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I thought I was losing my mind. I was thinking "what on EARTH is he saying, that's not a nursery rhyme, those aren't even French phrases." bel, I should have warned you. The mock-premise of the book is that these passages are taken from medieval manuscripts recently found in an old ruined abbey. The author then proceeds to "explain" each phrase with a series of pseudo-scholarly footnotes. In other words, all must be read with a very large dose of  . For example, the book's footnotes will soberly inform you: Un petit d'un petit (1)
S'etonne aux Halles (2)
1. The inevitable result of a child marriage
2. The subject of this epigrammatic poem is obviously from the provinces, as a native Parisian would take this famous old market for granted.
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Ah, come on, guys! Will one of you translate the bloody nursery rhyme as it is? Just break the whole thing down phrase by phrase...please? Pretty please with little chou-fleux on top?
Bemused remarks,
DubDub
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For you, dear Dub-Dub, anything.  For quiz purposes, others of the poems (unfootnoted) will follow. Do you perhaps speak enough french to wish to attempt your own translation? Tous droits réservés par Luis d'Antin van Rooten ©Un petit d'un petit[1]
S'étonne aux Halles[2]
Un petit d'un petit
Ah! degrés te fallent[3]
Indolent qui ne sort cesse[4]
Indolent qui ne se mène[5]
Qu'importe un petit d'un petit
Tout Gai de Reguennes.[6][1] The inevitable result of a child marriage.[2] The subject of this epigrammatic poem is obviously from the provinces, since a native Parisian would take this famous old market for granted.[3] Since this personage bears no titles, we are led to believe that the poet writes of one of those unfortunate idiot-children that in olden days existed as a living skeleton in their family's closet. I am inclined to believe, however, that this is a fine piece of misdirection and that the poet is actually writing of some famous political prisoner, or the illegitimate offspring of some noble house. The Man in the iron Mask, perhaps?[4],[5] Another misdirection. Obviously it was not laziness that prevented this personas going out and taking himself places.[6] He was obviously prevented from fulfilling his destiny, since he is compared to Gai de Reguennes. This was a young squire (to one of his uncles, a Gaillard of Normandy) who died at the tender age of twelve of a surfeit of Saracen arrows before the walls of Acre in 1191.
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I wish to publicly thank Dr. Bill for kicking me in the butt in PM and telling me what this was all about! Is there an emoticon for [duhhhhhhhh!]? FWIW, I speak no foreign languages and cannot pronounce the French, so this was a stretch for me. May I add, someone had suggested when a language other than English is used, that the translation be put in white for those of us who are foreign language challenged. This would help!
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Small of small Be astonished with the Markets. Small of small: Ah! Degrees are necessary for you! The indolent who has no destiny, forever The indolent who does not lead. What is important, small of small? Very merry of Reguennes! Or something like that. More: http://ransom.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/funny/MotsDHeures.htmlAngel, there was intentionally no translation, because the translation is not where the humour lies. I do not speak French either.
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Dear doc_comfort: Humpty Dumpty murders French enough to constitute an International Incident. No way could Humpty Dumpty sit on those Halles. No wonder all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put him back together Raguennes.
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Dear Doc:
Thanks for the "something like that" translation. My
French I got me nowhere!
It's rather humorous translated, huh? Small of small! Degrees are necessary for you! What is important, small of small?--Gosh, that's just terrific stuff there!!
Astonished with the Markets,
Wind of wind
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"Astonished with the Markets," Forgive this old curmudgeon, but the originator should have been able to find a French word that sounded like "wall"
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