A college friend recently sent me a link to the
Wikipedia page on macaronic language. This, I was delighted to find, had a link to the page on
Carmen Possum, which I had heard quoted in high school, but never, that I recall, seen in full. The rhyme begins
- THE NOX was lit by lux of Luna,
- And 'twas a nox most opportuna
- To catch a possum or a coona;
- For nix was scattered o'er this mundus,
- A shallow nix, et non profundus.
and ends
- Cruel possum! bestia vilest,
- How the pueros thou beguilest!
- Pueri think non plus of Caesar,
- Go ad Orcum, Shalmanezer,
- Take your laurels, cum the honor,
- Since ista possum is a goner!
What an amazing little poem! I'm glad to have found this site and am excited to start following it. I found it by noticing our paths crossed on two comments we each made to the Pentz-Kurp show. I loved your invoking of Stickney to Mr. Pentz, and appreciate your humoring of my foul humor to Mr. Kurp. I look forward to reading more from you!
ReplyDeleteBill
I forgot to say over at Anecdotal Evidence: Kenner's essay, "Classics by the Pound" is collected in the volume Mazes
DeleteWhy, thank you. I find Patrick Kurp's postings interesting, though clearly I have, or rather make, less time for reading than he does. I don't always look at Pentz's, but early in college I read a great deal of Jarrell, and the posting "90 North" caught my eye.
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