Fit the First
THE LANDING
“Just the place for a Snark!” the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.
“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.”
The crew was complete: it included a Boots —
A maker of Bonnets and Hoods —
A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes —
And a Broker, to value their goods.
A Billiard-marker, whose skill was immense,
Might perhaps have won more than his share —
But a Banker, engaged at enormous expense,
Had the whole of their cash in his care.
There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck,
Or would sit making lace in the bow:
And had often (the Bellman said) saved them from wreck,
Though none of the sailors knew how.
There was one who was famed for the number of things
He forgot when he entered the ship:
His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,
And the clothes he had bought for the trip.
He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,
With his name painted clearly on each:
But, since he omitted to mention the fact,
They were all left behind on the beach.
The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because
He had seven coats on when he came,
With three pairs of boots — but the worst of it was,
He had wholly forgotten his name.
Záchvat první
PŘISTÁNÍ
„Tak tu bude Snárk!“ Zvonař zakřičel,
když s péčí je vylodit sved;
v přílivu posádku popodržel,
za vlasy prstem je ved.
„Tak tu bude Snárk! jsem podruhé křik:
mužstvo ať povzbudí zvěst.
Tak tu bude Snárk! jsem potřetí řek:
co řeknu třikrát, tak jest.“
Posádka: Botleska nevyjímaje —
Kloboučník, pokrývač hlavy —
Právník, co rozsouzel spory už zkraje —
Makléř, co hodnotil stavy.
Biliár-markér, obratný, zručný
by ostatní obehrál hravě —
Bankéř však, ačli měl honorář tučný,
hotovost šetřil jim právě.
Byl tam i Bobr, krajkovač stálý,
co palubou šil semo tamo,
a často (dle Zvonaře) neztroskotali
díky mu: jak, není známo.
Jeden se proslavil počtem svých restů:
zapomněl, když na loď vstoupil,
deštník a hodinky, cetky na cestu,
šatstvo, co na se si koupil.
Čtyřicet dva si spakoval beden,
na nich i jmenovky byly:
nezmínil, kufr že má, byť jen jeden,
na pláži zůstaly, zbyly.
Šatů měl dost, měl jich na sobě sady,
do sedmi plášťů se schoval,
boty měl trojmo — však horší jsou vady:
své jméno si nevybavoval.
