LL-L "Seasons" 2005.10.31 (05) [E]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
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   L O W L A N D S - L * 31 October 2005 * Volume 05
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From: Clarkedavid8 at aol.com <Clarkedavid8 at aol.com>
Subject: LL-L "Seasons" 2005.10.31 (01) [E]

"осенняя паутинка" actually means "autumn web" - where did you get "nude" 
from?

David Clarke

----------

From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at WORLDONLINE.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Seasons" 2005.10.31 (01) [E]

In the Hameland varieties of Low Saxon, we speak of "Krönnensommer" lit.
<Crane's Summer> I guess because these birds were to be seen in such
an "Indian Summer" ?

Ingmar

Gabi schreef:>
>In German, this is called "Altweibersommer" (old wives' summer). The usual
>interpretation is that all those thin little threads - which baby spiders
>use to travel on the wind - look like old women's hair when they glisten
in
>the sun. I read somewhere recently, though, that "Weiber" is rather
supposed
>to refer to weavers ("Weber").
>
>By the way, in Lower Saxony (and elsewhere in Germany, I believe), the
goose
>was traditionally eaten on St. Martin's day (Martini; "Martinsgans"),
rather
>than Michealmas.

----------

From: jonny <jonny.meibohm at arcor.de>
Subject: LL-L "Seasons" 2005.10.30 (07) [E]

Dear Heather,

you wrote:
> PS re the cobwebs - We have had our second most spider-ridden
> Michaelmas/Autumn since we came here 13 years ago.   At one point in early
> October you could not walk across the Green outside my house without
> kicking up clouds of craneflies  ( Daddy-Long-legs).
>
> The spiders too were everywhere; in the morning you could feel yourself
> breaking gossamer strands even inside the house as you entered the
> kitchen!!
The same here! You nearly couldn't 're-enter' your house after an absence of
3 days.

But- I think it's a crazy year 2005, as far as the climatically run is
aspected: in April we had -18°C, and at noon today, on October 31st, we have
+21°C. Last autumn at the same time we had -8°C- a difference of about 30°C!

> craneflies  ( Daddy-Long-legs).
Could that be L: 'tipula paludosa', G: 'Wiesenschnaken', also called
'Weberknecht' (E: 'slave of a weaver') or just 'Schuster' (E: 'shoemaker')?

Greutens/Regards

Johannes "Jonny" Meibohm

----------

From: Arthur Jones <arthurobin2002 at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Seasons" 2005.10.31 (02)[E]


From: Arthur A. Jones
arthurobin2002 at yahoo.com

Dear Lowlanders,

What a splendid convergence! What a wonderful Samhain gift!

This morning you delivered three inspired pieces about gossamer. Thank you, 
Heather, Gabriele, and Ron. I quote, for those who missed parts,

Heather: "...cobwebs on my windows..." "...kicking up clouds of 
craneflies..."

Gabriele: "...thin little threads ...which baby spiders use to travel on the 
wind...old women's hair when they glisten in the sun..."

Ron (three haikus)"...dewdrops on a spider's web: What a lovely gift."

All that brings back some Lowlands memories for me as well, although I won't 
be able to write so beautifully as you folks. Foggy autumn mornings in 
Werchter (village between Mechelen and Leuven), Rik and his two great, 
gentle Belgian horses clopped down the cobblestone road to his asparagus 
fields, which needed clearing for the winter, and how the horses stood, 
patiently, while Rik took off his kerchief and wiped the gossamer from their 
eyes.

Here are a couple of quatrains, though admittedly amateurish:

Under October shade that faded slight,
     As each leafy servant gently fell
An even trade, a balance: dark for light.
     In Vespers rite, we learned the tongue of bells.

Watching as the world cooled, trapped again,
     We envied proud, high laughing lines of geese,
Escaping from some dismal Danish fen,
     And knowing that their Spring's assured, at least.

And Elbe boats, though never of our Spring,
     Were spirits of the showers and the Autumn,
They lay in swaying rows, and chanced to sing,
     Till summoned each, from harbour to the bottom.

How we remember harbours! How they sting!
     Saint Saviour, and Husum, Pen ar Bed,
November rains in Nervi, Scheveningen,
     Grey metal morns in Hamburg: Toll the dead.

Happy Samhain, all!

Met vriendelijke Groeten,

Arthur

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Seasons

Hi, Dave!

> "осенняя паутинка" actually means "autumn web" - where did you get "nude" 
> from?

Late-night fantasies? Early-onset senility? Declining Russian proficiency? 
Possibilities and alibis abound and entertwine on this day on which the wall 
between the seen and the unseen is supposedly thinnest and reality and 
fantasy merge.  Thanks for pulling me over to the light, Dave.

Jonny, myn makker!

> > craneflies  ( Daddy-Long-legs).
> Could that be L: 'tipula paludosa', G: 'Wiesenschnaken', also called
> 'Weberknecht' (E: 'slave of a weaver') or just 'Schuster' (E: 
> 'shoemaker')?

Yep, I think so.  In Low Saxon we just call them _snaak_ ([snQ:k], fem., 
plural _snaken_ ["snQ:k=N]), in Missingsch _Schnake_ (pl. _Schnaken_). 
Since in many LS dialects _snaak_ also means 'snake', I wonder if there are 
dialects in which _snaak_ can mean either.  Or do such dialects always use 
_slang_ for 'snake'?

