There is a deal more of the same talk, tending to the laudation of
the author. Our taste may be perverted and unusual, but we really
cannot discover any merit whatever in the gipsy dialogues which occur
throughout these volumes. Mr Borrow ought to reflect that he has
already treated the public to a sufficiency of this jargon. What on
earth are we to make of "dukkeripens," "chabos," "poknees," "chiving
wafado dloova," "drabbing bawlor," "kekaubies," "drows," and "dinelos?"
Possibly these terms may be used in the most refined Rommany circles,
and enliven the conversation around the kettle in which the wired
hare or pilfered capon is simmering but such exotics can hardly be
considered as worth the pains of transplantation. When Mr Borrow, in
a moral reflection of his own, observes, "softly, friend; when thou
wouldst speak harshly of the dead, remember that thou hast not yet
fulfilled thy own dukkeripen!"--he is penning absolute nonsense, and
rendering himself supremely ridiculous. Then, as to the scraps of song
which are here and there interspersed, we cannot aver that they either
stir our bosoms like the call of a trumpet, or excite the tears of
pity. However, as we said already, our taste may be in fault; and it is
just possible that we may hear the following ditty warbled in many a
drawing-room:--
"The Rommany chi
And the Rommany chal,
Shall jaw basaulor
To drab the bawlor,
And dook the gry
Of the farming rye.
"The Rommany chi
And the Rommany chal,
Love Luripen,
And dukkeripen,
And hokkeripen,
And every pen
But Lachipen,
And Tatchipen."
Certainly we never had, on any previous occasion, the dukkeripen to
copy such jargon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account