DetailsThe poem, its numbers, and the conversation.

Duff firs, Nawal

Member since 2004 · Posted 4 Dec 2005 · Edited 4 Dec 2005 · 8 comments

(My entry for Christmas. You guys did it first. NOTE: Nawal is a girl's name in Palestine.) ARABIC: TRANSLATION: Duff firs, Nawal. It gave opportunities, Nawal. 'a diaan jelsti: say' You took up religions: Wicked, this wasta sartan, borsha b'ard corruption - a cancer, a Porsche in fee(l) swaar dallay. to show off, by images one hangs. In fee 'laswaar, day- In Him, the shackle, the pitch- la' ykibb, in tercheeb er pouring, that there be structure 'anna kull. Winta rnayt about things. 'And You called dhat wasa' uwdeeb. one mighty, one ready.' Noe' ela, Nawal, It's a kind of god, Nawal, Noe' ela, Noe' ela a kind of god, a kind of god, byrnn az duq kin goff ringing this bell as if Israel. all Israel were cheering. Noe' ela, Nawal, It's a kind of god, Nawal, Noe' ela, Noe' ela a kind of god, a kind of god, byrnn az duq kin goff ringing this bell as if Israel. all Israel were cheering.

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8 comments

[10] ALChemy 4-Dec-05/8:01 AM Reply

That came out so good that now I'm actually kinda frightened of you. I defy John Updike to do something like this. 10+

[n/a] zodiac › ALChemy 5-Dec-05/3:50 AM Reply

Of grammar, sound, meaning in Arabic, and meaning in English, something had to give. Turns out they all did a little.

I notice no one's asking what, to me, is the crucial question: "How correct is this?" (The answer: "about 92%, and the chorus is a total coup.")

[10] ALChemy › zodiac 5-Dec-05/5:34 AM Reply

I thought about asking you how much of this is accurate but I figured above 80% and considering 100% is beyond possibility that ain't too bad. I figured you started with the chorus and went from there. Some of the correlations are just downright spooky.

[9] wilco 4-Dec-05/1:35 PM Reply

An excellent post, as usual.

[6] cyan9 5-Dec-05/1:37 AM Reply

What it spears with potency it lacks in elegance.

[10] ALChemy › cyan9 5-Dec-05/2:45 AM Reply

It's a Mondegreen. The only one I've seen in a different language than the song it imitates and also one of the few that makes some literal sense. It's hard enough to do a good one using just one language let alone two. Try it sometime, it's fun.
http://www.fun-with-words.com/mala_mondegreens.html

[n/a] nentwined › ALChemy 5-Dec-05/9:09 AM Reply

Thanks for the mondegreen link. :)

I'm stunned by the poem.

[10] <~> 9-Jan-06/10:52 AM Reply

i like it.
in english. and i like the way my ill-informed pronunciation makes it sound in arabic.