Poem of the day

Oda
by Francisco de la Torre (c. 1460-c. 1504)

Claras lumbres del cielo y ojos claros
del espantoso rostro de la noche,
corona clara y clara Casiopea,
      Andrómeda y Perseo,

vos, con quien la divina Virgen, hija
del Rector del Olimpo inmenso, pasa
los espaciosos ratos de la vela
      nocturna que le cabe,

escuchad vos mis quejas, que mi llanto
no es indicio de no rabiosa pena;
no vayan tan perdidas como siempre
      tan bien perdidas lágrimas.

¡Cuántes veces me vistes y me vido
llorando Cintia, en mi cuidado el tibio
celo con que adoraba su belleza
      un su pastor dormido!

¡Cuántas veces me halló la clara Aurora
espíritu doliente, que anda errando
por solitarios y desiertos valles,
      llorando mi ventura!

¡Cuántas veces mirándome tan triste
la piedad de mi dolor la hizo
verter amargas y piadosas lágrimas
      con que adornó las flores!

Vos, estrellas, también me vistes solo,
fiel compañero del silencio vuestro,
andar por la callada noche, lleno
      de sospechosos males.

Vi la Circe cruel que me persigue,
de las hojas y flor de mi esperanza,
antes de tiempo y sin razón cortadas,
      hacer encantos duros.

Cruda visión, donde la gloria, un tiempo
adorada por firme, cayó, y donde
peligró la esperanza de una vida
      de fortuna invidiada.

¡Ay, déjenme los cielos, que la gloria,
que por fortuna y por su mano viene,
no será deseada eternamente
      de mi afligido espiritu!

Views: 38

Poem of the day

A Lover’s Resolution
by George Wither (1588-1667)

Shall I wasting in despair,
Die because a woman ‘s fair?
Or make pale my cheeks with care
‘Cause another’s rosy are?
Be she fairer than the day,
Or the flow’ry meads in May,
      If she be not so to me,
      What care I how fair she be?

Should my heart be grieved or pined
‘Cause I see a woman kind?
Or a well disposed nature
Joined with a lovely feature?
Be she meeker, kinder, than
Turtle-dove or pelican,
      If she be not so to me,
      What care I how kind she be?

Shall a woman’s virtues move
Me to perish for her love?
Or her well-deservings known
Make me quite forget my own?
Be she with that goodness blest
Which may merit name of Best,
      If she be not such to me,
      What care I how good she be?

‘Cause her fortune seems too high,
Shall I play the fool and die?
She that bears a noble mind,
Where they want of riches find,
Thinks what with them he would do
That without them dares her woo;
      And unless that mind I see,
      What care I though great she be?

Great, or good, or kind, or fair,
I will ne’er the more despair;
If she love me, this believe,
I will die ere she shall grieve;
If she slight me when I woo,
I can scorn and let her go;
      For if she be not for me,
      What care I for whom she be?

Views: 45

Poem of the day

Alma minha gentil
by Luis de Camões (1524?-1580)

Alma minha gentil que te partiste
tam cedo desta vida descontente,
repousa tu no ceo eternamente,
e viva eu cá na terra sempre triste!
se lá no assento etereo onde subiste
memoria desta vida se consente,
não te esqueças de aquele amor ardente
que ja nos olhos meus tam puro viste!
E se vires que pode merecer-te
alguma cousa a dor que me ficou
da magma, sem remedio, de perder-te,
roga a Deus, que teus anos encurtou,
que tam cedo de cá me leve a ver-te,
euam cedo de meus olhos te levou.

Views: 38

Poem of the day

Soneto
by Íñigo López de Mendoza y de la Vega, Marqués de Santillana (1398-1458)

   Lexos de vos e çerca de cuydado,
pobre de goço e rico de tristeça,
fallido de reposo e abastado
de mortal pena, congoxa e braveça;
   desnudo de esperança e abrigado
de inmensa cuyta e visto de aspereça,
la mi vida me fuye, mal mi grado,
la muerte me persigue sin pereça.
   Nin son bastantes a satisfazer
la sed ardiente de mi grand deseo
Tajo al presente, nin me socorrer
   la enferma Guadïana, nin lo creo;
solo Guadalquivir tiene poder
de me guarir e solo aquel deseo.

Views: 38

Poem of the day

Felix Randal
by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

Felix Randal, the farrier, he is dead then? my duty all ended,
Who have watched his mould of man, big-boned and hardy-handsome
Pining, pining, till time when reason rambled in it and some
Fatal four disorders, fleshed there, all contended?

Sickness broke him. Impatient he cursed at first, but mended
Being anointed and all; though a heavenlier heart began some
Months earlier, since I had our sweet reprieve and ransom
Tendered to him. Ah well, God rest him all road ever he offended!

