Orwell: Animal farm – 8


‚And now, comrades, I will tell you about my dream of last night. I cannot describe that dream to you. It was a dream of the earth as it will be when Man has vanished. But it reminded me of something that I had long forgotten. Many years ago, when I was a little pig, my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of which they knew only the tune and the first three words. I had known that tune in my infancy, but it had long since passed out of my mind. Last night, however, it came back to me in my dream. And what is more, the words of the song also came back-words, I am certain, which were sung by the animals of long ago and have been lost to memory for generations. I will sing you that song now, comrades. I am old and my voice is hoarse, but when I have taught you the tune, you can sing it better for yourselves. It is called Beasts of England.’

Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. As he had said, his voice was hoarse, but he sang well enough, and it was a stirring tune, something between Clementine and La Cucaracha. The words ran:

Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,
Beasts of every land and clime,
Hearken to my joyful tidings
Of the golden future time.

Soon or late the day is coming,
Tyrant Man shall be o’erthrown,
And the fruitful fields of England
Shall be trod by beasts alone.

Rings shall vanish from our noses,
And the harness from our back,
Bit and spur shall rust forever,
Cruel whips no more shall crack.

Riches more than mind can picture,
Wheat and barley, oats and hay,
Clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels
Shall be ours upon that day.

Bright will shine the fields of England,
Purer shall its waters be,
Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes
On the day that sets us free.

For that day we all must labour,
Though we die before it break;
Cows and horses, geese and turkeys,
All must toil for freedom’s sake.

Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,
Beasts of every land and clime,
Hearken well and spread my tidings
Of the golden future time.

The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. Almost before Major had reached the end, they had begun singing it for themselves. Even the stupidest of them had already picked up the tune and a few of the words, and as for the clever ones, such as the pigs and dogs, they had the entire song by heart within a few minutes. And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into Beasts of England in tremendous unison. The cows lowed it, the dogs whined it, the sheep bleated it, the horses whinnied it, the ducks quacked it. They were so delighted with the song that they sang it right through five times in succession, and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted.

 

dream sen, marzenie
last night ostatnia noc
cannot nie mogę
to describe opisywać
earth Ziemia
when kiedy
to vanish znikać
to remind przypominać
something coś
long dawno, długo
to forget zapominać
many years ago wiele lat temu
little mały
pig świnia
sow locha, maciora
to be used to być przyzwyczajonym do
to sing śpiewać
an old song stara piosenka
tune melodia
first pierwszy
word słowo
infancy wczesne dzieciństwo
to pass out mdleć
mind umysł
however
it came back powróciła
I am certain jestem pewien
memory pamięć
in memory of ku pamięci
generation pokolenie, generacja
voice głos
hoarse zachrypły, ochrypły
to teach (taught) uczyć
better lepiej
It is called nazywa się
beast zwierzę, zwierz (też : bestia, potwór)
old stary
to cleare one’s throat odchrząkiwać
to begin rozpoczynać
well enough wystarczająco dobrze
stirring poruszający
between pomiędzy
to run biec
land ziemia, ląd
joyful radosny, uradowany
tide pływ, fala
golden złoty
future time czas przyszły
soon or late wcześniej czy później
day dzień
to come nadchodzić
tyrant tyran
fruitful owocny
field pole
to tread (trod) stąpać
alone samemu
ring pierścień, obrączka
nose nos
harness uprząż
back plecy, grzbiet
bit wędzidło
spur ostroga
to rust rdzewieć, zrdzewieć
cruel okropny
whip bat, bit, pejcz
to crack trzaskać
riches bogactwa
mind umysł
Riches more than mind can picture bogactwa większe, niż rozum może sobie wyobrazić
wheat pszenica
barley jęczmień
oats owies
hay siano
clover koniczyna
bean fasola
ours nasze
bright jasny
to shine świecić
pure czysty
water woda
sweet słodki
to blow wiać, dmuchać
breeze wietrzyk
to set free uwalniać
to labour mozolic się, ciężko harować
though pomimo, mimo, że
to die umierać
cow krowa
horse koń
goose (geese) gęś
turkey indyk
to toil trudzić się
for freedom’s sake dla wolności, ze względu na wolność
singing śpiewanie
into w
wildest najdzikszy
excitement podniecenie, podekscytowanie
almost prawie
to reache the end dochodzić do końca
for themselves dla samych siebie
stupidest najgłupszy
even nawet
already już
picked up the tune nauczyły się melodii
a few of the words kilka słów
entire cały
by heart na pamięć
within w przeciągu
preliminary wstępny
try (tries) próba
whole cały
farm farma, gospodarstwo
tremendous olbrzymi, ogromny, wspaniały
in unison zgodnie
to whine skomleć
sheep owca
to bleat beczeć
duck kaczka
to quack kwakać
delighted zachwycony
five times in succession pięć razy z rzędu
all night całą noc
to continue kontynuować
to interrupt przerywać