Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Finnegans Wake

Below is the beginning of Finnegans Wake. Have fun... :-)

riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs. Sir Tristram, violer d'amores, fr'over the short sea, had passen- core rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer's rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County's gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick: not yet, though venissoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all's fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa's malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface. The fall (bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonner-ronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthur-nuk!) of a once wallstrait oldparr is retaled early in bed and later on life down through all christian minstrelsy. The great fall of the offwall entailed at such short notice the pftjschute of Finnegan, erse solid man, that the humptyhillhead of humself prumptly sends an unquiring one well to the west in quest of his tumptytumtoes: and their upturnpikepointandplace is at the knock out in the park where oranges have been laid to rust upon the green since dev-linsfirst loved livvy.

2 comments:

  1. Honestly....this sounds like something from Alice in Wonderland.
    It sounds like its talking about a river that runs past Eve and Adam's house that goes in a circle around Howth Castle and Environs. Sir Tristam, violator of lovers(Tristan and Isolde?? the legend of the two lovers that divided the tribes of Britain? great movie by the way.) OK so the river passes the "short-sea" (maybe talking about a lake?) something about North America. no idea what the next part says...is "doublin" an allusion to Dublin? or "doubling?" "nor avoice from afire" (nor a voice from a fire) mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick) sounds that a fire makes)venissoon (very soon?) had a kid scad(scared?) but ended a bland old isaac. no idea what the next part says...."regginbrow" (rainbow)"aquaface" (rainbow on the surface of the water) "bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthur-nuk! (sound of a waterfall?)something about a Christian ministry (a church?)something about Finnegan sending someone to the west (possibly North America) something about oranges that rust (decay?) on the green (grass?) since the "dev-lin" (devil? or Dublin?) first loved livvy(life/living?)".

    sorry if none of that made sense....but it sounds like its talking about a Christian Church that is near a river and a lake. All the references to Adam, Eve, the devil, and oranges (forbidden fruit) might be talking about Eden. Because it says "past Eve's and Adam's" (past Eve and Adam's "house" (which would be Eden) and it says something about a waterfall and a nearby fire. And then the oranges being laid to "rust could either mean "laid to rest" (which could mean buried as seeds) or "laid to rust" (which could mean decaying and rotting ever since the devil first loved life. (first had an affect on life?)

    Overall, it makes no sense but it has some sort of religious connotation. Any ideas?

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  2. I would agree with some of the religious stuff (Adam and Eve), but at the end I think the orange upon the green refers to Northern Ireland (represented by the color orange) and Southern Ireland (green). I think the lines "regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface" refers to rainbows reflected in dew.

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