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번역 - 예술 및 비즈니스 » Literature / Poetry »
Thirty Days Hath September
스레드 게시자: Arabic & More
Arabic & More
Arabic & More  Identity Verified
요르단
아라비아어에서 영어
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Apr 25, 2016

I was wondering why "hath" (third person singular) is used in the first line of the following poem:

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
Except for February alone,
Which hath but twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year.

Apparently, the original was in Latin and then translated to English more than 400 years ago. Is there something about the Latin structure that would cause the tran... See more
I was wondering why "hath" (third person singular) is used in the first line of the following poem:

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
Except for February alone,
Which hath but twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year.

Apparently, the original was in Latin and then translated to English more than 400 years ago. Is there something about the Latin structure that would cause the translator to use the singular form of the verb, or is there another explanation? ▲ Collapse
 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
독일
Local time: 08:53
회원(2009)
영어에서 독일어
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Singular Apr 25, 2016

Since emphasis seems to be place on a single month, despite naming all of them, hath is correct. Imagine it written like this:

Thirty days hath September,
Thirty days hath April,
Thirty days hath June,
Thirty days hath November.

Perhaps 400 years ago each month was taken as an entity, thus even though they are all listed, "hath" refers to each single month alone.

Perhaps our colleagues have other ideas that can even be backed-up.

[E... See more
Since emphasis seems to be place on a single month, despite naming all of them, hath is correct. Imagine it written like this:

Thirty days hath September,
Thirty days hath April,
Thirty days hath June,
Thirty days hath November.

Perhaps 400 years ago each month was taken as an entity, thus even though they are all listed, "hath" refers to each single month alone.

Perhaps our colleagues have other ideas that can even be backed-up.

[Edited at 2016-04-25 13:55 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Ailsa Campbell
Ailsa Campbell  Identity Verified
영국
Local time: 07:53
프랑스어에서 영어
+ ...
the singular 'hath' Apr 25, 2016

But if this very obsolete form - 'hath' instead of 'has' - is used, then logically it also needs to be used for February 'which hath 28 days clear'.

I think the reason that the initial verb is singular is probably due to the metre. When read aloud the first 'line' is very clearly:

'Thirty days hath September,'
and the other three months follow, as in parenthesis, in line 2.

and possibly 'hath' has been retained here because otherwise you get a disple... See more
But if this very obsolete form - 'hath' instead of 'has' - is used, then logically it also needs to be used for February 'which hath 28 days clear'.

I think the reason that the initial verb is singular is probably due to the metre. When read aloud the first 'line' is very clearly:

'Thirty days hath September,'
and the other three months follow, as in parenthesis, in line 2.

and possibly 'hath' has been retained here because otherwise you get a displeasing assonance in 'has September'.

So, it's poetry.

Best I can suggest! ▲ Collapse
 
Danik 2014
Danik 2014
브라질
독일어에서 포르투갈어
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Similarity with German Apr 26, 2016

Some old English words subsist in a similar form in modern German:
Old English
hath

German
hat

Old English
thou

German
du

And so on
 


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Thirty Days Hath September


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