Mors Iabrochii
Coesper[1] erat: tunc lubriciles[2] ultravia circum
Urgebant gyros gimbiculosque tophi;
Moestenui visae borogovides ire meatu;
Et profugi gemitus exgrabuêre rathae.
O fuge Iabrochium, sanguis meus![3] Ille recurvis
Unguibus, estque avidis dentibus ille minax.
Ububae fuge cautus avis vim, gnate! Neque unquam
Faederpax contra te frumiosus eat!
Vorpali gladio juvenis succingitur: hostis
Manxumus ad medium quaeritur usque diem:
Jamque viâ fesso, sed plurima mente prementi,
Tumtumiae frondis suaserat umbra moram.
Consilia interdum stetit egnia[4] mene revolvens;
At gravis in densa fronde susuffrus[5] erat,
Spiculaque[6] ex oculis jacientis flammea, tulseam
Per silvam venit burbur[7] labrochii!
Vorpali, semel atque iterum collectus in ictum,
Persnicuit gladis persnacuitque puer:
Deinde galumphatus, spernens informe Cadaver,
Horrendum monstri rettulit ipse caput.
Victor Iabrochii, spoliis insignis opimis,
Rursus in amplexus, o radiose, meos!
O frabiose dies! CALLO clamateque CALLA!
Vix potuit lastus chorticulare pater.
Coesper erat: tune lubriciles ultravia circum
Urgebant gyros gimbiculosque tophi;
Moestenui visæ borogovides ire meatu;
Et profugi gemitus exgrabuêre rathæ.
Anonymous.
Notes
1 Coesper from Coena and vesper.
2 lubriciles from lubricus and graciles. See the Commentary in Humpty Dumpty’s square, which will also explain ultravia, and—if it requires explanation—moestenui.
3 Sanguis meus: cf. Verg. Aen. 6. 836, “Projice tela manu, sanguis meus!”
4 egnia: “muffish” = segnis; … “uffish” = egnis.
This is a conjectural analogy, but I can suggest no better solution.
5 susuffrus: “whiffling”:: susurrus: “whistling.”
7 burbur: apparently a labial variation of murmur, stronger but more dissonant.