Thought for the Day (August 23)

Subject: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: Peter T.
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 10:15 AM

FOR A MAN OF TASTE

You who sniff the bouquet of the finest words will not understand mine: they have no scent.
You who seek clear water should not drink mine, red with blood.
You who drink wine from your silver cup do not know the road to the spring, and do not know the taste of water from cupped hands.
You know everything, and have forgotten everything.
You think you are the master, and not the younger brother of everything you name.
You forget the roots of what you call "My Work" -- you have forgotten life and death, that these are your work.>You were not called to earth to impose dikes and order on the marvellous disorder of things: you were called to name them, to speak with them without raising barricades to their glory. You were called to make the millwheel run with your transitory flow. -- you have forgotten life and death, that these are your work.

And that the song you sing today will one day be mingled and submerged in the music of other waves.

--Jose Hierro (20th century Spanish poet, slightly abridged and translated)

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 10:37 AM

"Shipwreck," by Dick Gaughan

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: MMario
Date: 23 Aug 99 - 10:55 AM

these are the kind of thoughts I want to set to music.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: emily rain
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 02:27 AM

wow.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: emily rain
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 02:28 AM

peter, where can i get a copy of that in the original spanish?

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 03:11 AM

I've heard maybe Cracker Jacks has it, but it's only in select boxes, something like one in 175,000. Happy Crunching.........Hey if you get any of the little BB in the eyes of the bear things em, I'll take them when you're through.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 08:08 AM

Ya know, it's good you asked for an "original" instead of just using the "translate" gizmo because it tends to give some interesting spins on the language, sorta' like those instructions in Taiwanese Christmas lights:

"You are pleased to penetrate mounted wall voltage supplier with string end of light device. Tree of Christmas will flare and burn very fast."

Hmmm....."Hey Honey, let's take these lights back to K-Mart."

Spaw

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 10:04 AM

emily, you can find a version of it in The Penguin Book of Spanish Verse edited by J.M. Cohen. As I said, I have abridged it, and redone some of the very wordy translation so as to make it more the way it would be in English if it were poetry in English.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: emily rain
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 03:15 PM

sorry, spaw, the bb-bears are reserved for my five-year old nephew. if i get enough of 'em, though, maybe i could swipe one for ya...

thanks, p.t. i'm heading straight for the library.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 03:37 PM

emily, you might have to find the 3rd edition. The original Penguin has been around for a long time, and I know that Cohen added more Hierro poems for the 1988 edition, but I don't know which ones. This poem -- "Para un esteta" may be one of these additions (but may not).
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (August 23)
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Aug 99 - 04:09 PM

That's OK emily...........they were really for Cletus, Paw, Buford, and the Reg boys........I seen 'em spend days on one of them and that keeps them to hell away from my house.

Spaw