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something about lyrics

09:46 PM Aug 05 2008 | Responder

loveisbitch

loveisbitch

China

  HI there  , I love  Theater of Tradegy so much ,  but u know  some of the lyrics are written in   old English , which is really a headache for us  non-native Englih speakers  One song is "a hamlet for slothful vassal" 

    A Hamlet for a Slothful Vassal

Behold a jocund morn indeed! -
Sun on high  birds in sky.
Yonder the whist firth eathing,
Fro where a gale erranteth.

Ye beholdest but the shadow. 
That is a lie!
Mayhap a tithe of trothplight 
 
Lief I am not!
I deem  e'er and anon! 
My words are but a twist.
Tis a feigned lie through loathing,
I say!
To and fro, save hither,
Is thy love.
A dotard gaffer, I daresay…
Not a loth! 

But vying for my kinsmen!
...a sapling not!
Beautiful tyrant!
Fiend angelical!
Dove-feathered raven!
Wolvish-ravening lamb!
A hamlet for a slothful vassal -
Soothing ale for a parched sot.
Hie to tell me
What ye judgest as naught;
I behold the shadow!
Wherefore call me such names;
Nay imp am I!
Thou art my aghast hart -
Grazing in the glade.

E'er thou sayest aye! 
That is a lie!
Thief of a plot! 
Lief I am not!
Now go to thy tryst! 
My words are but a twist!
Go, leave, totter! 
Fare well! - with joy I came,
Until ye dwindlest. 
With rue I leave
A morsel, nay more, 
Even the orb cannot
For thy journey 
Help me melt the ice?!
Hither and thither!

could any native speakes  give me general idea of  what this means ? i  am kinda confused.

02:08 AM Aug 06 2008 | Responder

Nu Pogodi

Nu Pogodi

United States

Behold a jocund morn indeed!

Behold a jocund morn indeed!
See it is (or was) a merry morning indeed!
jocund
adjective
Date: 14th century
: marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness

Do you have a dictionary?

Try this one:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Let me know if you have any problems.

p.s. the lines through your words are caused by two dashes (-), remove one and that should fix the problem.

 

 

09:07 AM Aug 06 2008 | Responder

loveisbitch

loveisbitch

China

  uhh,      u know what, i   tried  looking up the dictionary but in vain. The dictionary doesn't even include them ,such as "eathing"     " erranteth" .  Now can u show me the  main    idea  of this song ? What does THeater of Tradegy wanna tell us ?

11:09 PM Aug 06 2008 | Responder

tiffintime

tiffintime

Sri Lanka

http://shakespeare.about.com/library/blglossary.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_invented_by_Shakespeare

http://extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/si-01/si-01davidson.html

 

12:25 AM Aug 07 2008 | Responder

Nu Pogodi

Nu Pogodi

United States

Whateth a paineth whereth I sit downeth. Wink

So, early to middle English is their gimmick..Undecided

The male singer must not have a very good voice, I mean it is covered up by those "demon" effects and such. It is the same effect used in comedy situations for women with PMS.

OK, here we go:

It is a duet, most likely a duel. The problem is, who is dueling? The woman with a man? The women with herself?

 A Hamlet(a small village) For A Slothful(disinclination to action or labor) Vassal(one in a subservient or subordinate position)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt-eGGoS5ss

 

12:31 AM Aug 07 2008 | Responder

Nu Pogodi

Nu Pogodi

United States

The verses in bold are the woman.  

Behold a jocund morn indeed!
Sun on high - birds in sky.
Yonder(at or in that indicated more or less distant place usually within sight) the whist(quiet, silent) firth(a water passage where the tide meets a river current; especially : an arm of the sea at the lower end of a river) eathing(eath from Scottish : easy, replace with easily – without difficulty.
Fro(m) where a gale (a strong current of air) erranteth(moving about aimlessly or irregularly)

Ye (you) beholdest (see) but the shadow.
That is a lie!
Mayhap (perhaps) a tithe (a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment) of trothplight (a mutual promise or contract for a future marriage)-
Lief(1archaic : dear, beloved 2archaic : willing, glad) I am not!
I deem – e'er(ever) and anon(at once : immediately)!
My words are but a twist.

Tis(it is) a feigned(not genuine or real) lie through loathing(extreme disgust : detestation), I say!
To and fro(from one place to another), save hither(to this place), Is thy love.
A dotard(a person a state or period of senile decay marked by decline of mental poise and alertness) gaffer(an old man), I daresay(agree, suppose —used in pres. 1st singular )...
Not a loth(Unwilling or reluctant; disinclined)! -
But vying(to exchange in rivalry) for my kinsmen(a male relative)!
..a sapling(youth) not!

Beautiful tyrant!
Fiend angelical!
Dove-feathered raven!
Wolvish-ravening lamb!
A hamlet for a slothful vassal -
Soothing ale for a parched sot(a habitual drunkard).
Hie(to go quickly) to tell me
What ye(you) judgest(judge) as naught(nothingness, nonexistence);
I behold the shadow!

Wherefore call me such names;
Nay(no, denial, refusal) imp(a small demon : fiend) am I!
Thou(the one addressed) art(are) my aghast(struck with terror, amazement, or horror : shocked) hart(the male of the red deer especially when over five years old : stag) -
Grazing in the glade.

E'er(ever) thou sayest(say) aye(an affirmative vote or voter)!
That is a lie!
Thief of a plot!
Lief I am not!
Now go to thy tryst(an agreement (as between lovers) to meet)!
My words are but a twist!
Go, leave, totter(to move unsteadily : stagger, wobble)!
Fare well! – with joy I came,
Until ye dwindlest(to make steadily less).
With rue(regret, sorrow) I leave
*rue – a European strong-scented perennial woody herb (Ruta graveolens of the family Rutaceae, the rue family) that has bitter leaves used medicinally. It leaves a "bitter taste".
A morsel(a negligible person), nay(not) more,
Even the orb( a sphere surmounted by a cross symbolizing kingly power and justice) cannot
For thy journey
Help me melt the ice?!
Hither and thither!

The other "person" or conscience is very critical of her intentions. From what she says, I can see why.

 

 

07:01 AM Aug 07 2008 | Responder

Mapleleaf Man

Mapleleaf Man

Canada

Honestly? You would be better off reading GOOD middle English instead of this broken stuff. Shakespeare wrote with skill and wit. This is, basically, drivel. The group is Norwegian so you are reading words from a non-native speaker who thinks that words like these make the tune more mysterious and compelling to listen to. Stick with Shakespeare and learn something. There is no hidden meaning in these lyrics.  My opinion!

10:11 AM Aug 07 2008 | Responder

loveisbitch

loveisbitch

China

  Thank you all ,especially Nu pogodi ,u  must have took pains to   get it across to me .Million thanks , have a nice day .

08:14 PM Aug 07 2008 | Responder

Nu Pogodi

Nu Pogodi

United States

u  must have took pains to   get it across to me .

Not really a pain, I was joking.

Writing out the guitar part would have been more difficult, I don't have a good tab editor.

If you want to discuss the song further we can. But remember, people can see "art" in different ways. When Dali was asked what a painting meant he replied, "You tell me."

If you like the Old English style of writting try Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales". The Miller's Tale is hilarious.

 

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