Posted by Sasha Volokh:
Carols for the holidays:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_14-2008_12_20.shtml#1229349916
There are a number of Latin renditions of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer" -- [1]this site collects a bunch, both in the main text and
in the comments. The first version is listed as "translator unknown,
widely repeated on the Internet," and indeed, this is the version I
first came across. Dissatisfied with the Latin grammar and rhymes, I
instead wrote the following -- loosely based on the original but
substantially altered -- which you are free to use in caroling this
holiday season:
Rudolpho cervo erat Nasum ruber lucensque; Quicumque hunc videret
Hunc diceret candere.
Alii cervi omnes Semper hunc deriserant; Cum misero Rudolpho In
ludis non luserant.
Sanctus Nicholas dixit Sub festum nubilum: "Naso claro, Rudolphe,
Hodie carrum ducesne?"
Tum cervi clamaverunt, "Omnibus dilectus es! Rudolphe rubri nasi,
In historiam descendes!"
For an entirely original one -- though this one is a lot harder to
sing -- try my rewriting of the same carol in the style of Catullus
(hendecasyllables). I'm going from memory here, so I hope this is
right:
De Rudolpho cervo rubri nasi
Lucens et rubicundum erat Rudolpho Cervo nasum, aliquo umquam idem
vidente Quod et fulgere saepe diceretur. Irridere alii hunc iocis
solebant Cervi, cum quibus haud ei licebat Ludos ludere idoneosque
cervis. Sub festum nubilosum honore Christi Tum Sanctus Nicholas ei
appropinquat -- "Carrum duc hodie, Rudolphe," dicit, "Tuo tam
nitido calente naso?" Cervi omnes igiturque diligebant,
Clamabantque, "Ruber Rudolphe magne, Superstes tua fama erit per
aevum!"
(Note: I previously announced both of these poems on this blog [2]five
years ago.) If anyone ever feels like arranging this, please let me
know!
References
1. http://gaudium-mundo.blogspot.com/2006/12/rudolphus.html
2. http://volokh.com/2003_12_21_volokh_archive.html#107245732518478126
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