Subject:
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Re: FREEBIE: "The Ultimate LEGO book" from DK
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.fun.community
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Date:
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Sat, 8 Jan 2000 03:34:22 GMT
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Viewed:
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1630 times
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On Fri, 7 Jan 2000 04:15:36 GMT, "Richard Franks"
<spontificus@__nospam__yahoo.com> wrote:
<nitpick>
> The poem Frank sent was written for him by Santa in 1985 to go with a LEGO
Technically, Sinterklaas and Father Christmas are different
traditions. Though I do believe the name "Santa Claus" originates with
the Dutch Sinterklaas, and the persons are meant to be the same (Saint
Nicholas, bishop of Myra around the 6th-8th century, patron saint of
children, seamen, and the poor [in other words, 90% of pre-1800
society]). Most of these sorts of traditions originate in the late
19th to early 20th century (for example, the earliest Christmas trees
as we know them were in NL ~1880, they weren't common till 1920-30,
and it took till 1950 for nearly everyone to have one), presumably the
Santa Claus/father Christmas/Sinterklaas traditions came a bit before
then. By my reasoning, and I've heard others agree (how unusual!), the
American Santa Clause (aka "Saint Nick") is a combination of
Sinterklaas (in name) and Father Christmas (GB) (in appearance and
timing).
The reason I was saying all this? Just to get around to mentioning
Sinterklaas is celebrated on the 5th of dec, separately from
Christmas.
</nitpick>
> Sinterklaas Poem
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>
> Op een winteravond koud en guur,
> werkte een deense timmerman in zijn schuur.
> Speelgoed maakte hij, helemaal van hout,
> maar later kreeg hij een idee van goud.
> Hij ontwierp blokjes met heel veel vormen,
> steeds met noppen volgens vaste normen.
> Omdat hij kinderen een warm hart toedroeg,
> "was het beste nauwelijks goed genoeg."
> Tegen deze man zegt de Sint dan ook: "Dank!"
> Want dankzij hem is er dit cadeau voor Frank.
That's quite a good poem. I've rarely written them as good.
> English Translation
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Now for my helpful translator side. I hope you don't mind this..
Let's see if I can make the difference in aesthetics between the
original and the trtanslation down a bit.
I tried to keep more or less to the original.
> A winter's eve cold and gloomy,
<translator>Replace gloomy with wet. No contest -- rhymes, and still
preserves meaning</translator><proofreader>forgot an "on" at the
beginning of the sentence.</proofreader>
> A Danish carpenter was working in his shed.
> Toys he made, completely out of wood,
> Later on he got a golden idea.
<translator> Maybe add a "but" in front. Makes the poem scan better.
How about "golden thought"? Rhymes better, and still fits with the
story. Though maybe the "golden thought/idea" phrase in .us has
financial overtones more than like .nl simply really good? native
speakers?</translator>
> He designed bricks in many shapes,
> consistently with stud according to a strict norm.
<translator>doesn't scan well, how about:
He designed a lot of bricks, manyfaced,
always with studs, regularly spaced. ?
</translator>
<proofreader>studS</proofreader
> Because his heart was full of love for kids,
<translator>Sentence order: "because for kids his heart was full of
love" rhymes better.</translator>
> "was the best not even good enough."
<proofreader>nauwelijks: should be "barely" instead of "not even".
Sentence order could be better. "the best was barely good enough"?
</proofreader>
> To this man Santa sends his thanks!
> Because of him there is this present for Frank.
So with my alterations in the translation, it'd be:
On a winter's eve cold and wet,
A Danish carpenter was working in his shed.
Toys he made, completely out of wood,
But later on he got a golden thought.
He designed a lot of bricks, manyfaced,
always with studs, regularly spaced.
Because for kids his heart was full of love,
"the best was barely good enough."
To this man Santa sends his thanks!
Because of him there is this present for Frank.
More or less rhymes, more or less scans.
Richard, Frank? What do you think?
Jasper
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: FREEBIE: "The Ultimate LEGO book" from DK
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| (...) [Nitpick part snipped because it's correct... nothing to add] (...) I would say this "rijmpiet"[1] could be a proffessional, I'll tell him when I see him ;-) (...) Not at all, it's rather hard to translate a poem. [translation stuff snipped] (...) (25 years ago, 4-Feb-00, to lugnet.fun.community)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: FREEBIE: "The Ultimate LEGO book" from DK
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| We have a winner! Frank Buiting sent in a story and poem combined which made me smile the most, not least because it describes a Christmas tradition that I would like to adopt! This is the tradition of giving gifts with a small poem attached - for (...) (25 years ago, 7-Jan-00, to lugnet.fun.community)
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