Hi, Dallas Hinton!
I read your message from 02.12.2021 12:46

DH> A well-known Christmas carol titled "God Rest Ye Merry,
DH> Gentlemen" has been parodied on Twitter. Give that we're
DH> studying English, you might enjoy this. Please be sure to view
DH> it as a video, not just an audio track, as the displayed text
DH> is important. The link is
DH> https://twitter.com/RamsesThePigeon/status/1466168057676578818?s=20 I
DH> hope you'll be able to view this, and enjoy!!

IMHO, the main problem is not in commas but in some English verbs that
can be translated in great variety of ways. ;-)

Bye, Dallas!
Alexander Koryagin
fido.english_tutor 2021
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Hi, Ardith Hinton!
I read your message from 15.12.2021 23:56

DH>> "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" has been parodied on Twitter.

ak>> IMHO, the main problem is not in commas but in some English verbs
ak>> that can be translated in great variety of ways.
AH> |a great variety

AH> Understood. If your dictionaries include phrases like "rest easy"
AH> & "rest assured" that's close to the mark. If they say "rest" means
AH> to be still and/or relaxed... not agitated or troubled... that's
AH> also close to the mark.

AH> WRT "rest" as a transitive verb, I might say I need to rest my
AH> weary bones after some physical exertion. This means I'd like to
AH> allow or enable my body to relax for awhile. Years ago some people
AH> would have said "God rest his soul"... now classified as
AH> archaic. "God rest you" is listed in our 1971 OED, but I had to
AH> wade through +/- eight pages of detail in small print to find it.

AH> I feel your pain WRT deceptively short & simple words which are
AH> used in various ways. It reminds me of problems I had with the
AH> French language. I see an added complication WRT this song,
AH> however. As people become more adept at reading (e.g.) they learn
AH> to group words into phrases. "God rest ye merry" no longer makes
AH> sense to a lot of people our era & some of them try to correct what
AH> they regard as an error in punctuation. These amendments are
AH> significant in terms of performing arts. The OED cites Shakespeare
AH> as having written "God rest you merry, sir." I conclude that those
AH> who think the comma belongs after "merry", as it appears in older
AH> versions of the song, are probably right.

OK, "God rest you merry, sir." But not OK, ;-) I am still have a vague understanding of this phrase. Write it in other words.

Bye, Ardith!
Alexander Koryagin
fido.english_tutor,local.cc.ak 2021
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Hi, alexander -- on Dec 16 2021 at 13:42, you wrote:

OK, "God rest you merry, sir." But not OK, ;-) I am still have a
vague understanding of this phrase. Write it in other words.

Try: "May God keep you happy (or content), sir".


Cheers... Dallas

--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: The BandMaster, Vancouver, CANADA (1:153/7715)

Hi, Dallas Hinton!
I read your message from 16.12.2021 12:01

DH> Hi, alexander -- on Dec 16 2021 at 13:42, you wrote:
ak>> OK, "God rest you merry, sir." But not OK, ;-) I am still
ak>> have a vague understanding of this phrase. Write it in
ak>> other words.
DH> Try: "May God keep you happy (or content), sir".

"God bless you!" in other words. ;-)


Bye, Dallas!
Alexander Koryagin
fido.english_tutor,local.cc.ak 2021
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Hi, alexander -- on Dec 17 2021 at 10:43, you wrote:

DH> Try: "May God keep you happy (or content), sir".

"God bless you!" in other words. ;-)

I don't think that quite captures the flavour - although it's close! :-)



Cheers... Dallas

--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: The BandMaster, Vancouver, CANADA (1:153/7715)

Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

OK, "God rest you merry, sir." But not OK, ;-) I am still have
a vague understanding of this phrase. Write it in other words.

The OED doesn't define this phrase, apart from its components, and I had to think about it too. I must confess that although I am quite comfortable with 17th century English, I often find Shakespeare's works a bit of a stretch.

The best translation I can come up with is "God keep/maintain you in a state of happiness/joy". This seems appropriate if the gentlemen in the song rejoice whilst they & other Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Nowadays people would be more inclined to say "God bless you", which isn't exactly the same... as Dallas remarked... but uses even fewer words. :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)