Description
Instrumental arrangement of my song based on this humorous macaronic poem by A D Godley, in which he pokes gentle fun at people striving to learn the declension of nouns in Latin (or maybe it is meant as a learning aid…).
The piece was written in a whole tone scale to emphasise the machine quality of the motor bus itself and the machine like quality of chanting Latin declensions.
The reference to the Corn and High relates to the main thoroughfares of Oxford Centre, which used to be chock-a-block with traffic.
What is it that roareth thus?
Can it be a Motor Bus?
Yes, the smell and hideous hum
Indicat Motorem Bum… [indicates a motor bus]
Implet in the Corn and High [In the Cornmarket and the High Street]
Terror me Motoris Bi [Fear of the motor bus fills me]
Bo motori clamitabo [I shall call out to the motor bus]
Ne motore caedar a bo… [Lest I be killed by the motor bus]
Dative be or Ablative
so thou only let us live
Whither shall thy victims flee?
Spare us, spare us Motor Be….
Thus I sang and still anigh
Came in hordes Motores Bi
Et complebat omne forum [And the whole market place was filled
Copia Motorum Borum! [With a host of motor buses]
How shall wretches live like us
Cincti Bis Motoribus [Surrounded by motor buses]
Domine defende nos [Lord defend us]
contra hos motores bos! [From these motor buses]