LL-L "Resources" 2002.09.05 (07) [E]

Thu Sep 5 22:47:21 UTC 2002

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 05.SEP.2002 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.lowlands-l.net>  Email: admin at lowlands-l.net
 Rules & Guidelines: <http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.htm>
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Server Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
=======================================================================
 You have received this because have been subscribed upon request. To
 unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or
 sign off at <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

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

Dearly Beloved,

As in the Northern Hemisphere daylight and cheer keep waning, darkness
and gloom waxing, mist and fog growing thicker, night air brings first
whiffs of frost, and time creeps toward the point of no time, when the
veil between the here and the beyond is worn thinnest, even translucent,
permitting glimpses of the other side ... some of you may be thinking
about organizing Halloween, Samhain or el Día de los Muertos events to
break the fall doldrums.  If you want to provide your party guests with
suitable entertainment or hope to scare the dear little ones to sleep,
and if you wish to do this with a Lowlands twist, well, do I have just
the thing for you!  Below is one of the Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
poems by the North German writer Klaus Groth (1819-1899) followed by my
(poeticized) English translation.  You will find a "prettier" version of
this and other Groth poems online: http://www.geocities.com/grothwarken/

May you rest peacefully tonight, my lovelies ...

Compliments,
Reinhard/Ron

===

   DAT GRULI HUS
   vun Klaus Groth

   Dat süht bi Dag' so fründli ut
        mit Doer un Finstern gel,
   Des Nachts is dat en gruli Hus,
        denn slarrt dat langs de Del.

   Dat slarrt op Tüffeln, Schritt voer Schritt,
        dat slarrt de hin un her,
   Doch wenn de Dag des Morgens graut,
        so hört man dat ni mehr.

   Dats jüs, as gung en ole Fru,
        un söch de ganze Nach,
   Un kunn ni finn' un söch un söch
        bet an den hellen Dag.

   Dat kumt des Abends ut de Stuv
        un wannert langs de Del,
   Un föhlt herum bi jede Doer,
        as wenn de Sloetel fehl.

   Dat funßelt an de Koekendoer,
        dat kloetert an den Rink,
   Dat kraut un grabbelt an de Bred
        un röhrt an Slött un Klink.

   Denn slurrt dat wieder an de Wand
        un raschelt in den Gank,
   Denn pett dat langs de Trepp tohöch
        un trufft de Boen hentlank.

   Dar trufft dat langsam hin un her
        un wöhlt in Törf un Kaff,
   Denn pett dat wedder na de Luk
        un kumt de Trepp heraf.

   De Saaldoer hett en isen Ked,
        dar ritt dat ganze Stunn':
   Doch wenn de Hahn des Morgens kreiht,
        ist jedesmal verswunn'.

===

   It looks so welcoming by day
        with yellow frames and doors.
   But it's an eerie house by night.
        There's shuffling across floors.

   There're slippers shuffling, step by step.
        There's shuffling on and on.
   But with the new day's morning light
        those shuffling sounds are gone.

   It sounds like an old woman's walk
        in search throughout the night.
   It seeks and seeks but cannot find
        until the day's first light.

   At nightfall it moves from the lounge,
        comes crawling gingerly
   And gropes about outside each door
        as though it lacked the key.

   It fiddles with the kitchen door,
        it rattles and it knocks,
   It claws and fumbles at the boards
        and touches knobs and locks.

   Then it slides on along the wall --
        swish! - down the hall some more.
   Then it goes climbing up the stairs
        onto the attic floor.

   Up there it slowly stomps about
        and rummages and tears.
   Then it steps back toward the hatch
        and comes back down the stairs.

   The lounge door's heavy iron chain
        keeps rattling, on and on.
   But when at dawn the rooster crows
        the whole thing's simply gone.

==================================END===================================
 * Please submit postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
=======================================================================