Lytel lytel attercoppe

[Phyllis]

Eala!

I wonder what people think to this? I'm hoping to use it at an event in a few weeks so if you spot any horrible errors please let me know

Lytel lytel attercoppe
clamb up þa pipe
adun feol se regn
wox attercoppe ut
ut cam seo sunne
drygde eallne regn
lytel lytel attercoppe
clam up ongean

ic þoncie ge!

[David]

Well done Phyllis - really good.


Just one minor error. Cam should be com.

[Phyllis]

gah! always with the typos!

Thanks David

[David]

I have just noticed another small error.
 
“ic þoncie ge”  should be  “ic þoncie eow”  or even better would be "ic eow þoncie".
 

[Phyllis]

Of course it should! I was thinking of ic þoncie þe, which of course I do

[brian farrell]

Heí Phyllis,

My version had a few hints of Middle English (rather than OE) e.g. 'spithra' & 'spute'
and uses some "poetic license"; e.g. although 'yntse' appears in Bosworth/Toller, it is there as a Latin derived noun, (from which mod. Eng. small things, such as "inch" and "ounce" are obtained).

Can such a noun be used as an adjective? and if so can a word be "invented" for the sake of poetry?;
i.e. 'winsig' doesn't appear to exist, but it would fit better than 'winsum'.

(I wonder how purists will react);

    Yntse winsum spiðra, up-clomb se wæter spútan

    Dúne com se regn, ond spiðran (he) út-gewæscede

    Út com seo sunne ond (e)allne regn (heo) up-gedrigede

    Swa yntse winsum spiðra, se spútan ongean up-geclomb

You're welcome to use, edit or ignore the above, at your will

Good luck!

Brian

[David]

 
Brian, your posting was quite an eye-opener.
 
I thought that incy wincy was a made up childish phrase just meaning very small. I like your yntse winsum spiðra – a winsome ounce spider. The winsome little spider sounds charming and I can see winsome being changed to wincy to rhyme with incy in a nice childish way.
 
However I think that spūt came in much later so I would stick to pipe.

[lawrence]

Phyllis

Ecxellent!  May I post this to a facebook spider group to which I belong?

Cheers,

Lawrence

[Phyllis]

Phyllis

Ecxellent!  May I post this to a facebook spider group to which I belong?

Cheers,

Lawrence

Lawrence - Of course, and link back to the website if possible!

Brian - I like you version too, and the explanation about winsig. I didn't know the origin before so thank you. Sharing these experiments with Old English teaches me so much!

[Horsa]

Can such a noun be used as an adjective? and if so can a word be "invented" for the sake of poetry?;

Yes, CF Lewis and his Jabberwocky. Also, I believe that Keats coined the word "darkling" or re-minted it with a new meaning. Seuss was making up words all the time, and for creative use of anachronistic middle English vocabulary check out Spenser's Faerie Queane.

Also, Lawrence. I love the fact that there is a Spider based FB group. I love them more for the fact that the might get a thrill from Incy Wincey Spider translated into OE.

Phyllis, please give Lawrence permission to disseminate your work. It would tickle me so that Arachnophiles might get a thrill out of your translation.

[lawrence]

"I love them more for the fact that the might get a thrill from Incy Wincey Spider translated into OE."

They may not - they may delete it because it's off topic but I hope some may like it.