Zomer 2009 no. 67
London Calling
A CLINK FOR THE STOUT - OLD CLEM!
The Dutch Dickensian Volume XXIX 40
van 8 t/m 10 juni in Verona, Italy.
Annual Conference: van 30 juli t/m 5 augus
tus in Cleveland Ohio, USA
Dickens and Tourism: van 11 t/m 14 septem
ber in Nottingham.
Geen nieuws, behoudens dat het weer zou
broeien in de raad van Trustees. Maar wan
neer broeit het daar niet.
door Ton Dorrestein
Op de vorige meeting werden vertaalverschil
len in 'Great Expectations' besproken door
Sarah Degreef. Daarbij werd het lied van Joe
Gargery, 'Old Clem', als voorbeeld gebruikt.
De vraag rees waar toch in 's hemelsnaam de
vierde regel - 'with a clink for the stout' - naar
verwees.
In "The Making of Charles Dickens" van
Christopher Hibbert vinden we op p. 14 de
volgende verklaring:
The best day to go down to the yard was
23rd November, St. Clement's Day. For then
the blacksmiths held a pageant in honour of
their patron saint, made their traditional
speeches, and collected money from the offi
cers of the dockyard before parading round
the streets of the town.
The senior apprentice, chosen to play the part
of Old Clem in an oakum wig, a mask and a
long white beard, was carried at the head of
the procession in a chair with a crown and
anchor at the top. Surrounded by attendants
carrying torches, banners and flags, and
marching to the music of a drum and fife, he
stopped at the various public houses of the
town and took his companions in for a drink.
And whenever the smiths moved off to the
next inn they sang the song, in imitation of
the measure of a hammer beating on an
anvil, that Joe Gargery sings at his forge:
'Beat it out, beat it out - Old Clem!
With a clink for the stout - Old Clem!
Blow the fire, blow the fire - Old Clem!
Roaring dryer, soaring higher - Old Clem!
