The Sermon at Benares
Old-fashioned English and semicolons
Rewrite old-fashioned English and use semicolons.
Old words in modern English. The story is more than 2,000 years old, so the English is old-fashioned:
- 'I cannot give thee medicine for thy child' = I cannot give you medicine for your child;
- 'Pray tell me' = Please tell me;
- 'Kisa repaired to the Buddha' = Kisa went to the Buddha;
- 'there was no house but someone had died in it' = there was no house where nobody had died;
- kinsmen = relatives;
- 'Mark!' = Listen!
Joining with a semicolon. Usually we join ideas with and, but, or, yet. When none of these fits, use a semicolon (;) or a dash (—):
- 'She has no interest in music; I doubt she will become a singer like her mother.'
- 'The rain stopped; the children rushed out to play.'
Rhythm. The book's sentence: 'For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.' Break it into three short sentences and read both aloud. The semicolon version sounds smoother and more solemn.
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