Louis MacNeice - Prayer before Birth
Louis MacNeice - Prayer before Birth
Louis MacNeice - Prayer before Birth
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<strong>Louis</strong> <strong>MacNeice</strong> - <strong>Prayer</strong> <strong>before</strong> <strong>Birth</strong><br />
I am not yet born; O hear me.<br />
Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the<br />
club-footed ghoul come near me.<br />
I am not yet born, console me.<br />
I fear that the human race may with tall walls wall me,<br />
with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me,<br />
on black racks rack me, in blood-baths roll me.<br />
I am not yet born; provide me<br />
With water to dandle me, grass to grow for me, trees to talk<br />
to me, sky to sing to me, birds and a white light<br />
in the back of my mind to guide me.<br />
I am not yet born; forgive me<br />
For the sins that in me the world shall commit, my words<br />
when they speak me, my thoughts when they think me,<br />
my treason engendered by traitors beyond me,<br />
my life when they murder by means of my<br />
hands, my death when they live me.<br />
I am not yet born; rehearse me<br />
In the parts I must play and the cues I must take when<br />
old men lecture me, bureaucrats hector me, mountains<br />
frown at me, lovers laugh at me, the white<br />
waves call me to folly and the desert calls<br />
me to doom and the beggar refuses<br />
my gift and my children curse me.<br />
I am not yet born; O hear me,<br />
Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God<br />
come near me.<br />
I am not yet born; O fill me<br />
With strength against those who would freeze my<br />
humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton,<br />
would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with<br />
one face, a thing, and against all those<br />
who would dissipate my entirety, would<br />
blow me like thistledown hither and<br />
thither or hither and thither<br />
like water held in the<br />
hands would spill me.<br />
Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me.<br />
Otherwise kill me.<br />
Source :<br />
http://www.artofeurope.com/macneice/mac1.htm (Lien actif au 4 novembre 2007)<br />
Simone RINZLER – UPX UFR EAA CREA E 370 - ALA LA 302 PUBLIC READING Lecture à Voix Haute<br />
<strong>Prayer</strong> <strong>before</strong> birth + PHONO <strong>Louis</strong> <strong>MacNeice</strong>.doc - 1/8<br />
Site UFR EAA : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/ - Page personnelle : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/article.php3?id_article=513<br />
prayer supplication: oqd? q US oqdq prayers ,y<br />
!prayer $mat !prayer $meeting !prayer $rug !prayer $wheel<br />
ne pas confondre avec prayer person who prays: !oqdH-? q US ,?_ prayers ,y<br />
<strong>before</strong> aH!eN9 q + a?, US ,!eN9q<br />
birth a29S US a2_ 9S births ,r<br />
!birth cer$tificate !birth con$trol !birthing $center<br />
McNeice l?j!mh9r<br />
born aN9m US aN9qm<br />
hear gH? q US gHq<br />
bloodsucker !akUc$rUj-? q US ,?_<br />
bat azs<br />
rat qzs<br />
stoat rs?Ts US rsnTs<br />
clubfooted $jkUa!eTs-Hc+ !,,, US !jkUa$eTsÍ-Hc<br />
ghoul ft9k<br />
consol|e verb j?m!r?Tk US ,!rnTk mais : console noun !jPm-r?Tk US !j@9m-rnTk<br />
me pronoun normal form: lh9 freq. weak form: lh<br />
fear eH? q US eHq<br />
human (Human) !git9-l?m<br />
$human !being<br />
$human !nature<br />
$human !race<br />
$human !rights<br />
with vHC+ vHS<br />
Note: The pronunciation .vHS. is most frequently found when followed by a voiceless<br />
consonant (e.g. 'with care' .vHS!jd?. US .,!jdq.).<br />
tall sN9k<br />
wall (Wall) vN9k US vN9k+ v@9k walls ,y<br />
strong (Strong) rsqPM US rsq@9M+ rsqN9M<br />
$strong !language<br />
!strong $room<br />
!strong $point<br />
drug cqUf drugs ,y<br />
dop|e c?To US cnTo<br />
wis|e (Wise) v`Hy !wise $guy $three $wise !men<br />
lie noun, verb falsehood: k`H<br />
lies ,y<br />
lur|e kT? q + kiT? q + kiN9 q US kTq lures ,y luring ,HM lured ,c<br />
black (Black) akzj<br />
Simone RINZLER – UPX UFR EAA CREA E 370 - ALA LA 302 PUBLIC READING Lecture à Voix Haute<br />
<strong>Prayer</strong> <strong>before</strong> birth + PHONO <strong>Louis</strong> <strong>MacNeice</strong>.doc - 2/8<br />
Site UFR EAA : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/ - Page personnelle : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/article.php3?id_article=513
$black !belt $black !box $black !eye $Black !Forest $Black Forest !gateau<br />
$black !hole $black $hole of Cal!cutta $black !ice $black !magic<br />
$black !market $black !pepper $black !pudding $Black !Rod<br />
$black !treacle $black and !blue $black and !tan $black and !white<br />
$black $sheep of the !family<br />
rack qzj racks ,r racking ,HM racked ,s<br />
bloodba|th !akUc-a@9{S US ,az{S bloodbaths ,Cy<br />
roll q?Tk US qnTk rolls ,y rolling ,HM rolled ,c<br />
provid|e oq?T!u`Hc US oq?,+ oqnT,<br />
wat|er !vN9-s{? q US !v@9-sÍ{?_+ !vN9,<br />
dandl|e !czm-ck<<br />
grass (Grass) fq@9r US fqzr<br />
let the $grass $grow under one's !feet<br />
grow fq?T US fqnT<br />
for preposition, conjunction strong form: eN9 q US eN9q weak form: e? q US e?_ alternative<br />
weak form <strong>before</strong> vowels: eq<<br />
Note: Weak form word. The strong form .eN9 q . US .eN9q. is used contrastively (e.g. !for<br />
and against!) and in sentence-final position (e.g. !That's what it's for!). The weak form<br />
is .e?. US .e?_. <strong>before</strong> consonants (e.g. !Thanks for coming! .$SzMjr-e?!jUl-HM. US<br />
.,e?_!,.); <strong>before</strong> vowels it is .e?q. US .e?_. (e.g. !One for all! .$vUm-e?q!N9k. US .,e?_!@9k.)<br />
or, in rapid speech, .eq
hand (Hand) gzmc hands ,y<br />
handing ,HM handed ,Hc hander ,? q US ,?_ handers ,?y US ,?_y<br />
handedness ,Hc-m?r+ ,mHr<br />
death cdS deaths ,r<br />
!death $duty !death $mask !death $penalty !death $rate !death $rattle<br />
$death !row !death $toll !death $trap !death $warrant $Death !Valley<br />
!death $wish like $death warmed !up like $grim !death<br />
liv|e verb kHu lives ,y living ,HM lived ,c<br />
liver ,? q US ,?_ livers ,?y US ,?_y $living !will<br />
ne pas confondre avec l’adjectif live adjective k`Hu<br />
rehears|e qH!g29r+ q?, US ,!g2_ 9r rehearses ,Hy rehearsing ,HM rehearsed ,s<br />
part o@9s US o@9qs parts ,r parting ,HM US !o@9q-sÍHM parted ,Hc US !o@9q-sÍHc<br />
$part of !speech<br />
must verb strong form: lUrs weak forms: l?rs+ l?r<br />
Note: Weak form word. There are two senses of must: one is concerned with<br />
supposition, or making deductions, and in this sense it is usual for the strong form to<br />
