Venice masks

Saturday 29 June 2013

Friday 28 June 2013

Thursday 27 June 2013

Alone - Georges Rodenbach

To live as in exile, to live seeing no-one
in the vast desert of a town that is dying,
where one hears nothing but the vague murmur
of an organ sobbing, or the belfry tolling.

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Sonnet de l’Absinthe - Raoul Ponchon

Absinthe, O my lively liquor,
It seems, when I drink you
I inhale the young forest’s soul
During the beautiful green season.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

To my Husband on our Wedding-Day - Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon

I leave for thee, beloved one,
    The home and friends of youth,
Trusting my hopes, my happiness,
    Unto thy love and truth;
I leave for thee my girlhood's joys,
    Its sunny, careless mirth,
To bear henceforth my share amid
    The many cares of earth.

Monday 24 June 2013

On Wings of Song - Heinrich Heine

On wings of song—ah, lightly,
Heart’s dearest, I bear thee away:
A nook is beckoning brightly
Where Ganges’ waters play.

Sunday 23 June 2013

The Immortality of Israel - Yehudah HaLevi

The sun and moon unchanging do obey
The laws that never cease or night or day.

Saturday 22 June 2013

Novel - Arthur Rimbaud

I.

No one's serious at seventeen.
—On beautiful nights when beer and lemonade
And loud, blinding cafés are the last thing you need
—You stroll beneath green lindens on the promenade.

Friday 21 June 2013

The Beggar - José de Espronceda

The world is mine; I am free as air;
Let others work that I may eat;
All shall melt at my piteous prayer:
"An alms, for God's sake, I entreat."

Thursday 20 June 2013

Ithaka - Constantine P. Cavafy

As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Washing-Day - Anna Lætitia Barbauld

The Muses are turned gossips; they have lost
The buskin'd step, and clear high-sounding phrase,
Language of gods. Come, then, domestic Muse,
In slip-shod measure loosely prattling on

Monday 17 June 2013

The Celestial Weaver - T`ung Han-ching

A thing of stone beside Lake Kouen-ming
Has for a thousand autumns borne the name
Of the Celestial Weaver.

Sunday 16 June 2013

Song of Man XXV - Khalil Gibran

I was here from the moment of the
Beginning, and here I am still. And
I shall remain here until the end
Of the world, for there is no
Ending to my grief-stricken being.

Saturday 15 June 2013

First The Dog - Zbigniew Herbert

So first the faithful dog will go
and after it a pig or ass
through the black grass will beat a track
along it will the first man steal
who with iron hand will smother
on his glass brow a drop of fear

Friday 14 June 2013

To a friend asking for help (Capitolo 18) - Veronica Franco

Most illustrious sir, the capitolo
that I came yesterday to show you
was not, in fact, my own invention;

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Acrostic - Chibuzor Immaculata Ikemenogo

A poem or puzzle in which
Certain letters in each line
Represents a word
Or words.
So, i thought i should
Try writing one
Instead i
Came up with this

Chibuzor Immaculata Ikemenogo (20th century) Nigeria

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Sydney Cove, 1788 - Roderic Quinn

She sat on the rocks, her fireless eyes
Teased and tired with the thoughts of yore;
And paining her sense were alien skies,
An alien sea and an alien shore.

Monday 10 June 2013

Clair de Lune - Paul Verlaine

Your soul is as a moonlit landscape fair,
   Peopled with maskers delicate and dim,
That play on lutes and dance and have an air
   Of being sad in their fantastic trim.

Saturday 8 June 2013

The banks of the Dee - John Tait

'Twas summer, and softly the breezes were blowing,
And sweetly the nightingale sung from the tree,
At the foot of a rock where the river was flowing,
I sat myself down on the banks of the Dee.
Flow on, lovely Dee, flow on, thou sweet river,
Thy banks' purest stream shall be dear to me ever,
For there first I gain'd the affection and favour
Of Jamie, the glory and pride of the Dee.

Friday 7 June 2013

Liber V.LVIII (To Morrow you will live) - Marcus Valerius Martialis

To Morrow you will live, you always cry;
In what far Country does this Morrow lye,

Thursday 6 June 2013

Sapho's Ode out of Longinus - Sappho

                            I
   The Gods are not more blest than he,
Who fixing his glad Eyes on thee,
With thy bright Rays his Senses chears,
And drinks with ever thirsty ears.
The charming Musick of thy Tongue,
Does ever hear, and ever long;
That sees with more than humane Grace,
Sweet smiles adorn thy Angel Face.

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Spring Cattle - Louis Esson

With bells the bush tinkles,
   Men shout, hard hoofs rattle.
Spring sharpens the nostrils
   Of winter-wild cattle.

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Monday 3 June 2013

Shut out the noise - Georges Rodenbach

She is the lady of my Silence
Trailing wearily, with very gentle step

Sunday 2 June 2013

After Sunset - William Allingham

The vast and solemn company of clouds
Around the Sun's death, lit, incarnadined,