Lisboa

waistlevel bohemians

the curtain of the temple

how could the romans resist

liebestraum 2

dreams of love

This is the best version I have managed to find. Its translated/written from the poem in the first post, and since music can be readily translated into math as well, it makes me wonder if everything is composed from one universally sublime language.

liebestraum 1

O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst!
O lieb, so lang du lieben magst!
Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,
Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst.

O Love, as long as you are able to love
O Love as long as you have the desire to love.
The moment will come, the moment will come
where you'll be standing at the grave with regret.

Und sorge, daß dein Herze glüht
Und Liebe hegt und Liebe trägt,
Solang ihm noch ein ander Herz
In Liebe warm entgegenschlägt!

Make sure your heart is full of fire
and full of love
as long as somebody else's heart
is full of love for you

Und wer dir seine Brust erschließt,
O tu ihm, was du kannst, zulieb'!
Und mach' ihm jede Stunde froh,
Und mach ihm keine Stunde trüb!

And if somebody loves you
Be as nice as you can.
Make him happy all them time;
don't make him sad.

Und hüte deine Zunge wohl,
Bald ist ein böses Wort gesagt!
O Gott, es war nicht bös gemeint, -
Der andre aber geht und klagt.

Don't utter any harsh words!
Soon, you may say a bad word,
Oh God, it wasn't meant that way.
Yet, he will be hurt and walk away.

O lieb', solang du lieben kannst!
O lieb', solang du lieben magst!
Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,
Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!

O Love, as long as you are able to love
O Love as long as you have the desire to love.
The moment will come, the moment will come
where you'll be standing at the grave with regret.

Dann kniest du nieder an der Gruft
Und birgst die Augen, trüb und naß,
- Sie sehn den andern nimmermehr -
Ins lange, feuchte Kirchhofsgras.

You'll be kneeling at the grave,
eyes buried, full of tears,
they won't see the other anymore,
in the wet graveyard grass

Und sprichst: O schau' auf mich herab,
Der hier an deinem Grabe weint!
Vergib, daß ich gekränkt dich hab'!
O Gott, es war nicht bös gemeint!

Please look at me
Who is crying at your grave
Forgive my hurting you
It wasn't meant that way!

Er aber sieht und hört dich nicht,
Kommt nicht, daß du ihn froh umfängst;
Der Mund, der oft dich küßte, spricht
Nie wieder: Ich vergab dir längst!

But he won't see you, won't hear you
Won't come back for you to comfort him
The lips that often kissed you
Won't talk again:
But I forgave you long ago!

Er tat's, vergab dir lange schon,
Doch manche heiße Träne fiel
Um dich und um dein herbes Wort -
Doch still - er ruht, er ist am Ziel!

Indeed he forgave you long ago
Still, he often cried
for you, and over your harsh words.
But quiet now! He rests, is there.

O lieb', solang du lieben kannst!
O lieb', solang du lieben magst!
Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,
Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!

O Love, as long as you are able to love
O Love as long as you have the desire to love.
The moment will come, the moment will come
where you'll be standing at the grave with regret.

Ferdinand Freiligrath

reminiscent

Nostalgia, enough said.

HICKEY. [suddenly bursts out] I've got to tell you! Your being the way you are now gets my goat! It's all wrong! It puts things in my mind -- about myself. It makes me think, if I got balled up about you, how do I know I wasn't balled up about myself? And that's plain damned foolishness. When you know the story of me and Evelyn, you'll see there wasn't any other possible way out of it, for her sake. Only I've got to start way back at the beginning or you won't understand. [He starts his story, his tone again becomes musingly reminiscent.] You see, even as a kid I was always restless. I had to keep on the go. You've heard the old saying, "Ministers' sons are sons of guns." Well, that was me, and then some. Home was like a jail. I didn't fall for the religious bunk. Listening to my old man whooping up hell fire and scaring those Hoosier suckers into shelling out their dough only handed me a laugh, although I had to hand it to him, the way he sold them nothing for something. I guess I take after him, and that's what makes me a good salesman. Well, anyway, as I said, home was like jail, and so was school, and so was that damned hick town. The only place I liked was the pool rooms, where I could smoke Sweet Corporals, and mop up a couple of beers, thinking I was a hell-on-wheels sport. We had one hooker shop in town, and, of course, I liked that, too. Not that I hardly ever had entrance money. My old man was a tight old bastard. But I liked to sit around in the parlor and joke with the girls, and they liked me because I could kid 'em along and make 'em laugh. Well, you know what a small town is. Everyone got wise to me. They all said I was a no-good tramp. I didn't give a damn what they said. I hated everybody in the place. That is, except Evelyn. I loved Evelyn. Even as a kid. And Evelyn loved me. [He pauses. No one moves or gives any sign except by the dread in their eyes that they have heard him. Except Parritt, who takes his hands from his face to look at Larry pleadingly]