be used (e.g. 'If he's late, he must be ill') The other sense is related to obligation: the<br />
word may be stressed, in which case it has the strong form (e.g. 'You must try<br />
harder'), or unstressed, in which case the pronunciation is either .l?r. <strong>before</strong> a<br />
consonant, or .l?rs. <strong>before</strong> a vowel (e.g. 'Each of us must buy some'<br />
.!h9sR-?u-?r-l?r$a`H-rUl.; 'You must always look first' .iT-l?rs$N9k-vHy-kTj!e29rs. US<br />
.,@9k-vdHy-kTj!e29qrs.).<br />
ne pas confondre avec must noun, adjective lUrs<br />
play okdH plays ,y playing ,HM played ,c player ,? q US ,?_ players ,?y US ,?_y<br />
$play on !words $play the !field !playing $card !playing $field<br />
cu|e jit9 cues ,y cuing ,HM cued ,c<br />
tak|e sdHj takes ,r taking ,HM took sTj taken !sdH-j ? m<br />
taker !sdH-j? q US ,j?_ takers !sdH-j?y US ,j?_y<br />
$take a !walk $take a !hike<br />
when gvdm<br />
old ?Tkc US nTkc older ,? q US ,?_ oldest ,Hrs oldness ,m?r+ ,mHr<br />
$Old !Bailey !old boy $Old !English $Old $English !sheepdog<br />
$Old !Faithful $Old !Glory $old !guard $old !hand<br />
$old !hat $old !lady $old !maid $old !man $old !master<br />
!old $school $Old !Testament as $old as the !hills<br />
lect|ure !kdj-sR{? q US ,sR{?_ lectures ,?y US ,?_y lecturing , ? q-HM lectured ,?c US ,?_c<br />
bureaucrat !aiT?-q?T-jqzs+ !aiN9, US !aiTq-?, bureaucrats ,r<br />
hector (Hector) !gdj-s? q US ,s?_ hectors ,y hectoring ,HM hectored ,c<br />
mountain !l`Tm-sHm+ ,s?m US ,s ? m mountains ,y<br />
frown eq`Tm frowns ,y frowning ,HM frowningly ,HMkh frowned ,c<br />
at preposition strong form: zs weak form: ?s<br />
Simone RINZLER – UPX UFR EAA CREA E 370 - ALA LA 302 PUBLIC READING Lecture à Voix Haute<br />
<strong>Prayer</strong> <strong>before</strong> birth + PHONO <strong>Louis</strong> <strong>MacNeice</strong>.doc - 5/8<br />
Site UFR EAA : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/ - Page personnelle : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/article.php3?id_article=513<br />
Note: Weak form word. The strong form is .zs., and is used mainly in sentence-final<br />
position (e.g. 'What are you playing at?'). It may also be used in sentence-initial<br />
position. The weak form is .?s. (e.g. 'She's at home.' .Rhy-?s!g?Tl. US .,!gnTl.).<br />
whit|e (White) gv`Hs $white !waves<br />
call jN9k US jN9k, j@9k calls ,y calling ,HM called ,c !call $girl<br />
foll|y (Folly) !ePk{-h US !e@9-k{h follies ,hy<br />
desert noun, adjective dry place: !cdy-?s US ,?_s<br />
deserts ,r<br />
$desert !island<br />
$desert !rat<br />
ne pas confondre avec desert noun what is deserved: cH!y29s+ c?, US cH!y2_ 9s<br />
deserts ,r get one's $just de!serts<br />
ne pas confondre avec de|sert verb cH{!y29s+ c?, US cH{!y2_ 9s deserts ,!y29sr<br />
US ,!y2_ 9sr deserting ,!y29-sHM US ,!y2_ 9-sÍHM deserted ,!y29-sHc US ,!y2_ 9-sÍHc deserter<br />
,!y29-s? q US ,!y2_ 9-sÍ?_ deserters ,!y29-s?y US ,!y2_ 9-sÍ?_y<br />
doom ct9l dooms ,y dooming ,HM doomed ,c<br />
beggar !adf-? q US ,?_ beggars ,y beggaring ,HM beggared ,c<br />
refus|e verb qH!eit9y+ q?, refuses ,Hy refusing ,HM refused ,c refusable ,?-ak<<br />
ne pas confondre avec refuse noun, adjective !qde-it9r<br />
gift fHes gifts ,r gifted ,Hc<br />
!gift cer$tificate !gift $token $gift of the !gab $look a $gift horse in the !mouth<br />
