Котето и Бухалът /THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT



Edward Lear

Born in 1812, the twentieth child of a stockbroker, Edward Lear never achieved great success or fame in his lifetime. Yet he left behind a legacy of thousands of drawings and watercolours, and he will forever be known for his Nonsense rhymes, particularly the "Owl" and the "Pussycat". Epilepsy caused Lear literally to see a different world from other people, and in this book Susan Chitty penetrates the complicated and fascinating psychology of a Victorian homosexual, who travelled extensively but found love and a settled home life eluded him. She reveals details of Lear's immensely complicated personality, and the love of his life, with whom he was destined to find no happiness. Illustrated with the well-loved illustrations for which Lear became famous, this extraordinary biography offers a poignant insight into the life of an immensely talented and deliciously eccentric man for whom life was 'basically tragic and futile' and who felt that 'the only thing that matters is making little jokes.'

The Owl and The Pussycat
by Edward Lear


Anthology of English Verse, Vol. 1
I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!'
II
Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
III
'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.


Котето и Бухалът
Edward Lear
І

В зелена лодка с цвят на грахова шушулка
поеха Котето у Бухала на дълъг път
Пари си взеха за целта, гъдулка
бурканче с мед и тайна,
на вързопче свита.
Погледна небосвода звезден.
и начаса любовна песен Бухала запя:
“О, Коте мое ненагледно, как хубаво си ти
как хубаво си ти,
О, Коте мое ненагледно!”

ІІ

“Ах, ти чаровнико пернат, как нежно думите звучат!”-
отвърна Котето и продължи:
“Да се оженим! Как времето лети!
Отдавна сме сгодени,
годежните халки отде да вземем?”
И тъй отплаваха надлъж и шир
Пътуваха година, че и две,
Накрая стигнаха една гора
Прасенце срещна ги насред поляна чудна
Халка то имаше на своето носле
прасе с халка
прасе с халка!

ІІІ

Грухчо мили, ах Грухчо ти,
продай ни своята халка, цял шилинг е това!
“Така да бъде” рече Грухчо, дето на носа си имаше халка.
И тъй щастливи бяха Бухала с невестата
нататък пътя продължиха
Ожениха се призори,
Венча ги Пуякът от хълма.
Гостиха го със сладко от дюли
И кайма,
а после за ръка поеха към брега,
където под луната синя
до зори
танцуваха ръка в ръка
чак до зори
Ръка в ръка