working hard at not working

[aesc]

In the tradition of The Waste Land and The Bible... the first eleven lines of Beowulf in LOLcat:

Hay thar! We can has knowingz of teh c00lniz of teh Spearcats, teh kingz of teh pplz, in teh old daiz, how teh prinzes wuz all FTW!1!! \o/ Wif ninja cats Scyld Scefkitteh stoled teh mead-benchiz (whut??) of many doggiz an skared lots of pplz. Aftur he wuz founded bukkitless he got cookies cos he was sad kitteh, he growed up an pwned c00l stuffs so all teh doggiz in teh hood an cross teh see did whut he sed an gave him cheezburgrs. Taht wuz gud king, srsly. Beokitteh, 1 tru !1

Indeed, we have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes, the kings of the nation, how lords did courageous things in bygone days. With bands of warriors Scyld Scefing robbed many nations of their mead-seats and terrified men. After he was discovered destitute he was comforted, grew under the skies and prospered in honor, until each of the neighboring people over the whale's path had to obey him and pay him tribute. That was a good king. Beowulf, 1-11

In other news: Not that translating into LOLcat isn't productive, but I really need to get things done tonight.

.eta!: Before I get to all that, if you're interested/so inclined, OTW membership has opened! Cool.

O HAI! CAN HAS MOAR BEOKITTEH.

Comments

[hilarytamar.livejournal.com]

This is a fine, fine thing you have done here today. Æsc for the win!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Heh heh, thank you! It's vaguely work-like, so I almost feel productive. Almost.

[flyakate]

*cracks up*

I have to say, while sometimes I find LOLspeak a little irritating, I find it quite apt to transcribe Beowulf for some reason. I greatly applaud your non-working productivity!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

I find it quite apt to transcribe Beowulf for some reason.

There is something apropos about it... perhaps because the poem is fairly rarefied; the most colloquial you get (outside of Gaiman and Zemeckis' adaptation) is Seamus Heaney's opening "So." Maybe, like Eliot and the Yahwist, the poem is due for something a little different than its usual treatment :)

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

teh mead-benchiz (whut??)

*roflmao*

Awesome!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

:D :D Meodosetl/mead-bench is one of those terms that doesn't quite translate, as I don't think cats drink mead.

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

<3 x 11tybillion

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Hurrah x11tybillion and two!!

Taht was gud lolz, srsly

[raletha.livejournal.com]

My favourite bit:

Aftur he wuz
founded bukkitless he got cookies cos he was sad kitteh,

You win the internets!

Re: Taht was gud lolz, srsly

[aesc.livejournal.com]

\o/ Poor Sceaf, someone stoled his bukkit!

[sorchasilver.livejournal.com]

Taht wuz gud king, srsly.

This works disturbingly well!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

I think that's my favorite line :D

[anatsuno.livejournal.com]

you win so, so much.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

w00t!

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

This makes me so happy.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

My icon loves your icon!

[tardis80.livejournal.com]

U CAN HAZ AWESOME! :D

[aesc.livejournal.com]

I can has b happy!! \o/

[let-fate-decide.livejournal.com]

How are you so awesome? Usually, that's reserved for Hewlett, so you better be flattered! \o/

[aesc.livejournal.com]

I am very flattered to be admitted to the ranks of Hewlettness!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

This... this is so very awesome. I don't even have words.

Aftur he wuz founded bukkitless he got cookies cos he was sad kitteh may be my very favorite bit, but truer words were never spoken than, Taht wuz gud king, srsly.

Somewhere, Heaney is rolling in his (metaphorical) grave. Heh.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! There is a disturbingly compelling allure in translating funden feasceaft as "founded bukkitless."

Somewhere, Heaney is rolling in his (metaphorical) grave. Heh.

\o/

*considers the next 3,171 lines*

[ribby.livejournal.com]

*giggles hysterically* Oh, oh *yes*. Kitties with Viking helmets (yes, I know, but...) FTW!

Wonderful--go you for using your arcane knowledge to entertain the masses!

~Kris

[aesc.livejournal.com]

using your arcane knowledge to entertain the masses!

It has to be good for something XD

[dogeared.livejournal.com]

*salutes you most crackily!*

[aesc.livejournal.com]

*is very daft!*

[rilestar.livejournal.com]

*snorts*

Now, that is literature.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

\o/ It'll be in the canon before you know it!

[aurora]

ljfkdlsqjfklsdfj you is pwning teh Beowulf!!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

You don't pwn Beowulf... Beowulf pwns YOU!

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

BUKKITLESS. Omg I love you so.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

\o/

Poor Scyld Scefkitteh without his bukkit!

[omglawdork.livejournal.com]

I have never seen Beowulf so well pwned, even when my horrible horrible English prof in college read it to us in the Old English. You, FTW!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Hay nao, pls not to be hatin on teh Old Engliz ;)

[kimberweeme.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I bow to your awesome abilities.

he got cookies cos he was sad kitteh

Because cookies make everything better. No, srsly.

You really are awesome like Rodney McKay. Don't try to deny it! True fact!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Because cookies make everything better.

Trufax!

[10pmpacifictime.livejournal.com]

I'm now imagining the first book of Bede's History or Augustine's Confessions done by LOLCats. They are probably rolling in their graves.

By contrast, I think Chaucer would have gotten a serious kick out of the Canterbury Tales done in LOLCat.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

I'm now imagining the first book of Bede's History

Heh heh, I think an LOLcats summary of part of the History would be something like:

Book I.15
Britons: We can has island?
Angles & Saxons: NO CAN HAS! An we will can has bukkits 2.
Britons: Nooo they be stealin our bukkits!
Angles & Saxons: we r in charge nao, n00bs. lol.
Bede: Is liek teh Chaldeans, srsly.

Book III.25
Colman: Dis is how we be calculatin Eestur.
Wilfrid: UR DOIN IT WRONG, n00b. Peetur sez is must be liek THIS.
Colman: We has maded this calendar an not eated it for long tiem nao an we lieks it.
Wilfrid: FAIL.

Book IV.19
Ecgfrith: O hai, Aethelfryth! I wantz teh sex0rs nao, pls.
Aethelfryth: No can has! I is pwned by Ceiling Cat, kthxbai.

By contrast, I think Chaucer would have gotten a serious kick out of the Canterbury Tales done in LOLCat.

He would have loled (http://houseoffame.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-can-hath-cheezburger.html).

[siria]

You, m'dear, have won one (1) internets (not redeemable for cash, void where prohibited).

(Something tells me that the lolcat translation might very well be what they were working from when they made that godawful movie.)

[aesc.livejournal.com]

(...that godawful movie.)

asd;kljd;lkjfg HIVES.

[hellpenguin.livejournal.com]

u inspyrd meh!

i can has "Teh Burdeh" by Eddy Al Po.

(translation: you inspired me! I LOLcat-ified "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe)

here (http://hellpenguin.livejournal.com/19152.html#cutid1)

[aesc.livejournal.com]

<3 STOP BEETIN IMA CHECKIN.

Win!

[dancink.livejournal.com]

::brain brakes::

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Score! \o/

[applegnat.livejournal.com]

BRILLIANT!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

\o/ Thank you!!! Oh LOLcats :D

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Absolutely hilarious!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Yay, thank you!! I love it when fellow medievalists and linguists can lol at this stuff with me :D

[ysabet.livejournal.com]

11!!!!!11111!!! YES OMG YES!!! **punches air** Thankyew; started my day better.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

\o/ Thank you! I'm happy to hear it :>