from james randi's skepdic.com:
Some of you may have seen the following being circulated by those who think Nostradamus foresaw the horror in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. The French text and translations are from Nostradamiama.
In the year of the new century and nine months,
From the sky will come a great King of Terror...
The sky will burn at forty-five degrees.
Fire approaches the great new city..."
In the city of York there will be a great collapse,
2 twin brothers torn apart by chaos
while the fortress falls the great leader will succumb
third big war will begin when the big city is burning.
The first two lines seem to be an alteration of Centuries X quatrain 72:
L'an mil neuf cens nonante neuf sept mois
Du ciel viendra vn grand Roy d'effrayeur
or, in English
The year 1999 seven months
From the sky will come the great King of Terror.
There is no reference in Nostradamus to "the new century and nine months" that I can find.
The next two lines are from Centuries VI, quatrain 97
Cinq & quarante degrez ciel bruslera,
Feu approcher de la grand cit? neuue,
At forty-five degrees the sky will burn,
Fire to approach the great new city:
Some have speculated that this refers to the latitude of New York, but the latitude in Central Park is 40? 47' N. The remainder of VI.97 is
Instant grand flamme esparse sautera,
Quand on voudra des Normans faire preuue,
In an instant a great scattered flame will leap up,
When one will want to demand proof of the Normans.
Of course, there are several people named Norman living in New York City and Washington.
