Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Ah, the Lure of Dead Languages

If you've a yen for dead languages, but aren't in the mood for Virgil and co., you can read all your old childhood favorites in Latin. Here's a sampling:

Winnie ille Pu (Alexander Lenard, 1960)
Fabula de Petro Cuniculo
(E. Peroto Walker, 1962)
Alicia in Terra Mirabili (Clive Harcourt Carruthers, 1964)
Domus Anguli Puensis (Brian Staples, 1980)
Ursus nomine Paddington (Peter Needham, 1999)
Quomodo Invidiosulus nomine Grinchus Christi natalem abrogaverit (Tunbergs 1999)
Regulus (Augustus Haury, 2001)
Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis (Peter Needham, 2003)(also available in ancient Greek!)

and my personal favorite, Cattus Petasatus (Tunbergs 2000):

Cur sedetis?? inquit ille,
Ludos vobis dabo mille!
Cattus, etsi sol non lucet,
Ludos vobis huc adducet!

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