When Lewis Carroll wrote his poem “Jabberwocky” he used a lot of nonsense words, but you can still understand the story. It is about a brave boy who slays the fierce Jabberwock. Over the years, people have translated the poem into many languages. Below you can read the poem in English and also in the first translation into Latin (from 1872).

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JABBERWOCKY
by Lewis Carroll

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And, hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

MORS IABROCHII
by Augustus Arthur Vansittart

Coesper erat: tunc lubriciles altravia circum
Urgebant gyros gimbiculosque tophi:
Moestenui visae borogovides ire meatu:
Et profugi gemitus exgrabuere rathae.

O fuge Iabrochium, sanguis meus! Ille recurvis
Unguibus, estque avidis dentibus ille minax.
Ububae fuge cautus avis vim, gnate! Neque unquam
Faedarpax contra te frumiosus eat!

Vorpali gladio iuvenis succingitur: hostis
Manxumus ad medium quaeritur usque diem:
Imanque via fesso sed plurima mente prementi,
Timtumie frondis suaserat umbra moram.

Consilia interdum stetit egnia mente revolvens:
At gravis in densa fronde susuffrus erat,
Spiculaque ex oculis iacientis flammea, tulscam
Per silvam venit burbur Iabrochii!

Vorpali, semel atque iterum collectus in ictum
Persnicuit gladio persnacuitque puer:
Deinde glaumphatus, spernens informe cadaver,
Horrendum monstri rettulit ipse caput.

Victor Iabbrochii, spoliis insignis opimis
Rursus in amplexus, o radiose, meos!
O frabiose dies! CALLO clamatque CALLA!
Vix potuit laetus chorticulare pater.

Coesper erat: tunc lubriciles altravia circum
Urgebant gyros gimbiculosque tophi:
Moestenui visae borogovides ire meatu:
Et profugi gemitus exgrabuere rathae.