Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein

Growing up I read Shel Silverstein’s books. I ran his poem, Where the Sidewalk Ends, through a Cockney Slang translator. Obviously it’s not very accurate, but it’s good for a laugh.

The Slang Poem

Blimey! There is a place where da sidewalk ends
And befawer da street begins,
And there da grass grows soft an’ white,
And there da curren’ bun burns crimson bright,
And there da moon-bird rests from ‘is flight
To smelly in da peppermin’ wind.

Let us leave dis place where da laugh an’ a joke blows black
And da dark street winds an’ bends.
Past da pits where da asphalt flaaahrs grow
We shall walk wiv a walk what is measured an’ slow,
And ke’le n ‘ob where da chalk-white arrows go
To da place where da sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk wiv a walk what is measured an’ slow,
And we’ll go where da chalk-white arrows go,
For da children, they mark, an’ da children, they know
The place where da sidewalk ends. . Nuff said, yeah?

_________________________________________

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Translator is found here