dwenius: (Default)
dwenius ([personal profile] dwenius) wrote2005-10-20 09:36 am

cross-pollination

This is a repost of someone on my FL that at least half of my readership does not know, and therefore would have missed, but I knew you'd like it. Yanked from [livejournal.com profile] megasus4 reposting some guy going by [livejournal.com profile] geoff_chaucer (and discovered by [livejournal.com profile] brannen):

Wha be tha blake prevy lawe
That bene wantoun too alle tha feres?
SHAFT!
Ya damne righte!

Wha be tha carl tha riske is hals wolt
Fro is allye leve?
SHAFT!
Konne ye?

Wha be tha carl wha wolden flee
Whan peril bene all aboughte?
SHAFT!
Verray!

Alle clepe tha carl ane badde mooder-swyver
SOFTE!
Speken of Shaft bene I.
THAN KONNE ALLES WE!

He be a man konne unnethes
Namo save is mayde konnes im.
JOHN SHAFT!

[identity profile] eac.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Arrrrrrrrggghh.

You make my brain hurt.

[identity profile] hwrnmnbsol.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
That's right up there with the Latin translation of I Like Big Butts.

[identity profile] nancy73.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
it just gets better and better every time I read it!

[identity profile] palecur.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
gold, sir. pure gold.

[identity profile] tongodeon.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[livejournal.com profile] matrygg really needs to read this.

[identity profile] megasus4.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I have printed out a copy and placed it on one of the class bulletin boards. I did so without ceremony or attention (figuring I don't need to call attention to "damne"), but I look forward with glee to the day the kids realize it's there. I did just teach them about Middle English, after all.

Hopefully, they won't ask what "swyver" means....

[identity profile] matrygg.livejournal.com 2005-10-20 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
My god, this rocks...

Imma gonna spread it.

[identity profile] spiritualmonkey.livejournal.com 2005-10-24 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Totally awesome! Someone buy this person a mead!

[identity profile] theservant.livejournal.com 2005-10-25 04:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Now that is just absolutely brilliant. Thanks!

EDITED VERSION

[identity profile] geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com 2005-10-25 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
((I had no idea this would get so much play. Here's a link (http://www.livejournal.com/users/geoff_chaucer/7400.html) to the edited version, however -- it was late when I wrote the first one, and there was one word that shouldn't have appeared and one that got left out.))