Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Lauro de Bosis (1901-1931)


Lauro de Bosis, "Icaro"

Silver Olympic Medal
Arts, Dramatics Works
Amsterdam 1928

Translation Ruth Draper

Oxford University Press
London: Humphrey Milford 1933



Friday, September 5, 2014

Rumi (1207-1273) : "Outdoors and The Passion of The Grass"


From now on the nightingales
will sing of us sitting here outdoors,
where wind lifts the hair of the willow
and starts her dancing.
God knows what they say 
to each other then.


The plane tree holds out
its broad hands in praise of the meadow,
understanding just a little 
of the passion of the grass.


I ask a rose, Where did you get such skin?
She laughs. How could she answer?


She is drunk, but not enough 
to say secrets, not so dissolute as I am.


Wander with drunks if you want to know
what they have been hiding.


They will open the purse-mouth
and spill the lavishness.


There is a wine fermenting 
in the breast of a mystic,
and a voice there inviting
you to a banquet.


A human breast can give milk,
but also wine, and also
there is a flowing there
that tells stories.


Listen as you take in the milk,
then the wine, and then the stories.


Lay down your cap and your cloak.
Start talking from the majesty itself.


And now be quiet.
Very few will hear.


Most copper does not change to gold
for any philosopher's stone.


Bring your words to Shams.
Let sunlight mix with language
and be the world.







From "RUMI - Bridge to The Soul"
Edited and Translated Coleman Barks 2007
Harper Collins Publishers 



Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Catullus (84 - 54 B.C.)



My little volume is complete,

With all the care and polish neat

       That make it fair to see:

To whom shall I then, to whose praise,

Inscribe my lively graceful lays?

      Cornelius, friend, to thee.


Thou only of th' Italian race

Hast dared in three small books to trace

     All time's remotest flight:

Oh Jove, how labour'd, learn'd and wise!

Yet still thou ne'er wouldst quite despise

     The trifles that I write.


Then take the book I now address,

Though small its size, its merits less,

    'Tis all thy friend can give;

And let me, guardian Muse, implore

That when at least, one age is o'er,

    This volume yet may live.





Dedication of The Poems
to Cornelius Nepos
The Poems of Catullus
Translation by The Hon. George Lamb

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Unknown Poet (S XIV) : "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight" excerpt



Rain falls clear in warm showers, 

And the flat earth opens into flowers

And fields and plains grow thick and green,

Birds start their nests and sing like angels

For love of soft summer, creeping across

                                                            The Slopes;

                And hedgerows swell tall,

                And blossoms blow open,

                And glorious woods are all

                Echoing joy and hope.

And after summer's soft winds, Zephyrus

Whistles quietly with seeds and herbs,

Sprouting delightful plants, painted

Wet with dew falling from leaves,

Waiting to be warm in the bright sun.

Then autumn comes rushing, calling the plants

 To watch for winter, to grow while they can;

And he dries the earth and drives dust

Swirling to the sky, and wild winds

Run to wrestle with the sun; leaves

Are thrown from trees and lie dead on the ground,

And green grass withers. And everything

Slender and new ripens and rots,

And a year runs away in passing days,

And winter winds back, as winter must,

                                                      Just so.

                Till the Michaelmas moon

                Promises snow-

                And Gawain soon

                Recalls what he has to do.

But he stays with Arthur till All-Saints Day.  

And the king makes a feast in his honor, the court

And their ladies merry around the Round Table,

Gracious knights and lovely women

Grieving for love of Gawain, but laughing 

and drinking his name, smiling and joking

While their hearts sank gray and cold. And Gawain

Feasts, then sadly approaches his uncle

And speaks of his journey, and bluntly says:

"Lord of my life, I ask your leave.

You know my promise" ...



                                    



From "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight"
Sir Gawain and The Green Knight
Translation by Burton Raffel





Saturday, July 19, 2014

Sacred Conversation

Till I resolve some technicalities, please see the videoclip here

The poets and I say Thank You for stopping by  :)



Why do you seek water

when you are the stream?









From "Rumi's"
Part One: Garden of the Soul
Translation Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin


  from the sparrow's notebook