children (from child) !sRHk-cq ? m !children's $home<br />
child (Child) sR`Hkc children !sRHk-cq ? m<br />
!child a$buse $child !benefit !child's $play $child !prodigy $child sup!port<br />
curs|e j29r US j2_ 9r curses ,Hy cursing ,HM cursed ,s<br />
cursed adjective !j29-rHc US !j2_ 9, cursedly ,kh cursedness ,m?r+ ,mHr<br />
the strong form: Ch9 weak form <strong>before</strong> vowels: Ch weak form <strong>before</strong> consonants:; C?<br />
Note: Weak form word. The strong form .Ch9. is used for emphasis, e.g. 'This is the<br />
place to eat' or contrast, e.g. 'It's not a solution, but the solution'. Weak forms are<br />
.C?. <strong>before</strong> consonants, e.g 'the cat' .C?!jzs. and .Ch. <strong>before</strong> vowels, e.g. 'theapple'<br />
.Ch!zo-k
Note: Occasional weak form word. The weak form .? q . US .?_. is used in phrases such<br />
as !two or three pounds! .$st9-?$Sqh9!o`Tmcy. US .,?_$,..<br />
think SHMj thinks ,r<br />
god (God) fPc US f@9c gods ,y<br />
com|e jUl comes ,y coming ,HM comings ,HMy came jdHl<br />
near mH? q US mHq nearer ,? q US ,?_ nearest ,Hrs+ ,?rs nearness ,m?r+ ,mHr<br />
nears ,y nearing ,HM neared ,c $Near !East $near !miss $nearest and !dearest<br />
fill eHk fills ,y filling ,HM fillings ,HMy filled ,c !filling $station $fill the !bill<br />
strength rsqdMjS strengths ,r<br />
against ?!fdmsrs+ ,!fdHmsrs US ?!fdmsrs<br />
those (plural of that) C?Ty US CnTy<br />
would (from will) strong form: vTc weak forms: v?c+ ?c+ c<br />
Note: Weak form word. The strong form is used contrastively (e.g. 'I don't know if he<br />
would or he wouldn't') and emphatically (e.g. 'I certainly would'). The strong form is<br />
always used in final position, even when unstressed (e.g. 'I knew she would').<br />
Theweak forms are used elsewhere. The forms .?c. and .c. are usually represented in<br />
spelling as 'd (e.g 'John'd do it' .!cYPm-?c$ct9-Hs. US .!cY@9m, .; 'I'd do it' .!`Hc$ct9-Hs.).<br />
freez|e eqh9y freezes ,Hy freezing ,HM froze eq?Ty US eqnTy frozen !eq?T-y ? m US<br />
!eqnT, freezer !eqh9-y? q US ,y?_ freezers !eqh9-y?y US ,y?_y !freeze $frame $freeze !frame<br />
humanit|y git9!lzm-?-s{h+ ,H-s{h US ,?-sÍ{h humanities ,hy<br />
dragoon cq?!ft9m dragoons ,y<br />
lethal !kh9-S ? k lethally ,h<br />
automat|on N9!sPl-?-s{ ? m US @9!s@9-l?,+ N9,+ ,s{@9m automatons , ? my US , ? my+ ,@9my<br />
automata ,?<br />
cog jPf US j@9f+ jN9f cogs ,y cogging ,HM cogged ,c<br />
machin|e l?!Rh9m machines ,y machining ,HM machined ,c ma!chine $code<br />
ma!chine $tool<br />
thing SHM things ,y<br />
one vUm ones ,y<br />
fac|e noun, verb edHr faces ,Hy facing ,HM faced ,s !face $pack $face !value<br />
$cut off one's $nose to $spite one's !face put a $brave !face on $fly in the !face of<br />
$laugh on the other $side of one's !face<br />
dissi|pate !cHr-H{-odHs+ !,?, dissipates ,odHsr dissipating ,odH-sHM US ,odH-sÍHM<br />
dissipated ,odH-sHc US ,odH-sÍHc dissipative ,odH-sHu US ,odH-sÍHu<br />
entiret|y Hm!s`H?-q?-s{h+ dm, US dm!s`H-q?-sÍ{h+ ,!s`Hq-sÍ{h+ Hm, entireties ,hy<br />
blow (Blow) ak?T US aknT blows ,y blowing ,HM blew akt9 blown ak?Tm<br />
US aknTm blowed ak?Tc US aknTc blower !ak?T-? q US !aknT-?_<br />
blowers !ak?T-?y US !aknT-?_r<br />
lik|e k`Hj likes ,r liking ,HM liked ,s<br />
thistledown !SHr-k
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