A correspondence corner for not-so-famous lost words

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Jacob Adler seeks a source for the assertion by Menasseh ben Israel in book 2, chapter 26, of Nishmat Hayyim [The Breath of Life], (Amsterdam, 1651), that if an elephant “kills a human being, he does not leave the body until he has cut branches and twigs from the trees of the forest and covered it up and buried it beneath them ”

“Italian and Spanish song texts” (September-October). “After a fair bit of searching,” Constantine Finehouse found the texts Ernest Bergel sought “on this pretty marvelous website: lieder.net.” The site traces the Italian song to an 1841 compilation, Canti popolari toscani, corsi, illirici, greci, raccolti ed illustrati da Niccolò Tommaseo (Venezia, G. Tasso), but provides only the texts, without further sourcing, for the two Spanish songs.

Send inquiries and answers to Chapter and Verse, Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge 02138, or via email to chapterandverse@harvardmag.com.

You might also like

The popular Harvard English professor published Under Water this spring.

Author and Harvard Divinity School writer-in-residence Terry Tempest Williams finds beauty in the world around us.

Shakespeare and Stephen King Have a Lot in Common

Shakespeare scholar Caroline Bicks studies horror and fear in literature. 

Most popular

FAS leaders say restructuring will be complete by mid-October.

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

A new federal rule sparks uncertainty for graduate students.

Explore More From Current Issue

A chaotic scene in a messy room with people engaging in various activities, some cleaning.

Until the 1950s, professionals cleaned up after students in the dorms.

Graduates in caps and gowns celebrate joyfully, raising their hands in excitement.

Conan O’Brien headlines a star-studded cast

Two colorful octopuses swim among vibrant coral and sea life in a lively underwater scene.

New Harvard research finds octopuses go beyond sight and touch to find mates.