FW 12.1-6 --seabirds mock Mark--

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0dv: "—Three caws for for Mister Mark
Sure he hasnt got much of a bark
And sure any he has is all beside the mark.
O Wreneagle Highflighty would'nt it be a sky of a lark
To see that old busard whooping around in his shirt in the dark
And he hunting about for his speckled trousers in Palmerston park"

FDV: "—Three quarks for Muster Mark
Sure he hasn't got much of a bark
And sure any he has it's all beside the mark
But O Wreneagle Almighty wouldn't we {un} be a sky of a lark
To see that old buzzard whooping about for his {uns} shirt in the dark
And he {un} hunting round for his {uns} speckled trousers around by Palmerston Park."



synopsis: the song of the sea-birds — mocking King Mark





— Three quarks for Muster Mark!

fdv: "Three caws"

three cheers [590.30]
German Quark: rubbish, trifle; curd cheese
archaic quark: to croak
quarts for Mister Mark
quacks (Birds)

German Muster: paragon, pattern

Sir Dynaden, in Malory's Tristram, composes a song against Mark, which is sung before him


Sure he hasn't got much of a bark

impotence
tree bark


And sure any he has it's all beside the mark.

beside the point
off the mark


But, O Wreneagle Almighty, wouldn't un be a sky of a lark

fdv: "O Wreneagle Highflighty"

according to a folktale, the wren became king of the birds by riding on the eagle's back and thus flying higher than all other birds (birds)

Dialect un: him

wouldn't it be funny

skylark (birds)

U68: "Corny Kelleher... Singing with his eyes shut. Corny. Met her once in the park. In the dark. What a lark"


To see that old buzzard whooping about for uns shirt in the dark

fdv: "busard" (French spelling)

buzzard (birds)
slang buzzard: fool

whooping crane (birds)

German uns: us

if Isolde is with Tristan, why is Mark searching for his own clothes?


And he hunting round for uns speckled trousers around by Palmerstown Park?

speckled-back plover (birds)
cumstained

Palmerston Park, Dublin [1909 map] [streetview now]
U112: "Start, Palmerston park!"

was he exposing himself in the park here too?




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