| 'Tis the voice of the Lobster |
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'Tis
the voice of the Lobster： I heard him declare
“You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.”
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.
When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,
And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark：
But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,
His voice has a timid and tremulous sound.
I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie：
The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon：
While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
And concluded the banquet by―― |
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『不思議の国のアリス』第10章「えびのカドリール」
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| えびの声 |
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“The Sluggard” by Isaac Watts |
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グリフォンとにせ海亀に冒険談を話してくれと言われ、アリスは今日の朝から始まったことを話します。イモムシに暗唱して聞かせたでたらめな「ファーザー・ウィリアム」の話になると、グリフォンとにせ海亀はあまりのでたらめさに何か別の詩――「ぐうたらの声」を暗唱してみろと命令します。
えびのカドリールのことで頭がいっぱいのアリスの暗唱した詩はまったくおかしなものでした…。
この“'Tis the voice of the Lobster”は、賛美歌作家アイザック・ワッツ（1674-1748）による教訓詩“The
Sluggard”（1716）のパロディ。 |
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'Tis the voice of
the sluggard； I heard him complain,
“You have wak'd me too soon, I must slumber again.”
As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed,
Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.
“A little more sleep, and a little more slumber；”
Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number,
And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands,
Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.
I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier,
The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher；
The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags；
And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find
That he took better care for improving his mind:
He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking；
But scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.
Said I then to my heart,“Here's a lesson for me,”
This man's but a picture of what I might be：
But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding,
Who taught me betimes to love working and reading. |
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