Jabberwocky

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

[Lewis Carroll]

Dens era dens quan la brova fircant
gorsava i esmeia en la drana:
tot ho imutava la sardanxana,
i anardava les grates lo lutant.

"Compte ab lo Xerramicós, fillet!
Té dent e urpa afilada e ardent!
Ou! Redobla lo compte ab l'au Pet-Pet
i fuig del frumiós Esclafavent!"

Menava ab les mans l'espasa fortal:
temps e temps sotjà.l rival acabós--
e així jagué sota l'arbre Pinal,
e una estona romanté pensarós.

Quan en aquesta pensa romantia,
lo Xerramicós, ab los ulls encesos,
isqué blufant de l'obaga densia,
bullint de mots i ultracrits ofesos!

De dos en dos, després de mig en mig!
Féu l'espasa fortal tallim-tallam!
Quan l'hagué mort, tolgué testa i esquitx,
e fort dret tornà ab ella al galopam.

"Ha esbotifarrat lo Xerramicós!
Abraç darem al burlerut vailet!"
Oh dia fressiós! Pastís! Pastós!
Ell de joia tot gai reia a pleret.

Dens era dens quan la brova fircant
gorsava i esmeia en la drana:
tot ho imutava la sardanxana,
i anardava les grates lo lutant.

[Versió d'Amadeu Viana]