6 ms·

Not only they were cousins, in their private correspondence right before the outbreak of WWI they were addressing each other as Willy and Nicky[0]. By the way

by simo7 4y ago

Not only they were cousins, in their private correspondence right before the outbreak of WWI they were addressing each other as Willy and Nicky[0]. By the way they fought against each other. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy%E2%80%93Nicky_correspondence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy%E2%80%93Nicky_correspond... edit: I meant the correspondence between the third cousin, Wilhelm II, and Tsar Nicholas.

jonny_eh 4y ago
Kaiser Wilhelm doesn't look too different either.
Animats 4y ago
"War: a massacre of people who don't know each other for the profit of people who know each other but don't massacre each other." Very much the case in 19th century Europe, where most of the royalty was related.
riffraff 4y ago
There's a beautiful poem in roman dialect called "the war lullaby"[0] from this period. The last two stanzas speak of this, and go something like: Sleep tight, my darling while this mess goes on sleep well, as tomorrow we'll see the kings again exchanging pleasantries good friends as before they're cousins, and amongst relatives you don't need formalities, again will turn friendly the personal relations. And reunited among them with no sign of remorse they'll give a nice speech on Peace and Labour to that dumb people spared by the gun. [0] in italian/romanesco http://www.la-poesia.it/poesie-di-trilussa/trilussa-ninna-nanna-della-guerra-4635-1.html http://www.la-poesia.it/poesie-di-trilussa/trilussa-ninna-na...
- guelo 4y ago
  I wouldn't translate "popolo cojone" as dumb people.
  - EarthLaunch 4y ago
    I became interested in this Italian word and found this[0] casual translation: "cojone: bad word, but very useful! referring to someone who's an asshole, and stupid persons in general". Some of the older English references[1] also seem negative: "English had it as cullion a 16c. term of contempt for a man, "a mean wretch" (Shakespeare) also "a testicle" (Chaucer), from Middle English coujon, coilon (late 14c.), from Old French coillon "testicle; worthless fellow, dolt," from Latin coleus." I find that I can quite easily imagine the poet seeing people dying for these 'friends' while the stupid public (popolo cojone) attends a nice speech. 0: https://hinative.com/questions/10051415?locale=en-US#answer-25010550 https://hinative.com/questions/10051415?locale=en-US#answer-... 1: https://www.etymonline.com/word/cojones https://www.etymonline.com/word/cojones
  - magneticnorth 4y ago
    How would you translate it?
    - 01acheru 4y ago
      A "coglione", which is the Italian word for the dialectal "cojone", is literally a testicle. Anyway you can also call someone a "coglione" and it means they are somewhere between dumb, jerk and ignorant.
    - guelo 4y ago
      "fucking people" would be closer since its supposed to be a curse word.
      - riffraff 4y ago
        but it's not a generic curse word, it's an insulting way of saying you're stupid, which is the more important part in this context. But yeah, I could not think of a better word in english, "traduttore traditore" as the saying goes :)

by simo7 4y ago

jonny_eh 4y ago

Kaiser Wilhelm doesn't look too different either.

Animats 4y ago

"War: a massacre of people who don't know each other for the profit of people who know each other but don't massacre each other." Very much the case in 19th century Europe, where most of the royalty was related.

riffraff 4y ago

There's a beautiful poem in roman dialect called "the war lullaby"[0] from this period. The last two stanzas speak of this, and go something like: Sleep tight, my darling while this mess goes on sleep well, as tomorrow we'll see the kings again exchanging pleasantries good friends as before they're cousins, and amongst relatives you don't need formalities, again will turn friendly the personal relations. And reunited among them with no sign of remorse they'll give a nice speech on Peace and Labour to that dumb people spared by the gun. [0] in italian/romanesco http://www.la-poesia.it/poesie-di-trilussa/trilussa-ninna-nanna-della-guerra-4635-1.html http://www.la-poesia.it/poesie-di-trilussa/trilussa-ninna-na...

guelo 4y ago
I wouldn't translate "popolo cojone" as dumb people.
- EarthLaunch 4y ago
  I became interested in this Italian word and found this[0] casual translation: "cojone: bad word, but very useful! referring to someone who's an asshole, and stupid persons in general". Some of the older English references[1] also seem negative: "English had it as cullion a 16c. term of contempt for a man, "a mean wretch" (Shakespeare) also "a testicle" (Chaucer), from Middle English coujon, coilon (late 14c.), from Old French coillon "testicle; worthless fellow, dolt," from Latin coleus." I find that I can quite easily imagine the poet seeing people dying for these 'friends' while the stupid public (popolo cojone) attends a nice speech. 0: https://hinative.com/questions/10051415?locale=en-US#answer-25010550 https://hinative.com/questions/10051415?locale=en-US#answer-... 1: https://www.etymonline.com/word/cojones https://www.etymonline.com/word/cojones
- magneticnorth 4y ago
  How would you translate it?
  - 01acheru 4y ago
    A "coglione", which is the Italian word for the dialectal "cojone", is literally a testicle. Anyway you can also call someone a "coglione" and it means they are somewhere between dumb, jerk and ignorant.
  - guelo 4y ago
    "fucking people" would be closer since its supposed to be a curse word.
    - riffraff 4y ago
      but it's not a generic curse word, it's an insulting way of saying you're stupid, which is the more important part in this context. But yeah, I could not think of a better word in english, "traduttore traditore" as the saying goes :)