Friday, April 15, 2011

Apologies to Lewis Carroll, and to Boz...

...but no apologies to Just Pocket Camera. (explanation after the poem)


JABBERWOCKY

by Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872) 
  `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
  Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
  The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
  And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
  He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
  He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.

In case you're just joining us, here's the deal: a site called Just Pocket Camera has been stealing my posts since January of this year. While I go through the legal channels to get the site taken down, we're having  fun messing with their translation software, which takes English to new levels. A few of you suggested "Jabberwocky" might be interesting, so today we're going to find out.

****************

Well, bummer. It's not as weird as I'd hoped. Their software was flummoxed enough to give up and just re-print the words it didn't know. Here's a sample:



`Twas brillig, as well as a slithy toves
  Did movement as well as gimble in a wabe:
All mimsy were a borogoves,
  And a mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware a Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, a nails that catch!
Beware a Jubjub bird, as well as shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!”



He took his vorpal long knife in hand:
  Long time a manxome enemy he sought –
So complacent he by a Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

Et cetera. The final paragraph, though, returns us to the delightful strangeness we've come to expect:

"In box you’re only fasten us, here’s a deal: a site called Just Pocket Camera has been hidden my posts given Jan of this year. While we go by a authorised channels to get a site taken down, we’re having  fun messing with their interpretation software, that takes English to latest levels. A couple of of we referred to “Jabberwocky” competence be interesting, so currently we’re starting to find out."


Maybe we'll try some Shakespeare tomorrow. That's actual English, after all.

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