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Re: "The seven, nine, and three"

From Axel Reichert <mail@axel-reichert.de>
Newsgroups rec.arts.books.tolkien
Subject Re: "The seven, nine, and three"
Date 2025-11-16 15:51 +0100
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <87qzty81za.fsf@axel-reichert.de> (permalink)
References <MPG.438295cef9a83af99047f@news.individual.net> <slrn10hjcah.1e6jr.jcb@high.jcbradfield.org>

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Julian Bradfield <jcb@inf.ed.ac.uk> writes:

> I'm not sure that's the correct meaning. The whole sentence is
> Salbe mir so Kraut, als Blei,
> Segn' es sieben, neun und drei,
> Dass die Kugel tüchtig sei!
>
> Anoint for me  herb and lead
> bless it seven, nine and three
> that the bullet effective be.
>
> "it" probably refers to "lead"?

Not clear, but in my understanding "it" ("es") refers to the whole
"magical process".

> Any German speakers on the group still? (If so, can you also explain
> the so ... als  construction?)

It is poetic/old-fashioned for "sowohl ... als auch" ("anoint for me
BOTH herb AND lead" or "anoint for me herb AS WELL AS lead").

> I'd go with the "mumbo-jumbo" analysis!

+1

Axel

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Thread

"The seven, nine, and three" Stan Brown <someone@example.com> - 2025-11-15 13:51 -0800
  Re: "The seven, nine, and three" Axel Reichert <mail@axel-reichert.de> - 2025-11-16 11:23 +0100
  Re: "The seven, nine, and three" Julian Bradfield <jcb@inf.ed.ac.uk> - 2025-11-16 11:11 +0000
    Re: "The seven, nine, and three" Axel Reichert <mail@axel-reichert.de> - 2025-11-16 15:51 +0100
  Re: "The seven, nine, and three" Stan Brown <someone@example.com> - 2025-11-19 15:50 -0800

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