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The Finnish Take on COVID-19

Finnish people eagerly await giving up the mandatory social distancing guidelines So they can return from the government mandated 2 meters of distance to the normal 5 meters. Suomalaiset odottavat innolla luopumista pakollisista sosiaalisen etäisyyden ohjeista Joten he voivat palata hallitukselta 2 metrin etäisyydeltä normaaliin 5 metriin. Source “Finnish Jokes.” Upjoke, www.upjoke.com/finnish-jokes. Accessed 11 May 2024.

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A man cowers from his shadow, which is a monster

Fears of Dentists and Darkness

Most of all, I’m afraid of dentists and darkness. – And what about darkness  – Oh, who knows how many dentists are lurking in that darkness! – Більш за все боюся стоматологів та темряви. – А темряви та чого? – А хрін його знає, скільки в цій темряві стоматологів! Etho Cbit. “Funny Jokes in Ukrainian” Etho Cbit, https://etnosvit.com/uk/anekdoty_uk.html.

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Happiness Nearby

There are people who carry happiness within them. When these people are around, everything seems bright and colorful. But my wife calls them alcoholics! Є люди, які несуть в собі щастя. Коли ці люди поруч, все ніби стає яскравим і барвистим. Але моя дружина їх називає алкашами! Source

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A brown rabbit hopping in a field

Rabbit Salo

Context: archaeological research shows that Ukrainians have been consuming salo (pork fat) since ancient times. Back then, this dish had symbolic significance: the boar represented strength, courage, and bravery. Later, salo was highly valued for its long shelf life, the ability to stock up on food for the future, and its nutritional value. “Rabbit Salo.”

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A drawing of two hands. The left one holds a breathalyzer, the right one refuses it.

The Alcohol Test

A police officer stops a driver [and] asks: “You’re weaving as you drive. Would you agree [to take] an alcohol test?” The driver [replies]: “Bring it on – what have you got?” Polizist hält einen Autofahrer an. Er fragt: “ Sie sind Schlangenlinien gefahren. Wän Sie mit einem Alkhoholtest einverstanden?”  Autofahrer: “Kommt drauf an. Was

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A mop on a wooden floor

Officer Edgar

[Officer] Edgar makes the [following] radio broadcast/ call: “Car 12 to Central: we have a murder on Kettiger Street – a woman shot her husband because he ran across a freshly-washed floor.” Central: “Have you arrested the suspect?” Edgar: “No. The floor isn’t dry yet.” [Polizist] Edgar gibt einen Funkspruch durch: “Wagen 12 an Zentrale.

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Fanni is Radnóti's wife
Located near the Tang capital city of Chang’an, site of the modern city of Xi’an in Shaanxi province, in central China.
Soldiers of that time commonly wore a white head cloth, similar to what is still worn by some peasants in China today.  The implication is that the conscripts were so young that they didn’t know how to wrap their head cloths, and needed help from elders.
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
The area of Guanxi, meaning “west of the passes”, refers to the area around the capital city of Chang’an.
This is an alternative name for a province in western China, now known as Qinghai, which literally means “blue sea”.  Kokonor Lake, located in Qinghai, is the largest saline lake in China.  
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
Oulart Hollow was the site of a famous victory of the Irish rebels over British troops, which took place on May 27, 1798. The rebels killed nearly all the British attackers in this battle. (Source: Maxwell, W. H. History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798. H. H. Bohn, London 1854, pp 92-93, at archive.org)
The phrase "United Men" is elaborated upon in the Notes section below.

Ghetto


An Italian word meaning “foundry.” It originally referred to a part of the city of Venice where the Jews of that city were forced to live; the area was called “the ghetto” because there was a foundry nearby. The term eventually came to refer to any part of a city in which a minority group is forced to live as a result of social, legal, or economic pressure. Because of the restrictions placed upon them, ghetto residents are often impoverished.

"You’re five nine, I am do-uble two"


A reference to the year 1959 and the year 2020.

"The Currency"


Meaning US dollars - this is drawing attention to the fact that Cuba is effectively dollarized.

"Sixty years with the dom-ino stuck"


This sentence is a reference to the Cold War notion that countries would turn Communist one after the other - like dominos. Cuba was the first domino, but it got stuck - no one else followed through into communism.

رحلنا


رحلنا, or "rahalna," means "we have left."

Habibi


Habibi means "my love."

Ra7eel


Ra7eel, or "raheel," means "departure."

3awda


3awda, or "awda," means "returning."

أهلاً


أهلاً, or "ahalan," means "welcome."

a5 ya baba


a5 ya baba, pronounced "akh ya baba," means "Oh my father."

golpe


Treece translates "golpe" as "beating", which is correct, however misses the secondary meaning of the word: "coup".

Carlos


The “Carlos” referred to in the poem is most likely Carlos Bolsonaro, a politician from Rio de Janeiro and the second son of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s current president. His and his father’s involvement in Marielle’s murder has been questioned and investigated.