leonardcohenforum.com

To a Sean Nos Singer:

The brain unfurls
to a white light from the sun.

The ocean blues
to all travails within,

embracing the woes
of your tormenting.

Whatever is unfurled
in the presence of the sun

will torment in the echo
of the sea - and torment

will woe into the blue
of the sun, as tides

rise within the ocean
of your singing.


Note: A Sean Nos Singer (pronounced Shan Nose) is a traditional Irish singer. Traditional Irish songs are sung without accompaniement. The style of singing can be compared to that of the East, where the song is delivered in a kind of lilting tone.
When one listens to this type of singer one is transported into another realm, something like listening for the first time to a Leonard Cohen song. In many ways this poem was written with such an experience in mind.

Hi Jimmy ~

From both your poem and your description, this style sounds to be very enchanting.

Thanks for posting both.


~ Lizzy

Jimmy O'Connell wrote:To a Sean Nos Singer:

The brain unfurls
to a white light from the sun.

The ocean blues
to all travails within,

embracing the woes
of your tormenting.

Whatever is unfurled
in the presence of the sun

will torment in the echo
of the sea - and torment

will woe into the blue
of the sun, as tides

rise within the ocean
of your singing.
.

Wow, this is very good!!!! I love the images in it... like 'whatever is unfurled in the precence of the sun' ...

VERY GOOD!!! I write myself, so I can learn from this:)

I just think this: This is great to set to music... some calm ambient music, with lots of echoe... and a guitar solo at the end

beautiful

The translation of Sean Nos (pronounced Shan Nose) is "Old Style". I forgot to add this to my note.

Thank you all for reading and your responses.
The reader is as important to the poet as the listener is to the song.

Jimmy O'Connell wrote: The reader is as important to the poet as the listener is to the song.

Cool sentence!

There are some artist who just stare at their guitar and never talk to the audience who don't understand this aspect of their music...