Who danced a quadrille with a raven;

But they said, 'It's absurd

To encourage this bird!'

So they smashed that Old Man of Whitehaven.

 

There was an Old Man of Leghorn,

The smallest that ever was born (самый маленький, что когда-либо был рожден);

But quickly snapped up he (/был/ схвачен; snap up – подхватывать, накидываться)

Was once by a puppy (однажды щенком),

Who devoured (поглотил) that Old Man of Leghorn.

 

There was an Old Man of Leghorn,

The smallest that ever was born;

But quickly snapped up he

Was once by a puppy,

Who devoured that Old Man of Leghorn.

 

 

There was an Old Man of the Hague (Гаага [город в Голландии]),

Whose ideas were excessively vague (чьи идеи были крайне неопределенны, расплывчаты);

He built a balloon (построил шар; build – строить)

To examine the moon (чтобы изучать луну),

That deluded (ввела в заблуждение) Old Man of the Hague.

 

There was an Old Man of the Hague,

Whose ideas were excessively vague;

He built a balloon

To examine the moon,

That deluded Old Man of the Hague.

 

There was an Old Man of Jamaica (с Ямайки),

Who suddenly married a Quaker (неожиданно женился на Квакерше);

But she cried out, 'Alack (увы)!

I have married a black! (вышла замуж за черного)'

Which distressed (что причинило горе, страдания) that Old Man of Jamaica.

 

There was an Old Man of Jamaica,