This seeing the sick endears them to us, us too it endears.
My tongue had taught thee comfort, touch had quenched thy tears,
Thy tears that touched my heart, child, Felix, poor Felix Randal;

How far from then forethought of, all thy more boisterous years,
When thou at the random grim forge, powerful amidst peers,
Didst fettle for the great grey drayhorse his bright and battering sandal!

Views: 38

Poem of the day

An die Parzen
by Friedlich Hölderin (1770-1843)

Nur Einen Sommer gönnt, ihr Gewaltigen!
   Und einen Herbst zu reifem Gesange mir,
      Daß williger mein Herz, vom süssen
         Spiele gesättiget, dann mir sterbe.

Die Seele, der im Leben ihr göttlich Recht
   Nicht ward, sie ruht auch drunten im Orkus nicht;
      Doch ist mir einst das Heil’ge, das am
         Herzen mir liegt, das Gedicht gelungen;

Willkommen dann, o Stille der Schattenwelt!
   Zufrieden bin ich, wenn auch mein Saitenspiel
      Mich nicht hinabgeleitet; Einmal
         Lebt’ ich, wie Götter, und mehr bedarfs nicht.

Views: 36

Poem of the day

“Ab l’alen tir vas me l’aire”
by Peire Vidal (12th century)

Ab l’alen tir vas me l’aire
Qu’eu sen venir de Proensa;
Tot quant es de lai m’agensa,
Si que, quan n’aug ben retraire,
Ieu m’o escout en rizen
E·n deman per un mot cen:
Tan m’es bel quan n’aug ben dire.

Qu’om no sap tan dous repaire
Cum de Rozer tro qu’a Vensa,
Si cum clau mars e Durensa,
Ni on tant fins jois s’esclaire.
Per qu’entre la franca gen
Ai laissat mon cor jauzen
Ab lieis que fa·ls iratz rire.

Qu’om no pot lo jorn mal traire
Qu’aja de lieis sovinensa,
Qu’en liei nais jois e comensa.
E qui qu’en sia lauzaire,
De ben qu’en diga, no·i men!
Que·l mielher es ses conten
E·l genser qu’el mon se mire.

E s’ieu sai ren dir ni faire,
Ilh n’aia·l grat, que sciensa
M’a donat e conoissensa,
Per qu’ieu sui gais e chantaire.
E tot quan fauc d’avinen
Ai del sieu bell cors plazen,
Neis quan de bon cor consire.

Views: 39

Poem of the day

War Is Kind
by Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because the lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

   Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,
   Little souls who thirst for fight,
   These men were born to drill and die.
   The unexplained glory flies above them,
   Great is the Battle-God, great, and his Kingdom –
   A field where a thousand corpses lie.

Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

   Swift blazing flag of the regiment,
   Eagle with crest of red and gold,
   These men were born to drill and die.
   Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
   Make plain to them the excellence of killing
   And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

Views: 36

Poem of the day

Le néant des choses passées
by Jean Lahor (Henri Cazelis) (1840-1909)

Oh! que d’univers engloutis
Dont nous ignorons les naufrages,
Tous sombres, tous anéantis
Dans l’abîme effrayant des âges!

Quelle est donc la réalité?
Est-ce la Mort? Est-ce la Vie?
La Vie, et l’immense clarté,
Ou la Mort, la nuit infinie?

— L’Être, serait-ce le Néant
Qui dans mon vide se reflète,
Et de pourpre et d’or, en créant,
Attife un moment son squelette?

Dans le tourbillon éternel
Où roulent sans fin les atomes,
Qu’entrevoyons-nous de réel,
Fantômes parmi des fantômes?

J’apparais une heure et je fuis,
Rentrant dans l’ombre d’où j’arrive.
Vague étincelle entre deux nuits :
Qu’est l’existence fugitive?

Des millards d’êtres sont morts;
Et ce long défilé des races
Tous ces esprits et tous ces corps
Ont à peine laissé leurs traces!

Qu’est cet étroit monde vivant
Auprès des foules entassées
Des morts, sur qui je vais rêvant
Au néant des choses passées!

— Tout mon être tremble; j’air peur
Du noir abîme où je tombe!
Oh! la nuit sans fond, et l’horreur.
Oh! le puits béant de la tombe!

Views: 32

Poem of the day

Viererzug
by Detlev von Liliencron (1844-1909)

Vorne vier nickende Pferdeköpfe,
Neben mir zwei blonde Mädchenzöpfe,
Hinten der Groom mit wichtigen Mienen,
An den Rädern Gebell.

In den Dörfern windstillen Lebens Genüge,
Auf den Feldern fleißige Spaten und Pflüge,
Alles das von der Sonne beschienen
So hell, so hell.

Views: 31