François MAGUIN

Hi there!

Dear readers, it’s high time I sent season’s greetings, and a happy new year to you through this video:

In this amusing video, a voice-over quotes Hamlet, act 1, scene 1:

Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long;
And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad,
The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike;
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallowed and so gracious is the time.

Then, the voice-over adds:

So, I brought you that… Merry, merry Christmas, and happy new year to you all.

The voice-over quotes Marcellus’s cue from the original version of Hamlet:

~~It faded on the crowing of the cock~~.
Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long.
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad.
The nights are wholesome. Then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallowed and so gracious is that time.

…, which roughly means:

~~It faded away when the rooster crowed~~. Some people say that just before Christmas the rooster crows all night long, so that no ghost dares to go wandering, and the night is safe. The planets have no sway over us, fairies’ spells do not work, and witches cannot bewitch us. That is how holy that night is.

Here below a translation from François Maguin’s bilingual book in both old English, and French:

~~Il a disparu au chant du coq~~.
On dit que toujours, lorsque vient la saison
Où l’on célèbre la naissance de Notre Sauveur,
L’oiseau de l’aube chante toute la nuit.
Alors, dit-on, nul esprit ne se risque à sortir,
Les nuits s’en trouvent pures, nulle planète ne frappe,
Pas de fée ni de sorcière qui puisse jeter un sort,
Tant la grâce vient sanctifier ce temps.

François MAGUIN kindly allowed me to post his compact military aviation glossary for quick reference (click on the aircraft and/or the « passenger » below).

Mr Maguin is a highly experienced English teacher at the French air force school of management and administration, and at the EOAA (French Air Force Academy – Salon de Provence) as well. He brilliantly translated Hamlet into French – a best-seller among the bilingual books. He has been involved in many works, groups and projects. This military aviation glossary should regularly be updated, the sky being the limit indeed. This publication is deemed to become no less than a must.

All my gratitude, and heartfelt thanks for all his efforts in supporting me and this blog so many times. Click on the man riding the aircraft above in order to download this military aviation glossary « The sky’s the limit« .

François MAGUIN

GREETINGS from C-5 AIRCRAFT, SHAKESPEARE, AND… CHUCK NORRIS

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT