The Soldier's Tale
Apr. 26th, 2007 03:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
libra_travellerAuthor: Jessica aka libra_traveller
Rating: PG
Genre: Romantic (for supernatural)
Disclaimer: Borrowed the story from Alexander Pushkin's "Queen of Spades" and I do cite that.
Author's Note: Wrote this for my Chaucer English class, we were reading the Canterbury Tales. This is in Middle English, with rhyming couplets. I've added a photoshopped picture.
The Soldier’s Prologue
Derknesse had bifelle oure compaignye
We redy oure catel for slepe by a tree.
Oure hoost looke up and spoke in jape
To the Sowdyowre, “Se moonescape?
Defend us from yvel, sonne is agoon.”
The Sowdyowre laughed like a loon
“Yis, there are ferly renkes ute there
Deed folk yive prevys the lif I sware
Never sholde haden asken hem for.
I shal tell the tale I heren from a pore
Scoler of Alexander Pushkin, it is cleped
the ‘Quene of Spades’, it is as folowed.”
The Soldier’s Tale
It was a verno nyghte in Ruce and a floc
Set pleynge cards and they wolde mocke
Ech other. There a Germanne engyneere
Hermann, he nevere plegan for feare,
“I ne kun afforde lok for lute porchas.”
Yet he love wacchen this game of chaos.
Another man was Tomsky the neueu
Of Countesse Anna. His turn he drou
And began a tale about the Countesse.
I ne hath tyme to tell of this noblesse.
But she koude the prvy of the three
Winne cards. No man who wolde ple
Wolde gere her tell. Then Hermann
Devyse a way to go and ask Anne.
Manye days late he gonne to the warde
Of the Countesse and gere her fall harde
In love with him and he geten entrance
To the hoom. He hidde during a dance
And then bode the Countesse to arrive.
Whan she came she sembled barely alive
And he staretled her whan he aperened.
“Nay be frigten I am onlie yure friend
Asken for a favour.” When she niten
Tell him her prvy of the cards, he frigten
Her with his pystol and she felle deed.
Lete me meu fore how he astert and fled
Late he went to her funeral in cherche.
He walke to the chest and stop in a lurch.
He ses her twink at him. The next nyght
Whan drunk he se the Countess in whyte
Come and she tells him the winne cards,
Three, seuen, ace to pleyen in tabards.
He pleyen the fyrst card and wonne.
He pleyen the second card and wonne.
The third nyght whan he pleyed
His ace became a Quene of Spades.
The Quene twinked at him and nu
He lifes in a mentalle instytu.
ETA: I have now added a translation.
English Translation of Soldier’s Tale – (and this won’t rhyme)
The Soldier’s Prologue
Darkness had befallen our company
We readied our belongings for sleep near a tree
Our host looked up and joked
To the soldier, “See the moonlight?
Defend us from the evil that’s out now that the sun is gone.”
The soldier laughed like a lunatic.
“Yes, there are scary creatures out there.
Dead people give away secrets the living I swear
Never should have asked of them.
I shall tell the tale I heard from a poor
Scholar of Alexander Pushkin, it is called
“The Queen of Spades”, it is as follows.
The Soldier’s Tale
It was a winter night in Russia and a bunch of men
Sat playing cards and they would mock
Each other. There was a German engineer
Named Hermann who never played because of fear.
“I cannot afford to sacrifice my earnings for little gain.”
Yet he loved watching this game of chance.
Another man was Tomsky the grandson
Of Countess Anna. His turn to draw a card
And he began a story about his grandmother.
I don’t have the time to tell of this noble woman,
But she knew the secret of the three
Winning cards. No man who would plea with her
Could make her tell them. Then Hermann
Planned a way to get in her presence and beg of her.
Many days later he went to the ward
Of the countess and slowly made her fall hard
In love with him therefore gaining entrance
To the home. He hid during a dance
And then waited for the Countess to arrive.
When she came she was so old she seemed barely alive.
And he startled her when he revealed himself.
“Don’t be frightened, I am only a friend
Asking for a favor.” When she would not
Tell him the secret, he scared
Her with a pistol and she fell down dead.
Let me move past his fleeing escape.
Later he went to her church funeral
He walked to the coffin and stopped in his tracks.
He saw her wink at him. The next night
While drunk he saw her ghost dressed in white
Come to him and tell him the winning cards:
Three, seven, and ace to play at the gaming house.
He played the first card and won.
He played the second card and also won.
The third night he played but
The ace was actually a Queen of Spades (making him lose all his money)
The Queen winked at him, and now
He lives in a mental institution.