Now to you, dear Arthur ...  First of all, thanks for the Samhain wishes, 
and the same to you.  As for your poem, and the poetic introduction to it, 
well ... Fortunately I am quite certain that, despite your display of 
modesty, you are aware of the value of your work ... or you ought to be.  It 
is very beautiful indeed, but fortunately you do not need *me* to validate 
it.  A question, though, ...


   And when, dear friend, say, shall we hold
   In black on white, title in gold,
   Those bundled strands of words depicting views
   And moods lived through, those passing hues
   Embossed, your life's quests' mulled distill,
   Shared with your ilk in autumn evening chill?


Below please find an encore of a presentation of an Old Irish Samhain poem 
with some of our translations (though I'm not sure if these are the final 
versions, and I welcome improvements).

Apologies to our friends down under, and happy Beltane (Bealltainn) to them!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

***
OLD IRISH:

   Scél lemm dúib:
   dordaid dam,
   snigid gaim,
   ro-fáith sam;

   gáeth ard úar,
   ísel grían,
   gair a rith,
   ruirthech rían;

   ro-rúad rath
   ro-cleth cruth,
   ro-gab gnáth
   giugrann guth,

   ro-gab úacht,
   etti én,
   aigre ré ...
   é mo scél.

ENGLISH (Ron, revised):

   I have tidings for you:
   stag warrior's roaring,
   winter's drops falling,
   summer has gone;

   the loud wind is cold,
   lowered the sun,
   shortened its path,
   sea has grown rough;

   the reddened bracken
   has hidden its shape,
   as always took hold of
   the call of the goose,

   took hold of the chill,
   the wings of the bird,
   the icy-cold time ...
   My tidings are these.

SCOTS (Ron):

   A hae wittins fer ye:
   the staggie kemp’s rairin,
   wunter’s sparks smirrin,
   simmer’s awa;

   the rairie wind’s cauld,
   laicher the sun,
   shorter its road,
   coorse nou the tide;

   the reided rannoch
   his hidden its shape,
   as ayeweys his claucht
   the roup o the guiss,

   his claucht the jeel,
   the weengs o the bird,
   the rimie tid ...
   that’s ma wittins.

SCOTS (Brian):

   Here's wittins for ye:
   rair o the staigie's kemp,
   smirr o the wunter's spairk,
   nou simmer's awa;

   cauld's the rairie wind,
   laich's the sun,
   short's its road,
   coorse nou the tide;

   the reidit rannoch
   his hidden its shape,
   hes claucht same as aye
   the roup o the guiss,

   his claucht the jeel,
   the weengs o the bird,
   the rimie tid ...
   that's ma wittins.

SCOTS (Sandy):

   I'v wittins for ye:
   the stag's rowtin,
   the winter ondings,
   an simmer's awa.

   The snell wind's skirlin,
   the sun's loutin laich,
   smaa is its rake,
   an sair jabblt's the jaup.

   Rannoch is reident,
   its shap scoukit awa,
   haes grippit as aye
   the cry o the claik.

   The cauld haes clauchtit
   the wings o the bird,
   the icy while ...
   thir's my wittins. Hae!

LOWLANDS SAXON (Ron, revised)

   Ik heff Tieding för di:
   Hartbuckkrieger roort,
   Winterdrüppels fallt,
   Summer is vörby,

   kold de lude Wind,
   sieder nu de Sünn,
   körter ähr Padd,
   ruugbannig de See;

   Snakenkruud, nu rood,
   het sien Form verbargen,
   nööm as jümmer to sik
   de Goos ähr Schracheln,

   nööm de Küll to sik,
   de Vagelflünken,
   de iesige Tied ...
   dat is mien Tieding.

LOWLANDS SAXON (AS spelling, Ron, revised)

   Ik hev tyding vör dy:
   hartbukkryger roort,
   winterdrüppels valt,
   summer is vörby,

   kold de lude wind,
   syder nu dey sün,
   körter er pad,
   ruugbannig dey sey;

   snakenkruud, nu rood,
   het syn vorm verbargen,
   nöym as jümmer tou sik
   dey gous er schracheln,

   nöym de kül tou sik,
   dey vagelvlünken,
   dey ysige tyd ...
   dat is myn tyding.

DUTCH (Ron):

   Ik heb tijding voor jij:
   de hertkrijger brult,
   winterdruppels valle ,
   de zomer is voorbij,

   koud de luide wind,
   lager de zon,
   korter zijn pad,
   onstuimig de zee;

   de varen, gebloosd,
   heeft zijn vorm verborgen,
   heeft als gewoonlijk
   de ganzeroep genomen.

   heeft het kou genomen,
   de vogelvleugels,
   de ijzige tijd ...
   dat is mijn tijding.

AFRIKAANS (Ron)

   Ek het tyding vir jou:
   die hertkryger brul,
   winterdruppels val,
   die somer is verby,

   koud die luide wind,
   lager die son,
   korter sy pad,
   onsteumig die see;

   die varing, gebloos,
   het sy vorm verberg,
   het soos gewoonlik
   die gansroep geneem,

   het die kou geneem,
   die voëlvleuels,
   die ysige tyd ...
   dit is my tyding. 

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