Sunday, January 21, 2007

The Universal Language

This must be the easiest-to-remember limerick:

I once knew a lady of Spain
Who cried, "let us do it again!

And again! And again!
And again, and again!

And again and again and again!"

It turns out that romance is the same in any language. Here’s the Greek version:

I once saw a lass from Marsala*
Tucked snug in the grass with her fella,

She told her ephebos**,
“You must never leave us! Oh

Poioumen alla kai alla!”***

*Western Sicily, lots of Greek influence out there.
**Modern Greek beta=v, so I win.
***Hey, I tried for Greek script, couldn't figure out how to make it work.

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