This story has the merit of being true, anyhow: The official pessimist
of a small Western city, a gentleman who had wrestled with chronic
dyspepsia for years, stood in front of the post office as the noon
whistles sounded.
"Twelve o'clock, eh?" he said, half to himself and half to an
acquaintance. "Well, I'm going home to dinner. If dinner ain't ready I'm
going to raise hell; and if it is ready I ain't going to eat a bite."
"TIPPERARY" IN CHINESE
The Chinese have put "Tipperary" into their own language, and native
newspapers print the chorus as follows:
Shih ko yuan lu tao Ti-po-lieh-li,
Pi yao ti jih hsing tsou.
Shih ko yuan lu tao Ti-po-lieh-li,
Yao chien we ngai tzu nu,
Tsai hui Pi-ko-ti-li,
Tsai chien Lei-ssu Kwei-rh,
Shih ko yuan lu tao Ti-po-lieh-li,
Tan wo hsin tsai na-rh.
This is the literal translation:
This road is far from Ti-po-lieh-li,
We must walk for many days,
This road is far from Ti-po-lieh-li,
I want to see my lovely girl,
To meet again Pi-ko-ti-li,
To see again Lei-ssu Kwei-rh,
This road is far from Ti-po-lieh-li,
But my heart is already in that place.