Speaking of Crap:

[Jim]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2179408_2,00.html

 

During their last meeting, Saddam told her he had written a new epic work. “I didn’t have time to write poetry before,” the dictator said, “but now I have had the time to become a poet.”

 

FROM ODE TO IRAQ

 

My spirit is still standing firm and will not fall,

And in my body runs the blood of the great.

Oh Iraq you are crowned in the heart

And on the tongue you are the poem of the poets.

Oh Iraq misfortune has shaken your sword, so stand tall

And gather your strength without bearing a grudge.

[AL]

Maybe it was more eloquent before it was translated to English?

[Jim]

Maybe it was more eloquent before it was translated to English?

 

Yes, I'm sure "And in my body runs the blood of the great" was quite the pithy turn of phrase in his native tongue.

[Kyrisch]

I'm entirely sure it was much more eloquent... I ran into a similar problem during a "favourite song-sharing" activity during English. My favourite song, being compelled by languages, was in German, and the song sounded terrible in English but was amazing in German.

[Pangloss]

Amusing that people just assume that it's more eloquent in native language. It couldn't possibly stink more than Sadaam after a week in his "underground bunker"! Oh no, it MUST be "eloquent" -- we're just not equipped to understand it, that MUST be it. ;-)

[AL]

من قصيد غنائيّ إلى العراق

 

يقف كحولي بعد شركة ولن يسقط ،

يركض وفي جسمي الدم من العظيمة.

[أه] العراق توّجت أنت في القلب

وعلى اللسان أنت القصيدة من الشاعرات.

[أه] العراق قد هزّ حالة سوء حظّ سيفك ، لذلك حامل قفص طويلة

وجمعت قوتك دون يحمل ضغينة.

 

There it is, I ran it through an English to Arabic translator at systranbox.com. I don't know if it sounds eloquent, but it looks uh, elegant.

 

Well, on my browser anyway. Don't know how it will turn out for the rest of you.

[Pangloss]

Arabic is certainly a beautiful-looking language, that's for sure.

[Jim]

Who said this didn't translate well into English?

 

They call me Beast of Baghdad.

They're hurtful and they're snide --

But that's because they've never seen

My sweet, poetic side.

 

Sure, I authorized some floggings,

And gassed to death some foes,

But I'm hoping now to show the world

The Saddam that no one knows.

 

This Saddam is filled with anguish

For all things mean and bad.

I weep for mankind's pain -- in fact,

My name begins with Sad.

 

You thought I'd hidden weapons

And I admit I did, in part:

My pen, it has a warhead

To warm the coldest heart.

 

Neither cell nor fetid rathole

Can still this plaintive wail.

I'll keep writing mush, I swear it

Till you get me outta jail.

 

 

-- Gene Weingarten

 

Reportedly printed in Washington Post with introduction noting that none of Saddam's poems "has been released yet, but we can imagine, can't we?"

[Jim]

Amusing that people just assume[/i'] that it's more eloquent in native language. It couldn't possibly stink more than Sadaam after a week in his "underground bunker"! Oh no, it MUST be "eloquent" -- we're just not equipped to understand it, that MUST be it. ;-)

 

Heh, I think given Saddam's taste in art, we can probably conclude his poetry stinks.

[Kyrisch]

From what I can sound out [i know how to read the Arabic alphabet but have no idea what the Hell the words mean ] it doesn't even rhyme... I guess we'll never know, will we?

[Jim]

From what I can sound out [i know how to read the Arabic alphabet but have no idea what the Hell the words mean ] it doesn't even rhyme... I guess we'll never know, will we?

 

Looking at Saddam's art, you just have to be thankful that this man never acquired nukes. He had these things on his walls!

 

He had the glories of Persian antiquity to decorate his home and he picked this garbage.

 

"Embarrassing" isn't the word. They seem to represent a systematic style and therefore a sensibility. The hysterical aesthetic, the hyperpornography of power and violence which does not just seem coincidence.

 

Here's another funny quote:

 

So this is what it's come to, we decided: The U.S. military has overrun a Dungeons and Dragons convention from 1979.

 

And, if we haven't wasted enough time, here's a bunch of links looking for humor in the situation.

[Sisyphus]

I think it's safe to assume the poem is atrocious in any language. Sadly, I imagine Bush would do even worse, if it ever occured to him to do anything like write poetry...

[Nevermore]

Did you know he wrote a romance novel, too?

[Pangloss]

Bush?! Or Saddam?

[Nevermore]

Saddam.

[Pangloss]

Dang.