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There was an Old Person of Twickenham,
Who whipped his four horses to quicken ‘em;
When they stood on one leg,
He said faintly, ‘I beg
We may go back directly to Twickenham!’
Старичок, обретавшийся в Твикнеме,
По четвёрке хлестал с диким гиканьем,
Поднял всю на дыбы
И сказал: «Надо бы
Воротиться немедленно в Твикнем мне!»
There was an Old Person of Bradley,
Who sang all so loudly and sadly;
With a poker and tongs,
He beat time to his songs,
That melodious Old Person of Bradley!
Старичок мелодичный из Брэдли
Пел тоскливо и зычно намедни;
Кочерёжкою длинною
И щипцами каминными
Каждый такт отбивал житель Брэдли.
There was an Old Person of Cheam,
Who said, ‘It is just like a dream,
When I play on the drum,
And wear rings on my thumb
In the beautiful meadows of Cheam!’
Молвил старец персонный из Чима:
«Явь от грёзы ведь неотличима,
Коль на чудном лугу
В барабан бить могу,
Весь в перстнях, недалечко от Чима!»
There was an Old Man who made bold,
To affirm that the weather was cold;
So he ran up and down,
In his grandmother’s gown,
Which was woollen, and not very old.
Был один старичок сумасбродный,
Недовольный погодой холодной;
Взад-вперёд бегал сей
В платье бабки своей,
Шерстяном, а покрой – старомодный.
There was an Old Man who felt pert
When he wore a pale rose-coloured shirt.
When they said, ‘Is it pleasant?’
He cried, ‘Not at present —
It’s a leetle too short – is my shirt!’
Проявлявший дурные замашки,
Был старик в розоватой рубашке.
На вопрос: «Как одёжка?»
«Мала вата немножко!» —
Горлопанничал старец в рубашке.
* * *
There was an Old Person of Paxo,
Which complained when the fleas bit his back so;
But they gave him a chair,
And impelled him to swear,
Which relieved that Old Person of Paxo.
Блохи мучили старца на Паксо.
Как истошно вопил старый плакса!
Стул ему предложили
И совет: «Обложи их!»
Полегчало страдальцу на Паксо.
* * *
There lived a Small Puppy at Narkunda,
Who sought for the best tree to bark under,
Which he found, and said, ‘Now,
I can call out Bow Wow,
Underneath the best cedar in Narkunda.’
Обыскался щенок из Наркунды
Деревца, чтобы лаять оттунды,
И сказал, отыскав:
«Буду делать гав-гав
Из-под лучшего кедра Наркунды».
* * *
There was an Old Man of Narkunda,
Whose voice was like peals of loud thunder.
It shivered the hills
Into Colocynth Pills,
And destroyed half the trees of Narkunda.
Был старик-громоглас из Наркунды,
Он молчком не сидел ни секунды.
Гласом горы дробил
И под корень срубил
Половину деревьев Наркунды.
* * *
There was a Small Child at Narkunda,
Who said, ‘Don’t you hear, that is Thunder!’
But they said, ‘It’s the Bonzes
A-making responses
In a temple eight miles from Narkunda.’
Говорил мальчуган из Наркунды:
«Гром гремит!» А ему: «В храме Будды
Это местные бонзы
Лупят в гонги из бронзы
Милях этак в восьми от Наркунды».
An unfinished limerick
There was an Old Man who said, ‘Now
I’ll sit on the horns of that cow.’[4]
Неоконченный лимерик
Был старик, и сказал он сурово:
«Посижу на рогах у коровы».[5]
The Pobble Who Has No Toes (alternative version)[6]
I
The Pobble who has no toes
Had once as many as we;
When they said, ‘Some day you may lose them all;’
He replied, ‘Fish fiddle de-dee!’
And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink
Lavender water tinged with pink;
For she said, ‘The World in general knows
There's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes!’
II
The Pobble who has no toes,
Swam across the Bristol Channel;
But before he set out he wrapped his nose
In a piece of scarlet flannel.
For his Aunt Jobiska said, ‘No harm
Can come to his toes if his nose is warm;
And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes
Are safe – provided he minds his nose.’
III
The Pobble swam fast and well,
And when boats or ships came near him,
He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled a bell
So that all the world could hear him.
And all the Sailors and Admirals cried,
When they saw him nearing the further side, —
‘He has gone to fish, for his Aunt Jobiska's
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!’
* * *
The Pobble went gaily on,
To a rock by the edge of the water,
And there, a-eating of crumbs and cream,
Sat King Jampoodle’s daughter.
Her cap was a root of Beetroot red
With a hole cut out to insert her head;
Her gloves were yellow; her shoes were pink;
Her frock was green: and her name was Bink.
Said the Pobble – ‘O Princess Bink,
A-eating of crumbs and cream!
Your beautiful face has filled my heart
With the most profound esteem!
And my Aunt Jobiska says, Man’s life
Ain’t worth a penny without a wife,
Whereby it will give me the greatest pleasure
If you’ll marry me now, or when you’ve leisure!’
Said the Princess Bink – ‘O! Yes!
I will certainly cross the channel
And marry you then if you’ll give me now
That lovely scarlet fl annel!
And besides that fl annel about your nose
I trust you will give me all your toes,
To place in my Pa’s Museum collection,
As proofs of your deep genteel aff ection!’
The Pobble unwrapped his nose,
And gave her the fl annel so red,
Which, throwing her beetroot cap away,
He wreathed around her head.
And one by one he unscrewed his toes,
Which were made of the beautiful wood that grows
In his Aunt Jobiska’s roorial park,
When the days are short and the nights are dark.
Said the Princess – ‘O Pobble! My Pobble!
I’m yours for ever and ever!
I never will leave you my Pobble! My Pobble!
Never, and never, and never!’
Said the Pobble – ‘My Binky! O bless your heart! —
– But say – would you like at once to start
Without taking leave of your dumpetty Father
Jampoodle the King?’ – Said the Princess – ‘Rather!’
They crossed the Channel at once
And when boats and ships came near them,
They winkelty-binkelty-tinkled their bell
So that all the world could hear them.
And all the Sailors and Admirals cried
When they saw them swim to the farther side —
‘There are no more fish for his Aunt Jobiska’s
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!’
They danced about all day,
All over the hills and dales;
They danced in every village and town
In the North and the South of Wales.
And their Aunt Jobiska made them a dish
Of Mice and Buttercups fried with fish,
For she said – ‘The World in general knows
Pobbles are happier without their toes!’
Поббл без пальцев ног (альтернативная версия)[7]
I
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