Canto from one of the brighter nights

tom.d.stiller · Post by **tom.d.stiller** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:50 pm

Canto from one of the brighter nights

our black bile
must be brilliant
or it is thrown away
with us.
Je veux qu'on rie
fifth symphony

C sharp minor in the dark
eyes wide open visions of
the Oran tram carrying
unpaying load: mortals'
remains not mortal anymore.
Heigh-ho! to the fires we rode
Dunkel ist das Leben / Ist der Tod

humming the Song of the Earth
on february cold ice marches
in the merciless sun of no warmth.
the smells of industrial winter
poison our decaying puke.
Heigh-ho! into the dusk we rode
Dunkel ist das Leben / Ist der Tod

whistling the Trinklied vom Jammer
i pass by the windows of hope
and watch out for the gray
theatre of my favourite walk
through the stonehenge of my soul.
Heigh-ho! to the morgue we rode
Dunkel ist das Leben / Ist der Tod

symphonies performed in the disconcert hall
echo in the alleys of composure.
i follow the trail of the dragonfly
and smell the wild forget-me-not
in the shadow of the mountain of life.
Heigh-ho! to the cemetery we rode
Dunkel ist das Leben / Ist der Tod

Heigh-ho! in eden our paths shall meet
while we sing a Kindertotenlied.
Heigh-ho! a God our shepherd will be
in the shadow of the valley of melancholy.
Heigh-ho! we sing and dance. Heigh-ho!
Heigh-ho! to the final chapel we rode
Dunkel ist das Leben / Ist der Tod

je veux qu'on danse
this shall be played:
triumphant A major falling
down to minor then
a violon pizzicato A. finis.
quand c'est qu'on m'mettra dans l'trou

(References are to the works of Gustav Mahler, to Albert Camus's "La Peste", and
to "Le Moribond", a chanson by Jacques Brel)

Anne-Marie · Post by **Anne-Marie** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:45 am

Tom oh Tom.
How I adore your poems.

LaurieAK · Post by **LaurieAK** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:04 pm

tom~

I have pondered this for a couple of days now. The snapshots I understand are poignant.
But, alas I am not worthy of saying anything of substance about your poem. I know there is so much beyond my comprehension here.

An explanation (for dummiyz) would be appreciated (by this one).

regards,
L

SWITZ · Post by **SWITZ** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:23 am

I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT ITS GOT A SORT OF PIRATE SWAGGER TO IT. ROBUSTLY LIVING DEATH TO ITS FULLEST ? PARTS SEEM TO HAVE A SOFT EMILY DICKENSON FEEL ( BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH).

ANOTHER MILE OF SILENCE

LaurieAK · Post by **LaurieAK** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 2:48 am

SWITZ~

Yeah. There are soft parts. In my initial post i almost said something about light and dark parts.

The carefree (my interpretation) expression of "Heigh-Ho!" seems to tone down the drama...

Okay, i'll shut up. Like i said, i am not worthy to comment

L

tom.d.stiller · Post by **tom.d.stiller** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:06 pm

LaurieAK wrote:An explanation (for dummiyz) would be appreciated

I haven't seen any "dummiyz" banging around this part of the forum world

Though I don't really believe in commenting my poetry, maybe a few words of explanation can be helpful.

"Black bile" is a literal translatation of the Greek word "melancholia".

Gustav Mahler was a composer who lived from 1960 to 1911. He completed eight symphonies, almost finished his ninth, and wrote parts of his tenth. The fifth symphony is in C# minor, the sixth is in A minor, with one of the most impressive passages being the decline of an A major chord via A minor to a simple A note.

In addition to these he composed songs. Among others a collection called "Das Lied von der Erde" ("The song of the Earth"), the first part of which is called "Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde" ("Drinking Song on the Misery of the Earth", sometimes incorrectly translated as "The toast to the troubles of Earth"). The recurring lines in the "Trinklied" are "Dunkel ist das Leben / Ist der Tod" ("Dark is death, and so is Life").

Another group of songs were the "Kindertotenlieder" ("Songs of the Death of Children" on some recordings) which he composed on Poems by Friedrich Rueckert after his daughter, aged four, died.

Camus' novel "La peste" describes an imaginary plague in the north african city of Oran. There is a passage, where he describes how the tram is used to transport the corpses to the crematory.

Maybe I'll post the Brel song in the "Other poetry" or the "Other music" section, when I can find a reliable translation. (Rod McKuen's "Seasons in the Sun" is too schmaltzy and doesn't really translate Brel...)

I won't detail into personal references, since I don't believe in the biographical approach. If I wanted to tell a personal experience, however, I'd know the words to do so instead of composing a poem.

I hope this helps. I don't think that explaining more would do anything but restrict the reader's imagination.

Cheers
tom

PS: "The carefree (my interpretation) expression of "Heigh-Ho!" seems to tone down the drama..." Not too bad for someone "not worthy to comment"...

LaurieAK · Post by **LaurieAK** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:11 pm

Tom~

This exactly what i needed and was looking for.
I notoriously avoid homework and knew between the foreign expressions and the musical references, only homework would enlighten me. And even then having a 'eureka' was not a given

"Black bile" is a literal translatation of the Greek word "melancholia".

This was the most satisfying (i know, a strange way to put it) of your explanations. I couldn't get past the visceral picture this created for me. Melancholia. Never before have i welcomed that word more!

I just checked my cd's and I do have a copy of Mahler's 5th in C minor. I plan on soaking it in sometime today when i can dedicate my attention to it.

Your reluctance to insert the personal does leave the reader to search within. This type of poetry is the most difficult for me (besides not knowing the nexus of references) but the most rewarding when i "get it." My natural approach to poetry has always been 'confessional.' My method is the least complex.

I'm still soaking up the intricasies of your Poem. I think it sad. I think it hopeful. I think it blunt, without nonsensical self-pity. I think i'll keep searching the haystack of your poem. I am a slow learner.

Thanks for sharing!!

L

linda_lakeside · Post by **linda_lakeside** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:08 am

Hi All,

Tom, I noticed your reference to Oran, which you also mentioned in Imbolc. Does Oran hold a special signficance (like that would be any of my business), or is it the sound of the word? Perhaps the feel of the place?

Linda.

tom.d.stiller · Post by **tom.d.stiller** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 2:10 am

Hey Linda,

in the Imbolc poem oran was nothing but a Celtic word meaning "song". Here Oran is the location Camus chose for his novel about the Plague.

I wasn't free to choose Vienna instead, or Venice, or Vancouver, or San Francisco.

But knowing the Celtic word's meaning there is an additional reference to "song" ... Maybe that's why I mentioned the City of Oran at all...

Cheers
tom

linda_lakeside · Post by **linda_lakeside** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 5:10 am

Hi Tom,

I knew Oran was a place in North Africa, I was just kinda baffled at the thought that you knew of two Orans.Who knows? Maybe there's more.

Linda.