Musing & memes

[sarasusa]

Many on my friendslist have spoken my mind about the election (I intend no offense to those who opine differently!/standard disclaimer). I voted for Kerry, though my leanings are further left. I fear for what will become of this country and the world.

My hope? That I'll convert that fear into energy--energy to struggle for peace in the world and in our streets at home; to counter the damage we're doing to the earth; to pour active compassion in huge and healing quantities over the wounds of all who suffer.

This quote has been running through my mind since the election:

"Thought shall be the harder, heart the keener,
Courage shall be the more as our might lessens."

(Hige sceal the heardra, heorte the cenre, mod sceal the mare, the ure maegen lytlath.)

An ironic quote for a Friend, being that it comes from the epic poem of England's Battle of Maldon, circa 991. But what it means to me is: We who are unhappy with the outcome of the election must not settle into a cowed sense of disenfranchisement. (I've never been too happy about my country's complaisant acceptance of majority rule as "true" democracy--my Quaker background again--but it's never hit home so clearly as in this election.)

Another way of putting it, from the hymn "I Would Be True": "I would be brave, for there is much to dare."

Well. Mis dos centavos. Now for some memes.

Purloined from ceresi's journal (and those of others) some time back:

When you see this, post a song in your lj.



"Welcome Home"
Copyright 1954 by Harold Rome, from his musical Fanny (based on the trilogy of plays set in Marseille by French playwright Marcel Pagnol: Fanny, César and Marius).

[Intro: Spoken]
Why, even when I leave this neighborhood for only a day,
To go to the beach or the vineyards across the bay,
No matter what I do or see,
after turning home again,
I get to the corner and then: [Sung]
Sweet voices, I hear sweet voices
calling to me!

Welcome home, says the street, as I hurry on my way,
Welcome home, sings the gate like a song,
Welcome home, says the door,
glad to feel your hand once more--
Now you're back where you belong.

Welcome home, says the chair, holding out its friendly arms,
Welcome home,says the bed, rest on me.
Now you're back where you should be;
close your eyes, close your eyes,
And the world will settle down to size.

Welcome home, says the lamp, lighting up familiar things,
Look around at your friends good and true.
Get your cares all untied, while you're warming up inside...
Welcome home to you! Welcome home to you!

[Spoken: This isn't a place to go away from, it's a place to come back to--a quiet place where things are manageable. Where there's a routine you can roll up in like a blanket. And the air all around is humming a familiar song...]

Welcome home, ticks the clock; now it's time to get undressed.
Welcome home, says the floor to your shoe;
Then you turn out the light and the darkness says goodnight...
Welcome home to you, my son, welcome home to you!

Transcription of the spoken interlude is mostly based on memory--the libretto where I found my copy didn't include all the spoken text.

Factoid #1: The original Broadway cast recording features Florence Henderson as Fanny--she was later known to millions as Mrs. Brady (of "Brady Bunch" fame).



And a poetry meme (a poememe!) gleaned from tuuli_chan (and others, I'm sure!):

When you see this, post a piece of poetry in your journal.



“Iba yo por un camino”

Iba yo por un camino,
cuando con la Muerte dí.
--¡Amigo!--gritó la Muerte,
pero no le respondí,
pero no le respondí;
miré no más a la Muerte,
pero no le respondí.

Llevaba yo un lirio blanco,
cuando con la Muerte dí.
Me pidió el lirio la Muerte,
pero no le respondí,
pero no le respondí;
miré no más a la Muerte,
pero no le respondí.

Ay, Muerte,
si otra vez volviera a verte,
iba a platicar contigo
como un amigo:
mi lirio, sobre tu pecho,
como un amigo;
mi beso, sobre tu mano,
como un amigo;
yo detenido y sonriente,
como un amigo.

--Nicolás Guillén, de El son entero (1947)

My (rough) translation:

“I Was Walking Down the Street”

I was walking down the street
When I bumped into Death.
“My friend!” Death called to me,
but I made her no reply,
but I made her no reply;
I stared Death in the face
but I made her no reply.

I was wearing a white lily
When I bumped into Death.
Death asked me for the lily,
but I made her no reply,
but I made her no reply;
I stared Death in the face
but I made her no reply.

Ah, Death,
If once more we should meet,
I would chat with you
like a friend:
My lily upon your breast,
like a friend’s;
My kiss upon your hand,
like a friend’s;
Smiling and unhurried,
like a friend.

-- Nicolás Guillén, from El son entero [The whole sound] (1947)
Translated by Sara Palmer, November 2004

::scratches head:: Hard to know, as a non-native speaker of Spanish, whether a native speaker imagines Death as feminine, simply because "death" a feminine noun. Also, how to translate "Ay"? It can convey regret, pain...nothing exactly like it in English.



And lastly: I've updated Two Hours' Traffic again--Chapter Seven is up. Feedback, positive *or* negative, earnestly requested!