La cxaso de la Snarko*

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La alterigxo

(1/1)

"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.


"Jen tipa snarkej'!" kriis la Sonorul'
dum cxeborda forlas' de l' veselo,
cxiun portante gxis al la insul'
per firma pincx-ten' cxe l' orelo.

(1/2)

"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What i tell you three times is true."


"Jen tipa snarkej'! Jam tiu ripet'
suficxas por doni esperon.
Jen tipa snarkej'! Jam ne eblas objxet':
tri diroj pruvpruvas la veron."

(1/3)

The crew was complete: it included a Boots--
A maker of Bonnets and Hoods--
A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes--
And a Broker, to value their goods.


Anaro kompletis: Jen Cirist' kaj Cxapist',
jen Taksisto por varvalorigo.
Jen Juristo, havenda por tuja asist',
en okaz' de kverel' aux intrigo.

(1/4)

A Billiard-maker, whose skill was immense,
Might perhaps have won more than his share--
But a Banker, engaged at enormous expense,
Had the whole of their cash in his care.


La Poentisto bilarda kapablus, pro spert',
ludgajni en troa mezuro;
sed cxe l' sxipa Bankisto, multkosta ekspert',
deponitis la mon' en sekuro.

(1/5)

There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck,
Or would sit making lace in the bow:
And had often (the Bellman said) saved them from wreck,
Though none of the sailors knew how.


Laux rundo ferdeka promenis Kastor',
aux sidis gxi cxe puntkuseno.
Gxi estis (laux l' Cxefo) sxipsava faktor'
- sed kiel? Ne eblis diveno.

(1/6)

There was one who was famed for the number of things
He forgot when he entered the ship:
His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,
And the clothes he had bought for the trip.


La sekvan famigis grandnombra ajxar'
forgesita je hor' de forvelo:
Juveloj kaj vestoj por porti sur mar',
ringo, horlogx' kaj ombrelo.

(1/7)

He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,
With his name painted clearly on each:
But, since he omitted to mention the fact,
They were all left behind on the beach.


Estis kvardek du kofroj, kun nometiked',
kaj cxiuj pakitaj bonorde.
Sed cxar li forgesis pri urgxa eksped',
la tuto postrestis surborde.

(1/8)

The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because
He had seven coats on when he came,
With three pairs of boots--but the worst of it was,
He had wholly forgotten his name.


La perdo de l' vestoj ne gravis, cxar lin
sep manteloj jam varme surpezis,
kaj botoj trioblaj - Pli acxa destin',
ke la nomon de si li forgesis!

(1/9)

He would answer to "Hi!" or to any loud cry,
Such as "Fry me!" or "Fritter my wig!"
To "What-you-may-call-um!" or "What-was-his-name!"
But especially "Thing-um-a-jig!"


Ajna voko aux nom' - tuj respondis la hom',
ecx al "Hula!" aux "tiru min forte!";
al "Ho, la person'" kaj "Forgesis mi jam!",
sed precipe al "Ne-unu-vorte!".

(1/10)

While, for those who preferred a more forcible word,
He had different names from these:
His intimate friends called him "Candle-ends,"
And his enemies "Toasted-cheese."


Variis la ton' laux momenta bezon',
estis nomo por cxiu okazo.
Se lin nomus amik': "Mia kara Tritik'",
elsiblus rival: "Sxenoprazo!"

(1/11)

"His form in ungainly--his intellect small--"
(So the Bellman would often remark)
"But his courage is perfect! And that, after all,
Is the thing that one needs with a Snark."


"Li estas malbela, kaj mensa pigme'..."
(tiel taksis la Cxef', kun sincero.)
"Sed kuragxo perfektas! Kaj tio, cxu ne,
ja estas plej grava afero."

(1/12)

He would joke with hyenas, returning their stare
With an impudent wag of the head:
And he once went a walk, paw-in-paw, with a bear,
"Just to keep up its spirits," he said.


Kiam ridis hienoj, li ridis ecx pli,
li ilin ne trovis teruraj.
Kaj foje li marsxis kun urso - ne, tri! -
por ke "ili sin sentu sekuraj".

(1/13)

He came as a Baker: but owned, when too late--
And it drove the poor Bellman half-mad--
He could only bake Bridecake--for which, I may state,
No materials were to be had.


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(1/14)

The last of the crew needs especial remark,
Though he looked an incredible dunce:
He had just one idea--but, that one being "Snark,"
The good Bellman engaged him at once.


Pri la lasta necesas aparta rimark',
kvankam sxajnis li tute sen sprito:
Li neniam ecx pensis pri io, krom "Snark'!",
kaj dungigxis li tuj, sen hezito.

(1/15)

He came as a Butcher: but gravely declared,
When the ship had been sailing a week,
He could only kill Beavers. The Bellman looked scared,
And was almost too frightened to speak:


Lauxdire bucxisto - sed jen la postul',
kiun diris li nur post semajno:
"Nur kastorojn mi bucxas!" Kaj la Sonorul'
preskaux mutis - pro timo, laux sxajno.

(1/16)

But at length he explained, in a tremulous tone,
There was only one Beaver on board;
And that was a tame one he had of his own,
Whose death would be deeply deplored.


Sed klarigis li fine - tremetis la ton' -
ke li havas nur unu kastoron;
privatan, dresitan, je propra dispon',
kies morto nur kauxzus doloron.

(1/17)

The Beaver, who happened to hear the remark,
Protested, with tears in its eyes,
That not even the rapture of hunting the Snark
Could atone for that dismal surprise!


La Kastoro, post auxdo de l' sama rimark',
protestis kun plora mieno:
"La ekstazo de cxaso de ecx vera Snark'
ne kompensos por tiom da gxeno!"

(1/18)

It strongly advised that the Butcher should be
Conveyed in a separate ship:
But the Bellman declared that would never agree
With the plans he had made for the trip:


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(1/19)

Navigation was always a difficult art,
Though with only one ship and one bell:
And he feared he must really decline, for his part,
Undertaking another as well.


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(1/20)

The Beaver's best course was, no doubt, to procure
A second-hand dagger-proof coat--
So the Baker advised it-- and next, to insure
Its life in some Office of note:


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(1/21)

This the Banker suggested, and offered for hire
(On moderate terms), or for sale,
Two excellent Policies, one Against Fire,
And one Against Damage From Hail.


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(1/22)

Yet still, ever after that sorrowful day,
Whenever the Butcher was by,
The Beaver kept looking the opposite way,
And appeared unaccountably shy.


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Pagxo laste prilaborita 1997-01-20