Today I want to learn something douce (means sweet in French), so I try to search for a Luxembourgish poem.
Use Google Translate, I got the word "Luxembourgish poems" as "Lëtzebuergesch Gedichter". I have already known the first word, so Gedichter should be poems. So what is "poem"? Again with translate, I got "Gedicht". So,
Gedicht - Gedichter
Poem - Poems.
Seems like we can add "er" at the end of a noun to get the plural form. Hmm, the statistics of one sample :). Anyway, I will update my grammar about plural forms later.
Let's google "Lëtzebuergesch Gedichter". Most of the links point to A-Z.lu, an online platform to search for books in this country. Unfortunately, they are physical books, which means I need to physically go to the National Library, register for a member card, wait for the system to activate, then go back to order a book. It sounds like I want a steak but instead I need to raise a cow and wait. Forget about it.
My best friend Google show another link, https://rojemp.jimdofree.com/gedichter/, to an old gentleman. Oh, he looks like a poetrist, sorry, poet.
I copy a poem from him,
Dreifholz
Dreifholz um flaache Strand
streck deng knubbleg Hand
der glidd'ger Sonn entgéint
déi haut nees onbaarmhäerzeg schéint
Dreifgutt aus groer Zell
schaukel op der Well
't gëtt een deen no der sicht
vläicht schenks de him en neit Gedicht
Dreifholz gëtt Konscht elo
steet ganz houfreg do
an Zeil u Zeil gereit
bestëmmt och ville Konscht bedeit
Dreifholz wou kënns de hier
iwwer Séi a Mier
däi Wee ass net bekannt
du nenns eis net däin Heemechtsland
Dreifgutt aus groer Mass -
ëmmer wëllkomm bass...
däi Wee deen ass bekannt
vum Kapp erof a Kënschtlerhand
This poem looks short. Oh wait, I am not sure is it Luxembourgish or German? Let me take a look again. Ok, it has "ë", so it is not German. I was so curious that I google this character and got "ë umlaut", which it the name of this two points on top. It is spoken as
So what is IPA? It should be International Phonetic Alphabet, but I am not sure. Again, I will update my knowledge later.
Let's go back to the poem. Google Translate helps me to have a sweet poem that I can understand:
Dreifholz
Driftwood on flat beach
stretch out your chubby hand
against the blazing sun
which today seems merciless again
Gray matter cell
swing on the wave
there is someone looking for you
maybe you'll give him a new poem
Dreifholz becomes art now
stands there very proudly
lined up line by line
and wild art means
Dreifholz where do you know her
over lake and sea
your path is not known
you do not call us your country of origin
Gray mass buoys -
you are always welcome ...
your way that is known
from head down to artist hand
Oh my gosh, so many new words! Anyway, here is Dreifholz - drift wood:
Here is my strategy to deal with them: I will pick up and learn some repeated words, and short words. So that I can invest minimal time for maximal information gain. Sounds like Minimal Viable Product strategy from The Lean Startup. Oh, plagiarism! Sue me, please.
1st round of words:
Dreifholz
Dreifholz um flaache Strand
streck deng knubbleg Hand
der glidd'ger Sonn entgéint
déi haut nees onbaarmhäerzeg schéint
Driftwood on flat beach
stretch out your chubby hand
against the blazing sun
which today seems merciless again
Dreifgutt aus groer Zell
schaukel op der Well
't gëtt een deen no der sicht
vläicht schenks de him en neit Gedicht
Gray matter cell
swing on the wave
there is someone looking for you
maybe you'll give him a new poem
Dreifholz gëtt Konscht elo
steet ganz houfreg do
an Zeil u Zeil gereit
och ville Konscht bedeit
Dreifholz becomes art now
stands there very proudly
lined up line by line
and wild art means
Dreifholz wou kenns de hier
iwwer Séi a Mier
däi Wee ass net bekannt
du nenns eis net däin Heemechtsland
Dreifholz where do you know her
over lake and sea
your path is not known
you do not call us your country of origin
Dreifgutt aus groer Mass -
ëmmer wëllkomm bass...
däi Wee deen ass bekannt
vum Kapp erof a Kënschtlerhand
Gray mass buoys -
you are always welcome ...
your way that is known
from head down to artist hand
Question: how can I know which word in English equals to word in Luxembourgish? Oh, I just guess. net - not, Hand - hand, ass - is, hier - her, Wee - way, ëmmer - always, iwwer - over, Zeil - line, Zell- cell, Well - wave, op - on, ville - wild, and so on.
Hmm, I want to do a second round of study new words, but it is boring now. I think that I will stop learning at this moment and enjoy the poem. It is very sweet.
Dreifholz wou kenns de hier
iwwer Séi a Mier
däi Wee ass net bekannt
du nenns eis net däin Heemechtsland
...
däi Wee deen ass bekannt
vum Kapp erof a Kënschtlerhand
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