Chenodia Or, the Classical Mother Goose

Excerpt

PAR AVIUM.

Two little birds were sitting on a stone,

One flew away and then there was one,

T’ other flew away and then there was none,

So the poor stone was left all alone.

One of the little birds back again flew,

In came t’ other and then there were two;

Says one bird to t’ other, “How do you do?”

“Very well, I thank you; pray how do you?”

Fama est par avium venisse insistere saxo,

Quarum primâ abeunte superstitit inde secunda:

Illa autem fugiens jam vix vestigia liquit,

Et saxum mœrens in campo luget inani.

Ecce autem rediens avium comparuit una,

Altera non segnis sociam complectitur almam:

Arreptâque manu, “Quid agis dulcissima rerum?”

“Suaviter ut nunc est, et jam cupio omnia quæ vis.”

REX ARTHURUS.

When King Arthur ruled the land,

He ruled it like a king:

He bought four pecks of barley-meal

To make a brave pudding.

A pudding brave the king did make

And stuffed it well with plums;

Great lumps of suet he put into it,

As big as both his thumbs.

The king and queen partook thereof,

And all the court beside;

And what they did not eat that night,

The queen next morning fried.

Angliæ rex imperio potitus,

Hordei nactus modium farinæ,

Ordinat cœnâ properè institutâ

Sternere mensam.

Mira farrago exoritur culinâ,

Turgidis uvis maculata passis

Intus et frustis adipis referta

Pollicis instar.

Rex et affines epulantur omnes

Principes magni dominæque lectæ:

Alma regina exoriente luce

Fragmina frixit.

MORS TURDO-GALLI.

Who killed Cock Robin?

I, says the sparrow;

With my bow and arrow,

I killed Cock Robin.

Quis Turdo-gallum necavit?

En, adsum qui feci,

Qui telum conjeci;

Jaculis et arcu

Passer interfeci.

PUER CÆRULEUS.

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,

The cow’s in the meadow, the sheep in the corn.

Where’s the little boy that looks after the sheep?

Under the haycock fast asleep.

parve puer, cornu nunc suscipe cantum.

Per segetes errant pecudes, per pascua vaccæ.

Ah, ubi nunc ovium custos tam parvulus absit?

En, gregis oblitus sub fœno dormit opaco.

VETULA CALCEOCOLA.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,

Who had so many children she didn’t know what to do;

She gave them some broth without any bread,

And whipt them all soundly and sent them to bed.

Calceus inclusit vetulam turbamque suorum,

Multum quæ luctans natos compescuit arctos;

Jus illis profert oblita apponere panem,

Verberibusque datis dormitum sæva remittit.

CANIS KEVENSIS.

I am his Highness’s dog at Kew.

Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?

Principis excelsi coram canis ecce Kevensis.

Dic mihi vicissim quæso cujus canis es tu?

DICCORA DOGIUM.

Dickory dickory dock,

The mouse ran up the clock,

The clock struck one,

The mouse ran down,

Dickory dickory dock.

Diccora diccora dogium,

Ascendit mus horologium.

Insonuit hora,

Fugit mus sine morâ,

Diccora diccora dogium.

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