On my volcano grows the Grass
A meditative spot --
An acre for a Bird to choose
Would be the General thought --
How red the Fire rocks below --
How insecure the sod
Did I disclose -- Would populate
With awe my solitude.
--Emily Dickinson
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
One Wakeful Nightingale
They told me, Heraclitus, they told me you were dead,
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept as I remember'd how often you and I
Had tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.
And now that thou art lying, my dear old Carian guest,
A handful of grey ashes, long, long ago at rest,
Still are thy pleasant voices, thy nightingales, awake;
For Death, he taketh all away, but them he cannot take.
--Callimachus, translated by William Johnson Cory
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept as I remember'd how often you and I
Had tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.
And now that thou art lying, my dear old Carian guest,
A handful of grey ashes, long, long ago at rest,
Still are thy pleasant voices, thy nightingales, awake;
For Death, he taketh all away, but them he cannot take.
--Callimachus, translated by William Johnson Cory
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
One Resilient Moon
Broken and broken
again on the sea, the moon
so easily mends
--Chosu, translated by Henry Behn
again on the sea, the moon
so easily mends
--Chosu, translated by Henry Behn
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
One Cherished Cliff
I am the lord of the edge
I control this edge this edge is sacred to me
nothing goes over it I guard its correctness its silence
irregularities I observe and report to the highest authority
I take care of this edge it is everything to me
I repair where it tumbles or crumbles I add to, sweep up
I work hard on this edge
I do nothing else this edge
--Marije Langelaar, translated by Diane Butterman
I control this edge this edge is sacred to me
nothing goes over it I guard its correctness its silence
irregularities I observe and report to the highest authority
I take care of this edge it is everything to me
I repair where it tumbles or crumbles I add to, sweep up
I work hard on this edge
I do nothing else this edge
--Marije Langelaar, translated by Diane Butterman
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
One Invisible Bull's-Eye
Talent hits the target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see.
--Arthur Schopenhauer
--Arthur Schopenhauer
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
One Satiating Moon
Watching the full moon,
a small hungry boy forgets
to eat his dinner.
--Basho, translated by Henry Behn
a small hungry boy forgets
to eat his dinner.
--Basho, translated by Henry Behn
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
One Recharted Course
Wind
By Olav Hauge
I was a boat becalmed,
You were wind.
South southwest
North or east
The direction I wanted to go
Is forgotten
Who cares about steering
With a wind like that!
--Version by Laura Sheahen
By Olav Hauge
I was a boat becalmed,
You were wind.
South southwest
North or east
The direction I wanted to go
Is forgotten
Who cares about steering
With a wind like that!
--Version by Laura Sheahen
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
One Serviceable Prosthesis
from Mr. Cogito Meditates on Suffering
By Zbigniew Herbert
All attempts to remove
the so-called cup of bitterness—
by reflection
frenzied actions on behalf of homeless cats
deep breathing
religion—
failed
one must consent
gently bend the head
not wring the hands
make use of the suffering gently moderately
like an artificial limb
without false shame
but also without unnecessary pride
...
~Translated by John and Bogdana Carpenter | Book
By Zbigniew Herbert
All attempts to remove
the so-called cup of bitterness—
by reflection
frenzied actions on behalf of homeless cats
deep breathing
religion—
failed
one must consent
gently bend the head
not wring the hands
make use of the suffering gently moderately
like an artificial limb
without false shame
but also without unnecessary pride
...
~Translated by John and Bogdana Carpenter | Book
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
One Ordinary Wedding
We both knew we could not do it
But she promised so I promised too
--Munir Niazi, translated by Anwar Dil
But she promised so I promised too
--Munir Niazi, translated by Anwar Dil
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
One Collapsed Hive
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
One Suffering Orchestra
from Definition of mutations
By Octavian Paler
When wood learns to suffer
And to dream as people do
It shall henceforth be called Violin...
~Translated by Ileana Stefanescu and S. D. Curtis | Book
By Octavian Paler
When wood learns to suffer
And to dream as people do
It shall henceforth be called Violin...
~Translated by Ileana Stefanescu and S. D. Curtis | Book
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
One Artistic STD
from Philosophy of Autumn
By Miroslav Holub
...I ask myself if the prevailing
shortage of geniuses
may not be caused by the disappearance
of tertiary stages of syphilis.
--Translated by Ewald Osers | Book
By Miroslav Holub
...I ask myself if the prevailing
shortage of geniuses
may not be caused by the disappearance
of tertiary stages of syphilis.
--Translated by Ewald Osers | Book
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
One Keyless Door
from Secrecy
By Margaret Atwood
...it's in you, secrecy.
Ancient and vicious, luscious
as dark velvet.
It blooms in you,
a poppy made of ink.
...Once you have it, you want more.
What power it gives you!
Power of knowing without being known,
power of the stone door,
power of the iron veil,
power of the crushed fingers,
power of the drowned bones
crying out from the bottom of the well.
By Margaret Atwood
...it's in you, secrecy.
Ancient and vicious, luscious
as dark velvet.
It blooms in you,
a poppy made of ink.
...Once you have it, you want more.
What power it gives you!
Power of knowing without being known,
power of the stone door,
power of the iron veil,
power of the crushed fingers,
power of the drowned bones
crying out from the bottom of the well.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
One Unapocalyptic War
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
One Delightsome Tickling
Here are a list of facts on which I and 9,000,000 other poets have spieled endlessly:
1. Spring is a pleasant season. The flowers, etc. etc. sprout bloom etc. etc
2. Young man's fancy. Lightly, heavily, gaily etc. etc.
3. Love, a delightsome tickling. Indefinable etc. A) By day, etc. etc. etc B) By night, etc. etc. etc.
4. Trees, hills etc are by a provident nature arranged diversely, in diverse places.
5. Winds, clouds, rains, etc flop thru and over 'em.
6. Men love women. ...
7. Men fight battles, etc. etc.
8. Men go on voyages.
--Ezra Pound
1. Spring is a pleasant season. The flowers, etc. etc. sprout bloom etc. etc
2. Young man's fancy. Lightly, heavily, gaily etc. etc.
3. Love, a delightsome tickling. Indefinable etc. A) By day, etc. etc. etc B) By night, etc. etc. etc.
4. Trees, hills etc are by a provident nature arranged diversely, in diverse places.
5. Winds, clouds, rains, etc flop thru and over 'em.
6. Men love women. ...
7. Men fight battles, etc. etc.
8. Men go on voyages.
--Ezra Pound
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
One Restored Painting
from At Yale
By Czeslaw Milosz
...There was once an artist
Faithful and hardworking. His workshop
Together with all he had painted, burned down,
He himself was executed. Nobody has heard of him.
Yet his paintings remain. On the other side of fire.
--Book
By Czeslaw Milosz
...There was once an artist
Faithful and hardworking. His workshop
Together with all he had painted, burned down,
He himself was executed. Nobody has heard of him.
Yet his paintings remain. On the other side of fire.
--Book
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)