Rating: PG
Genre: Romantic (for supernatural)
Disclaimer: Borrowed the story from Alexander Pushkin's "Queen of Spades" and I do cite that.
Author's Note: Wrote this for my Chaucer English class, we were reading the Canterbury Tales. This is in Middle English, with rhyming couplets. I've added a photoshopped picture.
The Soldier’s Prologue
Derknesse had bifelle oure compaignye
We redy oure catel for slepe by a tree.
Oure hoost looke up and spoke in jape
To the Sowdyowre, “Se moonescape?
Defend us from yvel, sonne is agoon.”
The Sowdyowre laughed like a loon
“Yis, there are ferly renkes ute there
Deed folk yive prevys the lif I sware
Never sholde haden asken hem for.
I shal tell the tale I heren from a pore
Scoler of Alexander Pushkin, it is cleped
the ‘Quene of Spades’, it is as folowed.”
The Soldier’s Tale
It was a verno nyghte in Ruce and a floc
Set pleynge cards and they wolde mocke
Ech other. There a Germanne engyneere
Hermann, he nevere plegan for feare,
“I ne kun afforde lok for lute porchas.”
Yet he love wacchen this game of chaos.
Another man was Tomsky the neueu
Of Countesse Anna. His turn he drou
And began a tale about the Countesse.
I ne hath tyme to tell of this noblesse.
But she koude the prvy of the three
Winne cards. No man who wolde ple
Wolde gere her tell. Then Hermann
Devyse a way to go and ask Anne.
Manye days late he gonne to the warde
Of the Countesse and gere her fall harde
In love with him and he geten entrance
To the hoom. He hidde during a dance
And then bode the Countesse to arrive.
Whan she came she sembled barely alive
And he staretled her whan he aperened.
“Nay be frigten I am onlie yure friend
Asken for a favour.” When she niten
Tell him her prvy of the cards, he frigten
Her with his pystol and she felle deed.
Lete me meu fore how he astert and fled
Late he went to her funeral in cherche.
He walke to the chest and stop in a lurch.
He ses her twink at him. The next nyght
Whan drunk he se the Countess in whyte
Come and she tells him the winne cards,
Three, seuen, ace to pleyen in tabards.
He pleyen the fyrst card and wonne.
He pleyen the second card and wonne.
The third nyght whan he pleyed
His ace became a Quene of Spades.
The Quene twinked at him and nu
He lifes in a mentalle instytu.
ETA: I have now added a translation.
English Translation of Soldier’s Tale – (and this won’t rhyme)
The Soldier’s Prologue
Darkness had befallen our company
We readied our belongings for sleep near a tree
Our host looked up and joked
To the soldier, “See the moonlight?
Defend us from the evil that’s out now that the sun is gone.”
The soldier laughed like a lunatic.
“Yes, there are scary creatures out there.
Dead people give away secrets the living I swear
Never should have asked of them.
I shall tell the tale I heard from a poor
Scholar of Alexander Pushkin, it is called
“The Queen of Spades”, it is as follows.
The Soldier’s Tale
It was a winter night in Russia and a bunch of men
Sat playing cards and they would mock
Each other. There was a German engineer
Named Hermann who never played because of fear.
“I cannot afford to sacrifice my earnings for little gain.”
Yet he loved watching this game of chance.
Another man was Tomsky the grandson
Of Countess Anna. His turn to draw a card
And he began a story about his grandmother.
I don’t have the time to tell of this noble woman,
But she knew the secret of the three
Winning cards. No man who would plea with her
Could make her tell them. Then Hermann
Planned a way to get in her presence and beg of her.
Many days later he went to the ward
Of the countess and slowly made her fall hard
In love with him therefore gaining entrance
To the home. He hid during a dance
And then waited for the Countess to arrive.
When she came she was so old she seemed barely alive.
And he startled her when he revealed himself.
“Don’t be frightened, I am only a friend
Asking for a favor.” When she would not
Tell him the secret, he scared
Her with a pistol and she fell down dead.
Let me move past his fleeing escape.
Later he went to her church funeral
He walked to the coffin and stopped in his tracks.
He saw her wink at him. The next night
While drunk he saw her ghost dressed in white
Come to him and tell him the winning cards:
Three, seven, and ace to play at the gaming house.
He played the first card and won.
He played the second card and also won.
The third night he played but
The ace was actually a Queen of Spades (making him lose all his money)
The Queen winked at him, and now
He lives in a mental institution.
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no subject
on 2007-05-05 06:52 pm (UTC)Great tale, and I could almost figure it out before I read the translation.
And I just noticed that my AIM is gone...and I can't log back on...*sweatdrops*
no subject
on 2007-05-05 06:54 pm (UTC)