---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JOHN WALKER <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mar 28, 2006 2:28 PM
Subject: Re: the nine-fifteen
To: Meredith Dixon <[log in to unmask]>
Dear All,
As usual, by the time I arrived home from work, someone had answered
the question….
Remembering that the Mailbase is used as a reference tool, may I add
the following (just to get into the loop, you understand).
"Romance" was the original title, as published in a book called "Under
Lockungar" in late 1894. When collected in The Seven Seas in 1896, it
had gained some verses, and alterations, and was re-titled "The King".
There could be confusion here (!), because "The Old Issue", from 1899
was also sometimes titled "The King".
Although the original French version leapt out as this source, I find
the translation of "Romance" to "Poetry" rather odd. It is not
required by the metre, or the rhyme scheme. Surely the French have
(another) word for it?
L'enchantement?
Regards,
John
John Walker
Honorary Librarian
The Kipling Society
On 3/27/06, Meredith Dixon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 21:36:17 +0200, you wrote:
>
> >A French correspondant wishes to know if indeed Kipling wrote the following :
> >
> > : "Poetry did bring with itself the nine fifteen train." that was quoted in translation as : "La poésie a amené avec elle le train de neuf heures quinze." by the French literary critic Assouline in the Nouvel Express recently.
> >
> >To me it does not sound like Kipling. Does anyone know better ?
>
>
> It's Kipling, all right, from "The King", an 1894 poem about the human tendency to
> look back to "the good old days." The relevant stanza is:
>
> "'Romance!' the season-tickets mourn,
> "*He* never ran to catch His train,
> But passed with coach and guard and horn,
> And left the local--late again!
> Confound Romance!"-- And, all unseen,
> Romance brought up the nine-fifteen."
>
>
> --
>
> Meredith Dixon
> [log in to unmask]
>
|