Obsecrat Rosmarus “Loquamur salsam per actam atque ambulemus: Sed summum quattuor sumamus, Manum cuique demus.” Ostrea maxima spicit, Nulla verba dicit: Ostrea maxima nictat, Grave caput quatit— Linquere ostrearium Videlicet nolit. Minores quattuor festinant, Muneri stundentes: Aliclae tersae, frontes lautae, Calcei elegantes— Sane mirabilissime, Non pedes habentes. Ostreae quattuor sequuntur, Et quattuor aliae. Veniunt iam et gregatim, Et crescenti multae. Per undas spumas saliunt, Petunt portum harenae. Rosmarus et Naupegus Stadium gradiuntur Tunc commode in scopulo Demisso nituntur Ordineque ostreulae Nunc opperiuntur. "Adest tempus," dicit Rosmarus "Semonis de multis: Naves, calcei, cera sigilli, Et reges et caulis Ac porci num alarentur, Causa fervoris maris." “Mora sodes,” testae clamant “Antequam loquaris; Exanimatae et pingues Sunt namque e nobis!” “Festina lente!” Naupegus Dicit valde gratis. “Massae panis” dicit Rosmarus “Nobis opus maximum” “Enimvero optimi sunt Piper et acetum— Ostreulae, si paratae, Inchoamus comesum.” Ostreae “Atqui non nostrum!” Clamant livescentes. “Factum atrum sit nobis Post gratias tales!” Rosmarus dicit “Bella nox, Miramini species?” “Quam comes sunt quod venisitis, Et estis quam belli!” Tacebat Naupegus nisi “Seca frustum mihi: Opto ut minus surdus sis— Iam bis te poposci!” “Turpe eas dolo capere Est” dicit Rosmarus “Post tam longe eduximus Tam cursim egimus!” Tacebat Naupegus nisi “Butyrum crassius!” “Vos lacrimo” ait Rosmarus “Vostrum me miseret.” Singultibus et lacrimis Maximas diribet Mucinium ante oculos Fundentes praetendet. “Ostreae,” dicit Naupegus, “Bene cucurrerunt! Debemus domum redire?” At voces nullae reddunt— Et haud mirabilissime, Quod quamque ederunt. |
The Walrus and the Carpenter By Lewis Carroll The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright-- And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night. The moon was shining sulkily, Because she thought the sun Had got no business to be there After the day was done-- "It's very rude of him," she said, "To come and spoil the fun!" The sea was wet as wet could be, The sands were dry as dry. You could not see a cloud, because No cloud was in the sky: No birds were flying overhead-- There were no birds to fly. The Walrus and the Carpenter Were walking close at hand; They wept like anything to see Such quantities of sand: "If this were only cleared away," They said, "it would be grand!" "If seven maids with seven mops Swept it for half a year. Do you suppose," the Walrus said, "That they could get it clear?" "I doubt it," said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear. "O Oysters, come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech. "A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach: We cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each." The eldest Oyster looked at him, But never a word he said: The eldest Oyster winked his eye, And shook his heavy head-- Meaning to say he did not choose To leave the oyster-bed. But four young Oysters hurried up, All eager for the treat: Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, Their shoes were clean and neat-- And this was odd, because, you know, They hadn't any feet. Four other Oysters followed them, And yet another four; And thick and fast they came at last, And more, and more, and more-- All hopping through the frothy waves, And scrambling to the shore. The Walrus and the Carpenter Walked on a mile or so, And then they rested on a rock Conveniently low: And all the little Oysters stood And waited in a row. "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings-- And why the sea is boiling hot-- And whether pigs have wings." "But wait a bit," the Oysters cried, "Before we have our chat; For some of us are out of breath, And all of us are fat!" "No hurry!" said the Carpenter. They thanked him much for that. "A loaf of bread," the Walrus said, "Is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed-- Now if you're ready, Oysters dear, We can begin to feed." "But not on us!" the Oysters cried, Turning a little blue. "After such kindness, that would be A dismal thing to do!" "The night is fine," the Walrus said. "Do you admire the view? "It was so kind of you to come! And you are very nice!" The Carpenter said nothing but "Cut us another slice: I wish you were not quite so deaf-- I've had to ask you twice!" "It seems a shame," the Walrus said, "To play them such a trick, After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!" The Carpenter said nothing but "The butter's spread too thick!" "I weep for you," the Walrus said: "I deeply sympathize." With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes. "O Oysters," said the Carpenter, "You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?' But answer came there none-- And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one. |
The Walrus and the Carpenter (De-translated)
The sun was shining on the sea
shining with [his] greatest might.
Trying to make the billows
Both smooth and bright
[A sight] most astonishing to see
in the middle of the night
The moon was shining gloomily
For she thought, for the sun
it was not [his] business to be present
Indeed, after the end of the day.
She says “To have come and to intrude
are rude [acts] to me.”
The very wet sea is wet
And the shore is most dry
No cloud might be seen
For anything to be seen is absent
No bird flies above—
For anything to be flown is absent.
The Walrus and the [ship-wright] Carpenter
Were walking together
To see such masses of sand,
how wretchedly they wept.
“If only this might be cleaned away
How good [it would be]” they said.
“If seven maids with as many brooms
were to sweep for as many months,
don’t you think” says the Walrus
“they couldn’t clean [it]?”
The Carpenter says “I doubt [it]”,
Weeping sad tears.
“O oysters, let you follow [us]”
Entreats the Walrus
“Let us talk along the briny beach
and also let us walk:
But we might only select at most four,
that we might give a hand to each.”
The oldest oyster looks
[and] says no words:
The oldest oyster winks,
[and] gravely shakes [her] head—
To leave the oyster-bed
evidently, she would be unwilling.
Four younger [oysters] hurry,
eager for [the] gift
[Their] child’s-cloaks [were] wiped, [their] faces washed
[And their] shoes were handsome—
Certainly most astonishingly,
[as they] had no feet.
Four [more] oysters follow,
and four others.
Now they come even in flocks
and to an increasing[ly] many [oysters].
Through waves [and] foam they leap
Seeking the refuge of the sand.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
walk for a furlong
Then lean upon a rock
conveniently low.
And in a line, the little oysters
now wait.
“The time has arrived” says the Walrus
“of speaking concerning many things:
Ships, shoes, wax of a seal,
both kings and cabbage
And whether pigs be winged,
and the cause of the boiling of the sea.”
“A pause, please” the shellfish cry
Before you might speak;
For exhausted and fat
are there among us!”
“Hasten slowly!” said the Carpenter
To the greatly thankful [oysters].
“A lump of bread,” the Walrus says
“is our greatest need:
Certainly, pepper and vinegar
are also very good—
Little oysters, if [you are] ready,
we begin the eating.”
The oysters cry “But not of us!”
becoming blue.
“[That] would be a terrible deed,
after so great kindnesses!”
The Walrus says “The night [is] pretty,
Do you admire the sights?”
How kind you are that you came
And you are so charming!”
The Carpenter was silent except [for saying]
“Cut a scrap for me:
I wish that you might be less deaf—
I have already asked you twice!”
“A disgraceful [thing] it is
to catch them with a trick” says the Walrus
“After we have led them out so far
and drove them so swiftly.”
The Carpenter was silent except [for saying]
“The butter is too thick!”
“I weep for you” says the Walrus
“I feel sorry for you.”
With sobbing and with tears
he sorted out the biggest ones.
He extended a handkerchief
before his pouring eyes.
“Oysters,” says the Carpenter
“You have run well!
Ought we return home?”
But no voices return—
And hardly is it most astonishing
because they had eaten every one.
