Hey diddle diddle,
The cat scraped the fiddle,
The cow jump'd over the moon;
The little dog bayed
To see such sports played,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Αδ' αδηλα, δηλα δ' αδε,
Πως γαλη λυραν ετριβε,
Βους δε μηνην υπερεπηδα;
Κυνιδιον δ' εκλαγξεν, αυ, αυ,
Παιδιαν γ' ορων τοιανδε,
Και τορυνην
Εφυγε καρδοπος λαβων.
The unmeaning "Hey diddle diddle" is a corruption of the very
intelligible Αδ' αδηλα, δηλα δ' αδε, which is literally "Sing
words not clear, and Sing words clear;" with which may be compared a
Sibylline verse in Greek, Δηλος αρ' ουκ ετι δηλος; αδηλα δε
παντα τα Δηλου.
[Footnote 58: The above ingenious translation
and remarks were communicated by Mr. George
Burges.]