PARRITT. I loved Mother, Larry! No matter what she did! I still do! Even though I know she wishes now i was dead! You believe that, don't you? Christ, why can't you say something?

HICKEY. [too absorbed in his story now to notice this -- goes on in a tone of fond, sentimental remembrance.] Yes sir, as far back as I can remember, Evelyn and I loved each other. She always stuck up for me. She wouldn't believe the gossip -- or she'd pretend she didn't. No one could convince her I was no good. Evelyn was stubborn as all hell once she'd made up her mind. Even when I'd admit things and ask her forgiveness, she'd make excuses for me and defend me against myself. She'd kiss me and say she knew I didn't mean it and I wouldn't do it again. So I'd promise I wouldn't. I'd have to promise, she was so sweet and good, though I knew darned well -- [A touch of strange bitterness comes into his voice for a moment] No, sir, you couldn't stop Evelyn. Nothing on earth could shake her faith in me. Even I couldn't. She was a sucker for a pipe dream. [Then quickly] Well, naturally, her family forbid her seeing me. They were one of the town's best, rich for that hick burg, owned the trolley line and lumber company. Strict Methodists, too. They hated my guts. But they couldn't stop Evelyn. She'd sneak notes to me and meet me on the sly. I was getting more restless. The town was getting more like a jail. I made up my mind to beat it. I knew exactly what I wanted to be by that time. I'd met a lot of drummers around the hotel and liked 'em. They were always telling jokes. They were sports. They kept moving. I liked their life. And I knew I could kid people and sell things. The hitch was how to get the railroad fare to the Big Town. I told Mollie Arlington my trouble. She was the madame of the cathouse. She liked me. She laughed and said, "Hell, I'll stake you, Kid! I'll bet on you. With that grin of yours and that line of bull, you ought to be able to sell skunks for good ratters!" [He chuckles] Mollie was all right. She gave me confidence in myself. I paid her back, the first money I earned. Wrote her a kidding letter, I remember, saying I was peddling baby carriages and she and the girls had better take advantage of our bargain offer. [He chuckles] But that's ahead of my story. The night before I left town I had a date with Evelyn. I got all worked up, she was so pretty and sweet and good. I told her straight, "You better forget me, Evelyn, for your own sake. I'm no good and never will be. I'm not worthy to wipe your shoes." I broke down and cried. She just said, looking white and scared, "Why, Teddy? Don't you still love me?" I said, "Love you? God, Evelyn, I love you more than anything in the world. And I always will!" She said, "Then nothing else matters, Teddy, because nothing but death could stop my loving you. So I'll wait, and when you're ready you send for me and we'll be married. I know I can make you happy, Teddy, and once you're happy you won't want to do any of the bad things you've done any more." And I said, "Of course I won't, Evelyn!" I meant it, too. I believed it. I loved her so much she could make me believe anything. [He sighs. There is a suspended waiting silence. Even the two detectives are drawn into it. Then Hope breaks into dully exasperated, brutally callous protest]

Jason Robards,

Hickey
The Iceman Cometh
Eugene O'Neil

So long. and maybe farewell.

It's taken me so long to feel angry at you. 3 years. Against all the caked love in my heart, I finally do.

listen to Paul Potts, he knows it all.

unfailingly

Someday, somewhere — anywhere, unfailingly, you'll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life.


-pablo neruda